of solar projects in Ireland, according to a completed application list published in 2018. These installations would offer a combined total of over 4,000MW. Ireland had an installed solar PV capacity of 29MW in 2018. It is estimated that 1,500MW is achievable by 2022, representing 5 per cent of Ireland’s electricity demand. The ISEA estimates that 2GW solar power could create over 7,000 jobs whilst meeting 7 per cent of the country’s electricity demand.
Aside from this economic contribution, such solar growth could greatly assist Ireland in meeting its EU target of generating 16 per cent of energy requirement from renewables by 2020. Current plans outline that this will be met by 40 per cent from renewable electricity, 12 per cent from renewable heat and 10 per cent from the renewable transport sector. Regardless of such measures, it is widely predicted that Ireland will fail to meet its 2020 objectives, with 2018 figures seeing renewables make up 10.6 per cent of gross final consumption relative to the 2020 target.
Also increasing the viability of green energy products in Ireland is the lifting of an EU ban on Chinese solar imports. It has been argued that the move could bring down the cost of new Irish solar projects by 10 per cent, whilst encouraging greater supply and competition. The ending of solar import controls from China comes following a 2013 ban, after the country was accused of selling solar technology at artificially low prices to shut down European competition.
Planning permission for solar farms was sought by 225 applications submitted to local authorities between June 2015 and 2017. Typical applications submitted to local authorities are from solar farms ranging in size from 20 to 30 acres and offer an average of 5MW of electrical energy. The majority of such applications were submitted with the expectation of a government support mechanism which would make building more commercially viable. However, such a system has yet to be introduced and there have been frustrations voiced at the delay in introducing a new government energy auction system.
Of particular importance to those considering new solar projects is the proximity of their proposed site to the local substation. Current Irish requirements necessitate a direct connection to the local grid network, unlike many examples across the United Kingdom and Germany where access is provided to a direct connection via an overhead line.
Many factors can explain the rapid deployment of solar PV across the world in recent years. These include the convenience of the panels, combined with an international push to embrace renewable energy sources. However, two major factors which explain the rise of solar include a drastic drop in module price from $70/watt in 1970 to $0.198/watt as of October 2019, as well as generous government subsidies. Advocates of this increasingly prominent renewable energy source argue that it will have a minimal impact upon the environment, whilst delivering significant benefits to the consumer and the Irish economy as a whole.
It is clear, therefore, that with the correct support, promotion and subsidisation, solar holds the potential to play a greater role in Ireland’s renewable energy mix. This concept is supported by those who argue that solar, as an energy source, has been traditionally overlooked, with greater focus placed on other sources such as wind.
However, doubts remain about the reliability of solar in Ireland given a lack of sunshine in winter months and a lack of storage capabilities. While some mistakenly assume the problem is an overall lack of sun, Ireland enjoys 70 per cent of the sunshine that Madrid does on average, but 75 per cent of that sunshine occurs between May and September. Without an effective storage method, this makes optimising solar potential in Ireland all the more challenging.
It is estimated that an annual subsidy of €30 million will be required to make the solar sector competitive in Ireland. This estimate supports the fact that Ireland is as geographically well-placed as Germany regarding the employ