There has been a significant increase in the number of people interested in solar panels for their homes in Galway this year, with the number of grant assisted installations tripling.
There was a 202% increase in the number of domestic solar panel installations in Galway in Q1 of 2023 compared with the same period last year.
Between January and March there were 257 domestic solar PV installations carried out with the assistance of SEAI grants in Galway, compared with 85 in the same period last year.
Data provided by the SEAI to EnergyEfficiency.ie show that Cavan saw the largest increase in grant supported domestic solar installations (588%), followed by Waterford (427%), and Carlow (400%).
At a provincial level Leinster had the highest number of home solar installations, with 2,102 homes getting solar panels fitted in Q1 2023, an increase of 250% on last year.
The largest growth year-on-year was in Ulster, where 204 homes had solar panels installed, a staggering jump of 397% compared with 41 homes in the same period last year.
Munster saw a 273% increase in grant-aided home solar this year, with 1,155 homes getting panels fitted, and Connacht recorded a 205% jump to 521 solar PV installations in Q1 2023.
Dublin was the county with the most grant supported domestic solar installations in Q1 2023, with 865 homes having solar PV panels installed. Cork followed Dublin with 512 solar installations from January to March, and Galway saw the third most in the country with 257.
The lowest number of homeowners installing solar panels with the assistance of SEAI grants so far this year has been in Longford (16), Leitrim (27), and Monaghan (45). But even there the numbers for the first three months of 2023 are up from just 10 in each county in the same period of 2022.
James Dorrian, Managing Director of EnergyEfficiency.ie, a new website which connects homeowners with local SEAI registered solar installers, said: “The rising interest that people have in home solar power is clearly seen in the fact that home solar installations have more than doubled in 2023”.
“The stark difference between the figures for the start of this year, and the same three months in 2022, show that solar power is becoming an increasingly affordable option for homeowners looking to save money on their electricity bills, while also reducing their carbon footprint.”
“As electricity prices remain stubbornly high, and with the reduced O% VAT rate for solar on residential properties, we’re expecting to see continued strong interest in solar PV from homeowners who want to become energy independent.”
Between high electricity prices, falling technology costs, and grant assistance, there has never been a better time for homeowners to go green with solar power.
The government cut the VAT rate on the supply and installation of domestic solar panels from 13.5% down to nothing at the start of May this year to help families with high electricity prices and encourage the growth of micro-generation within Ireland.
The SEAI offers grants of up to €2,400 for homeowners who are having solar PV panels installed on their property. This grant scheme is eligible for all homes built and occupied prior to 2021.
Home solar got a boost late last year, when changes were made to planning regulations regarding rooftop solar. Homeowners can now install unlimited amounts of solar panels on the roofs of houses without needing planning permission.
The changes in planning regulations were introduced in October of 2022, just in time for homeowners putting in their grant applications towards the end of the year.
