As the sun shone brightly, at midday on Friday Ireland\u2019s solar sector broke records, generating 1GW of energy for the first time. <\/p>\n
All that sunshine in recent days is not just good for the national morale. At 12 midday on Friday, Solar Ireland says Ireland\u2019s solar sector generated 1GW of energy for the first time ever, bringing further into focus the importance of electricity storage technology.<\/p>\n
According to Solar Ireland, if we take average daytime demand in Ireland, the solar energy generated at lunchtime on Friday was \u201csufficient to power the equivalent of all homes across the country\u201d, and with more great weather forecast this week, they expect further records to be broken.<\/p>\n
While photovoltaic solar arrays rely on daylight rather than just sunshine, this remarkably sunny weather certainly gives the sector a shot in the arm. \u00a0As the ongoing fuel crisis hits home, and with Ireland\u2019s ambitious target of generating 22GW from renewables by 2030, solar is growing in significance in this country.<\/p>\n
On Friday, solar output peaked at 1.074 MW, says Solar Ireland, within a total national generation of 3,124 MW, alongside 523 MW of imports via the Greenlink interconnector. At midday, solar delivered 34.4pc of electricity generation in the Republic of Ireland<\/p>\n
Friday\u2019s record comes just a month after solar generation met nearly a quarter of peak electricity demand across the island at 1pm on 21 March, so the signs are good.<\/p>\n
According to CEO of Solar Ireland Ronan Power, the milestone comes alongside rapid growth in rooftop solar, with over 177,000 homes and businesses now generating their own electricity, reducing demand on the grid and contributing to overall system performance. He says enquiries for rooftop solar have increased by between 10pc and 25pc in recent weeks, with strong interest in solar paired with battery storage.<\/p>\n
The appropriately named Power says this milestone highlights the need for a renewed focus to accelerate storage, flexibility, and grid solutions to capture the full value of clean generation.<\/p>\n
\u201cReaching 1 GW of solar is a major milestone, but it also highlights the next phase of the transition,\u201d Power told Siliconrepublic.com.\u00a0\u201cWe are now seeing strong solar generation during the middle of the day. The challenge is making sure that energy can be used when demand is highest. Storage is key to that. It allows us to shift excess daytime generation into the evening peak, reduce curtailment, and get more value from the clean electricity we are already producing.<\/p>\n
\u201cAt the same time, grid development is critical,\u201d Power continued. \u201cWe need a system that can support a more distributed and flexible energy mix, with solar and storage working together. That means faster connections, clearer frameworks for hybrid projects, and better system coordination.\u00a0If we are serious about hitting our renewable targets, storage and grid infrastructure need to scale alongside generation.\u201d<\/p>\n
Established in 2013,\u00a0Solar Ireland\u00a0(formerly the Irish Solar Energy Association) was created to advocate for a strong policy and regulatory framework that could unlock the full potential of solar energy in Ireland.<\/p>\n
In March, it was announced that the European Investment Bank (EIB) will support the construction and operation of four new utility-scale solar photovoltaic projects<\/a> across Ireland via a \u20ac100m project finance loan to Dolmen Solar Ltd, a holding company of Power Capital Renewable Energy.<\/p>\n The overall investment \u2013 which, in total, will be worth \u20ac260m \u2013 will see four new solar power operations developed in Clare, Wicklow, Wexford and Tipperary, generating around 367GWh of clean electricity per annum, which is equivalent to the annual consumption of roughly 79,900 households. The funding and development is also expected to create new jobs in construction, civil works, grid connections and maintenance services.<\/p>\n