A different orientation
The array can be positioned independently of the roof. We assess direction, tilt and shading against your demand, then explain the layout and expected output.
SOLAR WITHOUT THE ROOF CONSTRAINT
Beyond the roof.
New possibilities.
The right piece of ground can open up a different route to solar. Let’s look at the land, the light and the way you use energy.
Explore a site ↓Ground-mount example: Highlands End, Solarport · Not a Fennor project
Good land.
More to consider.
A roof that is shaded, awkwardly shaped or due for repair does not have to end the solar conversation. A suitable ground location can offer another option.
Keep the roof untouched
The mounting structure is separate from the building. You trade roof work for groundworks, a frame and an electrical route.
Access at ground level
Inspection can be more accessible. We account for vegetation, drainage, exposed wiring and safe maintenance access in the proposed layout.
01 / LOOK AT THE WHOLE SITE
A little space.
A considered plan.
Explore the decisions around an array—not just the panels themselves. Select a site feature below.
Illustrative site · Not to scale · No site or electrical design implied
Start with the useful space.
Panel count changes the nominal capacity shown here. The actual footprint also includes supports, row spacing and maintenance access. This is an illustration—not a layout, planning test or generation forecast.
Assumes 450 W per panel. Capacity is not annual generation. Exact module sizes, land requirement, grid limits and permissions are assessed separately.
02 / FROM A PATCH OF LAND TO A WORKING SYSTEM
What’s underneath
matters, too.
The frame and foundations are designed for your ground—not chosen from a photograph.
Soil conditions, slope, wind exposure and drainage shape the mounting design. Driven posts, screws, concrete or ballast can suit different circumstances. No single foundation is appropriate everywhere.
Keep the full route in view.
Fennor assesses the route from the array to your home or premises, including the survey needed for underground services. Your itemised proposal explains cable routing, excavation and reinstatement, so the connection is part of the cost from the outset.
Plan beyond installation day.
We plan around how you use the space—children, animals, vehicles and maintenance included. Drainage, ecological and heritage constraints are assessed alongside these everyday needs before a layout is agreed.
Solarport mounting options ↗Why ground testing matters ↗03 / IRISH PLANNING GUIDANCE
Check the permission.
Then plan the installation.
Ground arrays have their own conditions. These selected limits are a starting point—not a declaration that a site is exempt.
Maximum total panel aperture area
Includes existing free-standing solar panels. Height must be no more than 2.5 m. The array cannot be forward of the front wall, and at least 25 m² of private rear/side open space must remain.
Maximum total panel aperture area
Includes existing free-standing panels. Height must be no more than 2.5 m. Siting relative to the nearest agricultural structure and public road, and primary use within the holding, also matter.
Area and height are not the whole test.
Conservation, hazardous glare and other restrictions can remove an exemption. An adjoining field is not automatically within a house’s curtilage. Fennor identifies the planning questions for your proposal; the planning authority confirms the position, with a formal declaration where appropriate. Larger schemes may require permission.
General information checked 9 October 2026, not legal or planning advice. The Department’s consolidation is unofficial. References: Schedule 2, Part 1 Class 2(c) and Part 3 Class 18(c).
04 / A QUOTE THAT EXPLAINS THE WHOLE JOB
Panels are one part.
The site is the other.
More freedom in the layout can come with extra enabling work. Fennor sets out the full installed price, including groundworks and reinstatement, with any surveys, permissions or exclusions explained before you decide.
Ground & structure
Survey, foundation design, frame, installation access and any testing required.
Cable route
Length, underground services, trenching, protection, crossings and reinstatement.
Electrical connection
Inverter, protection, metering, monitoring and the appropriate ESB Networks process.
Permissions & upkeep
Planning work where needed, screening, fencing, drainage and vegetation management.
Panel capacity ≠ grid export capacity.
ESB Networks’ microgeneration guidance uses inverter limits of approximately 6 kVA single-phase or 11 kVA three-phase. Larger proposals use a different connection process. Additional panels do not mean unlimited export.
Check ESB Networks’ connection guidance ↗05 / FOLLOW THE RIGHT FUNDING ROUTE
Same sunlight.
Different applications.
Grant eligibility follows the applicant, property and scheme—not simply where the panels are mounted. We explain the relevant route, required application inputs and approval sequence before eligible work proceeds.
Start with the SEAI domestic route.
Fennor reviews your site against the domestic route and identifies the required registered contractor. The proposed array and contractor arrangements must meet the scheme conditions before eligible work proceeds.
SEAI domestic solar terms ↗Ground arrays can be part of TAMS.
SCIS terms allow eligible arrays in a land parcel on the holding or in the farmyard. Planning evidence, demand sizing and the scheme’s approval rules still apply.
DAFM SCIS terms (PDF) ↗Explore farm funding ↗Consider non-domestic support.
We review the SEAI Non-Domestic Microgen Grant and proposed connection route with you, explaining project-specific eligibility and application inputs. The same costs cannot be double-funded.
SEAI non-domestic support ↗SUPPORT FOR THE WORK YOU HAVE IN MIND
A clearer budget.
The support to explore.
These are the relevant funding options to discuss with Fennor alongside your project. We explain the full price, the support that may apply and the steps before you commit.
Reviewed · Guidance, not an eligibility decision.
Grant support
Standard home solar PV
Up to €1,800
Support is based on the installed panel capacity. With a separately eligible €600 battery grant, the combined standard maximum is €2,400.
Conditions & official guidance+
- First 2 kWp
- €700 per kWp
- Additional capacity up to 4 kWp
- €200 per kWp
- Home built and occupied before 2025, with an MPRN and no previous solar-PV funding at that MPRN.
