Wexford Solar panel owners warned energy buy-back scheme could be phased out

Wexford homeowners with solar panels are being warned that the system allowing them to sell excess electricity back to the national grid could eventually be phased out.

The Netherlands is set to end its current system from next year, amid concerns over pressure and congestion on the electricity grid.

Experts say other countries could follow, as more households install solar panels and generate their own electricity.

There are also warnings that the prices paid to homeowners for electricity exported to the grid are likely to fall.

In Ireland, homeowners with solar panels can currently receive payments for surplus electricity they export to the grid, under the Clean Export Guarantee.

The scheme has encouraged more households to install solar panels, allowing them to reduce their reliance on electricity from the grid while receiving payment for excess generation.

However, experts say homeowners should not assume that current export payments will remain at the same level indefinitely.

The changing energy market and increasing amount of renewable electricity being generated at household level could lead to lower payments for surplus power in the future.

For homeowners considering solar panels, the advice is to look at the overall savings from generating your own electricity, rather than relying solely on payments for energy exported to the grid.