Manufacturing solar projects in Ireland
19 solar installations at Irish factories are listed here with size, installer and source. The largest is Mannok, Cavan at 6 MW. The planning register holds a further 52 applications.
Which factories have installed solar?
| Site | County | Size | Installer | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mannok, Cavan2026, under construction | Cavan | 6 MW | Activ8 Solar Energies | Engineers Ireland |
| Bombardier wing plant, Belfast2014 | Antrim (NI) | 3.6 MW | SALIIS Renewables | Downing |
| Carey Glass, Nenagh2023 | Tipperary | 2.7 MW | ESB Smart Energy Services | ESB |
| Gyproc (Saint-Gobain), Kingscourt2026 | Cavan | 2.5 MW | Activ8 | ThinkBusiness |
| Kingspan Environmental, Portadown2016 | Armagh (NI) | 1.3 MW | Kingspan Energy | Specification Online |
| Irish Cement, Platin Works2026 | Meath | 1 MW | Not named | Global Cement |
| AMS (Architectural & Metal Systems), Little Island2023 | Cork | 993 kW | PV Generation | PV Generation |
| Kyte Powertech, Cavan | Cavan | 950 kW | UrbanVolt | UrbanVolt |
| Tricel, Killarney2021 | Kerry | 750 kW | Enerpower | Tricel |
| McGowans Print | 350 kW | UrbanVolt | UrbanVolt | |
| Techcrete, Balbriggan | Dublin | 320 kW | Alternative Energy Ireland (AEI) | Alternative Energy Ireland |
| Kingspan Insulation, Castleblayney2016 | Monaghan | 300 kW | Kingspan ESB joint venture | ESB |
Show 7 more projects
| Site | County | Size | Installer | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| IJM Timber | 250 kW | UrbanVolt | UrbanVolt | |
| Northstone Materials, Toome2024 | Antrim (NI) | 232 kW | Not named | Roofing Today |
| Ire Wel Pallets, Gorey | Wexford | 195 kW | Enerpower | Enerpower |
| Wexford Viking Glass | Wexford | 180 kW | UrbanVolt | UrbanVolt |
| Cedarwood Furniture | 180 kW | UrbanVolt | UrbanVolt | |
| Folens | 70 kW | UrbanVolt | UrbanVolt | |
| Burgmann Packings | 66 kW | UrbanVolt | UrbanVolt |
Why does solar suit factories?
Large, low-pitched factory roofs take several hundred kWp without using any ground, and daytime shifts match daytime output.
- Mannok, Cavan: Covers 3.88 ha of factory roofs and will be the largest rooftop installation in Ireland; panels given as 9,678 or about 10,000.
- Bombardier wing plant, Belfast: Snippet-only: 14,000 panels on 600,000 sq ft of roof, managed by Downing with operation and maintenance by Anesco.
- Carey Glass, Nenagh: Completion was set for summer 2023; local press later called it the largest roof-mounted installation in the country.
- Gyproc (Saint-Gobain), Kingscourt: Concrete-ballasted array because no ground penetration was allowed; one report says the site is a former landfill.
- Kingspan Environmental, Portadown: Snippet-only: built in about 12 weeks on a new 18,000 sq m insulated-panel roof; billed in 2016 as the largest rooftop array on the island.
What costs and savings have been published?
These are the figures the business or its installer gave. They have not been audited.
