The Royal County has one of the highest populations in Ireland, with huge numbers of people living here as part of the larger sprawl surrounding the Dublin area.
Solar panels can save significant amounts of money for homeowners in Meath, where the many housing developments built during the Celtic Tiger provide the perfect surfaces for domestic solar PV.
Energy Efficiency Ireland’s vetted solar installers can make it easier for households in Meath to get solar panels quickly and easily, at an affordable price, and a guarantee on their investment.
Solar Panel Adoption in Meath
Meath has the fourth highest rate of solar panel installation in Ireland, with nearly 1,000 homes getting solar PV installed with the help of the SEAI in the first seven months of 2024 alone.
Since 2015 the SEAI has provided grants for a total of 3,311 homes in Meath to get solar panels installed.
Two thirds of that has been since the start of 2023 alone, showing that the rate at which solar panels are being installed in Meath is rapidly accelerating, with growth expected to continue throughout 2024.
Installation typically pick up pace towards the latter half of the year, so it remains to be seen what the final tally for 2024 will look like.
Meath Climate Conditions
Meath has a very middle of the road climate in Ireland, with more sunshine and less rain than is found in many coastal counties, but not quite as sunny as the southwest region of the country.
Meath Sunshine
Sunshine is the key factor when it comes to how much power solar panels can produce. Meath is fortunate to have prolonged periods from Spring through to Winter when the county can expect to get plenty of clear sunshine for making renewable energy.
Meath Towns & Villages
Meath contains several large and historically important towns with a long place in Irish history, Meath’s towns have also grown rapidly in population in recent years with commuter towns serving the Dublin area.
Navan town is the ninth largest settlement in Ireland, behind only the major cities, Drogheda, Dundalk and Swords. Part of Drogheda is also located in Meath, as the major town straddles the border between it and Louth.
These larger residential areas are full of modern houses which makes Meath well suited for homeowners to install solar panels for a quick and easy way to start saving money.
Trim also contains the largest known Anglo-Norman fortification in Ireland with the renowned Trim Castle. Though its roofs are not really suited to solar panels.
| Meath Towns | Population |
| Ashbourne | 15,680 |
| Bettystown | 15,642 |
| Athboy | 2,596 |
| Duleek | 4,899 |
| Navan | 33,886 |
| Trim | 9,563 |
| Kells | 6,608 |
| Slane | 1,445 |
| Dunboyne | 7,155 |
| Ratoath | 10,077 |
| Enfield | 3,663 |
| Dunshaughlin | 6,644 |
| Drogheda (southern environs) | 44,135 |
Meath Housing
Solar panels can be a helpful addition for any homeowner looking to raise the BER rating and property value of their home. Reducing their electricity usage can make a property far more energy efficient, with a corresponding bump in its BER.
The average age of housing in Meath is quite young, with most homes dating back to the Celtic Tiger boom times. |The population of Meath has grown significantly in recent decades as people look for homes away from the capital, and the county’s housing stock has grown with it.
A look at the BER registry can tell a lot about housing in an area. BERs are required whenever a property is sold, rented, or otherwise changes hands, as well as when certain grant-aided home improvements are carried out.
In Meath there is a high volume of A-rated properties, showing a lot of homes built in more recent years. The other big cluster is located in the middle of the range with older C-rated homes. There are very few buildings in the registry with E-G ratings.
| Area | Energy Rating | Total Housing Stock | Avg Age | ||||||
| A | B | C | D | E | F | G | |||
| Meath | 11,101 | 6,938 | 15,726 | 6,013 | 2,313 | 925 | 1,850 | 46,254 | 23 |
Data from Domestic BER Register up to the end of Q1 2024. Source: CSO.ie
