Solar power in Ireland has grown rapidly in recent years, with a total of over 3000 MW now available on the network. More than half of this is ‘utility-scale’ solar – solar farms that feed electricity directly into the grid, often located on agricultural land. For many farmers, this is offering opportunities to diversify their business by working with energy firms to develop solar generation on their land.
One such farming family is the O’Regan family in Co. Waterford. They partnered with ESB to develop the Carriglong Solar Farm near Tramore, helping secure their farm's future while powering homes in the local area and contributing to Ireland's renewable energy transition.
In an interview featured in the Farmer’s Journal this autumn, the O’Regans explain how they came to consider solar as an option, what was involved in making it happen, and how the partnership with ESB has provided stability and certainty for their family business while allowing them to retain the land for the future of the farm.
Their story is a great example of how farming and solar can go hand-in-hand, with solar becoming another enterprise on the farm. The land can even remain in agricultural use while the solar farm is operational, with the O’Regans planning to introduce sheep grazing among the panels.
Read the full story in the Farmer’s Journal and find out more about why solar is a good fit for Ireland here.
Pictured: The O'Regan family in front of the solar farm