Schools in 11 counties will be eligible to apply for funding for solar panels under the first phase of the school solar panel scheme.
The counties are: Clare, Donegal, Galway, Kerry, Kilkenny, Leitrim, Limerick, Offaly, Waterford, Wicklow, and the Dublin City Council area.
It comes more than a year after the plan was first announced.
The funding will help schools reduce their energy bills and carbon emissions with the installation of up to 16 roof-mounted solar panels per school, which equates to six kilowatts worth of power.
Currently just 5% of primary and 10% of post-primary schools in Ireland have photovoltaic panels installed.
In September 2022 the Government announced the scheme for schools. Minister for Education Norma Foley said funding would be made available "in the coming months". However, this did not happen.
€50 million has been allocated to the solar panels for schools programme under the Climate Action Plan.
The Department Of Education said the amount of money that a school could save would depend on a number of factors but it said, typically a school could expect to save in the region of €1,200 to €1,600 per annum on their bill.
Schools will also be funded to connect to the grid so that unused solar energy can be utilised when schools are closed.
The most productive months for solar energy occur during the months of school summer holidays.
The Department of Education has said that schools will be compensated for exports to the grid.
Concern at the delay in implementing the scheme was expressed by politicians at an Oireachtas committee hearing last month.
An Assistant Secretary at the Department of Education said the department was very anxious to get it up and running and was working through the practicalities.
As well as helping individual schools reduce their energy costs, the programme will also help the sector meet its emissions reductions targets.
The 2021 Climate Action Plan set a target of 51% reduction for schools by 2030.