- Bombardier wing plant, Belfast3.6 MW
- Cost
- around £3.5 million
- Share of use
- around a quarter
- Output
- about 3,000 MWh a year
Source: Downing
- Carey Glass, Nenagh2.7 MW
- Share of use
- up to 13%
- Output
- about 2.4 GWh a year
Source: ESB
- Gyproc (Saint-Gobain), Kingscourt2.5 MW
- Saving
- about €230,000 a year
- Share of use
- up to 15%
- Output
- about 2,235 MWh a year
Source: ThinkBusiness
- Kingspan Environmental, Portadown1.3 MW
- Share of use
- 30% of daytime demand
- Output
- 1.1 to 1.3 GWh a year
Source: Specification Online
- AMS (Architectural & Metal Systems), Little Island993 kW
- Saving
- €200,000+ (project page); €300,000 (commercial page)
- Output
- about 862.6 MWh a year
- Payback
- about 5 years
Source: PV Generation
- Kyte Powertech, Cavan950 kW
- Share of use
- 20%
Source: UrbanVolt
Show 8 more projects
- Tricel, Killarney750 kW
- Share of use
- 25%
- Output
- 776,000 kWh (PV Europe); Tricel cites 561,000 kWh displaced
Source: Tricel
- McGowans Print350 kW
- Share of use
- 25%
Source: UrbanVolt
- Techcrete, Balbriggan320 kW
- Saving
- €45,000 a year
- Payback
- 5.5 years
Source: Alternative Energy Ireland
- IJM Timber250 kW
- Share of use
- 26%
Source: UrbanVolt
- Wexford Viking Glass180 kW
- Share of use
- 22%
Source: UrbanVolt
- Cedarwood Furniture180 kW
- Share of use
- 35%
Source: UrbanVolt
- Folens70 kW
- Share of use
- 44%
Source: UrbanVolt
- Burgmann Packings66 kW
- Share of use
- 53%
Source: UrbanVolt
What is in the planning register?
The register has 52 applications for solar at this kind of premises, and 43 were granted. The named sites are below, largest first. "Granted" is permission to build. A scheme is shown as built only where a published report says so.
| Site | County | Size applied for | Status | Planning record |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Irish Cement Limerick Works | Limerick | 2.5 MW | Awaiting decision | 2026, ref 2660857 |
| EI Electronics | Clare | 565 kW | Built | 2022, ref 22773 |
| EI Electronics | Clare | 505 kW | Awaiting decision | 2026, ref 2660536 |
| Oldleighlin Quarry | Carlow | 428 kW | Granted | 2022, ref 22238 |
| Ballyhandle Quarry | Cork | 420 kW | Granted | 2026, ref 26/0801 |
| FAAC Electronics | Dublin | 307 kW | Withdrawn | 2026, ref RED26A/0019W |
| Kellymount Quarry | Kilkenny | 258 kW | Granted | 2022, ref 22399 |
| Avoncourt Packaging | Cork | 216 kW | Granted | 2022, ref 2241608 |
| Avoncourt Packaging | Cork | 199 kW | Granted | 2021, ref 2139886 |
| Holdensrath Quarry | Kilkenny | 196 kW | Granted | 2022, ref 22400 |
Show 11 more applications
| Site | County | Size applied for | Status | Planning record |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Euro Quality Cladding | Kildare | 119 kW | Awaiting decision | 2026, ref 2660598 |
| Mid Cork Pallets and Packaging | Meath | 82 kW | Granted | 2021, ref 211054 |
| A.W. Ennis | Cavan | 3,964 m² | Built | 2020, ref 2049 |
| Pat O'Donnell & Company | Dublin | 992 panels | Granted | 2022, ref 5149/22 |
| Sika House | Dublin | 594 m² | Granted | 2025, ref WEB5733/25 |
| Tillotson Ireland | Kerry | 577 m² | Granted | 2025, ref 25123 |
| J Grenan & Sons | Offaly | 2,476 m² | Granted | 2021, ref 21536 |
| Grant Engineering | Offaly | 3,602 m² | Granted | 2024, ref 2490 |
| Birr Enterprise Centre | Offaly | 1,340 m² | Awaiting decision | 2025, ref 25127 |
| Birr Enterprise Centre | Offaly | 1,339 m² | Granted | 2026, ref 2616 |
| Eatto | Dublin | 279 panels | Granted | 2022, ref SD22A/0106 |
Where to go next
- All commercial solar projects, across every sector
- Commercial solar panel cost by system size
- Commercial solar grants for manufacturing sites