/DUBLIN, IRELAND, July 8, 2025, 11:30 IST, RENEWABLE MARKET WATCH™/
Solar power is rapidly becoming a key driver of Ireland’s transition to clean energy. In just two years, the country’s total installed solar capacity has increased by 159.8%. Currently, over 140,000 customers in Ireland have solar installations, which help reduce more than 395,000 tonnes of CO₂ emissions annually. The 2024 Climate Action Plan sets ambitious targets for developing renewable electricity sources over the next five years. A key target for solar power by 2030 is to achieve 8 GW of cumulative installed capacity. According to Darragh O’Brien, the Minister for Climate, Energy, and the Environment, Ireland is advancing toward its climate goals and a more secure energy future.
As of May 31, 2025, Ireland’s cumulative installed solar photovoltaic capacity has reached 1.76 GW, according to Solar Ireland’s “Scale of Solar 2025” report, which is based on data from the distribution system operator ESB Networks. This remarkable growth is a result of strong collaboration between the government, industry, and communities.
Chart 1: Cumulative Installed Solar Photovoltaic Capacity of Ireland 2023 – 2025; Source: ESB Networks
Utility-scale solar power plants (> 5 MW) are a key component of Ireland’s transition to clean energy, currently accounting for 51% of the market. The sector saw significant growth following the launch of the first large-scale solar power plant in County Meath in 2022. Since then, installed utility-scale solar photovoltaic capacity has more than quadrupled, rising from 349 MW in 2023 to 885 MW across 19 projects by mid-2025. This growth is supported by the Renewable Electricity Support Scheme (RESS) and Corporate Power Purchase Agreements (CPPAs).
Additionally, there are 752 MW of utility-scale solar projects in the pipeline across 30 projects, driven by strong investor confidence and the increasing national focus on renewable energy. These projects not only promote clean energy growth but also support biodiversity, create new local jobs, and enhance rural investments.
On May 18, 2025, at 1:45 PM, solar energy achieved a new peak, meeting 21.1% of Ireland’s total electricity demand—this is the highest level on record, as reported in “Scale of Solar 2025.” This surpasses the previous record of 18.2% set just a year earlier.
The regions of Meath, Wexford, and Cork now account for over 70% of all utility-scale solar power generation. Cork experienced significant growth in 2024 following the grid connection of the Lysaghtstown solar power plant, while new capacity in Meath continues to enhance the leading solar counties.
Chart 2: Breakdown of Solar Photovoltaic Capacity of Ireland 2025 (YTD) by Size of Installations; Source: ESB Networks
By mid-2025, the number of small-scale residential and building solar installations (≤6 kW) in Ireland exceeded 138,000, resulting in a total installed capacity of 576 MW. National estimates indicate that over 1 million rooftops in Ireland are suitable for solar photovoltaic (PV) systems.
In addition, Ireland is a significant hub for data centres in Europe, attracting major international companies such as Amazon, Meta, Microsoft, and Google. The key factors driving the data centre industry in the country include low corporate tax rates, a central geographical location, a suitable climate, and strong data protection policies. Currently, there are more than 95 data centres operating in Ireland, many of which are located in Dublin, with numerous others either under construction or in the planning phase.
From 2015 to 2024, the percentage of total metered electricity consumption used by data centres in Ireland increased from 5% to 22% and is projected to reach 32% by 2030. Electricity consumption by data centres rose by 20% between 2022 and 2023. Solar-generated electricity could play a crucial role in supporting the rapidly growing electricity demand of data centres in Ireland, which surged from 3,028 GWh in 2020 to 6,969 GWh in 2024.
For more information and answers to your questions about the Irish and European solar power market and related content, you may read here: Europe Solar Photovoltaic (PV) Market Outlook 2025 ÷ 2034
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