Understanding solar payback requires looking at two income streams: what you save by not buying electricity (self-consumption), and what you earn by exporting excess generation (CEG).
Self-consumption savings
Each kWh you generate and use at home saves you the retail electricity rate.
A typical 4.4 kWp system generates ~4,200 kWh/year. Self-consumption typically runs at 30–50% for a family home without a battery (people are at work during peak generation hours). With a battery, self-consumption can rise to 60–80%.
Clean Export Guarantee rates (June 2026)
| Supplier | CEG rate | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| SSE Airtricity (Activ8) | 32.00 c/kWh (manual, 2026-06-12) | Solar-specific plan |
| Pinergy | 25.00 c/kWh (manual, 2026-06-12) | |
| Electric Ireland | 19.50 c/kWh (manual, 2026-06-12) | |
| Bord Gáis Energy | 18.50 c/kWh (manual, 2026-06-12) | |
| Energia | 18.50 c/kWh (manual, 2026-06-12) | |
| Yuno | 15.90 c/kWh (manual, 2026-06-12) | |
| EcoPower | 15.20 c/kWh (manual, 2026-06-12) |
Check the current metering and connection requirements with ESB Networks and your electricity supplier.
Calculate payback from your quote
Use the solar calculator to combine your gross installed quote, approved grant, generation, self-consumption, import tariff and export payment. The result is a simple-payback estimate, not a guarantee. It excludes finance, degradation and maintenance. Annual generation does not tell you how much electricity can be used at the moment it is produced.
Does battery storage improve payback?
A 5–10 kWh battery typically costs €3,000 (historical estimate, manual, 2026-06-12)–€6,000 (historical estimate, manual, 2026-06-12) extra (not grant-eligible). Compare quotes with and without the battery. Its additional cost, losses, lifetime and change to import/export patterns determine whether it improves payback.
Battery storage is mainly valuable if:
- Your CEG rate is much lower than your import rate (which it currently is for most suppliers)
- You want resilience/backup power
- You have a heat pump or EV that can be charged from stored solar