BETTER ENERGY HOMES (SEAI) · GRANTVerified 18 August 2026
SEAI Solar Water Heating Grant
€1,200.
Who: Owner of a home built and occupied before 2021. Work by an SEAI-registered contractor, with a BER after the works.
Official details on seai.ie →HOW TO HIRE · PLUMBING & HEATING · CHECKED OCTOBER 2026
How to hire a solar thermal installer in Ireland
The checks, the questions and the paperwork.
A solar thermal installation in Ireland costs €3,000–€5,500 per install, typically around €4,200. Here is how to check that in a minute, what to ask before you book, and what you must be handed when the job is done.
- Search and compare — no account needed
- Nearest to you first
- One score from Google, Trustpilot and Locufy reviews
THE 60-SECOND VERSION
Hiring a solar thermal installer in five steps
- Are you on the SEAI Registered Contractor List, and what is your number?A number you can look up yourself before you agree a price — installation Process — the physical installation of solar collectors on your roof, connecting them to your hot water system.
- How does system size change the price?A large job ties up a whole day rather than part of one. — ask before the quote rather than after.
- How does property location change the price?A provider coming to you charges for the journey as well as the work. — ask before the quote rather than after.
- How does installation complexity change the price?It is worth being specific about when you ask for a price. — ask before the quote rather than after.
- What is not included?Services such as roof repairs, structural modifications, or the installation of a new hot water cylinder are typically not included and may incur additional costs — get the exclusions named in the quote, because a solar thermal installer job is priced on what was agreed and not on what was assumed.
BEFORE YOU BOOK
Check before you book
SEAI Registered Contractor List
REGISTERED FOR WHAT, EXACTLY. Contractors may only carry out the measures they are registered for, so a contractor on the list for insulation is not thereby approved for a heat pump. A renewable installer registers with SEAI first and then adds heat pump or solar PV. For solar PV the INSTALLER applies to ESB Networks for the grid connection, not you. Registration is not a licence to trade — anyone may install insulation. It is MANDATORY TO GET THE GRANT, which is the practical constraint for almost every homeowner.
Search the SEAI Registered Contractor List for the name or the registration number before you agree a price. seai.ie →
Insurance
Expect public liability; grant work also carries SEAI's own code of practice. From a company, ask for the insurer, the limit and the VAT number, and ask who actually attends: the team that turns up may be employed, subcontracted or both, and only one of those is supervised by the firm you are paying.
Ask to see the current certificate of insurance — the insurer's name, the limit and the date it runs to.
Trader or private seller
Under the Consumer Rights Act 2022 a trader must tell you they are a trader, and your consumer rights — work carried out with reasonable skill and care, and a cooling-off period on a contract agreed in your home or online — apply to traders and not to private sellers. On Locufy the trader status is shown on the profile.
Look for the trader badge on the Locufy profile, and ask anyone else for it in writing before you agree a price.
Identity
Providers on Locufy prove who they are with photo ID before they can be booked; the ID-checked badge shows who has done it, and the document itself is deleted once the check is made. For a solar thermal installer coming into your home it is the cheapest check there is.
Look for the ID-checked badge on the card, before you message anyone.
VAT
VAT at 13.5%, the reduced rate Revenue publishes for this service. Ask whether the price you were given includes it. A trader under the €42,500 registration threshold does not charge it; one over it must, and must show it separately.
Ask whether the figure you were given includes it, and for the VAT number if they are registered — Revenue publishes the rate for this service. revenue.ie →
“Are you on the SEAI Registered Contractor List, and what is your number?”
A good answer: A number you can look up yourself before you agree a price — installation Process — the physical installation of solar collectors on your roof, connecting them to your hot water system.
“How does system size change the price?”
A good answer: A large job ties up a whole day rather than part of one. — ask before the quote rather than after.
“How does property location change the price?”
A good answer: A provider coming to you charges for the journey as well as the work. — ask before the quote rather than after.
“How does installation complexity change the price?”
A good answer: It is worth being specific about when you ask for a price. — ask before the quote rather than after.
“What is not included?”
A good answer: Services such as roof repairs, structural modifications, or the installation of a new hot water cylinder are typically not included and may incur additional costs — get the exclusions named in the quote, because a solar thermal installer job is priced on what was agreed and not on what was assumed.
“Who insures you, and what is the policy number?”
A good answer: Expect public liability; grant work also carries SEAI's own code of practice — system Assessment — A comprehensive evaluation of your property to determine the suitability for solar thermal systems.
“What do I get in writing, and when?”
A good answer: A written scope and a price before the solar thermal installer starts, and an itemised invoice after — system Upgrade — upgrading existing solar thermal systems to improve efficiency or replace outdated components.
Getting the quote right
- System size — a large job ties up a whole day rather than part of one.
- Property location — a provider coming to you charges for the journey as well as the work.
- Installation complexity — it is worth being specific about when you ask for a price.
- Materials used — the finish you pick decides which materials the job needs.
