According to data from the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI), a record 34,0888 households in Ireland will have installed solar panels by 2025.
This represents a 16% increase from the previous year, when more than 29,000 subsidized installations were awarded under SEIA’s solar PV program in 2024.
Compared between 2023 and 2025, the increase was 49%, underlining the continued interest in residential solar from Irish households.
Five counties – Clare, Kerry, Waterford, Mayo and Wexford – each showed an adoption level of more than 1,000 households, helped by the Solar PV Scheme, which offers up to €1,800 (£1,560) for a solar installation.
“The pace of adoption we saw last year shows that Irish households and businesses are taking climate action seriously. With SEAI subsidies and falling costs, solar energy is becoming an increasingly viable financial decision and a no-brainer for those looking to reduce their energy bills. There is a €1,800 grant available from the SEAI in 2026 for those looking to install solar panels on their roofs,” says Briain Kelly, editor at EnergyEfficiency.ie.
Kelly added that the upward trend will continue into 2026, further supporting Ireland’s transition to a low-carbon economy.
The continued interest and growth of solar PV in Ireland is not exclusive to the residential sector. Utility-scale solar PV set a new annual production record at the end of July, with five months left to beat the record. Between January and July 2025 Utility-scale solar PV had supplied 753 GWh of electricity to the Irish electricity grid, surpassing the full year of 2024, which was set at 659 GWh.
