THERE’S NO SUCH THING AS A STUPID SOLAR QUESTION
Updated April 4th, 2025
By Morgan Pierce
“Does solar energy work in Ireland?”
That’s a question we get a lot. Often the question is accompanied by the phrase, “Don’t think I’m an idiot for asking, but…”
There is no such thing as a stupid solar question. And our team is happy to try to answer any questions you care to throw at us. That’s one of the reasons we like putting ourselves out there. For instance, we’ll be at the Ideal Homes show at the RDS in Dublin on April 11th, 12th & 13th.
To get myself psyched up to answer your solar questions, I sometimes sit in traffic imagining I’m filling out the “Proust Questionnaire”. The questionnaire is based on an after-dinner game that the philosopher Marcel Proust liked to play with his friends. In theory, your answers to the questions reveals important truths about your character.
My abbreviated list might look something like this:
- What is your idea of perfect happiness?
Doing a job that I love and discovering it’s also a job that can change people’s lives for the better! That’s what happened when I founded SolarSmart five years ago.
- Which living person do you most admire?
It’s not just one person, it’s more an idea. I admire “triers” – the people who wrestle with problems and look for solutions. So, I admire the team who came up with the idea of giving grants to help homeowners and businesses make the switch to renewable and solar energy. Right now homeowners can get up to €1,800 toward the installation of solar. Businesses can avail of grants of up to €162,600
- What is your current state of mind?
Determined.
- Who are your heroes in real life?
Solar energy pioneer George Cove. Cove was a Canadian who moved to the US in the early 1900s and filed numerous patents, among which was a device that harnessed the photovoltaic effect. He was attracting both favourable press and powerful investors for his company Sun Electric. Then, in October 1909, Cove’s work was abruptly “terminated” when he was kidnapped by two men. The kidnappers asked Cove to give up the rights to his solar patent and close down his business.
No one figured out who was behind the plot, but Thomas Edison was one suspect. Edison’s own company was using coal-fired electricity to expand the US power grid, and would have been a direct competitor to Cove. Cove’s company never recovered from the kidnapping, and his ‘fantastic sun ray machine’ was forgotten for years.
- Which living person do you most despise?
Deniers. All kinds of deniers. Those who claim climate change isn’t happening. Those who claim global warming is not a consequence of human activity. Those who say it doesn’t matter what steps a small country like Ireland takes to mitigate global warming if the “big” countries don’t stick to the agreed targets. To me that kind of denial is just a cop-out, an excuse to fiddle while Rome literally burns.
- What do you consider your greatest achievement?
I’m so proud of the business we have built with SolarSmart. We went from nothing to having completed 1,300 installations in just four years.
The solar energy we have installed generates 6.7MW of power and keeps 1,900 tonnes of CO2 out of the atmosphere every year. That means that over the lifetime of our current installations, we will mitigate the effect of 49,000km of car journeys and 36,000 long-haul flight, and will plant the equivalent of 320,000 trees.
We’re helping save the planet, while helping Irish consumers save money.
- What do you regard as the lowest depth of misery?
A life without purpose or passion.
- What is your favourite occupation?
What I am doing right now.
- What is your most marked characteristic?
I really hope I have a deep well of resilience. I think it’s an essential quality if we’re going to keep moving forward in the kind of sustainable way that reflects the best human values and shows respect for ourselves, others, and the planet.
- What is your motto?
Save with Solar!
Do you have a solar question?
While I’m not sure if my answers give you the key to my innermost mind, they certainly reflect my obsession with solar!
If you’d like to discuss the whys and hows of that challenging solar question at the top – Does solar really work in Ireland? – stop by and see us at the “The Ideal Homes” show.
By the way, the answer is, “YES”.
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.
