How much competition is there among solar PV installers in Ireland in 2026?

How many solar PV installations are grant-funded in Ireland?

More than 102,000 homes had been grant-aided for solar panels since 2018 by January 2026, according to SEAI, and a third of those were in 2025. SEAI's later figure, dated 29 September 2026, is more than 120,000 homes supported through the Solar PV grant scheme.

A third of 102,000 is roughly 34,000 homes in 2025. That is our arithmetic from SEAI's wording, not a figure SEAI publishes, so treat it as an order of magnitude.

Do not subtract the two totals to get a 2026 run rate. Both are "more than" figures, and SEAI words them differently ("grant-aided" in January, "supported" in September), so the gap is not a count. The wording is in SEAI's end-of-year statement and its enhanced grants announcement.

How many registered solar companies are you competing with?

SEAI's register of solar PV companies lists more than 500 firms (SEAI register, November 2026). You can search it by county and by domestic or non-domestic work.

That is the number of registered firms, not the number you meet in your county. Registration means a firm is on the SEAI scheme, not that it installs every week. SEAI's registration page says registration is provisional for six months from the first installation, with a minimum of five installations a year after that. A firm doing the minimum and a firm doing hundreds each count as one entry.

Competition is local, so narrow the number down:

1. Open the register and choose your county. Each entry lists the counties it serves, and some firms list all of them.
2. Download the results as a CSV, which the page offers, and count the firms that serve your counties.

The register page recommends that homeowners get at least four quotes from different companies. In any grant-funded job, plan to be one of several.

Is demand still growing in 2026?

Yes, on SEAI's figures, though the headline numbers cover home energy upgrades overall, not solar alone. SEAI's April 2026 statement says overall applications were up 96% year on year and that SEAI processed 29,000 applications between January and March.

The 29 September 2026 announcement says applications had more than doubled year on year, with 100,000 processed since the start of the year. The target for 2026 is 73,000 home energy upgrades, against more than 58,000 completed in 2025.

Do not read the 96% as solar growth. More than 7,000 of the first-quarter applications were for the new windows and doors grant, and the SEAI statements we used give no solar-only growth rate.

Two policy changes matter more to a solar installer than the headline. As of November 2026, SEAI offers a €600 battery grant that can be applied for in the same application as the solar PV grant. The 29 September announcement also extends solar PV grant eligibility to houses built and occupied before 2025. Both appear on SEAI's solar grant page. If you sell batteries, see selling solar batteries.

Grant rules change, so check SEAI before you quote them. This market is policy-driven, and we do not forecast it.

What does a typical domestic solar job cost?

SEAI's median cost for a solar PV installation from January to June 2026 runs from €9,075 for an apartment to €11,100 for a detached house. The medians come from costs that registered contractors and One Stop Shops submitted to SEAI when the grant was paid.

Source: SEAI, Median costs of individual energy upgrades (data January to June 2026).

SEAI says its median costs sheet is based on a sample of 23,412 energy upgrades of all types completed through the Better Energy Homes and Solar PV Scheme in that period. A median is the mid-point: half of the jobs cost less and half cost more. The sheet does not give system size, so it is not a price list for a particular kWp.

As of November 2026 the standard homeowner grant on SEAI's solar grant page is capped at €1,800 for solar PV, with a further €600 for a battery. Our guide to selling with the SEAI solar grant covers how the grant works in a quote. Use the table to sense-check your own average job, not to price one.

Who else competes for the same homeowner?

Besides other registered installers, a homeowner can reach a quote through One Stop Shops, directories and comparison sites, and job marketplaces.

• Other registered installers. The firms counted above, whom homeowners are advised to compare.
• One Stop Shops. SEAI's list showed 32 registered One Stop Shops in November 2026, including Bord Gáis Energy and Electric Ireland Superhomes. They manage the whole project and deduct the grant upfront. SEAI's solar grant page says a homeowner can use a One Stop Shop for solar PV only when getting multiple upgrades at once.
• Directories and comparison sites. SolarSelect.ie and The Eco Experts both publish lists of Irish solar installers, according to their own websites, November 2026.
• Job marketplaces and lead sellers. These pass a homeowner's request to installers, and their models differ. They are covered in where to buy solar leads.

To register as a One Stop Shop, SEAI's registration page lists, among other criteria, the ability to offer the full range of energy upgrades and a minimum annual turnover of €1 million. A solar-only firm would not meet the full-range criterion on its own.

What do the numbers mean for a small installer?

A small firm needs only a small share of a market this size, and homeowners are advised to compare several quotes, so speed, qualification and follow-up matter. To put your own numbers on it:

1. Market size. Use roughly 34,000 grant-aided homes in a year, which is one third of SEAI's 102,000 total, the share SEAI places in 2025.
2. Your share. Divide your target jobs by that figure. Sixty installations a year is 60 ÷ 34,000, about 0.18% of the market.
3. Even split, as an illustration. 34,000 ÷ 500 firms is about 68 homes per registered firm, and with more than 500 firms the figure is lower. Firms are not equal, the register is a November 2026 snapshot and the homes are 2025 installations, so treat 68 as an illustration, not an average.
4. Quotes needed. Divide your target jobs by your close rate. At an example close rate of 1 in 4, 60 jobs need 240 quotes. Replace the example with your own rate.
5. Cost per customer won. Divide everything you spend on marketing and sales by the jobs you win. Work it out per channel before you decide where to grow.

Three conclusions follow. First, a firm of sixty jobs a year needs a small slice of the market, so the limit is how many good conversations you start and win, not how many homes exist. Second, because customers compare, response time and qualification matter; see qualifying solar leads and solar lead response time. Third, compare paid sources by cost per customer won, not cost per enquiry.

Where does Smart Solar fit in?

Smart Solar is a lead broker: we pass on solar PV enquiries from private homeowners to installers and install nothing ourselves. Homeowners ask for quotes through smart-solar.ie or a Facebook ad form and consent to installers contacting them. The service is free for the homeowner, and installers pay for the leads they receive.

A lead can be shared with other installers, so it is not exclusive. You choose counties or Eircode areas and a weekly cap, which is a maximum rather than a guarantee. For how to compare providers, read where to buy solar leads.

What mistakes do installers make when reading market numbers?

• Treating the register count as the number of firms actively quoting in your area.
• Reading the 96% rise in applications as solar growth, when it is SEAI's overall figure.
• Using the median cost as a price list instead of a sense-check.

Where can you follow the numbers yourself?

The figures on this page come from SEAI pages that can change, so date any number you quote and recheck it each quarter. The register, the news statements, the median costs sheet and the solar grant page are all linked above.

If you are weighing up a new firm, start with starting a solar installation company. The solar PV overview for installers lists the full set of guides.