- Wait for the offer before installation; use the registered company named in it and complete the required post-works BER and paperwork within the offer period.
Grant support
Enhanced household solar support
Up to €9,000
An eligibility-based route: up to €8,400 solar PV plus €600 for an eligible battery. It replaces—not adds to—the standard PV rate.
Conditions & official guidance+
- Enhanced PV maximum
- €8,400
- Eligible battery, 5 kWh or larger
- €600
- Available to homeowners receiving specified qualifying welfare payments, subject to SEAI evidence and scheme conditions.
- A separate Dublin RAS pilot requires a qualifying long-term tenancy and confirmation from one of the four Dublin local authorities. It is not a grant for every landlord or household.
- The usual property, prior-funding and approval requirements still apply.
Grant support
Commercial solar PV — enhanced NDMG
Up to €325,200
The award is the lower of the size-based calculation and 45% of eligible invoiced costs. The largest scheme award is not a typical business grant.
Conditions & official guidance+
- 20 kWp size-based ceiling
- €13,200
- 50 kWp size-based ceiling
- €25,200
- 100 kWp size-based ceiling
- €45,200
- Maximum supported capacity
- 1,000 kWp
- Enhanced applications: 6 October 2026 to 6 July 2027. The nine-month application window is separate from the eight-month completion/documentation period in an offer. Existing offers are not increased under these rates.
- Qualifying non-domestic premises must be built and occupied before 2025. Approval is required before equipment purchases or work.
- Batteries and supplementary items outside the standard PV installation are excluded. State-aid and other-funding restrictions apply; do not combine this with TAMS for the same installation.
Grant support
Farm solar — TAMS SCIS
60% of eligible investment
A €90,000 eligible-investment ceiling can mean a maximum €54,000 grant. It is not €90,000 cash support or 60% of every quoted cost.
Conditions & official guidance+
- Eligible investment ceiling
- €90,000
- Grant ceiling at 60%
- €54,000
- Grant-funded PV ceiling
- 62 kWp
- DAFM reference costs, eligible paid costs and the submitted proposal constrain the calculation. Annual qualifying farm demand also limits the funded array; 4,200 kWh is deducted per dwelling sharing the MPRN.
- Eligible battery capacity is limited to 50% of PV size numerically: 20 kWp PV allows up to 10 kWh supported battery, installed with PV.
- Competitive selection and written approval precede work. Normally complete/claim within 12 months, subject to the approval. The published Tranche 14 close is 4 December 2026.
- SCIS and SEAI non-domestic solar are alternative routes for the same investment, not amounts to add together.
ANSWERS WORTH HAVING
Good questions.
Clearer choices.
The questions we help you work through before choosing a system for your property.
01Can solar panels be installed in my garden instead of on the roof?
+
Yes, where the site, permissions and electrical design are suitable. A ground-mounted frame holds the panels independently of the building. Fennor assesses shading, foundations, access, the cable route and how you use the land, then explains a proposed layout and full installation cost.
02Do ground-mounted solar panels need planning permission in Ireland?
+
They may. Different exemptions apply to a house and an agricultural holding, and area and height are only part of the test. Fennor identifies the relevant regulations, conservation and environmental questions for your proposal; your planning authority confirms the position. Do not assume a roof exemption also covers an array in a field.
03How much land do I need?
+
More than the face area of the panels. The final layout needs room for row spacing, foundations, access and maintenance, and may need screening or fencing. Slope, shade and the selected mounting system all affect the footprint. A panel count alone cannot establish the land requirement.
04Are ground-mounted panels better than roof-mounted panels?
+
Neither is automatically better. Ground mounting can offer freedom to choose the direction and tilt without using the roof, but introduces land use, foundations and cable-route costs. Where both suit your site, Fennor compares them using consistent generation and cost assumptions, so you can weigh the extra groundworks against the available output.
05How far can the panels be from the house or farm building?
+
There is no single distance that suits every system. The site and electrical assessment considers route length, cable design, voltage drop, groundworks and inverter location together. A long route or a crossing of a yard can materially change the installed cost.
06Can a ground-mounted system qualify for a solar grant?
+
Mounting on land does not create a separate grant entitlement. Fennor explains the relevant SEAI domestic, non-domestic or DAFM farm route and the application inputs, with eligibility decided by the scheme provider. TAMS terms expressly allow eligible ground arrays in a land parcel on the holding or in its farmyard, subject to the scheme’s other conditions and approvals.
07Can I still use the land around the panels?
+
Possibly, with a suitable layout. Keep access and maintenance space clear and manage vegetation without damaging cables or equipment. We plan around grazing, machinery movements, fencing and animal protection where relevant, and identify the included measures in your site-specific proposal.
08Does ground-mounted solar work during a power cut?
+
The mounting location does not change the normal grid-disconnection requirement. Backup needs compatible equipment, safe isolation and a designed set of supported loads. A battery or ground array alone does not guarantee power during an outage.
SHOW US THE POSSIBILITIES
Let’s start
with your site.
Start with your town and what you want the system to power. If available, wide photographs, an approximate distance to the building and an electricity bill help us prepare for the site assessment. You can attach them to your email draft.
Based in Slane. Home projects in Meath, Louth and Dublin; farm and commercial sites assessed individually.
089 403 2737info@fennor.ie ↗Guidance checked 9 October 2026. Photography: Solarport manufacturer examples, not completed Fennor projects or an endorsement. System layout, mounting supplier and permissions are confirmed following assessment.