Electric Ireland sells and installs solar PV, and prices it from about €6,800 before the SEAI grant is applied. Until 13 August 2026 it is also running a Summer Solar Offer: two free 445 W panels for anyone installing six panels or more, on a first-time solar installation. The panels are genuinely free. But the six-panel entry point quietly leaves money on the table, because a system that size never reaches the €1,800 SEAI grant. Here is what Electric Ireland charges, what the small print actually says, and the panel count that gets you both.
Register your interest with Electric Ireland between 1 July and 13 August 2026, order a solar PV system of six panels (2.7 kWp) or larger, and you get two extra 445 W panels free. It applies to new solar installations only. You pay a deposit of 50% of the system cost within 30 days of receiving your quotation. Electric Ireland can withdraw the offer at any time before you have a contract.
What Electric Ireland Charges for Solar
Electric Ireland's own answer is that an installation "ranges in price from approximately €6,800 upwards before the SEAI grant is applied", with the final figure depending on how many panels you take and whether you add extras like a hot water diverter. It also offers the option of deducting the SEAI grant from the cost up front, so you are not left claiming the money back afterwards.
That €6,800 starting point is not out of line with the wider Irish market, but it is a starting point, not a quote. Panel count, roof complexity, scaffolding, inverter type and a battery all move it. Our guide to solar panel costs in Ireland sets out the going rates by system size so you can see where any supplier's number sits.
| What you get | Electric Ireland |
|---|---|
| Starting price | From approx. €6,800 before the SEAI grant |
| Grant handling | Option to deduct it from the cost up front, rather than reclaiming later |
| Inverter | String or hybrid, recommended after consultation |
| Battery | Dyness, in 5.1, 7.2, 10 and 15 kWh sizes |
| Battery warranty | 7 years, extendable to 10 by registering with Dyness |
| Grid paperwork | NC6 form submitted to ESB Networks for you |
| Export rate | 19.5c per kWh on the Electric Ireland microgeneration tariff |
| Deposit | 50% of the system cost, within 30 days of the quote |
The Six-Panel Trap
This is the bit worth slowing down for. Electric Ireland's qualifying system is six panels, which it rates at 2.7 kWp, or about 450 W a panel. Add the two free 445 W panels and you land at roughly 3.6 kWp.
The SEAI Solar Electricity Grant pays €700 for each of the first 2 kWp and €200 for each of the next 2 kWp, so the full €1,800 only arrives once the system reaches 4 kWp. At 3 kWp the grant is €1,600. A six-plus-two system stops short of the top tier.
Order eight panels instead. The two free ones take you to ten, or roughly 4.5 kWp, which clears 4 kWp comfortably. The full €1,800 lands, and you still bank the same two free panels. You pay for two more panels and get back more generation, more grant and more export income for as long as the system runs.
- 2 kWp: €1,400
- 3 kWp: €1,600
- 4 kWp or larger: €1,800, the cap
Worth knowing: Electric Ireland's own FAQ still describes the grant as "€900 per kWp up to 2 kWp and €300 for every additional kWp". That is an older version of the tiers, and it does not match SEAI's current table, though both agree the cap is €1,800. SEAI's figures are the ones that get paid. See our SEAI solar grant guide for the full tier maths.
Reading the Small Print
The terms and conditions are short, and mostly say what you would expect. A few clauses are worth knowing before you pick up the phone.
- New installs only. The offer is valid only for new solar PV installations of six panels (2.7 kWp) or more. If you already have panels and want to extend, this is not for you.
- You must register in the window. The qualifying step is submitting the callback request between 1 July and 13 August 2026. The install itself does not have to be finished by then. The offer runs to 13 August, or 30 days after your quotation, whichever is later.
- Half the money up front. A deposit of 50% of the system cost is due within 30 days of your quote. On a €6,800 system that is roughly €3,400 before anyone climbs on the roof.
- It can be pulled. Electric Ireland reserves the right to withdraw the offer at any time before a contract is formed. Quotes already issued stay valid for their 30-day window.
- Residential only, and you must be 18 or over and resident in the Republic of Ireland.
- Your details go to Ohk Energy. Electric Ireland's own form states that data you submit is transferred to Ohk Energy so they can call you and discuss the offer. Expect the first conversation to come from them, not from Electric Ireland.
Nothing in the terms excludes the SEAI grant, and Electric Ireland promotes the grant on the same page, offering to deduct it from the price for you. If the grant matters to your sums, get it confirmed in writing on the quotation.
