This year has been a landmark one for Ireland’s solar energy industry. The country saw its first solar farms connecting to the national grid and saw households exporting small amounts of excess energy generated through rooftop solar panels and getting paid for it for the first time.

Earlier this month, we saw the requirement for planning permission for the majority of rooftop solar installations removed.

After years of a stalemate, the sector has seen rapid progress in a very short space of time. As such, there was a notable buzz in the air from the 350 attendees of this year’s Solar Ireland 2022 conference held in Croke Park earlier this month.

As reported in the Irish Farmers Journal, over 10,000ac of solar farms have successfully secured funding under the Renewable Electricity Support Scheme (RESS). According to Conall Bolger, CEO of the Irish Solar Energy Association (ISEA), the solar projects currently under construction from the first auction (RESS 1) should be fully completed by summer 2023 and will deliver 418MW of electricity.

Projects which are being developed under RESS 2 will likely be completed by 2024.

25,000ac

Speaking to the Irish Farmers Journal, Bolger explained that there is planning permission currently in place for a total of 5GW of solar farms across the country. With a national target of 5.5GW, this will equate to around 25,000ac worth of panels, which will be developed by 2030 and could bring in over €25m in rent annually for land owners.

Conall Bolger, CEO of the Irish Solar Energy Association.

Many of these solar farms are anticipated for funding under the third auction of RESS. Minister Eamon Ryan, who delivered a message over video on the day, confirmed that the RESS 3 auction is due to take place next year. He said his aim is to have 20% of electricity coming from solar sources by 2030.

Minister Ryan also confirmed that a new small scale generation support scheme will be launched next year. The scheme will provide support for communities, farmers and businesses to develop renewable projects larger than 50kW in size.

Solar PV and farmers a natural fit

The potential for solar PV in agriculture is immense, according to Sinn Féin’s Darren O’Rourke. O’Rourke made the comments at the opening of the conference and said that farmers in particular have extensive roof sheds which could accommodate solar PV installations.

He also said that solar farms and farmers are a natural fit. “Farmers looking to diversify income streams should be able to seize the opportunity for solar PV,” said O’Rourke, when commenting on the potential for farmers to provide land for solar farm developers.

However, he pointed to issues regarding tax relief for Capital Acquisition Tax and issues around exporting electricity from TAMS-funded panels as being among the key barriers to the further development of solar PV.

Direct lines

The conference also heard of the need to ease the restrictions on ‘direct lines’. Currently, the 1999 Electricity Regulation Act states that solar and wind farms must connect to the national electricity grid to distribute their renewable energy, rather than connect directly with a high energy user.

The renewable sector continues to complain that there are long delays in getting connections approved by Eirgrid and ESB Networks, which manages and owns the grid, and allowing direct lines could be a game changer.

Minister Ryan has said that he intends to allow solar and wind farms to be directly connected by private lines to businesses with large energy needs and a public consultation is now expected next year.