The installation of solar panels on farm rooftops is becoming an increasingly common sight. However, some suppliers argue that the rollout has been slower than expected, citing issues such as delays in TAMS application processing, inadequate grid infrastructure and a decline in the priority given to solar PV by farmers.
We spoke to several of Ireland’s solar suppliers at the recent SEAI Energy Show, to get their thoughts on the current state of the sector.
PV Gen, a key player in the solar sector working with several of the major co-ops, reports that it continues to be busy.
The company has completed over 6,000 installations on farms so far. Speaking to the Irish Farmers Journal, Adam McCarthy, commercial sales manager at PV Gen, said the current TAMS grant is excellent – and it’s the only scheme that includes support for battery storage.
Adam McCarthy with Mark McKeever of PV Gen.
Start Solar
It has worked well for them, adding that approximately 50% of the most recent round of TAMS III approvals were for their solar jobs.
Commenting on some of the ongoing challenges, McCarthy said that the TAMS application process is far too slow, with it taking up to nine months for applications to be processed and panels to be installed.
He also highlighted issues with grid connections on farms, saying that some farmers are choosing to fund grid upgrades themselves to allow for larger-scale solar PV systems.
Solar is proving especially popular with dairy and poultry farmers, but pig farmers appear to be a bit more hesitant. That’s according to Daniel Connolly, sales rep with Start Solar.
He said TAMS is going well for them, particularly when farmers have an adviser to handle the grant application. Some suppliers are already offering this as part of their service, and Start Solar is also considering doing this through a third party.
When asked how things could be made easier for farmers, he said there should be no restrictions on the grants. Farmers should be allowed to install panels and make use of all available roof space, receive grant aid and export more energy back to the grid.
“There are countless shed roofs across the country – if we’re serious about net zero, we should be encouraging farmers to turn their farms into mini power stations,” he said. “Farmers could be powering entire towns and villages. They should be encouraged to install the biggest system possible on their roofs” he said.
He said that under TAMS, a system can only be grant-aided to match on-farm demand. He floated the idea of a new arrangement, where farmers would be given panels for free, along with their electricity, and any surplus would be exported to the grid.
Local Power
From left, Paddy Kelly, Darragh Smith and Shane Gough of Local Power.
Darragh Smith, operations director with Local Power suggested that the lower number of solar applications in the last tranche of TAMS may have been due to the weather.
“Farmers have been busy with the good weather,” he said, “and applying for solar panels may not have been top of their mind.” However, he noted that sentiment on farms is more positive than this time last year, and with electricity prices continuing to rise, the business case for solar is strengthening. He expects this trend to translate into increased solar PV sales.
“Solar makes sense – it acts as a hedge against rising electricity costs,” he said, adding that awareness of solar PV is improving, with more farmers seeing their neighbours installing systems.
One issue he raised is the sheer number of new suppliers entering the market. He said there needs to be clear criteria for those working with the Department.
“There are suggestions that some suppliers aren’t doing things properly,” he warned. Another major concern is grid reinforcement: “It needs to ramp up to allow farmers to install the systems they want to install,” he said.
Solar panel prices
Rory Jemphrey of EWL Greentech warned that solar panel prices are likely to rise after a period of deflated pricing. The global solar panel market had experienced a significant oversupply, which drove prices down. However, according to Greentech, wholesalers of panels, the market is now correcting itself – with reduced production, increased use of existing stock and lower overall supply. As a result, wholesale solar PV panel prices are expected to increase over the next six to eight months.
That said, while prices are rising, they are not necessarily expected to return to the levels seen when TAMS solar grants were first introduced.
Significant price differences between suppliers still exist, so comparing quotes remains important. And, in a world where tariffs – such as those introduced under Donald Trump – continue to affect international trade, it’s difficult to predict exactly how global developments will impact future panel prices.
The installation of solar panels on farm rooftops is becoming an increasingly common sight. However, some suppliers argue that the rollout has been slower than expected, citing issues such as delays in TAMS application processing, inadequate grid infrastructure and a decline in the priority given to solar PV by farmers.
We spoke to several of Ireland’s solar suppliers at the recent SEAI Energy Show, to get their thoughts on the current state of the sector.
PV Gen, a key player in the solar sector working with several of the major co-ops, reports that it continues to be busy.
The company has completed over 6,000 installations on farms so far. Speaking to the Irish Farmers Journal, Adam McCarthy, commercial sales manager at PV Gen, said the current TAMS grant is excellent – and it’s the only scheme that includes support for battery storage.
Adam McCarthy with Mark McKeever of PV Gen.
Start Solar
It has worked well for them, adding that approximately 50% of the most recent round of TAMS III approvals were for their solar jobs.
Commenting on some of the ongoing challenges, McCarthy said that the TAMS application process is far too slow, with it taking up to nine months for applications to be processed and panels to be installed.
He also highlighted issues with grid connections on farms, saying that some farmers are choosing to fund grid upgrades themselves to allow for larger-scale solar PV systems.
Solar is proving especially popular with dairy and poultry farmers, but pig farmers appear to be a bit more hesitant. That’s according to Daniel Connolly, sales rep with Start Solar.
He said TAMS is going well for them, particularly when farmers have an adviser to handle the grant application. Some suppliers are already offering this as part of their service, and Start Solar is also considering doing this through a third party.
When asked how things could be made easier for farmers, he said there should be no restrictions on the grants. Farmers should be allowed to install panels and make use of all available roof space, receive grant aid and export more energy back to the grid.
“There are countless shed roofs across the country – if we’re serious about net zero, we should be encouraging farmers to turn their farms into mini power stations,” he said. “Farmers could be powering entire towns and villages. They should be encouraged to install the biggest system possible on their roofs” he said.
He said that under TAMS, a system can only be grant-aided to match on-farm demand. He floated the idea of a new arrangement, where farmers would be given panels for free, along with their electricity, and any surplus would be exported to the grid.
Local Power
From left, Paddy Kelly, Darragh Smith and Shane Gough of Local Power.
Darragh Smith, operations director with Local Power suggested that the lower number of solar applications in the last tranche of TAMS may have been due to the weather.
“Farmers have been busy with the good weather,” he said, “and applying for solar panels may not have been top of their mind.” However, he noted that sentiment on farms is more positive than this time last year, and with electricity prices continuing to rise, the business case for solar is strengthening. He expects this trend to translate into increased solar PV sales.
“Solar makes sense – it acts as a hedge against rising electricity costs,” he said, adding that awareness of solar PV is improving, with more farmers seeing their neighbours installing systems.
One issue he raised is the sheer number of new suppliers entering the market. He said there needs to be clear criteria for those working with the Department.
“There are suggestions that some suppliers aren’t doing things properly,” he warned. Another major concern is grid reinforcement: “It needs to ramp up to allow farmers to install the systems they want to install,” he said.
Solar panel prices
Rory Jemphrey of EWL Greentech warned that solar panel prices are likely to rise after a period of deflated pricing. The global solar panel market had experienced a significant oversupply, which drove prices down. However, according to Greentech, wholesalers of panels, the market is now correcting itself – with reduced production, increased use of existing stock and lower overall supply. As a result, wholesale solar PV panel prices are expected to increase over the next six to eight months.
That said, while prices are rising, they are not necessarily expected to return to the levels seen when TAMS solar grants were first introduced.
Significant price differences between suppliers still exist, so comparing quotes remains important. And, in a world where tariffs – such as those introduced under Donald Trump – continue to affect international trade, it’s difficult to predict exactly how global developments will impact future panel prices.
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