For the past five years, Brighter Kerry has been laying the groundwork for Ireland’s first 100 per cent community-owned solar farm.
The Goodbody EIIS fund managed by Azets has recently committed to investing up to €9m in the initiative and with this, the company see any funding risk significantly reduced in the project. With this in mind, Brighter Kerry is now launching a Private Placement EIIS round.
The volunteer-led organisation, has ‘operated on a shoestring for years by getting help, often pro-bono, from the right specialists for each particular task’.
And its co-founder, Hugh Reynolds says it has ‘drawn heavily on the talents’ of its ‘incredible volunteer team, many of whom work in the energy space in their day jobs’.
“We’ve come a long way,” he said. “And we are now on track to be supplying energy to the grid by Spring 2028.”
“Technically we are a Renewable Energy Community (REC), which is essentially a group of citizens who come together to fund a renewable power generation project,” said co-founder Stephen O’Sullivan. “We aim to be open to everyone, benefit the community and operate on democratic principles. The idea is rather than have a wind or solar farm imposed on you, a community or locality takes ownership of what is built and where the benefits flow. While this is a first for Ireland, this particular model of community owned energy has actually been around in Europe since the early 2000s.”
Reynolds says that the project ‘benefits from an ideal location, technical and financial setup’.
“With regard to location, full planning permission has been secured from Kerry County Council, alongside a secure connection offer to the local ESB substation just 1.7 kilometres away,” he said. “ The project has also secured support under the State backed Small Scale Renewable Electricity Support Scheme (SRESS), providing a 15-year supported tariff for qualifying electricity exported to the grid. This gives us predictable, long-term cash flows insulated from volatile wholesale market swings. In fact, because we are a REC, we get a premium on the price we get for our electricity.”
O’Sullivan said that ‘once lenders and shareholders get a fair return from their investment, 100% of the excess profits will be donated to charity’.
“How the profits are distributed will be decided democratically each year by the local owner investors,” he said. “ We believe the project brings together a number of characteristics which investors increasingly look for: long-term infrastructure, renewable-energy generation, community ownership and potential EII tax relief. Brighter Kerry delivers the so-called triple bottom line – a positive result for profit, people and planet. The investment is ultimately supporting tangible energy infrastructure, with long-term government-backed contracted revenues.”
Beyond its powerful social dividend, Brighter’s 2026 private placement EIIS round also offers a highly attractive financial structure for Irish taxpayers.
“ Because the company will only commence trading upon energisation in 2028, qualifying investors can avail of up to 50 per cent income tax relief on their investment against their taxable income,” said Reynolds. “Furthermore, private placement investors rank pari-passu alongside institutional co-investment partners, ensuring a transparent and equitable capital structure.
“So, as Ireland battles to meet its binding 2030 climate targets, the State is actively looking for models that can accelerate renewable deployment while maintaining public buy-in. And, Brighter Kerry proves that you don’t have to choose between commercial viability and social purpose. By harnessing our rich tradition of cooperatives and community action, the project is laying down a template which other communities and counties can and should replicate.
“As our Private Placement Round officially opens, we are inviting investors to back a vision that is already built on solid ground. You aren’t just funding a solar farm – you are investing in a permanent economic legacy for community-owned energy.”
Visit brighter.ie for additional information.
You can contact the company directly by email [email protected] or alternatively to learn more contact Robert Leen of O’Connor Pyne & Co by email [email protected] or phone (021) 481 0080. Closing date for Private Placement is Dec 15, 2026.

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