IRISH SOLAR: GOOD FOR YOUR POCKET AND THE PLANET
Updated January 29th, 2025
By Morgan Pierce
Within hours of dancing on stage as the Village People belted out “YMCA” his favourite song, the newly re-elected President of the United States was brandishing his Sharpie to sign a raft of Executive Orders.
It should surprise no one that Donald Trump, who spent much of his campaign repeating the mantra, “Drill, baby, drill” immediately moved to reverse Biden-era climate and energy policies. One order pulled the U.S. out of the 2015 Paris climate accords, while others claimed that the U.S. faced a “national energy emergency” while announcing measures to promote oil and gas drilling.
Looking on from Ireland, it was hard not to feel disappointed – even angry – about Trump’s decisions. Where was “American leadership” on one of the most existential crises the globe faces? And what were the rest of us to do in the face of this egregious abnegation of responsibility?
The answer? Stay the course.
We’ve talked about “the tipping point” in this column in the past. In the case of renewable solar and wind energy it is reasonable to hope that, as numerous experts have predicted, we have passed that tipping point. There are forces at work that surpass even Donald Trump’s abilities as a disruptor.
Some of those forces relate to cash in the pockets of Irish homeowners. Energy generated by Irish solar and wind has, for instance, saved Irish electricity customers €840m since 2000, according to new analysis published. Last year, according to data from Green Collective, nearly 40% of the country’s electricity came from renewable wind and solar energy. During the same period, Irish spending on fossil fuels fell by €7.4bn.
Those are the kind of figures that impress sceptics – even businessmen like Trump. It explains why, in spite of the venom with which Trump often speaks of green energy, America’s solar energy sector grew by 128% under his first administration.
In the U.S., our industry’s spokespeople have begun to emphasise the key role that renewables play in reducing reliance on foreign energy producers, supporting local jobs, and meeting the soaring energy demands of a tech driven economy.
All of those factors are equally relevant here in Ireland. Taken together we think this means that demand for renewables – like Irish solar energy – will continue to grow.
Technological advances and growth in demand have brought the cost of solar and wind down, making renewable energy competitive with fossil-fuel based energy sources. In spite of interference from America’s 47th president, the laws of supply and demand will still drive job growth – in installation, maintenance, and technological development in renewable wind and solar energy.
Whether or not the American president chooses to hide his head in an oil pipe, the global scientific consensus about the link between climate change and fossil fuels remains strong. Most ordinary people not only accept that link, but want to be part of the solution. Public demand has led, moreover, to the business community committing itself to sustainability.
Irish Solar Energy Growth
Though it doesn’t call out Donald Trump by name, a recent report by the Sustainable Energy Authority does make clear that “the world is going through a lot of changes in 2025”.
The SEAI study acknowledges that there may be obstacles to overcome. But it urges “critical mass action and delivery in the energy transition” so that we can look back on this period as one in which Ireland took full advantage of the great strides we have already made in meeting our climate change commitments. The report emphasises the need to
“both speed up; on deploying more renewable energy and energy efficiency technologies and practices, and to strategically slow down, on carbon intense activities across all sectors, thereby reducing our demand”.
In its own analysis of the SEAI’s report, the Irish Solar Energy Association made clear that Irish rooftop solar growth is essential to meeting those goals.
Our renewable strategy is reliant on a mix of wind and solar energy. Wind power generation peaks in winter, while Irish solar peaks during the summer months – complimentary factors that help to reduce reliance on oil and gas year-round.
Rooftop solar gives us the opportunity to offset increased demand from the “untapped” resource of clean, safe, domestically generated solar. It’s not only good for the environment, but leads to lower costs for consumers, greater energy independence, and security of supply for the country as a whole.
With all the changes being thrust upon us in 2025, some people may be feeling hesitant about the road ahead. We don’t. We feel confident in the important role that solar growth can and will play in powering Ireland into the future. We do, though, take our customers’ concerns seriously. (We’re delighted to have had our hard work acknowledged by being shortlisted as a finalist in the Small Firms Association Services category award. And we’re going to double-down on our efforts!)
Our whole team keeps itself up to date on what is happening – not only across our industry, but at government level and internationally – so that we can provide comprehensive support for your whole solar journey.
Why Choose Solar In Ireland?
Investing in a solar panel systems in Ireland can bring many benefits, including reduced energy bills, increased energy independence, and a reduced carbon footprint. If you are interested in installing a solar panel system in Ireland, it is also worth exploring the different grant options and green business loans available and seeking professional advice from one of our solar energy advisors.
Feel free to contact us for more information, we’re here to help.