AEIAEIInterest in switching to solar power can be great in Ireland. There are many questions about how feasible it is for you to make that switch. Most Irish houses can’t accommodate a solar power system, but a good number can. A solar panel investment will reduce your carbon footprint and facilitate savings. This won’t work if your house isn’t suitable for the installation or if you end up paying in instalments for years to come.
You don’t have to ponder your house’s stability too much as we are here to guide you on the places perfect for solar panels and the factors that make them so.
To answer this question, you need to run a proper inspection of your house and its surroundings. You can start by doing this yourself, and then have a solar power expert run a throrough analysis. Generally, two sections of your home can accommodate solar panels. These are:
In Ireland, you’ve probably seen a house or two that run on PV solar panels. That’s because the roof is the best place to install your solar panels. The electricity generation varies based on the orientation of your roof and the consequent solar panel inclination.
PV solar panels can be integrated into most Irish roofs, from pitched to flat.
You’re not left out if your roof doesn’t have enough space for a solar panel. In such situations, you can invest in ground-mounted solar panels, which, as the name implies, are installed on the ground near your house.
Solar panels need a sturdy base for a proper installation, and your roof is a perfect choice. However, there is likely no such foundation on the ground of your house. So, you will have to construct a solid base to hold your solar panels in place.
This is simple; the farther your solar power system is, the less efficient the electricity you receive. In addition, you will need long and thick wires to transport the generated power from the panels to your house.
So, we recommend keeping the distance between your house and ground-mounted solar panels at a distance with no shading throughout the day. Simply take note of how far it goes from your house so you don’t have to spend too much on wiring yet lose the efficiency of electricity generated.
This is where the factors to consider come in. The first step is to decide where you want your solar power system to be. Once you’ve successfully done that, you can assess whether your house suits it.
The following factors must be considered:
The size of your roof and orientation play a key role in how well suited it is to fit solar panels. The typical Irish roofs do very well with solar PV panels.
As for the direction, your best bet is to have it face the south. This will offer you exceptional efficiency, but a little away from the south will only decrease efficiency by around 3%.
If your roof faces east or west, efficiency will deteriorate by a larger amount, but it may still be a good choice. That’s because the direction offers the best energy generation in the early mornings and late evenings—typical at-home time for most Irish homes. A north-facing solar panel is not a good choice in Ireland as it will yield the least amount of power generation.
Most PV solar power systems are made to accommodate electronics and fuse boards that meet modern standards. If you have old appliances without electrical earthing, it may cause issues with installing solar panels, a sustainable energy alternative. The good news is that you can easily get this sorted out at an affordable rate.
If your house is covered by shade from nearby buildings or trees, there’s no point in investing in solar panels. This is because there is a level of minimum contact your panels need to have with the sun. Without this, it becomes very difficult for the solar system to utilise solar energy for charging batteries or powering appliances.
If you are interested, you can get a grant from the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland to install a solar power system in your house. Alternative Energy Ireland (AEI) can help get this grant approved. The eligibility for the funding is not too tough.
To benefit from this grant, you need to meet the following requirements:
In the past, investing in a solar battery or diverting system was a great use of excess energy. Most people opted for this option because Ireland had no feed-in-tariff payments for extra power.
However, that has changed as of February 15, 2022. Energy suppliers are now mandated to make payment for excess power generated and exported back to the grid. So, you can consider the installation of solar panels in your house a new source of income.
Ideally, a solar power system can be placed in various locations across the roof and ground area of your house. But practically speaking, there are rules to follow regarding installing solar panels in Ireland. As earlier stated, you don’t want to mount your solar panels too far from your house.
To answer the question in clear terms, you can’t put solar panels just anywhere that can generate energy, but the installation locations are relatively flexible.
The most accurate way to determine if your house is suitable for installing solar panels is by contacting an expert in the field. Based on your location and roofing, energy suppliers and installers will most likely advise you on where to place the panels and the adequate number of solar panels to purchase. Get in touch with us now to find out more.