Solar quotes in Ireland can look all over the place. Here is what a typical home actually pays, and gets back, in 2026.

The price after the grant

A typical 10-panel (4.4 kWp) system costs €8,300 to €9,000 before the SEAI grant. The grant takes off up to €1,800, and home solar has had 0% VAT since 2023, so you pay about €6,500 to €7,200.

Smaller systems start at around €4,980 net for 6 panels. A 20-panel system for a home with an EV or a heat pump comes to about €13,700 net.

Prices for every system size: https://www.solarinfo.ie/solar-panels-cost

A battery now gets its own grant

Since 6 October 2026, SEAI pays a flat €600 toward a home battery of 5 kWh or more. Claimed in the same application as the full solar grant, that is €2,400 in total. You can also claim it for a battery added to panels you already have.

The grant is the same €600 whatever the battery costs, so it covers more of a small battery than a big one. SEAI estimates a battery saves around €137 a year on its own, or up to €878 a year alongside a 4 kWp solar system.

Who qualifies and how to apply: https://www.solarinfo.ie/solar-battery-grant

What your supplier pays for export

Under the Clean Export Guarantee, every supplier has to pay for the solar you send to the grid. Standard rates are 15.2c to 19.5c per kWh. A typical home exports about 2,000 kWh a year, which is roughly €300 to €390.

The first €400 a year of export income is tax-free for each person named on the electricity account, rising to €600 from 2027 under Budget 2027 (subject to the Finance Bill). You need a smart meter that records export.

How to get paid: https://www.solarinfo.ie/clean-export-guarantee

How long it takes to pay back

With electricity at around 37c per kWh, a typical 4.4 kWp system saves about €1,000 a year between the power you use and the power you export. That pays it back in 6 to 7 years, and the panels keep going for 25 years or more: around €25,000 saved in total.

Budget for one new inverter at around year 12 to 15, at about €1,500.

When it doesn't add up

A north-facing roof, very low electricity use, or a plan to move within two years can all make the numbers not work. Check your own house before you get quotes.

The full verdict: https://www.solarinfo.ie/are-solar-panels-worth-it