The Big Tech Show: Going solar – a beginner’s guide to solar panels

The Big Tech Show

Adrian Weckler

This week, the VAT on sustainable solar PV panels was scrapped. The reduction has the potential to reduce the cost of installing solar panels by about €1,000.

How easy is it to go solar and what do you need to know before you do?

This week on the Big Tech Show, Adrian is joined by Brian McIntyre, programme manager at the SEAI to discuss everything you need to know about solar energy in your home.

Brian says if you are looking into getting solar panels installed in your home, the place to start is with your current electricity bills.

“The first thing you'd look at is getting your bills for the last 12 months to get an idea of how much you use...

When installers come to your house, they look at the system, look at your bills, and they can generate a model for that location, the orientation of the house, and how much electricity is going to be generated.”

With the VAT removed and grants available, the price of installing the panels is lower than ever. The final price though will depend on how many panels you get. Brian says six is the standard for an average-sized house.

“I would always say to get three quotes. Ballpark would be about €6,000 and that was before the VAT got put back to zero.”

You can listen to the full episode of The Big Tech Show on Independent.ie or wherever you get your podcasts.