Energy infrastructure

josip · 24-02-2026 08:03PM

Is there a chance that renewables will meet 50% of demand during February? My back of envelope calcs are for around 49% up to start of today.

Does anyone know what have been the highest absolute (GWh) and percentage months for renewables up to now?

Further south, let's hope that the weather is favourable over the next few weeks for the Celtic Interconnector UXO survey so that there aren't any further delays.

https://afloat.ie/port-news/undersea-cables/item/70412-marine-notice-geophysical-and-uxo-surveys-for-celtic-interconnector-project

Capt'n Midnight · 28-02-2026 02:41AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124262793#Comment_124262793

In Northern Ireland they averaged 51% back in 2022 for the whole year.

Official figures show that February was the best month on record for renewables use in Northern Ireland, accounting for 76.5% of electricity consumption.

No offshore wind and way less solar back then.

josip · 02-03-2026 04:33PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124251599#Comment_124251599

615 acres got past the appeal, not sure if that was already included in your 2.4GW ?

https://www.farmersjournal.ie/news/news/planning-approved-for-615ac-laois-solar-farm-905935

In other news February came in at just under 48% renewables, after a slack couple of days at the end of the month.

Capt'n Midnight · 03-03-2026 12:38AM

UK geothermal 12MW

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cewzg77k721o

The water, super-heated by rocks, will help drive turbines to generate electricity for 10,000 homes, but will also provide the UK's first domestic supply of lithium - a critical mineral used in green technology.

Sam Russell · 03-03-2026 09:02AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124280027#Comment_124280027

Is this actually built, or just vapourware?

It looks a bit fanciful, with a bit of lithium added for effect. How much did it (will it) cost to build? Hoe expensive is the electricity? How expensive is the lithium and how much will be yielded?

KrisW1001 · 03-03-2026 09:44AM

In our decidedly non-volcanic geology, geothermal is worth looking at for large industrial, residential or institutional sites as a kind of fuel-free CHP system, but I’m not convinced about it for general-purpose power generation.

riddlinrussell · 03-03-2026 10:01AM

The article says its being activated next week, though its taken 20 years to get built. 10,000 homes of generation from a 3 mile deep borehole.

josip · 03-03-2026 10:06AM

It's an outlet for their fracking enthusiasts if nothing else.

Although the UK would have a lot of geology and drilling expertise so if geothermal was any way viable for them, they do have the ability to harness it.

josip · 03-03-2026 03:46PM

ACP yesterday overturned Cork County Council's refusal of the 442 acre Ballysallagh Solar Farm.

https://www.pleanala.ie/anbordpleanala/media/abp/cases/bmr/323/b323747.pdf

Facebook is appalled and locals are assessing their remaining options.

https://www.facebook.com/cllrannmarieahern/posts/i-am-appalled-to-hear-that-permission-has-been-granted-for-the-construction-of-a/1460764196060775/

Today, utility solar hit a very impressive peak of 911MW for the year so far.

If domestic roof-top solar roll out continues at its present pace, then we could soon be looking at minimum grid demand being at 13:00 on sunny days instead of 04:00

https://www.eirgrid.ie/grid/real-time-system-information

And lastly, for 6 hours today, from 09:30 to 15:30, solar outperformed wind.

josip · 06-03-2026 05:55PM

In the UK Vestas has been chosen to power RWE's 1.4GW Vanguard West wind farm.

https://www.rwe.com/en/press/rwe-offshore-wind-gmbh/2026-02-20-rwe-and-vestas-agree-turbine-supply-agreement-for-vanguard-west-offshore-wind-farm/

That is scheduled to be commissioned in 2029, nicely in time for 2030 targets.

Over here, Tuesday's solar peak was unsurprisingly beaten today and Ireland passed 1GW of generation a fortnight before the equinox.

This afternoon's demand dropped under 5GW and within 400MW of the overnight low last night.

08-03-2026 02:25PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124262793#Comment_124262793

Thanks for the link. But safe bet there'll be lots more delays on the South coast. 21 days for that geophysical & UXO survey SOW in that region, this time of year, with that little boat, fantasy. Realistically be 50 to 70 days.

DumbBrunette · 09-03-2026 07:08PM

https://gmcirl.com/north-connacht-110kv-hv-cable-project-awarded-signed/

Not sure if has been mentioned on this thread, but the baby brother of the (too) ambitious Grid West plan is going to construction.

josip · 11-03-2026 04:38PM

2030 targets won't be met. Not a surprise to anyone with a half decent grasp of reality.

So one solution is to invest in other countries' infrastructure to balance the books?

https://www.farmersjournal.ie/news/news/2030-renewable-targets-slip-out-of-reach-906847

In other news, Larry Goodman is objecting to a nearby 80MW solar farm because it will reduce the supply of beef to his meat processing factories.

https://www.farmersjournal.ie/news/news/goodman-objects-to-co-louth-solar-farm-906595

Capt'n Midnight · 11-03-2026 08:36PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124304470#Comment_124304470

If Larry & co. paid decent prices it wouldn't be worth putting solar on good farmland.

Aontachtoir · 11-03-2026 08:56PM

I wonder if there will be any attempt by the Angry Farmer Unions or Concerned Rural Community Associations to encourage the adoption of agri-PV (ie designing solar farms to still permit agriculture like sheep grazing or vegetable growing etc beneath and around the panels). This practice is already in use elsewhere in Europe and would seem the logical alternative to a full-fat solar farm if you claim to want more renewables but are “concerned about the loss of prime agricultural land”.

josip · 12-03-2026 10:50AM

I'm happy with the impressive roll out rate of solar farms in Ireland but I would prefer if there was an equal amount of progress in installing microgeneration on existing farm buildings as there is in installing on productive land.

