SOLAR POWER IRELAND
Updated August 28th, 2026
Down where I live, August’s cloud-covered solar eclipse was a dud. Nevertheless, the event managed to throw Ireland’s energy system into crisis. National grid operator EirGrid drafted emergency plans as the eclipse shut down key solar farms that have supplied substantial amounts of power to the Grid this summer.
Even as EirGrid was mobilising, Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment, Darragh O’Brien sallied forth to trumpet “a major milestone” “a new daily record for grid-scale solar energy”.
It’s the kind of seeming disconnect that could leave you scratching your head about those folk in charge.
As Solar Ireland CEO Ronan Power made clear at our industry conference a few weeks ago:
Solar…is delivering at scale through utility projects while simultaneously expanding across domestic rooftops, farms and businesses. This dual nature is what makes solar transformative. It generates power centrally and locally….Capacity alone, however, is not success. Integration is.
A decade ago, there were only 2 MW (megawatts) of solar power in Ireland. Now there are over 2.6 GW (gigawatts).
“Solar energy” said Minister O’Brien, “is now firmly established as a key pillar of our electricity supply, from rooftop installations to utility-scale solar farms. Solar power is now the third highest supplier of indigenously generated electricity to the electricity grid.”
That kind of solar energy capacity can’t be just the subject of a boffo press release. It has to be the focus of continued strategic thinking and investment.
Solar Power Ireland, from Rooftop Solar to Grid Upgrades
So, what are some of the things to which we’d like to see Government putting time and effort? How about an Irish electricity grid upgrade? The “Private Wires” legislation currently under consideration? Research into safety standards to make “plug in solar” an option for homes that can’t fit rooftop solar in Ireland?
Minister O’Brien rightly touts the “rooftop revolution” of solar, but rapid growth has outpaced local grid capacity, causing connection bottlenecks, curtailment, and project delays. To overcome these, the Commission for Regulation of Utilities has approved an unprecedented €18.9 billion grid investment package for 2026–2030 to enable the Grid to integrate more renewable energy.
Industry experts say that the regulator’s budget and plan “delivers a clear, strategic vision for an electricity grid fit for the 21st century.” The plan’s success now depends on the efficient delivery of some 500 individual projects to ensure the full investment is utilised effectively.
The plan to allow for the private development of electricity wires would allow private electricity grids to be created that would link specific generators with specific users.
The law is meant to “unlock private sector investment” in the electricity sector, but concerns have been raised that the legislation benefits large energy users and will “optimise the delivery of renewable energy to data centres”…and deny the provision of such energy to households and wider society,”
Solar Ireland CEO Ronan Power said the legislation represents an important modernisation of Ireland’s electricity infrastructure, but he also raised an important issue with the legislation as it is written:
“Rooftop solar now represents a central component of Ireland’s delivery toward its 2030 renewable electricity targets,” Power said. “Under the definition of private wires as currently drafted, rooftop projects could require a full licence. Given the scale of deployment, that would place significant additional demand on the regulator and risks delaying thousands of households seeking to install solar each year.”
Ireland’s success in rolling out rooftop solar has been a result of increased financial incentives to homeowners, coupled with a decrease in bureaucratic bottlenecks (like the elimination of the need for planning permission). If the private wires bill introduces a licensing requirement at this stage, that would be needless setback.
Much of Europe already benefits from the adoption of plug-and-play solar. These small, portable units allow apartment dwellers and others to plug in to a wall socket to generate electricity to power appliances in the home. In Ireland, after repeated questions in the Dail, rules are soon to be finalised to open up the market for plug-ins here in Ireland.
At SolarSmart, we are rooftop solar specialists, but that doesn’t mean we don’t see the value of both utility-scale solar farms and these tiny portable generators.
Smart integration of all types of solar power supports Ireland’s green energy transition and will lower household energy bills now and in years to come. That’s something we should all be working toward.
Why Choose Solar In Ireland?
Investing in a solar panel systems in Ireland can bring many benefits, including reduced energy bills, increased energy independence, and a reduced carbon footprint. If you are interested in installing a solar panel system in Ireland, it is also worth exploring the different grant options and green business loans available and seeking professional advice from one of our solar energy advisors.
Feel free to contact us for more information, we’re here to help.
