Michael O’Leary is a convert to solar panels…

Say what you like about the Ryanair boss, but he knows the value of a euro or two. The BelTel reports that he is a happy bunny with his new solar install on his farm. From the article:

Michael O’Leary has begun a green transformation of his Midlands farm – and insists State grants for solar panels should be fast-tracked to help farmers reduce their carbon footprint.
The Ryanair chief executive revealed he has invested just over 140,000 euro installing solar panels and 90kW of batteries at his 2,000-acre Gigginstown estate outside Mullingar, Co Westmeath.

The 231-panel Swyft Energy system is one of the country’s biggest agri-solar installations, capable of generating up to 100,000kWh of electricity a year.

But the airline boss, 63, insists the grant format should be sped up to help farmers who want to reduce their reliance on the national grid.

“Government grants are critical, particularly for smaller farmers,” he said.

“We’ve had to wait several months after installation to receive the grant – I can afford to do that – but I think the Government needs to do more to fast-forward that for smaller farmers, which I think would convert a lot more to solar.

“The grant should be delivered at the time of installation.

“Swyft Energy, for me, have been great partners in this so if you’re well advised and put in the appropriate infrastructure, the returns are there.”

Mr O’Leary said he was dismissive about solar power until he realised the technology had advanced to a point which makes it financially viable for farmers.

“We’re here in north Westmeath, it’s not the Costa del Sol, and yet we are generating remarkable amounts of power. I was astonished.

“We have solar panels on the new shed roof and it has proved to be a very successful investment.

“During the summer months I am generating 70% of the electricity we consume here across the farm and house, and exporting around 30% of it back into the grid, so the numbers are compelling.”

Financially, he said, the combined savings amount to over 3,000 euro a month since the project was completed in June, while the entire system will have fully paid for itself in just over five years.

Adrian Casey, co-founder of Swyft Energy, said the installation has seen Gigginstown become energy self-sufficient between 7am-11pm from late spring to early autumn.

Electricity storage will be particularly beneficial during winter, when sheds must be lit up to house the O’Learys’ 600 Aberdeen Angus cattle.

“The batteries can now be night-cycled, meaning they can be charged at night when demand on the national grid is low and electricity rates are cheaper, and discharged in the morning when demand is higher,” he said.

I got solar panels 10 years ago, and they have been great. They just chug away in the background, and I have never had to repair them or do any maintenance. I don’t understand why building control does not make them mandatory on new builds. The costs have come down dramatically, and efficiency has risen. Some people are even predicting massive price drops for electricity due to the abundance of renewables.

Some stats for solar energy in europe:

• The average cost of utility-scale solar PV in Europe decreased by approximately 75-80% between 2010 and 2020.
• Levelized Cost of Electricity (LCOE): The LCOE for utility-scale solar PV in Europe fell from around €0.14-0.16/kWh in 2010 to approximately €0.03-0.05/kWh by 2020 in many countries.
• Module prices: Solar PV module prices in the EU dropped from about €1.5-2/watt in 2010 to around €0.20-0.30/watt by 2020.
• Residential solar system prices: The average price of residential solar systems in Germany (often considered a benchmark for the EU market) decreased from about €4,500/kW in 2010 to around €1,200-1,400/kW by 2020.
• Country-specific examples: In Spain, utility-scale solar PV costs fell from over €0.30/kWh in 2010 to less than €0.05/kWh by 2020.
  In Germany, the feed-in tariff for solar power decreased from around €0.30-0.40/kWh in 2010 to about €0.05-0.07/kWh by 2020, reflecting the reduced costs of solar energy production.
• Auction prices: Solar power auction prices in various EU countries reached record lows, with some bids coming in below €0.02/kWh by 2020 in countries like Portugal and Spain.

Even in our miserable climate, renewables make up 50% of our electricity generation in Northern Ireland. This is mostly from wind farms, but solar is a great option for local power generation. The big issue is that battery storage technology is still expensive, but I believe there will be a breakthrough in battery technology over the next few years, and this will be a gamechanger.

I help to manage Slugger by taking care of the site as well as running our live events. My background is in business, marketing and IT. My politics tend towards middle-of-the-road pragmatism, I am not a member of any political party. Oddly for a member of the Slugger team, I am not that interested in daily politics, preferring to write about big ideas in society. When not stuck in front of a screen, I am a parkrun Run Director.