Are you thinking about going solar? Here’s a breakdown of the costs you can expect in Ireland for 2025 and helpful tips to get the best value for your money.
How Much Do Solar Panels Cost in Ireland?
In Ireland, solar panels typically range from €5,000 to €18,000 for a house, but grants can bring that cost down to €3,200 – €15,600. Here’s a general idea of what you might pay (excluding grants):
- €5,700: Around 2 kW system – good for reducing your electricity bill.
- €10,000: Around 5 kW system – suitable for families with moderate electricity use.
- €18,000: Around 9 kW system with a power diverter and battery – ideal for families with a heat pump or electric car, or those who want a high level of energy independence.
- €1,800 extra: For blackout protection (optional)
What Affects the Cost of Solar Panels?
Several factors influence the final price of your solar panel system:
- Number of panels: This is the most significant factor. The more panels you have, the more electricity you’ll generate. 2 kW of panels can reduce your electricity bill. However, a family with a heat pump or electric car could use 9 kW panels easily. The number of panels is the top reason, but not the only reason.
- Installation workmanship: Good workmanship ensures your system is installed correctly, safely, and looks good on your home. Better workmanship from a reputable company will protect you in the long term.
- Panel quality: Higher quality panels and brands cost more but are more efficient and last longer. Look for good quality brands with a decent warranty.
- Battery or no battery: Batteries store excess solar energy for nighttime use. They can be expensive, but they allow you to use more of your own solar power. The “smart export guarantee” program now pays you for exporting excess solar energy to the grid, so batteries may not be necessary for everyone.
- Power diverter: A cost-effective way to use extra solar power for water heating.
- Inverter quality: Inverters convert DC electricity from your panels to AC electricity for your home. Choose a good-quality inverter with a strong warranty. Reputable brands include Fronius, Enphase, and SMA. However, technology changes rapidly, and different companies have more experience with specific brands.
Finding the Best Solar Panel Quote
Solar panel costs can vary depending on the installer. Here are some tips for finding the best deal:
- Get quotes from multiple installers. Don’t just go with the first company you contact.
- Compare the quality of the products and services offered. Not all quotes are created equal. Make sure you’re comparing apples to apples.
- Consider the experience and reputation of the installer. Ask for references and check online reviews.
- Consider more prominent, reputable companies to ensure longevity in your aftersales support.
Solar Panels Quality and Cost
Top-quality solar panels come with a price premium. So here’s a run-down of solar panel quality and cost:
- Dubious quality: Brands without a track record. Or no brand at all. These often produce less power than specified, especially as the years go on. Not worth the risk.
- Good quality: Good quality solar panels don’t have to be super-expensive. You can also get decent warranty coverage at a medium price.
- Premium quality: These cost around €250 extra per kilowatt and tend to have high efficiency and the best aesthetics. Premium panels will likely be manufactured in Europe or South Korea and have extended guarantees backed by the most reputable companies.
Battery or No Battery?
A battery lets you store surplus solar energy to use at night. They cost roughly €1,500-€4,000, depending on capacity and quality. Batteries are appealing because they let you cover much of your electricity needs with solar energy. However, the financial return on batteries is slow. With the smart export guarantee rolling out, we recommend that most people skip the battery and invest in extra panels and a power diverter instead.
If you’re in an area with frequent power cuts, you might want to consider blackout protection. Blackout protection keeps your lights and some small appliances on even when the power goes down. It requires installing a compatible battery and having some special wiring done on your house. Wiring for blackout protection typically costs around €1,800 extra.
Power Diverters
Power diverters are a cost-effective way to utilise surplus solar electricity for water heating, with prices ranging from around €220 to €500. It’s well worth spending a little extra for a reliable brand such as the MyEnergi Eddi, because some other models have a tendency to fail prematurely.
Inverter Quality and Features
An inverter transforms DC electricity from your solar panels into AC electricity for your house. As with panels, inverter quality varies. Moreover, inverters have a higher failure rate than panels. This makes it important to get a good-quality inverter with a strong warranty. In addition, some inverters come with handy features like remote monitoring. The difference in price between a good-quality and a poor-quality inverter is around €300-€800. Whatever about the panels, don’t skimp on your inverter. Fronius, Enphase, and SMA are some examples of reputable inverter brands.
Solar Panel Installation Workmanship
It’s well worth paying extra for good-quality workmanship. Correct installation is essential to guarantee a long and productive life for your panels. Secondly, good tradespeople will route cables neatly or out of sight and place your panels neat and tidy. Most importantly, good tradespeople will never take shortcuts on safety.
Value for Money And How To Find The Best Solar Panel Quote For You
Some solar installers offer better value for money than others – so don’t just assume that more expensive equals better. In fact, it’s a minefield out there, with some installers offering excellent quality products and service at keen prices while others charge twice as much for inferior products! Luckily, Energy Hero is here to help you find the best quotes from top-quality solar installers around Ireland. If you’re ready for some quotes, then enter your Eircode below now:
Real-World Data on Solar Panel Prices in Ireland:
Rules of thumb are one thing… but if you want solid data, this is the section for you.
In December 2022, Energy Hero did a study of solar panel prices in the Irish market. To get a broad sample (not only installers on our network), we scraped through two months of public social media posts to find quotes that customers shared online. And finally, we reverse-engineered the pricing structure to give the results below…
Irish solar installers, on average, quote:
- €5,000 base price
- +€1,100 per kW of panels
- +€570 per kWh of batteries
- +€600 for a power diverter
Below is a chart of solar system sizes and prices (only no-battery systems are shown for clarity).
NB: These are the average prices that installers quote, not rules about what prices should be. You are free to shop around for better-than-average value for your money. And there’s nothing wrong with paying more than the averages listed here, if the quality and workmanship you’re offered are worth the premium.
Is it Getting More Expensive to Install Solar Panels?
After years of dramatic declines in cost, the typical price of solar panel installations in Ireland rose during 2022. There are three main reasons for this:
- Higher wholesale prices for panels: This was a global trend driven by a shortage of a key material called polysilicon.
- Higher operating costs for installers: The costs to hire electricians, fuel a van, and rent a warehouse are all higher than in 2021.
- Surging demand for solar: As electricity prices surge, more people want solar. So installers are less pressured to compete for on price.
However, it’s important to keep the bigger context in mind: While prices in 2022 a were higher than in 2021, solar panels are still much cheaper than they were five years ago. Plus, the increases in solar panel prices have been nothing near as extreme as the increases in electricity prices.
Conclusion: What Determines the Cost of Solar Panels in Ireland?
Overall, there are four main factors in the cost of solar panels. First is the number of panels. This determines the overall electricity generation of your solar energy system, so more is better, especially with the new smart export guarantee. The second is whether you choose to install a battery or not. Our advice is that investing in extra panels generally makes more sense than a battery. Third is the quality of the hardware. You should choose good quality hardware, but you don’t have to get the most expensive panels. This is because many good-quality panels are sold at a medium price point. Fourth is the workmanship of the installers. It’s well worth paying for high-quality workmanship to ensure a long, safe, and productive life for your solar panel system, as well as a neat installation that will look good on your home.
