Business and farm solar · Ireland
Commercial solar panels in Ireland
Commercial solar panels in Ireland cost €600–€1,700 per kWp installed. The SEAI grant is doubled to a maximum of €325,200 for applications from 7 October 2026 to 6 July 2027. A typical system pays for itself in 5 to 7 years.
Commercial solar at a glance
€600–€1,700 per kWp
Before VAT and before the grant
Up to €325,200
For applications to 6 July 2027
5 to 7 years
10 to 15% return a year
30 to 50%
Of the electricity bill
Commercial solar panel prices by system size
| System size | Cost before grant | Standard SEAI grant | Cost after grant | Generation per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 kWp | €18,000–€34,000 | €6,600 | €11,400–€27,400 | About 17,000 kWh |
| 50 kWp | €40,000–€75,000 | €12,600 | €27,400–€62,400 | About 43,000 kWh |
| 100 kWp | €70,000–€140,000 | €22,600 | €47,400–€117,400 | About 86,000 kWh |
| 200 kWp | €130,000–€180,000 | €42,600 | €87,400–€137,400 | About 172,000 kWh |
| 500 kWp | €300,000–€400,000 | €87,600 | €212,400–€312,400 | About 430,000 kWh |
Costs exclude VAT. Applications made before 6 July 2027 get a larger grant; see the cost page for those figures.
What commercial solar is
Commercial solar is solar PV for a business, farm, school or public building. A home system is 3 to 6 kWp. A commercial system runs from 10 kWp to 1,000 kWp.
The business uses the electricity on site and exports any surplus. Each kWp generates about 860 kWh a year in Ireland. Businesses that use most of their electricity in daylight hours get the best return.
What size system does a business need?
| Business | Typical system | Panels | Roof area |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small office or shop | 10 to 20 kWp | 25 to 50 | 50 to 100 m² |
| Restaurant or hotel | 20 to 50 kWp | 50 to 125 | 100 to 250 m² |
| Warehouse or factory | 50 to 200 kWp | 125 to 500 | 250 to 1,000 m² |
| Farm, dairy or tillage | 30 to 100 kWp | 75 to 250 | 150 to 500 m² |
| School or community building | 20 to 50 kWp | 50 to 125 | 100 to 250 m² |
| Manufacturing or food processing | 50 to 300 kWp | 125 to 750 | 250 to 1,500 m² |
| Large industrial site or data centre | 200 to 1,000 kWp | 500 to 2,500 | 1,000 to 5,000 m² |
Rule of thumb: 1 kWp needs about 4 to 5 m² of roof.
Savings and payback
- Payback: 5 to 7 years
- Return: 10 to 15% a year
- Bill saving: 30 to 50% of the electricity bill
- Export income: about 19.5c per kWh for surplus
- Lifespan: 25 to 30 years
A company can also write off 100% of the cost against profits in year one through the Accelerated Capital Allowance.
Planning permission
Roof-mounted commercial solar is exempt from planning permission with no cap on area, as long as the power is mainly used on site.
| Installation | Planning | Conditions |
|---|---|---|
| Roof-mounted, industrial building | Exempt, no area cap | Not above the ridge, and 2 m in from the edge of a flat roof |
| Roof-mounted, office, shop, hotel or other business | Exempt, no area cap | Within 15 cm of a pitched roof or 1.2 m of a flat roof |
| Inside a Solar Safeguarding Zone | Exempt up to 300 m² | Tell the council in writing within 4 weeks of starting |
| Ground-mounted | Exempt up to 75 m² | No more than 2.5 m high, and not in front of the front wall |
| Protected structure | Permission always needed |