Mayo set to break solar panel installation record

Recent figures have suggested that Mayo is on track to have a record-breaking year for solar panel installations.

The figures, supplied by energy information organisation, EnergyEfficiency.ie, show that in the first two months of 2025 alone, 199 Mayo homes had solar installations.

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Last month alone, 104 installations took place in the county.

Should the current rates continue for the rest of the year, just under 1,200 properties will have been fitted with solar panels by the end of December.

That figure by far surpasses the record of 835 homes that received grants from the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) in 2024.

At this rate, projections indicate that the current record would be passed by mid-August.

In 2024, Mayo’s SEAI grants accounted for almost 3 percent of the 29,000 homes that received the bill nationally.

Mayo homes received €1.8 million in total to help with installation, bringing the total costs across the 835 properties to €9.3 million.

Brian Kelly, who specialises in renewable energy at EnerfyEfficiency.ie, believes that the long-term financial benefits are clear to see.

“A household with eight solar panels installed can save over €900 a year on electricity bills, while ten rooftop panels could save a family around €1,100,” he stated.

“It usually takes less than eight years for eight panels to pay for themselves through savings, and less than seven years for ten panels. This leaves homes with around two decades of completely free electricity after the initial payback period.”

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