Solar PV demand creates opportunities for qualified installers, electricians, sales-led contractors and construction businesses adding renewable systems. It also creates high customer expectations around grants, technical performance, grid connection and long-term support.
An Irish LTD can be the company contracted by the homeowner and listed within an SEAI scheme after registration. The installer is a person with separate competence and registration. Understanding that distinction before incorporation prevents mismatched insurance, staff and applications.
- Contracting party
- Registered company
- Declaration signer
- Registered installer
- Company system
- QMS required
- LTD formation
- From EUR240
Choose whether you are the company, installer or both
SEAI distinguishes the company selected by the customer from the individual installer who physically installs and signs the Declaration of Works. A sole trader can potentially perform both roles, while an LTD needs the registered people and systems required for its scheme role.
A sales company that outsources every installation should not assume it meets an in-house installer requirement. A qualified installer working for another company is not automatically a registered contracting company customers can select. Map sales, survey, design, electrical work, roofing, commissioning and aftercare to the correct entity and person.
Form the LTD with consistent identity
The company name and number should align across CRO records, tax clearance, insurance, SEAI application, Safe Electric relationships, quotations and customer contracts. An LTD requires an Irish registered office, directors, secretary, shareholders, constitution and identity details.
StartCompany.ie's Basic package forms a straightforward Irish LTD from EUR240 and includes the CRO fee and core formation documents. It does not include SEAI or Safe Electric approval, technical qualifications, QMS consulting or specialist insurance. Keeping those items separate makes the offer accurate and lets the founder budget for the real registration pathway.
Meet SEAI company and installer requirements
SEAI's current Solar PV Scheme guidance requires a company to provide the prescribed insurance declaration, have at least one in-house registered installer, maintain a Quality Management System and complete onboarding. Registration is not complete until onboarding is finished, and SEAI advises allowing for the processing timeline.
The installer route requires recognised solar PV qualifications, Renewable Energy Installer registration and Registered Electrical Contractor status with Safe Electric, along with insurance, tax information and onboarding. Check the live forms and terms because evidence, course codes and scheme procedures can change.
| Role | Main function | Core evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Solar PV company | Contracts with homeowner | Insurance, tax, QMS and in-house installer |
| Registered installer | Performs work and signs declaration | Qualification, Safe Electric and scheme registration |
| Director | Governs the LTD | CRO identity and statutory duties |
| Designer or surveyor | Assesses and specifies system | Competence and controlled records |
| Subcontractor | Performs defined work | Contract, competence and insurance |
Build the Quality Management System before volume
The QMS should show the organisation, responsibilities, document control, complaints process and quality control. Extend it into survey review, design assumptions, product approval, installation checks, photographs, commissioning, handover, non-conformance and corrective action.
Use controlled templates and version numbers. A completed pack should let another competent person reconstruct what was proposed, installed, tested and explained. Review failed inspections and complaints for system causes rather than treating each as an isolated installer problem.
Quote grants, performance and timelines carefully
Customer terms should distinguish the contract price from any grant, explain who completes each application step and avoid guaranteeing grant payment. Define survey assumptions, roof condition, scaffolding, electrical upgrades, grid process, product substitutions, access, weather and completion evidence.
Make generation and payback claims from supportable site-specific assumptions and identify exclusions. Do not promise a fixed output regardless of orientation, shading, consumption or curtailment. Explain warranties for panels, inverters, workmanship and monitoring separately.
Tax, RCT, safety and insurance
Register Corporation Tax and applicable VAT, PAYE and RCT. Solar installation can involve construction services and electrical contracting, so determine principal and subcontractor roles and the correct VAT treatment for each contract. Maintain tax clearance required for scheme participation.
Assess work at height, roof condition, electricity, manual handling, weather, asbestos and public protection. Insurance must match roofing and electrical operations, subcontractors, professional design exposure, products and completed work. Confirm policy wording with a broker familiar with renewable installation.
Solar PV company launch checklist
Do not take grant-dependent orders until registration timing and delivery capacity are credible. Build the company and quality system together.
- Map the company, installer and subcontractor roles.
- Confirm qualifications, Safe Electric and SEAI routes.
- Form the LTD with consistent name, address and officers.
- Arrange tax clearance and scheme-compliant insurance.
- Create the QMS, document control and complaints process.
- Complete SEAI applications and onboarding before scheme work.
- Use accurate surveys, contracts, claims and handover records.
- Monitor inspections, complaints, margins and corrective action.
Use the budget for competence and quality
Form the solar installation LTD from EUR240
StartCompany.ie handles the CRO incorporation and core documents at a transparent price. Your team can then complete the separate SEAI, Safe Electric, insurance, QMS and tax work required for the actual operation.
Official sources used for this guide
- SEAI: register for the Solar PV Scheme
- SEAI: renewable energy installer registration
- SEAI: contractor tax, insurance and competence
Rules, fees and programmes can change. Check the current official guidance and obtain advice for the company's actual circumstances before acting.