It has been a busy year in the renewable energy sector. The results of the first auction under the Renewable Electricity Support Scheme (RESS) were announced in the summer. These will see the development of 82 new commercial solar and wind farms. The Support Scheme for Renewable Heat (SSRH) is accepting applications from businesses and farms to incentivise switching to biomass heat sources. Elsewhere, a huge effort has been made by industry to develop a large-scale biomethane sector in Ireland. This year’s renewables focus will bring you updates on these three developments.

Solar

Developing a renewable project on your farm can be a complex job, with many different steps.

There are well over 4,000ac of solar farms in development around the country and in the majority of cases, developers are renting the land from farmers. We run through some of the key legal and tax considerations when entering into an arrangement with a solar farm developer. Make no mistake – if you get this wrong, there can be big implications for your farm. The SSRH is open for business and , bioenergy specialist with Teagasc Barry Caslin runs through the scheme in detail. If you have a requirement for heat, this article is a must read.

Biomethane

We run through some of the policy changes coming down the line which will change the feasibility of biomethane. We look at the role these policies will play with Project Clover, the new food industry decarbonisation project. Other biogas models are also being developed by industry groups. We also bring you an update on the Irish Bioenergy Association’s (IrBEA) small biogas demonstration project. The European Innovation Partnership will provide support and a capital contribution to three on-farm small biogas demonstration projects.