Carlow, known as the Dolmen County, is one of the smallest counties in Ireland, but one with a rapidly growing population.
One of the most notable features in Carlow is the abundance of Dolmens, above-ground neolithic burial chambers. The capstone on the Brownshill Dolmen is estimated to weigh 100 metric tons, which could make it the heaviest in Europe.
The population of Carlow was found to have expanded by 9% in the latest census, showing a blooming county in the south east which can benefit from solar power.
Our installers ensure that any homeowner in Carlow can have a reliable and affordable solar PV installation carried out by professionals they can trust.
Carlow Solar Panels Adoption
Carlow has been at the lower end of the table for how quickly households have been adopting solar panels compared with the rest of Ireland, but that pace is accelerating.
Since 2015 the SEAI has given grants for the installation of solar panels on 785 homes in Carlow, the fourth lowest figure in the country. However, this should also take into account that Carlow has one of the lowest populations of Irish counties.
Of those, 268 homes in Cavan have had solar panels installed in the first eight months of 2024 alone, showing a rapid acceleration in the adoption of solar panels in Carlow.
That figure is likely to exceed 400 by the end of 2024, if not even higher, with people taking advantage of the solar panels grant before it is further reduced.
Carlow Climate
Carlow has a milder climate than much of Ireland, receiving less rainfall than counties in the south or on the Atlantic Coast, while also getting more sunshine for being in the southwest region.
Climate plays an important role in the performance of solar panels, with temperatures, sunshine, and cloud cover all playing a part.
Carlow Sunshine
Sunshine is the largest climate factor relating to the performance of solar panels in Ireland. While solar panels still generate electricity without direct sunshine, good news for Ireland, they will generate more electricity the more sun they receive.
Carlow is located in the sunny southeast of Ireland, with the region receiving the greatest amount of sunshine the country.
For five months of the year Co. Carlow receives an average of more than 175 hours of sunshine per month, and that figure doesn’t drop below 50 hours, even in the depths of Winter.
Carlow Towns & Villages
Carlow Town itself lies on the border between Co. Carlow and Co. Laois. It has the largest population in the county at 27,351 people as of the 2022 census, nearly half the population of the entire county.
With Carlow Town taking up much of the population, there are just three other towns in the county with more than 1,000 people; Tullow, Muinebeg, and Rathvilly.
| Towns & Villages | Population |
| Carlow Town | 27,351 |
| Tullow | 5,139 |
| Muinebeag | 2,945 |
| Rathvilly | 1,074 |
| Leighlinbridge | 959 |
Carlow Housing
The BER ratings of a county’s housing can tell a lot about how energy efficient the housing is. In Carlow, we can see that more than half of the homes in the database have a C or D BER rating.
This means that there is a significant amount of homes which are in the right position to benefit from solar panels improving their BER, without looking at other home improvements first.
F and G ratings on the other hand make up a relatively small percentage of housing stock, while A and B ratings combine to almost a third.
Our vetted installers can fit solar panels to rooftops of any type, with expert home surveys carried out to ensure a safe and efficient installation.
| Area | Energy Rating | Total Housing Stock | Average Age | ||||||
| A | B | C | D | E | F | G | |||
| Carlow County | 1,680 | 2,291 | 5,653 | 2,902 | 1,222 | 611 | 917 | 15,276 | 32 |
Data accurate as of Q2, 2024. Source: CSO.ie
