Solar ireland is a growing sector and there is increasing interest from international investors. This has seen a number of large developers targeting Ireland and trying to secure land for their projects. This can present opportunities for landowners but it also poses a risk that they may be exposed to high levels of investment risk. This is exacerbated by the fact that the old contract law principle of caveat emptor applies and carrying out due diligence before entering into any transaction is key.
Harnessing Solar Power: A Comprehensive Guide to Solar PV Panels in Ireland
Solar energy systems provide electricity from free sunshine, reducing the amount of money that householders spend on electricity and improving security of supply. They have lower operating costs than other renewable energies and don’t require ongoing maintenance and they often have lifespans of up to 40 years. They can be used on their own, supplying all of your electrical needs or with storage to work at night or on cloudy days.
Typically a six-bedroom stand-alone house can fit 6 panels with a maximum of 4kWp on the roof. This generates around 1,500 units of electricity per year and will pay for itself in just under four years, then it’s free energy after that. The figures below are based on an average house in the Republic of Ireland, with a south-facing roof. Solar costs and performance numbers can vary depending on location, type of property and solar inverter chosen. The DC electricity generated by solar panels must be converted into AC electricity before it can be used, this is done via inverters that are either fitted to each individual solar panel (micro inverters) or in a centralised system with power meters (string inverters). A new technology called PERC technology allows more power to be extracted from a single cell of solar panels, which increases efficiency and performance.