TAMS isn't being encouraged by the current government for reasons that are not immediately obvious to me.

The same goes for warehouses and distribution centres. Planning permission for new buildings should be contingent on a certain percentage of the roof being covered by solar.

bk · 12-03-2026 03:19PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124305181#Comment_124305181

No need to look to Europe, we have already been doing it here for a few years now:

https://www.irishexaminer.com/news/spotlight/arid-40775505.html

BTW Solar farms also tend to be great for Biodiversity. Leaving wild grass and plants grow under the panels tends to be great for Biodiversity compared to a typical farm field.

Markcheese · 12-03-2026 08:30PM

Yeah the ruining the environment argument against solar , doesn't really wash

Its usually crop land or ryegrass desert that gets solar , and an occasionally grazed -non fertilzed or sprayed , non ploughed grassland will have farfar higher biodiversity than a ryegrass desert ..

I'd like to see it put in any planning permission that the land should be managed organically, or to organic standards,

It'd be really interesting to do a baseline study on insects, pasture plants - and birdlife on a few large solar sites , and then a similar study at 5 year intervals ..

Aontachtoir · 12-03-2026 08:48PM

@josip The “certain percentage” should be as close to 100% as possible, or at the very least enough to generate the building’s base load if eg it’s a warehouse. Solar panels are only getting cheaper.

@bk Do most solar farms in Ireland actually leave space for the wild plants to grow back? That would be lovely if so. I had assumed they would tend them like the fields had been beforehand - mostly sterile fields of grass.

bk · 12-03-2026 09:18PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124307830#Comment_124307830

I can't speak for all solar farms, but in general there is no benefit to tending them like a regular field or garden. It is easier all round to just leave the grass grow and without active spraying, as you don't have to cut it as often or waste money on spraying. Just cut it less frequently when it gets a bit too high. No one is going to spend extra time or money then required.

Now that doesn't mean it is actively managed wild garden, but without spraying and less frequent cutting that tends to develop naturally regardless.

I'd completely agree with Markcheese I'd like to see organic management and perhaps even managed biodiversity included in the planning requirements for new Solar farms.

roosterman71 · 13-03-2026 09:50AM

Most solar farms actively trim the grass in and around the panels. Some then allow sheep graze around them too. Maintenance of the ground is done for ease of access to the panels and any infrastructure underneath. I've not seen any requirement for spray use but grassland in general gets very little spraying done.

There's a solar farm being built near me on a bog alongside an existing windfarm. They've put out to tender the contracts for managing the ground in and around the panels. I'm involved in tendering for the job with a few other locals. If successful, the grounds have to be kept "free of obstacles" which includes keeping plant growth below 6cm between and under panels. On more open areas between different parts of the site (on roadways, etc) the growth can be higher up to 25cm. No plant growth is allowed within 30cm of the panels. Around the bigger infrastructure units it is to be free from all plant growth which means ether pulling anything growing or management via spraying

Markcheese · 13-03-2026 11:41AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124308654#Comment_124308654

Thats interesting , i assume the height above ground of the panels decides plant policy.. i heard of an early solar farm that went crazy with round-up ,

roosterman71 · 13-03-2026 12:02PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124308912#Comment_124308912

The panels are sloped as ya probably know with the bottom of the slope somewhere between knee and hip height. Can't have stuff growing up near them. Can block some of the panel and degrade performance, and also the sap/juices I think sticking to the panel can lead to performance impacts too. Therefore stuff has to be trimmed down and panels cleaned of any resulting debris if it blows up from being mowed for example. That could be simply running a leaf blower over them to blow stuff off or wiping them down. This is out in a bog so no sheep will be out grazing. I heard of one place where sheep were allowed but only for a very short time in a year just to comply with a planning condition. I think it's maintenance with mowers and strimmers which would be our plan on the bog site. Won't be much grass growing but whatever grows in the bog. Currently a lot of weeds, wildflowers, rushes though place is in shite due to the ongoing construction.

jlang · 13-03-2026 05:05PM

Will the petrol for any mowers, blowers or strimmers count against the zero emissions for the solar generator?

machiavellianme · 14-03-2026 09:27AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124309802#Comment_124309802

Pffft, they'll be using electric mowers and blowers! Petrol is too expensive.

embraer170 · 14-03-2026 10:58AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124306998#Comment_124306998

I am a big fan of solar but let's be realistic: the amount of agri solar is extremely limited - probably a tiny fraction of the overall installed capacity (even on farms being built now). In my part of Germany, I know a few university sponsored test fields but nothing else.

Unfortunately there is no incentive for investors to promote biodiversity on their solar installations. The majority of solar farms are managed through regular spraying.

This should be changed with proper government policy and planning conditions but we are probably already a bit late for that.

bk · 14-03-2026 02:50PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124311177#Comment_124311177

I agree completely and I did mention that earlier. We need the government to regulate this better to require more biodiversity in all solar projects.

roosterman71 · 14-03-2026 02:53PM

We need solar on all the rooftops of every farm and commercial business. Then marginal land and allow small livestock graze in and around.

Markcheese · 14-03-2026 06:22PM

I'd agree , no herbicide , if it provides some local employment then all the better ,

Once its not being sprayed, and only by the front of the panels is being mowed frequently , then all good , if the sites can be managed to the benefit of biodiversity then better again,

Any if the built and proposed sites near me would be on pretty decent land, so it'll need to grazed or mowed a few times , even without fertilizer or planted clover -

And thats all the better for local wildlife..

Sam Russell · 14-03-2026 09:07PM

Surely the panels just need to be installed higher off the ground, so the vegitation can be allowed to grow and be grazed by sheep or goats, or cut with a suitable mower.

Energy infrastructure

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