Irish solar has been hitting record generation levels lately, with new peaks for solar power recorded on the grid in March and May. In March, Ireland reached a new daily peak record with over 750 MW of grid-scale solar.
In May, about 32.5% of Ireland’s electricity came from renewables, with solar reaching its highest recorded figure on the grid. According to provisional data from the national TSO EirGrid, 173,163 MWh of electricity was produced from grid-scale solar, representing 6.5% of electricity generated for the month.
There were also several new peaks for grid-scale solar activity for a one-minute period, reaching 755 MW at one point on May 17, beating the record of 752 MW set two days earlier on May 15.
Onshore wind remains the main source of renewable electricity in Ireland.
Meanwhile, lobby group Solar Ireland has welcomed measures taken by Ireland’s Commission for Regulation of Utilities (CRU) to streamline the grid connection process for upcoming projects.
The regulator has removed the requirement for a high-level technical assessment (HLTA) and introduced what Solar Ireland described in a statement as “a more accessible” as well as “fair and pragmatic” pre-application notification process.
Solar Ireland, formerly known as the Irish Solar Energy Association, is the representative body for the solar sector in Ireland. It has been calling for the state to make improvements to Ireland’s electricity grid for several years.
Following the CRU’s decision to swap the HLTA for the pre-application notification process, the agency commented: “The CRU has taken a meaningful step toward aligning grid and planning timelines – a long-standing recommendation from Solar Ireland and its members.”
New process
The new pre-application notification process will come into effect for the September 2025 batch of onshore renewable projects. System operators will publish a pre-application notification form from June 16, which must be filled out and submitted by June 30.
It is mandatory for all European Union Renewable Energy Directive III (RED) and non-RED III projects. Renewable energy and co-located storage projects fall under the RED III category, while non-RED III refers to system services technology projects, conventional generation projects and non-co-located energy storage projects. To remain within RED III timelines, applicants are obliged to submit a valid grid application by September 30.
Applicants must submit the form along with a non-refundable deposit of €7,000 ($8,000) or 50% of the application fee – whichever sum is lower. Applicants with community-led projects will apply for a reduced rate of €2,000.
Ronan Power, CEO of Solar Ireland, said the body sees the decision as a positive signal that the connection process is evolving. “Enabling planning and grid consents to proceed in parallel is a practical step that will help bring more renewable projects forward with greater efficiency and speed. The new deposit model provides a fairer balance between encouraging readiness and enabling broad participation.”
Future plans
But he appealed for the state and its regulators to continue working with the renewable energy industry to build an “ambitious and forward-looking” connection framework.
The CRU is exploring the possibility of extending these measures post-September 2025. However, the regulator stated in a document published on June 6 in relation to its decision to remove the HTLA that it maintains that the HTLA “would be beneficial” to the overall process and in meeting the permit-granting timelines set out in RED III.”
The regulator also noted, however, that the stakeholders had been calling for the grid connections process to be improved and streamlined, adding that it was cognizant of the challenges faced by system operators in processing applications in addition to processing the HTLAs.
The authority stated it was working on the basis that those applying to the March 2026 batch will require a HLTA to apply but that it would continue to engage with relevant stakeholders in advance of implementation of further policy.
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