Ground Mounted
Solar Panels Ireland

It is better whenever the roof is compromised. A ground mount can be set at optimum pitch and true south, which typically gives it a 10 to 25 per cent advantage over the same panels on a roof with the wrong pitch, wrong orientation or shading. If your roof is already south facing, clear and correctly pitched, the roof may win on cost.

Allow roughly 8 to 10 square metres of ground per kWp for a single row. Multiple rows need spacing so the front row does not shade the one behind, and a row pitch of about 2.5 times the array height is a reasonable planning figure. A 6 kWp array is about 13 or 14 panels at 440 to 500 W each.

In general, no. The 2022 exempted development regulations, S.I. 493 of 2022, broadly allow free-standing arrays within the curtilage of a house subject to a 25 square metre aperture cap, a 2.5 metre height limit, no siting forward of the front wall, and a limit on private open space taken. Confirm with your local council before ordering.

It depends on what is under the field. Driven galvanised piles suit firm mineral soil and boulder clay. Ground screws suit softer or mixed ground and peat where they are long enough. Ballasted frames suit rock, deep peat and made ground. Rock anchors suit shallow limestone or granite. We probe the ground before we price the job.

The SEAI solar grant applies to homes generally built and occupied before 2021, with the work done by an SEAI-registered company and a post-works BER assessment required. Values are reviewed and stepped down periodically, so check seai.ie for the current figure. Farmers may instead use the TAMS III Solar Capital Investment Scheme at a 60 per cent grant rate.

Yes. Suppliers are obliged to pay for exported units under the Clean Export Guarantee. Rates differ from supplier to supplier and change over time, so compare current offers rather than relying on an old figure. A micro-generation income tax exemption also exists for qualifying households. Sizing the array to your daytime usage still beats exporting.

Micro-generation up to 6 kW single-phase or 11 kW three-phase is notified to ESB Networks using an NC6 form, which we complete and submit for you. Larger systems need a full connection application instead. Turnaround is typically a few weeks. We start the paperwork at design stage so it is not holding up your commissioning date.

Irish ground mounted arrays at 30 to 35 degrees typically generate roughly 850 to 1,000 kWh per kWp per year, varying by county. The sunny south east sits at the top of that band and the north west at the bottom. Orientation, tilt, terrain shading and how clean the panels are kept move the figure within it.