Ireland passed 3 GW of installed solar capacity in August 2026, according to the Department of Climate, Energy and the Environment. Just over ten years earlier the country had 2 MW.
The headline numbers
| Figure | Number | Source and date |
|---|---|---|
| Installed solar capacity, all sizes | Over 3 GW | Department of Climate, Energy and the Environment, August 2026 |
| Homes with solar panels | Over 200,000 | CSO data, quoted by the Department, August 2026 |
| Homes paid an SEAI solar grant since the scheme began | Over 120,000 | Department of Climate, Energy and the Environment, August 2026 |
| SEAI solar PV grant applications, January to July 2026 | Over 31,000, up 76% on the same months of 2025 | Department of Climate, Energy and the Environment, August 2026 |
| Record output from solar farms | 1.3 GW, over a third of demand on the grid at the time | Department of Climate, Energy and the Environment, August 2026 |
| Homes and businesses generating their own solar electricity | More than 190,000 | Solar Ireland, Scale of Solar 2026 |
| Connected solar capacity at the end of May 2026 | 2.7 GW | Solar Ireland, Scale of Solar 2026 |
| Rooftop microgenerators connected by November 2024 | Over 100,000, adding over 400 MW | ESB Networks, 6 November 2024 |
How many Irish homes have solar panels?
Over 200,000, going by CSO data the Department quoted in August 2026. Over 120,000 homes have had an SEAI solar PV grant since the scheme began, and the Department notes that some homes installed panels without SEAI support.
Solar Ireland counts more than 190,000 homes and businesses generating their own electricity. Businesses are in that number, so don't compare it straight with the CSO count of homes.
Which counties have the most solar?
Census 2022 was the first census to ask about renewable energy, and it breaks the answer down by county. Back then solar panels were in some 6% of occupied dwellings. Co Meath had the highest share at 11% and Dublin City the lowest at 3%.
That was 2022. Treat the county gap as a pattern, not today's count.
Is solar still growing?
Yes. SEAI received over 31,000 solar PV grant applications in the first seven months of 2026, 76% more than in the same months of 2025. Installed capacity went from 2.7 GW at the end of May 2026, as Solar Ireland reported, to over 3 GW by late August.
For an older marker, ESB Networks had connected over 100,000 rooftop microgenerators by November 2024.
What the figures mean for your home
If you are weighing it up for your own roof, read our pages on the SEAI solar grant, the cost of solar panels in Ireland and battery storage first. When you are ready, ask for quotes.
Using these figures
Quote any figure here freely. Credit the original source named in the table, and link to this page if it saved you the digging. We swap in newer official figures as they come out.
Sources: Department of Climate, Energy and the Environment press release on installed solar capacity passing 3 GW (August 2026); CSO Census 2022 Summary Results, Dwelling Characteristics, as reported by The Irish Times; Solar Ireland, Scale of Solar 2026; ESB Networks newsroom (November 2024).
Figures checked October 2026. Author: Neil Russell.