Solar panels for Irish factories, warehouses and cold stores
Big roofs, three-phase supply and daytime demand make industrial buildings some of the best solar sites in Ireland. Get clear advice on the SEAI grant, capital allowances, ESB Networks connection and roof surveys – then quotes from SEAI-registered installers.
Get Solar QuotesCheck Your Grant OptionsWhy solar suits factories and warehouses
An industrial roof is usually the largest, flattest, least shaded surface a business owns. Put it to work and every unit generated on site is a unit you don’t buy at your day rate. The economics also improved in October 2026, when SEAI raised its business solar support to an effective 45% rate for new applications.
Large, simple roofs
Portal-frame sheds, distribution centres and production halls often have thousands of square metres of roof. SEAI’s own example puts a 30 kWp system at about 75 panels and 125 m², so even a modest warehouse can host a system far bigger than any house.
Demand when the sun shines
Motors, compressors, lighting and refrigeration run through the working day. Using output on site gives the best return.
Three-phase supply
Most industrial sites already have three-phase supply and a sizeable Maximum Import Capacity (MIC), allowing bigger inverters.
Grant up to €325,200
Factories, food businesses and logistics firms can apply for the SEAI Non-Domestic Microgen Grant on systems up to 1,000 kWp.
Tax relief
PV systems and inverters are on SEAI’s Triple E register, so they can qualify for Accelerated Capital Allowances, now extended to 2030.
Your energy-use profile: what installers need to see
We don’t publish “typical” savings because no two sites are alike. What matters is how your demand lines up with solar output across the day and year.
- Get your interval data. Ask your supplier for 12 months of half-hourly consumption. It shows your base load, daytime peak and seasonal pattern.
- Find the base load. Solar sized to your daytime base load is used almost entirely on site.
- Map the weekends. A five-day operation exports more at weekends. Exports earn Clean Export Guarantee payments, but usually less than the value of avoided imports.
- Check your tariff. Solar displaces daytime units, so the higher your day rate, the more each kWh is worth.
Manufacturing
Motors, drives, compressors and process equipment. Double shifts give strong daytime load; weekend shutdowns create export.
Food & drink processing
Chilling, freezing, pumps and packing lines. Refrigeration gives a steady base load that peaks in summer.
Warehouses & logistics
Lighting, dock doors, offices and forklift or van charging. Upgrade to LED before sizing solar.
Cold stores
Near-continuous refrigeration load – a strong match for solar. Insulated roof panels must be checked before fixing anything.
Typical system sizes, roof types and ground options
System size on an industrial building is normally limited by three things: what you use on site, what the roof can safely carry, and what ESB Networks will allow you to connect. Installers will assess all three; we don’t quote “typical” sizes or prices without your data.
Profiled steel & standing seam
The most common modern industrial roofs. Rail-based or clamp systems fix to the sheet or seams. Installers check sheets, fixings, purlins and the roof’s remaining life – replace a tired roof before, not after, the panels go on.
Fibre cement & fragile roofs
Older sheds may have fibre-cement sheets and plastic roof lights that will not take a person’s weight. Older fibre cement may contain asbestos and must be assessed first. The HSA warns about the dangers of roof work; ask how safe access is managed.
Flat roofs
Membrane roofs can take ballasted or mechanically fixed frames. Ballast adds weight and fixings penetrate the membrane, so check structure and roof warranty.
Roof load survey
For any large array, ask for a chartered engineer’s assessment of panel and ballast loads, wind uplift and snow.
Ground-mounted arrays
Free-standing panels at an industrial building are planning-exempt only up to 75 m² and 2.5 m high, and not in front of the building. Larger ground arrays need planning permission.
Solar carports
Staff and visitor car parks can carry solar canopies, which also shade cars and can host EV chargers. Most canopies exceed the free-standing exemption, so plan for an application. Try our solar carport calculator.
More on panels, inverters and mounting in our system options guide.
SEAI grant & tax relief for industrial solar
The SEAI Non-Domestic Microgen Grant supports solar PV on business premises from 1 kWp up to 1,000 kWp. For new applications made between 6 October 2026 and 6 July 2027, SEAI pays the lower of its grant table amount and 45% of the invoiced cost, to a maximum of €325,200. Applications already in the system are not increased.
- Use an SEAI-registered Non-Domestic Microgen (Solar PV) company and sign a contract before you apply.
- Do not start any works until you have your letter of offer. Offers are valid for eight months.
- Your installer must apply to ESB Networks before installing; SEAI warns this takes at least 20 working days, and larger connections take longer.
- The premises must have been built before 31 December 2024, only one system is supported per MPRN, and SEAI’s terms rule out stacking this grant with other State grant aid for the same works.