- In writing before anyone starts — a message on Locufy counts
- What is NOT included, named
- Who actually attends, and whether they are employed or subcontracted
- The VAT number, and whether it checks out on the Revenue register
Walk away if
- They are not on the SEAI Registered Contractor List, or the number does not resolve to the name on the quote
- They will not talk about it: system size — a large job ties up a whole day rather than part of one
- They will not talk about it: property location — a provider coming to you charges for the journey as well as the work
- They will not talk about it: installation complexity — it is worth being specific about when you ask for a price
- A price for the solar thermal installer before anyone has asked the size, the access or the condition of what they are working on
- Cash only, or a large deposit before anything at all has started
LOW
€3,000
TYPICAL
€4,200
HIGH
€5,500
What a solar thermal installer costs: €3,000–€5,500 per install
The figures are for the job, per install, and a quote for your own is the only number that binds anyone. Solar panel installation and Hot water tank installation each carry their own band. Solar Thermal Installation price guide →
Guide prices compiled by the Locufy team from published Irish and UK provider price lists and 2026/27 cost guides. Updated 2026.
KNOW WHAT TO LOOK FOR? NOW FIND ONE
Solar thermal installers near you, with the badges that matter shown
ID checked, trader status and one score from every review — on the card, before you message anyone. Nearest first. No account needed to look.
Or post the job free and let them come to you.
- Look firstSystem size — a large job ties up a whole day rather than part of one — that is what the solar thermal installer is judging on the first visit, and a price given without it is a guess.
- Agree what is being doneProperty location — a provider coming to you charges for the journey as well as the work — put in writing before anyone starts, because it is the document you both read back at the end.
- The work itselfInstallation complexity — it is worth being specific about when you ask for a price — and anything found on the day that was not in that is priced before it is started.
- Check it togetherMaterials used — the finish you pick decides which materials the job needs — walked against the written scope rather than against the feeling of it, while the solar thermal installer is still there.
- What you are handedThe itemised invoice and any guarantee on the workmanship and the parts, condition of your existing plumbing — something neglected for years takes longer than something kept up.
- System Assessment
- A comprehensive evaluation of your property to determine the suitability for solar thermal systems.
- Installation Process
- The physical installation of solar collectors on your roof, connecting them to your hot water system.
- Hot Water Tank Installation
- Installing a solar-compatible hot water storage tank to hold the heated water generated by the solar panels.
- Pipework Installation
- Connecting the solar panels to the hot water tank and existing plumbing through insulated pipes.
- System Integration
- Integrating the solar thermal system with your current heating system for seamless operation.
- System Upgrade
- Upgrading existing solar thermal systems to improve efficiency or replace outdated components.
AFTER
When the job is done
Keep the invoice and the paperworkAn itemised invoice with the trader's name, the work and the total — installation Process — the physical installation of solar collectors on your roof, connecting them to your hot water system, because it is what a buyer's solicitor, an insurer or a lender asks for long after the solar thermal installer has gone.
Test what was doneSystem Assessment — A comprehensive evaluation of your property to determine the suitability for solar thermal systems — and something that does not work on the day is theirs to put right there and then.
Ask what the guarantee isOn the workmanship and on the parts, and for how long each one runs — they are usually different. system Upgrade — upgrading existing solar thermal systems to improve efficiency or replace outdated components — under the Consumer Rights Act 2022 what was agreed is what can be relied on.
Leave the reviewOnly a booked job can be reviewed on Locufy, which is why the score on a solar thermal installer's card means something — system Integration — integrating the solar thermal system with your current heating system for seamless operation.
MONEY BACK
Grants that may apply
Schemes change. The amounts above were checked on the dates shown; the official page is the one that counts.
STEP 1Say it in writing, firstSay what is wrong and what you want done. Under the Consumer Rights Act 2022 the work must be carried out with reasonable skill and care, and defective work put right.
STEP 2Use the make-it-right step on LocufyUnder four stars you are asked whether to send it to the provider first; we follow it through. Then review.
STEP 3Escalate to the body that regulates itReport it to SEAI Registered Contractor List.
STEP 4Small claimsSmall claims covers €2,000, once you have asked in writing and given them a chance to put it right.
Hiring a solar thermal installer: questions people ask
The cost can vary based on system size, property location, and installation complexity. Additional factors include the type of solar collectors chosen and any necessary structural modifications.
Typically, the installation of a solar thermal system can take anywhere from one to three days, depending on the system size and existing infrastructure. Complex installations may require additional time.
Same-day installation is generally not available due to the complexity of the work required. However, emergency repairs can sometimes be arranged if you already have a system in place.
Yes, many professionals offer package deals for related services, such as solar thermal and general plumbing work. This can often lead to cost savings and efficient scheduling.
Services such as roof repairs, structural modifications, or the installation of a new hot water cylinder are typically not included and may incur additional costs. Always clarify the scope with your installer.
Search the name or the registration number. If the number does not resolve to the name on the quote, stop there.
MORE GUIDES
More hiring guides in plumbing & heating
How to hire: PlumberHow to hire: Emergency PlumberHow to hire: Boiler InstallationHow to hire: Boiler Service & RepairHow to hire: Boiler ReplacementHow to hire: Central Heating InstallationHow to hire: Radiator InstallationHow to hire: Underfloor HeatingAll 701 hiring guides →
Solar thermal installers near you
Solar thermal installers in DublinSolar thermal installers in CorkSolar thermal installers in GalwaySolar thermal installers in LimerickAll solar thermal installers on Locufy →
Sources — checked October 2026
- SEAI — register with SEAI (contractors)
- SEAI — renewable energy installers
- SEAI — apply for an individual energy grant
- SEAI — Better Energy Homes contractor's code of practice
- Consumer Rights Act 2022
- Revenue — PROPERTY INSULATION (Private dwellings/Non-residential immovable goods) — Reduced rate
- Revenue — current VAT rates (effective 1 January 2026)
- Revenue — VAT thresholds: €42,500 for a person supplying services only