Renewables accounted for 48.8% of the Irish grid’s electricity demand in March 2026, while grid-scale solar contributed almost 1 GW by the end of the month.
This is evident from the latest figures from the Irish grid operator EirGrid, which were published this week. The figure of 48.4% is a record for the network, and an increase from the 48.1% reported the previous month. Perhaps most strikingly, the contribution of solar energy has increased significantly, from 1.2% in February to 3.3% in March; Although this is still less than a tenth of the contribution of wind energy, the growth is remarkable.
Changes in the contribution of different energy sources are shown in the graph below. Solar energy and other renewable energy sources remained relatively stable between February and March, while wind energy and non-renewable energy sources saw their relative contributions decrease. Solar’s contribution of 3.3% is in line with the 3.6% reported in September 2025, and is a significant increase from the 0.8% and 1.2% of January and February, as Ireland emerges from its winter period.
EirGrid noted that March saw “a number of solar records”, including a new peak for the contribution of grid-scale solar to the energy mix, of 983.46 MW, on March 21. This follows previous records of 979 MW and 950 MW, both reached in March on March 19.e and sixth, respectively, and EirGrid says it expects this trend “to continue in the coming months”.
“While solar is currently a relatively small part of the overall monthly fuel mix, these record peaks demonstrate its ever-increasing importance as a source of renewable energy in Ireland as we work towards a more sustainable and sustainable electricity grid,” said Charlie McGee, EirGrid operations manager.
“If we mainly look at the instantaneous energy that solar energy can provide at grid scale, this can sometimes meet more than 20% of demand.”
McGee added that the “impact” of rooftop solar on Ireland’s electricity grid is “interesting”. Although the sector is not the largest in terms of operational capacity, having crossed the 1 GW threshold last year, 2025 was a record for new solar panels on roofs in Ireland; the number of homes with operational solar panels in Ireland increased by 49% between 2023 and 2025.
