PV Magazine
PV Magazine
Ireland’s solar association, Solar Ireland, has announced that Ireland has surpassed 1 GW of installed rooftop solar capacity.
More than 170,000 rooftops across the country now host solar panels, and several Irish energy stakeholders – including Solar Ireland – marked the 1 GW rooftop achievement at an event at Fingallians GAA Club in Swords, a sports club in Ireland’s capital Dublin, where a 120-panel installation will generate more than 51,000 kWh a year, avoid 18 tons of carbon dioxide annually, and pay back within three to five years.
The system was installed at the sports facility by local installer, SolarSmart and supported by local government. Commenting at the event, Ronan Power Solar Ireland CEO, said that Ireland reaching 1 GW of nationwide rooftop solar was a “national demonstration of what happens when policy certainty, public support and industry capability align.”
He added that rooftop solar can remain one of Ireland’s most “successful and inclusive climate solutions.” Expanding rooftop solar capacity at a local scale has been a big policy focus of the Irish government in recent times, with grants for small-scale and residential solar issued through the Sustainable Energy Authority Ireland (SEAI). In November, the government confirmed the grant for residential rooftop solar would remain at its current level of €1,800 in 2026 – good news for householders.
Darragh O’Brien, Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment, referred to the householders in his remarks on the 1 GW rooftop solar news, claiming: “This progress shows exactly why continued support through SEAI grants and targeted investment in small-scale and community renewables is so important. When Government, system operators and the industry work together, we can deliver real change on the ground – and today’s milestone is proof of that.”
The SEAI’s CEO, William Walsh, added that the 1 GW announcement is reflective of the “incredible momentum in retrofit across all sectors”, while the Managing Director of Ireland's distribution systems operator, ESB Networks, Nicholas Tarrant said that approximately 50,000 solar installations are being completed annually on homes, farms, businesses, and within communities.
In November, Solar Ireland reported that Ireland's national installed solar capacity across all generation types had reached 2.1 GW.
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