Ireland has been a latecomer to the deployment of solar panels. The country currently has nearly 700 megawatts (expressed in inverter capacity) of solar panel installations and, as part of the Climate Action Plan 2023, has set a target to have 8 gigawatts of PV capacity by 2030.
Utility-scale solar energy projects will account for the majority of the 2030 target. The first project supported by the Irish Renewable Electricity Support Scheme (RESS) was connected to the electricity grid last calendar year.
Data from the Irish Solar Energy Association (ISEA) shows that around 60,000 consumers have access to solar panels, accounting for 30 percent of Ireland’s installed PV capacity. Similar to the Netherlands, Ireland has taken advantage of the European Union’s (EU) option to exempt installers from charging value-added tax (VAT) for rooftop solar installations on residential buildings since May 1 of this year, which has fueled the installation boom. The Irish grid operator is currently welcoming 500 applications per week for connecting solar panels to the grid.
ISEA further reports that the Irish support mechanism, RESS, has resulted in the country now having 371 megawatts of utility-scale projects.