Are Solar Panels Worth it in Ireland?
Thinking about getting solar panels? You probably want to know if it’s worth spending that kind of money on upgrading your home in Ireland when the skies are always grey & rainy.
But the Irish climate is far better suited to solar power than you might think. And there are many more reasons besides what solar panels are worth it for Irish homes.
This guide provides a complete introduction to home solar panels and how they can benefit the average household.
Key Takeaways
- 1Ireland’s climate offers 1,100 – 1,600 hours of sunshine annually
- 2Solar panels can easily produce 50 – 75% of your annual electricity usage
- 3Home solar PV systems offer an ROI of 300% – 500% on average.
How much power can solar panels generate in Ireland?
A good solar PV system should be able to generate 50% – 75% of a household’s electricity needs in Ireland.
The average household in Ireland uses 4,200kWh of electricity each year, and as few as 8 – 10 solar panels can generate more than two-thirds of that amount in a year, even in the Irish climate.
Why Solar Panels are Worth It: Beyond the Bills
Solar panels are worth it for the many benefits they can have for any home. They provide multiple financial, environmental, and energy security advantages compared to homes without solar power.
- 1Electricity Savings: You can drastically reduce your electricity bills by spending less money on energy from the grid. This will save you tens of thousands over the course of 25 – 30 years.
- 2Carbon Reduction: Solar power is a low-effort but impactful way to do your part for the environment. You will significantly reduce your carbon footprint if you aren’t relying on so much electricity made from burning fossil fuels.
- 3Blackout Protection: Sick of power outages? Having solar panels together with battery storage and a grid isolation switch can ensure that your lights stay on when the neighbourhood has gone dark.
- 4Future Proofing: You never know which way electricity prices will go. But you can protect yourself from them going up with by generating your own free electricity.
- 5Low Risk Investment: Investing your money can be a risky business, but not with solar panels. Solar PV has an incredible ROI, and comes with no risk of losing your money.
- 6Improved Property Values: Installing solar panels can increase the value of your home by an estimated 4%. In many cases, this increased value will exceed the cost of installing the system in the first place.
Reducing Your Carbon Footprint with Solar Power
The environmental impact of solar panels can be profound, and easy to benefit from. They are a great way to reduce your carbon footprint without needing a massive change in lifestyle.
Electricity usage can be a significant part of your household’s emissions. Solar panels can cut this by 50% or more by replacing grid power with clean, green electricity.
The calculator above uses an All-Island Mix for emissions from electricity generation in Ireland set by the Commission for Regulation of Utilities.
In reality, your emissions will vary depending on your electricity provider, depending on the mix of fuels that go into their power generation.
Home solar power is an important part of the solution to Ireland reaching its goal of a net-zero society by 2050.
Blackout Protection with Solar Panels
Long power outages are a nightmare to deal with, something that many homes have had to deal with in the aftermath of terrible weather events.
Solar panels cannot provide blackout protection by default. However, with the right setup in your home, they can do just that and keep the lights on when things go dark.
Default Solar PV Setup (no protection)
- Grid Connected: Solar PV systems are connected to the grid to export any power that goes unused at the time.
Inverter Shutdown: Your solar inverter is required to automatically cut power in the event of an outage for safety reasons.
Blackout Protection (must-have’s)
Grid Isolation: A switch must be installed to isolate your home from the electricity grid when there is a power outage.
Battery Storage: You need solar battery storage capacity for any power that is not used at the time and to provide for the evening.
Are Solar Panels a good investment for your home?
- 1
ROI: A home solar PV system can easily have a Return on Investment of 300% or much more over the course of 25 years.
- 2
Property Prices: Investing in solar panels for your home will increase its value significantly, making it worth that much more if you sell up in the future.
- 3
Immediate Savings: The impact on your electricity bills will be apparent immediately, putting money straight into your pocket and taking the stress out of monthly bills.
Get clear, up-to-date insights on the true costs and savings of solar energy for your home — start with our in-depth guide.
Grants & Financial Incentives for Solar Panels in Ireland.
The SEAI offers a grant of up to €1,800 for home solar panels in Ireland. The value of the grant depends on the number of solar panels being installed.
Find out exactly how much you could receive in Solar Panel Grants today.
Is Ireland Suitable for Solar Panels on Your Home?
Despite what naysayers may believe, the Irish climate is more than suitable for solar power, and homes can drastically reduce their electricity usage with rooftop solar.
Combine this with the current very low cost of solar panels and stubbornly high electricity prices, and solar panels are more than worth it for Irish homes.
Solar Power and Ireland’s Weather
- 1
Irish Sunshine: Ireland receives an average of 1,100 to 1,600 hours of sunshine annually.
- 2
Sunniest Regions: The southeast of Ireland is the sunniest part of the country, while the northwest gets the least amount of sunshine.
- 3
Sunshine Orientation: Solar panels facing south will get the most light throughout the day and year in Ireland due to our latitude.
- 4
Solar Productivity: Solar panels can produce electricity from both direct and indirect sunshine.
Protecting Your Investment: Lifespan and Warranties
Solar panels have become much more robust and reliable in recent years. Homeowners can now depend on them having multi-decade lifespans, with the warranty protection to match.
Lifespan of Solar Panels
Lifespan: Solar panels have an operational lifetime of 25 – 30 years before it becomes economical to replace them.
Degradation: Solar panels will lose 1% of their output in the first year, and an average of 0.4% each year thereafter.
Maintenance: Solar panels may continue operating past their expected lifespan if properly cared for.
Solar Panel Warranties
Warranty Types: Solar panels come with two types of warranty, a product warranty and a power guarantee warranty.
Product Warranty: Home solar panels should come with a warranty of at least 15 years. Ideally, it should be 25 – 30 years.
Power Guarantee: This guarantees a percentage of the original output will remain after 25 – 30 years, typically around 87% or more.
We recommend only installing panels that meet or exceed these modern industry standards.
What about homes less suitable for solar panels?
There are multiple factors that can make a home less attractive for solar panels. Fortunately, many of those downsides can be mitigated through technology or clever power usage.
- 1Roof Orientation: If you have an east-west facing roof, the solar panels can be split between both sides. Ground mounted solar panels are also an alternative if you have a primarily north facing roof.
- 2Shading Issues: Microinverters or power optimisers can be used to mitigate power loss from shading on some panels in the solar array.
- 3Apartments: Balcony solar panels or community solar projects can be viable alternatives for apartment buildings without roof space for individual units.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, different counties in Ireland will be better or worse for solar panels depending on the amount of sunshine they receive.
Whether you would benefit from a solar battery will depend on the number of solar panels you have and how much of their electricity you use versus exporting to the grid.
You can easily save more than €800 a year with solar panels in Ireland. Try our solar calculator to find out more.
Get Free Solar Quotes Today
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