The pipeline of Irish solar projects with submitted grid applications has now reached 3.9GW, according to analysis of EirGrid and ESB’s latest figures by Solar Media’s in-house market research team.

Since the first solar project submitted its grid application in January 2015, 519 in total have now followed suit with 11 larger projects (25MW plus) being processed by Eirgrid to connect to the transmission grid.

In addition, the data shows that 21 applications were submitted to ESB in August alone, the same number as the previous month. This flies against expectations of a slowdown in the number of new grid applications being submitted as the market becomes more congested. 

According to Solar Media analyst Lauren Cook, the figures mean that companies seeking to successfully secure a grid connection will have to think more carefully about where they apply.

“There is a huge amount of interest in the Irish market shown by the pipeline that has developed. What is interesting to see is that companies are still entering the market, with 21 new projects added in both July and August. Developers will have to be more strategic about where they locate their projects to avoid the queues that have formed at some of the more popular substations,” she said.

The Republic of Ireland has emerged as a key potential market for solar developers following the downturn in the UK caused by cuts to government subsidies. A number of developers have emerged within the list of projects awaiting grid connections from a range of backgrounds in anticipation of the delayed announcement of Ireland’s own government support framework.

To help understand the market in general, and to provide direct contact with the key stakeholders in Ireland, Solar Media is holding the first major solar conference in the Republic of Ireland later this year, Ireland, from 16-17 November 2016 in Dublin. We have also released our new Republic of Ireland Solar Market Entry report as the definitive guide to companies looking to benefit from solar activity in the country from 2017 onwards. Details on how to order this report can be found here, or by emailing us directly.