Ireland has surpassed 3 GW of installed solar capacity for the first time, marking another milestone in the rapid expansion of solar power across the country’s electricity system, Climate, Energy and Environment Minister Darragh O’Brien announced on Thursday, August 27.
The figure includes the full range of solar installations deployed across Ireland, from rooftop systems on homes and businesses to large utility-scale solar farms connected to the grid.
The milestone comes just days after utility-scale solar generation reached a new record of 1.3 GW on the national grid. At certain points on Monday, solar farms supplied more than one third of the country’s total dispatchable electricity generation.
O’Brien said the two records highlight the pace at which solar power is becoming an increasingly important part of Ireland’s energy system.
“With continued investment in solar – across homes, farms, businesses and large grid-scale projects – Ireland is building a growing source of homegrown, clean electricity, and strengthening our energy security,” the minister said.
Ireland’s solar sector has expanded dramatically over the past decade. Just over ten years ago, the country had only 2 MW of solar capacity. Today, that figure has climbed above 3,000 MW.
Ireland’s first grid-scale solar farm was energised in April 2022. Since then, the development of large-scale projects has been accompanied by a rapid increase in rooftop installations.
According to government figures, more than 200,000 homes across Ireland have installed solar panels, while over 120,000 households have received Solar PV grants since the support scheme was introduced.
Demand for the programme continues to accelerate. The Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) received more than 31,000 Solar PV applications between January and the end of July 2026, representing a 76% increase compared with the same period in 2025.
In addition, free solar panels have been installed at 2,000 schools across Ireland. Households producing more electricity than they consume can also sell excess power back to the grid through the country’s microgeneration framework.
The expansion in installed capacity is increasingly translating into higher levels of solar generation.
EirGrid Chief Executive Cathal Marley noted that Ireland surpassed 1 GW of solar generation for the first time in April, before setting the new peak of 1.3 GW this week.
According to EirGrid, an estimated 1 GW of generation is enough to power around 500,000 customers.
The transmission system operator is also progressing what it describes as its most ambitious programme of grid works to date, aimed at enabling greater volumes of renewable electricity to connect to the system.
Meanwhile, ESB Networks is implementing a major investment programme under Price Review 6, designed to strengthen the electricity network, accommodate further renewable deployment and support Ireland’s transition towards a cleaner and increasingly electrified energy system.
The Irish Government said solar deployment has been supported by schemes including the Renewable Electricity Support Scheme (RESS), the Small-Scale Renewable Electricity Support Scheme (SRESS) and the Microgeneration Support Scheme (MSS), covering projects ranging from household installations to large renewable developments.
O’Brien also confirmed that the Government remains committed to funding the Solar PV grant until 2030.
Solar growth forms part of a broader expansion of renewable electricity in Ireland. The country now has more than 8 GW of renewable generation capacity connected to the network, after adding approximately 5 GW of new renewable capacity over the past decade.
During that period, Ireland has doubled its wind capacity while building a significant solar sector from an extremely low base. With installed solar capacity now exceeding 3 GW, the technology is becoming an increasingly important pillar of the country’s electricity supply.
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