Close 
Close
1 GW of rooftop solar has been installed on over 170,000 Irish homes.
This is a major milestone.
More and more Irish homeowners are benefiting from lower energy costs and improved energy resilience.
Not to mention reduced emissions.
In 1 hour, 1 GW of solar panel installations can produce up to 1 GWh of electricity – this is equivalent to burning 338,517 kg of coal every hour.
And for context, the installed capacity of the Poolbeg Generating Station is 1.02 GW.
In terms of the cost savings for the homeowners, buying 1 GWh of electricity from a utility company at 43 cents p/kWh would cost €430,000.
So Irish homeowners with rooftop solar are saving a combined €430,000 worth of electricity every peak hour of generation.
Related: See how much you can save, check out our Solar Savings Calculator.
Other Key Takeaways
Darragh O’Brien TD, Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment, stated: “Reaching 1 GW of rooftop solar is a milestone that belongs to communities across Ireland. Households, farms, sports clubs, small businesses and community groups are now generating their own clean power, reducing their bills and cutting emissions.”
This sentiment was echoed by Nicholas Tarrant, Managing Director of ESB Networks, who noted “the rapid growth in rooftop solar installations in recent years demonstrates the positive local contribution towards our climate targets made by individuals across Ireland…By continuing to work together as a society, we will realise our climate ambitions and ensure a successful transition to a clean, electric future.”
Solar Ireland mentioned “rooftop solar has become one of Ireland’s most successful and accessible climate solutions.”
Ireland’s total solar capacity, including rooftop solar, was 1.76 GW in May 2025 and surpassed 2 GW in November 2025, according to Solar Ireland.
Part of this growth can be attributed to government incentives, which includes a residential solar PV grant of up to €1,800.
While this grant value has been reducing annually, it was recently announced that it’ll remain the same for 2026.
The aim being to keep the momentum going.
But will it continue?
Related: Solar PV Panels | Everything You Need To Know.
While hitting 1 GW of rooftop solar is a significant achievement, maintaining this momentum requires addressing a critical challenge – the skills shortage in Ireland’s renewable energy sector.
Skills gaps appear to be consistently identified as being the biggest barrier to many government targets, from housing to renewables.
For example, The Report on the Analysis of Skills for Residential Construction & Retrofitting 2023-2030 notes: “Providing a sufficient number of new entrants in the craft skills poses the most serious challenge.”
At Ohk energy, we’re tackling this challenge head-on.
We recently celebrated the graduation of our first Renewable Construction Technologies traineeship cohort in partnership with Cavan and Monaghan Education and Training Board (CMETB).
This programme, Ireland’s first renewable energies technologies course, combines classroom learning with hands-on experience.
We’re educating, empowering and training the workforce of tomorrow. A workforce required to achieve the 8 GW solar target, among others, by 2030 and to reliably deliver lower energy costs for homeowners across Ireland.
Related: Solar Panels Costs [Incl. Calculators & 5 Tips To Save €€€].
Ready to join over 170,000 homes and businesses across Ireland generating clean, free electricity?
Our team will design a system that’s built around your home, your lifestyle and your energy goals.
Get your free no-obligation solar quote and discover how much you could save – complete the short form below.
"*" indicates required fields
