Solar Panels are growing in popularity as a source of renewable energy in Cork, with 2,792 homes getting solar PV installed in 2023, and those numbers are growing all the time.
Cork is home to Ireland’s second largest urban centre, Cork City, and has more sunshine than many areas in Ireland which makes it ideal for solar panels.
At Energy Efficiency Ireland we provide information that covers every aspect of solar panels from technology to the costs, and ensure that people feel comfortable and informed when we put them in contact with our vetted installers.
Solar Panel Adoption Rates in Cork
Cork has the second highest adoption rate of domestic solar panels in Ireland behind Dublin, with many households taking advantage of the sunshine in the south to generate their own electricity.
In the first six months of 2024, some 1,445 homes in Cork have had solar panels installed with the help of SEAI grants, representing 10.7% of all solar panels installed with the help of the SEAI so far this year.
This is already more than 50% of the total solar PV installations in Cork in 2023, and those numbers will likely pick up towards the end of the year (as the SEAI grant is due to fall to €1,800 in 2025).
Climate Conditions in Cork
Located in the south of Ireland Cork gets plenty of rain, but also gets considerably more sunshine than many other counties located further to the north.
Wet Springs, and Winters with many rainy days, are balanced by summers where sunshine is expected during most of the month.
Cork Sunshine
Sunshine is the key factor in solar panels’ electricity output, meaning that some times in the year will be more productive than others. See what months will have the highest output for solar panels in Cork.
Cork Towns & Villages
Cork County has many towns and villages of varying sizes and populations spread across the picturesque south coast, with Cork City having the largest share of the county’s population
No matter how rural or out of the way, our selected solar panel installers cater to all locations.
| Cork Towns | Population |
| Bantry | 2,929 |
| Bandon | 8,196 |
| Blarney | 2,779 |
| Carrigline | 18,239 |
| Cobh | 14,148 |
| Cork City | 224,004 |
| Clonakilty | 4,946 |
| Ccrosshaven | 3,263 |
| Fermoy | 6,720 |
| Kinsale | 5,991 |
| Marcoom | 4,096 |
| Mallow | 13,456 |
| Middleton | 13,906 |
| Skibbereen | 2,903 |
| Youghal | 8,564 |
Cork Housing
Cork has a large body of housing spread across many towns in the county, with a great variation in the age and energy efficiency of those homes.
A BER Rating, which is required whenever a house is built, sold, rented, or otherwise changing hands, can give a good indication of how energy efficient homes in Cork are.
Cork’s BER registry shows a relative scarcity of homes with high BERs of an A or B rating, especially in Cork City. The city also has a considerably higher average age for its housing stock than towns in the county, which would tend to be more inefficient.
This means that there are a great number of homes in the county which could benefit from the improved energy efficiency of installing solar panels.
| Area | Energy Rating | Total Housing Stock | Avg Age | ||||||
| A | B | C | D | E | F | G | |||
| Cork City | 844 | 3,155 | 7,363 | 4,418 | 2,524 | 1,052 | 1,473 | 21,036 | 46 |
| Cork County | 17,005 | 22,673 | 37,410 | 17,005 | 7,936 | 3,401 | 6,802 | 113,365 | 35 |
Data from Domestic BER Register up to the end of Q1 2024. Source: CSO.ie
