When you think of Ireland, you probably have two contrasting images in your head. One is of the gray, chilly, and very wet weather that is predominant throughout most of the UK region. The other is of very green rolling pastures of land bathed in golden sunshine. Both images are correct; Ireland gets enough sunshine annually that solar panels are indeed worth the cost of installation and use.
In fact, despite the gray, cloudy, cold and wet days throughout this country, there is more than adequate sunshine for solar panels to save you a lot of money and be energy efficient. It is reported that up to 70% of all energy consumed can be garnered from solar energy. The value outweighs the cost of installation in the long run, and Clean Energy Solar can show you how.
Solar Panels for Your Irish Home
Domestic solar panels in Ireland homes add value to your home. Because you and every owner of the property after you will benefit from the money-saving factors of solar panels, it is worth it to purchase them and have them installed. They can be installed on your roof, or if the roof is not conducive to panel installation, they can be installed at the ground level close to your home.
Once installed, the photovoltaic converter collects, stores, and expends the solar energy and outputs it as electricity. On very sunny days, the panels and converter collect more energy than you could probably use in a single day. On cloudy or rainy days, that “extra” energy that was stored is used when not enough solar power can be collected.
The solar energy converted to electricity is used to run everything from refrigerators to hair dryers. Regardless of the number of appliances, big or small, you are able to run almost everything off of the converted energy. In fact, you may even use some of that energy to charge an electric car via the charging port for said car!
What Is the Total Cost for Solar Panels in Ireland?
You may think it costs tens of thousands of Euros to install solar panels on your home. However, that simply is not the case. It’s actually much more affordable than you think. The cost starts around 5,000 Euros and can be as high as 15,000 Euros, but it depends on your location and how many panels and converters you will need for your home.
Obviously, a small Irish cottage is not going to need 15,000 Euros in solar panels and converters. Conversely, you can’t expect to provide enough power to a manor or large estate home on 5,000 Euros’ worth of panels and converters. By contacting Clean Energy Solar for an estimate, you will know exactly what your residence requires and how much it will cost.
Additionally, when you consider how much you will save on standard electricity, coal, or natural gas for heating, the majority of the photovoltaic panels in Ireland pay for themselves after a few years. A side by side comparison of the costs of each type of energy or fuel to heat a home reflects the ultimate savings versus installation costs.
The Process of Installing Solar Panels on Your Home
Typically, solar panels are installed on the roof of a home to provide a direct cable feed line to the converter box inside the home. This requires the removal of some roofing materials to install the frames and supports for the PV panels to make them flush to the roof.
Holes to feed cable down through the attic into the home to the photovoltaic converter is another step. Once the panels and supports are installed and the power cables fed down into the box, the areas around the panel supports are sealed against the weather. The final steps include all of the wiring and connections to your home’s main electrical box.
Other types of installation include a pole mount and ground to roof mount. Pole mount erects tall poles onto which the solar panels are attached at the top. Ground to roof mount places the solar panels on a support system at ground level and close to your home. Flush mount on the roof is preferable, but when it isn’t feasible one of these other options may be used instead.
How Much Roof Space Do I Need?
If you are wondering how much roof space for solar panels is needed, you only have to look at the standard size of the smallest solar panel. The smallest of these requires approximately 24.2 sq. meters when you install twelve of them. Most homes in Ireland have enough roof space to meet the needs of a small panel, and then some.
How Many Solar Panels Do I Need in Ireland?
Solar panels operate on total kilowatts. Hence, the amount of power you consume per hour will dictate how many panels you need to install. The larges panel produces 19.2kw, and may require up to 48 panels. If you don’t need that much power, fewer panels at lower kilowatts are installed.
Again, if your home is smaller, or if you don’t have enough room on your roof, smaller panels with lower kilowatts and fewer number of panels is what you will get. If you need more power, the panels will be pole-mounted or ground-to-roof mounted.
Manor homes require significant sources of power. Hence, the installers often cover the entire roof with larger panels to provide enough power. Clean Energy Solar installers can calculate the amount of power you will need and give you the details of the number and size of panels you will need.
Grants for Solar Power in Ireland
Because solar power is more efficient, ecologically friendly, and financially sound, there are incentives to install pv panels on your home (or near it). These incentives come in the form of SEAI grants. The Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland wishes to encourage everyone to become energy independent and green. In turn, Ireland relies less and less on various fuel and power sources that are non-renewable and potentially harmful to the environment. Everyone wins.
To receive a grant to upgrade your home to solar power, you must first apply for an SEAI grant. You cannot start work on installing panels on your home or complete a solar panel conversion and then apply for the grant. The SEAI grants are paid out to reputable installers of solar panels, such as Clean Energy Solar, who provide the best solar panels in Ireland.
Grant amounts are awarded based on kWp usage, panels and whether or not you purchase a battery. The least is 300 Euros, and the most is 3,000 Euros. However, every little bit of money helps when you want to make this conversion and do not want to pay for it entirely out of your own pocket.
Contact Clean Energy Solar Today
Before you even apply for a solar energy grant through SEAI, find out what equipment you will need and what it will cost. These details are necessary for the application process. Details provided by a technician from Clean Energy Solar will help you begin the grant application and assist you with moving forward on your solar energy project. Contact Clean Energy Solar today!