Green energy: 50% of homeowners are considering installing solar panels

Once a rare sight in Irish homes, it seems solar panels are becoming increasingly mainstream. New research conducted by Bounce Insights on behalf of Pinergy Solar has found that 50% of homeowners are considering installing solar panels this year.

Solar PV panels have many benefits, so it’s not hard to see why this is the case. Not only does producing your own green electricity drastically reduce your energy bills, it’s also a sustainable way to power your home. Plus, if you generate excess electricity, you can make money from selling it back to the grid.

The study found that cost-saving from reduced energy bills is the universal top motivator for homeowners installing solar panels – the sustainability aspect resonates more strongly with women, whereas energy security resonates more strongly with men.

There are also financial incentives for those installing solar panels. The study found that 82% of respondents were aware of the SEAI Solar Grants, while 59% knew about the ability to sell excess energy back to the grid. However, only 24% of respondents had knowledge of the zero VAT rate on installations.

Although SEAI grants for solar installations have been reduced this year to €2,100, down from €2,400 last year, Pinergy Solar is offering to give customers €300 solar grant rates, to match those of 2023, as an incentive to invest in sustainable solar energy. Lasting until the end of April, this offer is well-timed to allow customers to have solar panels installed in time to take advantage of the longer summer days, the best time for generating solar electricity, although solar panels work all year around in Ireland.

The installation process is simple, taking just eight weeks from initial free site audit to installation. “We want to encourage more homeowners to invest in solar to accelerate Ireland’s energy transition,” Ronan Power, CEO of Pinergy Solar says. “Renewable energy is not only good for the environment but is good for the homeowner’s pocket. Pinergy offers 25c per kWh microgeneration payments for customers who are exporting excess electricity from solar panels, allowing customers to earn additional income from their unused excess energy generated.”