- SEAI does not pay extra for batteries under this scheme.
Accelerated Capital Allowances (ACA): under s.285A TCA 1997, companies and unincorporated businesses can write off 100% of qualifying spend on listed energy-efficient equipment in year one. Revenue’s eBrief 028/2026 confirms the scheme is extended to 31 December 2030. “Photovoltaic Systems” and “Inverters” appear in the Heating and Electricity Provision category of SEAI’s Triple E register. Ask your accountant how the grant interacts with the claim – grant-funded cost generally can’t also be claimed.
VAT: the 0% rate is for homes and recognised schools only. For commercial and industrial buildings, Revenue says a supply-and-install contract may qualify for the reduced rate if the goods are no more than two-thirds of the contract value; otherwise the standard rate applies (Revenue VAT guidance). VAT-registered businesses can normally reclaim it.
Sources checked 25 October 2026. See our solar grants guide for the full process.
| 1 kWp | €1,800 |
| 2 kWp | €3,600 |
| 3 kWp | €4,200 |
| 4–6 kWp | €4,800 |
| 7–20 kWp | €600 per kWp |
| 21–200 kWp | €400 per kWp |
| 201–1,000 kWp | €300 per kWp |
| Maximum grant | €325,200 |
Worked table amounts (our arithmetic, applying each band in turn – the bands add up exactly to SEAI’s €325,200 maximum at 1,000 kWp):
| 50 kWp system | €25,200 |
| 100 kWp system | €45,200 |
| 250 kWp system | €100,200 |
| 500 kWp system | €175,200 |
| 1,000 kWp system | €325,200 |
For new applications from 6 Oct 2026 to 6 Jul 2027, SEAI pays the lower of the table amount and 45% of your invoiced cost. Checked 25 Oct 2026 – confirm on SEAI before you sign.
Other supports for industrial sites
Energy audit voucher
The €2,000 SEAI audit voucher (sites spending at least €10,000 a year on energy and using under 2.8 GWh) identifies the cheaper wins – compressed-air leaks, motors and drives, refrigeration controls – that should come before or alongside solar.
SRESS export projects
If you have a large roof or yard and want to export most of the output, the government’s Small-Scale Renewable Electricity Support Scheme covers export-only projects above 50 kW. Projects over 1 MW and up to 6 MW are reserved for SMEs, farmers and Renewable Energy Communities. Check the current call with the Department before planning around it.
Clean Export Guarantee
Surplus exported from an on-site system can be paid for under the Clean Export Guarantee. Each supplier sets its own rate, so ask yours what it pays a business customer and whether your meter can record exports.
Planning permission for solar on industrial buildings
Under S.I. No. 493 of 2022, rooftop solar on industrial and business buildings is generally exempt from planning, with no area limit outside a Solar Safeguarding Zone. Key conditions:
Industrial buildings (Class 56(d))
- Roof panels: no more than 1.2 m above a pitched roof plane or 2 m on a flat roof, and at least 50 cm (pitched) or 2 m (flat) from the roof edge.
- Wall-mounted panels allowed up to 75 m².
- Free-standing panels up to 75 m² and 2.5 m high, not forward of the front wall.
Business premises & light industrial (Class 56(e))
- Similar roof rules; business premises have tighter height limits (1.2 m flat / 15 cm pitched).
- Wall-mounted panels are not exempt.
- Free-standing panels up to 75 m² and 2.5 m high.
- Electricity must be used primarily (more than 50%) within the site.
- Any installation causing hazardous glint or glare is not exempt.
Solar Safeguarding Zones: around airports, aerodromes and some helipad sites, rooftop arrays are exempt only up to 300 m², and you must notify the council within four weeks of starting. Larger arrays in a zone need permission. Protected structures and Architectural Conservation Areas also need care (Department of Housing announcement; Fieldfisher summary).
General information, not legal advice. Your installer or planning consultant should confirm which class applies to your building.
Grid connection: NC6, NC7, small-scale and MEC
The size of system you can connect, and how long it takes, depends on ESB Networks’ category:
Micro-generation (NC6)
Up to 16 A per phase on three-phase (about 11 kW). The installer notifies ESB Networks on form NC6. Too small for most factories (ESB Networks).
Mini-generation (NC7)
Three-phase from 16 A to 72 A (about 11 kVA to 50 kVA). Application fee €1,041.81 incl. VAT; ESB Networks says offers typically issue within 8–10 weeks of paying. Export capacity and total inverter capacity can’t exceed your MIC, and you must not install until the connection agreement is signed (ESB Networks mini-generation).
