The Ireland Solar Energy Association (ISEA) says the country's aggregate installed solar PV installed capacity grew to 1,185 MW today, having increased from 680 MW in 2023. It includes 505 MW installed during 2023.
This capacity is equivalent to powering 280,000 homes annually and reducing carbon emissions by 270,000 tons, it adds in its 2nd Scale of Solar Report. State-owned electricity network operator ESB Networks forecasts almost 1.6 GW of solar to be connected by 2024-end, from domestic rooftops to large scale utility scale solar.
The growth of utility scale solar has been remarkable, according to the association as it counts only 7 projects of more than 5 MW with a combined 395 MW to have been online in 2023. As of 2024, it says this capacity has expanded to 594 MW across 13 projects.
Additionally, utility scale facilities of 1 MW to 5 MW capacity, comprising large commercial rooftop and smaller solar farms grew from 22 MW in 2023 to 49 MW in 2024.
Ireland's mini-generation facilities comprising businesses and solar farms increased to 26 MW in 2024, while microgeneration or domestic rooftops improved 80% annually to 373 MW.
The association attributes governmental initiatives such as the Small-Scale Renewable Electricity Support Scheme (SRESS), Third Renewable Electricity Support Scheme (RESS) Auction and Solar for Schools Programs as pivotal to have driven this growth (see Ireland Launches Phase Two Of Small-Scale RE Support Scheme).
According to the report, "With a pipeline, which includes approximately 11 GW of utility-scale projects, 1 million suitable residential rooftops and around 2,700 commercial and industrial projects either connected or in the process of connecting to the system, Ireland can meet its 2030 solar energy targets."
By 2030, the Irish solar sector targets to achieve a cumulative 8 GW by 2030.
The entire report is available for free viewing on ISEA's website.
.png?w=50&fm=png){kind=logo}