Solar Power – Ireland's Sustainability “Moon Shot”?

Last August, the globe watched in wonder as Earth’s most populous country, India – long associated with poverty and need – became the first nation on the planet to land a rocket at the Moon’s south pole.

There was other news out of New Delhi. It garnered less of the world’s attention, but could justifiably be described as more significant.

At a conference for over 200 experts and government representatives from around the world, the head of the International Solar Alliance, Indian energy expert Ajay Mathur,?announced?that global sales of solar power systems had risen by 20% in the second half of 2022. That’s more than 5.2 million solar power systems in just six months.

There was a time when the word “moon shot” was used to describe a long shot. Now the phrase is more often deployed as a synonym for a monumental effort or a lofty goal.

Here in Ireland, that’s just the idea that seemed to be on Environment Minister Eamon Ryan’s mind last July, when he described our own solar power industry as “taking off like a rocket”.

“When we announced that we wanted to reach 5 gigawatts [GW] – ie 5,000MW – by 2025, people said we were mad. But, this year, we will produce 1GW. Next year we will have 2GW, and I have no doubt but that we will increase this again in 2025.”

Think about those 5.2 million solar power systems sold in the last half of 2022. It’s heartening to see Irish households contributing a significant share to that number. Almost 60,000 residential homes in the country are already generating solar power on their rooftops – and 500 houses are being connected to the grid every week. SolarSmart, and other reputable Irish suppliers, are busting a gut to meet demand.

On one fine day back in May 2023, solar power was responsible for meeting 10% of Ireland’s electricity needs for 24 hours. Energy Analyst Dr Paul Deane of UCC told the Irish Times that we could soon be at a point where solar power would supply 20% of the country’s electricity needs during some summer months. Deane called it “incredible”, adding “If we were having this conversation three to four years ago, I would be laughing at you.”

We’ve praised the current government for the changes – grants, elimination of VAT, the feed-in tariff – that have helped to launch Ireland’s solar power rocket. These policies need to be sustained and expanded to make it as affordable as possible for consumers to get on board.

As a business, though, we also understand that consumers need support and information from us to help them navigate the transition to powering their homes in greener more sustainable ways. We’ve created a guide to make the process easier.

Working together, government and businesses like ours can support Irish households in taking that leap of faith that will make this solar power “moon shot” a reality.