March a Record Month for Solar Power in Ireland: Eirgrid

Ireland saw new records set for solar power on the national electricity grid in March, with 39% of electricity coming from renewable sources last month, according to provisional figures from EirGrid.

March 25th saw a new peak for grid-scale solar power in Ireland, with over 750 Megawatts (MW) coming from this source at one point – 18 MW more than a previous record from July 2024. This follows a new peak wind power record on the grid set in February.

In all, this March saw the third-highest ever amount of solar-powered electricity produced in the course of a calendar month.

Last month also saw further records set on the power system, with the highest ever level of discharge from grid-scale battery power sources seen on 14 March. For context, the just under 300 MW of power discharged from batteries during this peak is greater than the maximum output from the Turlough Hill hydropower facility.

Wind power met a third of the electricity demand in March, while gas was the single biggest source of electricity generation for the month at 39%, and 18% of demand was met by electricity imported via interconnection. Alongside renewables, gas-powered generation and interconnection are important contributors towards meeting system demand, particularly at times of low renewable availability.

Overall, the electricity system demand stood at 3,061 GWh for March.

Currently the electricity grid can accommodate up to 75% of electricity from renewable sources at any one time: what is known as the system non-synchronous penetration (SNSP) limit. Mixing electricity from synchronous (from conventional generation) and non-synchronous (renewables) sources while operating the power system is a very complex task, and Ireland’s current 75% SNSP limit is among the highest in the world.

While renewable generation reached up to the 75% limit at various points in the month, there were also periods where renewable generation provided for as little as 5% of demand.

EirGrid is rolling out an unprecedented programme of grid reinforcements, upgrades and new infrastructure across the country, enabling the connection of further generation sources to maintain a secure and reliable power supply while also ensuring that 80% of electricity can come from renewables, as set out in Government targets.

Charlie McGee, System Operational Manager at EirGrid, said: “March was a landmark month for solar power on the electricity grid. While just under 3% of total electricity generation came from solar for the month, during particularly sunny periods, this peaked at over 18%, which augurs well for further records this summer. This is made possible by the connection of greater amounts of grid-scale solar as we work towards achieving a cleaner energy future for Ireland’s power system.

“It was also encouraging to see a new peak set for power discharged from batteries on the grid. February’s wind power record, followed by a new solar peak in March, shows the need for battery storage so we can hold greater amounts of renewable electricity in reserve for use during periods of high demand.”