The "Over 70% Savings" Claim
Electric Ireland's headline benefit is saving "over 70% on your home electricity". Its own footnote explains the basis: a detached house using 7,388 kWh a year, with a 16-panel, 7.1 kWp system generating about 6,265 kWh annually, and a battery charged between 2am and 4am on a Night Boost plan.
That is a big array, a battery and a night-rate tariff all pulling together. It is not a six-panel starter system, and it is not a dishonest number either. It just describes a setup two or three times the size of the one the free-panel offer is pitched at. Size your expectations to the system you are actually buying. Our page on how many solar panels you need in Ireland works the sizing through properly.
What You Get Paid for Exporting
Electric Ireland pays 19.5c per kWh for electricity you export, credited against your bill. It estimates the payment lands between €50 and €300 a year, and puts a typical ten-panel installation at about €150 a year.
That 19.5c is competitive but not automatically the best rate in the market, and you are free to buy your panels from one company and take your export tariff from another. The rates move: our Clean Export Guarantee rate comparison tracks what every Irish supplier is paying, and the Electric Ireland microgeneration rate page covers how and when the credit is applied.
One technical limit is worth flagging, and it is the grid's rule rather than Electric Ireland's. ESB Networks caps single-phase homes at 5 kVA of export, and your inverter clips anything above that. Oversizing the array is still normal and still useful, since it lifts generation in dull weather and charges the battery faster. There is just a ceiling on what you can push back down the wire.
Is the Offer Worth Taking?
Two free 445 W panels are worth having. They add about 0.89 kWp of capacity for nothing, and on a modest array that is a meaningful uplift in generation for the life of the system.
What the offer does not do is tell you whether Electric Ireland is the right price. A supplier promotion is a discount off that supplier's number, and the only way to know if that number is good is to put it beside two or three others. Solar quotes for the same roof routinely differ by thousands of euro, and the SEAI grant is the same €1,800 whoever installs it.
If you take one thing from this page: get comparison quotes first, then decide whether the free panels tip the balance. If Electric Ireland comes in level with the market, the two panels are a genuine win. If it comes in €2,000 high, they are not.
Get free, no-obligation quotes from SEAI-registered installers near you and see how the Summer Solar Offer really stacks up against the wider market.
Get My Free Solar QuotesFrequently Asked Questions
Yes. Electric Ireland supplies and installs domestic solar PV systems, including the panels, a string or hybrid inverter, an optional Dyness battery and an optional hot water diverter. It also submits the NC6 form to ESB Networks so you can be paid for exported electricity. Installations start from approximately €6,800 before the SEAI grant is deducted.
It is a Summer Solar Offer giving two free 445 W solar PV panels to customers who install six panels (2.7 kWp) or more. You must register your interest between 1 July 2026 and 13 August 2026, and it applies to first-time solar installations only. A deposit of 50% of the system cost is payable within 30 days of your quotation, and Electric Ireland can withdraw the offer at any time before a contract is formed.
Electric Ireland says a solar PV installation costs from approximately €6,800 upwards before the SEAI grant is applied. The final price depends on the number of panels and any extras such as a hot water diverter or battery storage. Electric Ireland offers the option of deducting the SEAI grant of up to €1,800 from the cost directly, rather than you claiming it back afterwards.
Nothing in the offer's terms and conditions excludes the SEAI Solar Electricity Grant, and Electric Ireland promotes the grant alongside the offer, offering to deduct it from your price. Be aware, though, that the six-panel qualifying system (2.7 kWp) plus the two free panels comes to roughly 3.6 kWp, which is below the 4 kWp needed for the full €1,800. Ordering eight panels instead takes you to about 4.5 kWp with the free pair included, which clears the threshold. Confirm the grant amount in writing on your quotation.
Electric Ireland pays 19.5c per kWh for electricity exported to the grid, credited to your electricity bill. It estimates the annual payment at between €50 and €300, with a typical ten-panel system earning about €150 a year. ESB Networks limits single-phase homes to 5 kVA of export, and your inverter clips anything above that.
Electric Ireland's enquiry form states that the details you submit are transferred to Ohk Energy, who will call you to discuss the offer. Electric Ireland also views the data for auditing purposes. So the first call about your solar enquiry is likely to come from Ohk Energy rather than Electric Ireland itself.
All homeowners, including private landlords, whose home was built and occupied before 2021 can apply. Electric Ireland defines that date as the date your electricity meter was installed. A post-works BER assessment must be carried out before the grant is processed, and the work must be done by an SEAI-registered installer. Our SEAI grant eligibility guide covers the rules in full.