Small-scale & large-scale
Inverter-connected generation above the mini-generation range and up to 200 kVA is “small-scale generation”. Above 200 kVA, applications go through ESB Networks’ Enduring Connection Policy (ECP) process, which takes longer and may need network studies.
Maximum Export Capacity (MEC) is the most power ESB Networks lets you export. On a constrained network, installers may propose export limiting or a non-exporting set-up (a separate ESB Networks category). Remember SEAI offers last eight months.
Fire safety, insurance, batteries and EVs
Tell your insurer early. Insurers have their own rules on roof-mounted PV. A 2024 fire safety guideline for PV on flat roofs (EU FRISSBE project) compares insurer guidance: Allianz, AXA XL and RSA each recommend limiting array blocks to roughly 45–46 m square with 1.2 m (or more) gaps between them. The same guideline recommends:
- No panels right up to the roof edge, and clear walkways for firefighter access.
- A simple, reliable way to de-energise the DC side at source, because panels stay live in daylight.
- Non-combustible insulation under the membrane where possible.
- Regular inspection of cabling, connectors and DC isolators.
Share the design with your insurer before signing.
Batteries
A battery can soak up weekend surplus, trim peak demand and help you stay inside your MIC, but SEAI’s business grant does not pay for it. Ask for a separate payback calculation with and without battery. More in our battery storage guide.
EV fleets & forklifts
Daytime charging of vans and electric forklifts soaks up surplus. EV chargers are a Triple E category for ACA.
Power cuts
A standard grid-tied system switches off in a power cut to protect ESB Networks crews, as SEAI explains. Backup needs a battery and an automatic changeover arrangement designed by a registered electrical contractor.
How it works
Solar123 is an independent advice and quote-matching service based in Carrick-on-Suir, Co. Tipperary. We don’t install. We help you understand the options, then – only with your consent – pass your enquiry to SEAI-registered installers who survey and quote.
Building type, roof area and construction, supply (MIC if you know it), 12 months of bills or interval data, and your hours of operation.
Grant, ACA, planning class, grid category and timescales – so you know what to expect before installers arrive.
SEAI-registered installers visit, check the roof and structure, model generation against your load and quote in writing.
Use our quote comparison guide to check kWp, panel and inverter brands, structural survey, ESB Networks application, warranties and the grant calculation.
Sign with your chosen installer, apply to SEAI, wait for the letter of offer and the ESB Networks connection agreement – then install.
The installer uploads completion documents to SEAI, and you register exports with your supplier. More on how it works.
Choosing an industrial solar installer: checklist
- Registered with SEAI as a Non-Domestic Microgen (Solar PV) company.
- Has delivered systems of a similar size and handled NC7 or larger ESB Networks applications.
- Provides a structural engineer’s report on roof loading, not just a visual check.
- Produces a generation model using your half-hourly data and shows self-consumption vs export.
- Designs around roof lights, firewalls, vents and insurer requirements, with DC isolation and labelling.
- Safe Electric registered electrician signs off the electrical work.
- Clear warranties: panels, inverters, workmanship and roof penetrations.
- Puts the SEAI grant calculation and payment terms in writing.
Factory & warehouse solar FAQs
How big a system can a factory get the SEAI grant for?
SEAI supports systems from 1 kWp to 1,000 kWp. The table amount at 1,000 kWp is €325,200, and for new applications from 6 October 2026 to 6 July 2027 the payment is the lower of the table amount and 45% of invoiced cost.
Do I need planning permission for solar on a warehouse roof?
Usually not, outside a Solar Safeguarding Zone, if you meet the S.I. 493/2022 conditions and use more than half the electricity on site. Ground arrays over 75 m² and most carports need permission.
Can I claim capital allowances as well as the grant?
Possibly – PV systems and inverters are on the Triple E register, but grant-funded cost generally can’t also be claimed. Ask your accountant.
How long does the grid connection take?
NC6 is a notification. NC7 offers typically issue within 8–10 weeks of paying the fee. Small-scale and ECP connections take longer, so start early.
Will solar keep my cold store running in a power cut?
No, not on its own. Grid-tied inverters switch off when the grid goes down. Backup needs a battery and changeover system, and your existing standby generator arrangements still matter.
Will my insurer cover a rooftop array?
Tell them before you sign. Many insurers set spacing, access and isolation requirements for roof-mounted PV.
More answers on our FAQ page and industries we service. Running a hotel too? See solar for hotels and hospitality.
Get your factory or warehouse solar quote today
Tell us about your building and energy use, and we’ll match you with SEAI-registered installers who survey, size to your load and quote. Or call 089 450 4544
Sending an enquiry is not an official grant application. You can also email sales@solar123.ie.