With the sun shining brightly, at midday on Friday Ireland’s solar industry broke records, generating 1GW of power for the first time.
All that sunshine in recent days is just not good for the morals of the world. At 12 noon on Friday, Solar Ireland says the Irish solar industry has produced 1GW of power for the first time, bringing into focus the importance of energy storage technology.
According to Solar Ireland, if we take an average of the daytime demand in Ireland, the solar energy produced during lunchtime on Friday “is enough to power the equivalent of every home across the country”, and with the excellent weather forecast this week, they expect some records to be broken.
Although photovoltaic solar arrays rely on daylight instead of just sunlight, this remarkably sunny climate gives the industry a shot in the arm. With the ongoing fuel crisis hitting home, and Ireland’s ambition to generate 22GW from renewables by 2030, solar is growing in importance in the country.
On Friday, solar output reached 1.074 MW, Solar Ireland said, between 3,124 MW of national generation, and 523 MW of imports through the Greenlink interconnector. During the day, solar supplied 34.4pc of electricity in the Republic of Ireland
Friday’s record comes just over a month after solar generation met nearly a quarter of the island’s peak electricity demand at 1pm on March 21, so the signs are good.
According to Solar Ireland CEO Ronan Power, the milestone comes with the rapid growth of rooftop solar, with more than 177,000 homes and businesses now generating their own electricity, reducing demand on the grid and contributing to the overall efficiency of the system. He says inquiries for rooftop solar have risen between 10pc and 25pc in recent weeks, with strong interest in solar combined with battery storage.
Aptly named Energy says this milestone highlights the need for a renewed focus on accelerating storage, flexibility, and grid solutions to capture the full value of clean generation.
“Reaching 1 GW of solar is a huge milestone, but it also highlights the next phase of the revolution,” Power told Siliconrepublic.com. “Now we’re seeing more solar power during the day. The challenge is making sure the power can be used when demand is high. Storage is key to that. It allows us to shift excess daytime generation into the evening peak, reduce curtailment, and get more value from the clean electricity we’re already producing.
“At the same time, grid development is critical,” Power continued. “We need a system that can support a more distributed and flexible energy mix, working together with solar and storage. That means faster communication, clear frameworks for hybrid projects, and better system coordination. If we are serious about reaching our renewable goals, the storage and grid infrastructure needs to grow in line with production.”
Established in 2013, Solar Ireland (formerly the Irish Solar Energy Association) was created to advocate for a robust policy and regulatory framework that would unlock the full potential of solar energy in Ireland.
In March, it was announced that the European Investment Bank (EIB) will support the construction and operation of new large-scale solar photovoltaic projects across Ireland through a €100m project loan to Dolmen Solar Ltd, the holding company of Power Capital Renewable Energy.
The overall investment – which will cost €260m in total – will see four new solar power plants developed in Clare, Wicklow, Wexford and Tipperary, producing around 367GWh of clean electricity per year, equivalent to the annual consumption of around 79,900 homes. The financing and development is expected to create new job opportunities in construction, public works, grid connection and maintenance services.
Don’t miss out on the information you need to succeed. Sign up for Daily BriefSilicon Republic’s digest of must-know sci-tech news.
