The Irish Solar Energy Association (ISEA) welcomes the positive outcomes of the RESS 4 auction, a pivotal moment in progressing Ireland’s renewable energy journey. This auction represents another step forward for the solar industry, solidifying its role as a cornerstone of Ireland’s clean energy future.
Today’s preliminary results have awarded 959.84 MW of solar capacity—almost double the volume secured in last year’s RESS 3 auction. This new capacity will power approximately 220,214 homes, bringing Ireland closer to achieving its ambitious 2030 renewable energy targets. Importantly, solar energy has now been awarded 3,788 MW across the first four RESS auctions, covering 68.9% of the Government's utility-scale solar target for 2030.
While these achievements demonstrate the progress made in recent years, the hard work continues. The next big hurdle is ensuring that these projects are successfully delivered and connected to the grid, enabling the clean energy they generate to reach homes and businesses across Ireland.
Conall Bolger, CEO of ISEA, stressed, "Every megawatt of renewable capacity is a victory in the fight against climate change. The results of this auction give us a real chance of hitting the Government’s solar targets, but we must now focus on overcoming infrastructure challenges. Building the necessary grid to support these projects is essential to meeting our goals."
The average price of solar energy awarded in this auction was €96.85 per MWh, reflecting a 4% decrease from last year’s auction, a positive indicator that costs are beginning to decrease. However, as Conall Bolger points out, there is still significant room for improvement in how we reduce the costs associated with grid connections and streamline the delivery process.
Moving forward, ISEA is committed to working closely with the Government’s Accelerating Renewable Electricity Taskforce to ensure that we not only deliver these projects on time but also improve cost efficiency. By focusing on grid infrastructure, project delivery, and cost competitiveness, we can further enhance the impact of Ireland’s solar revolution.
Despite these successes, 503.9 MW of solar bids were not awarded contracts in this auction, underscoring the need to evaluate what factors drove these outcomes and how we can support future project success. Every project represents years of dedication from solar developers and their teams.
In closing, Conall Bolger applauded the successful bidders: "Your commitment to Ireland’s clean energy transition is inspiring. The solar revolution continues, and with it, the potential to transform how Ireland produces and consumes electricity."
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