Energy Efficiency - February 2025 Update

Hi ,

It was a rough start to the year for many people in Ireland as Storm Eowyn left hundreds of thousands of homes and businesses without electricity for days on end, leaving many wondering about the strength of our grid.

However, despite that heavy blow, there has been positive news for electric vehicle sales and the continuing growth of solar power, both in homes and businesses and at a larger scale.

The Cost of Solar Panels in 2025

With the new year well underway you might be starting to think about the costs and benefits of having solar panels installed this year.

Here’s our updated guide to the costs of solar panels in 2025, and just what your investment will deliver in the long term. Now complete with a new tool to quickly estimate the cost of different sized solar PV systems.

Can Solar Power Protect Homes From Storms?

Storm Éowyn was a devastating start to the year for hundreds of thousands of homes in Ireland, with power and water outages lasting for days or weeks for far too many people as the worst ever recorded winds hammered the country.

A more resilient electricity supply is needed to protect people from such immense damage and long-lasting power outages in the future.

Rooftop solar power can contribute to this resiliency with dedicated boxes for backup mode, but not many people know that it’s an option. Even people who already have solar installed.

What’s the state of Solar PV Grants in 2025?

If you’re thinking about getting solar panels this year, you might want to know what sort of grant support is available for you. Here’s a 90 second guide to the SEAI’s domestic Solar PV grant scheme in 2025.

Record Breaking Month for EV Sales

After a slump last year electric vehicle sales in Ireland were off to a roaring start in 2025. Figures show that January was the best ever single month for EV sales in Ireland.

Also for the first time fully electric, plug-in hybrid, and hybrid cars managed to capture over half of the market share in newly registered vehicles last month.

Here’s hoping the good news continues as the year goes on.

How Much Cheaper is it to Drive Electric?

The SEAI has published its Q1 2025 fuel price comparison, and electric vehicles come out far ahead at less than half the price of driving diesel, and just a third of the cost of running a petrol car.

Here Comes the New Boss, Same as the Old Boss

Ireland got a new government last month, one broadly the same as the last government. The 5 year Programme for Government that came with the new/old coalition was disappointing in its vague statements on continuing existing programmes and aiming for many things, without much in the way of details.

We’ll have to wait and see what comes as the new government really finds its feet, but here’s our take on the 2025-2030 Programme for Government and what it promises.

What to do With Excess Solar Power

Any domestic solar panels will almost always produce more power at certain times than is being used in your home. But there are multiple ways this can be dealt with, either by investing in peripherals for your solar PV array, or choosing the right electricity supplier.