Solar panels
Solar panels: from roof survey to export payments in Ireland
One local tradesperson gets your request – no ring-round.
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A solar PV system turns daylight into electricity for your home, and whatever you do not use at the time can be sold back to the grid. How much it is worth to you depends on your roof, when you use electricity and how well the system is designed, not on the number of panels a salesperson can fit. Your request goes to exactly one installer who covers your area.
- Exactly one business. Your request is handed out once. After that, no other business sees it.
- You know who will be in touch. Before the business receives your contact details, we send you its name, address and phone number.
- Withdraw at any time. You can withdraw your consent at any time – using the link in our email.
Sizing a system around your roof and your usage
Start with your annual electricity use, which is on your bill or your supplier's app, and the roof you have. A south-facing roof gives the most output, east-west roofs spread generation across the day and still work well, and a north-facing roof is rarely worth covering. Chimneys, dormers, trees and neighbouring buildings cast shade that moves through the day and the seasons.
Panels produce most around midday, when many households use little. Electricity you use yourself saves you the full import price; electricity you export earns only the export rate. That is why a sensible design looks at when you are at home, whether you have an electric car or a heat pump, and whether a battery makes sense now or later.
Where part of the roof is shaded, the installer may suggest optimisers or microinverters so that one shaded panel does not drag down a whole string. Ask for a generation estimate with the shading taken into account, not a figure for an ideal roof.
What a solar quote should include
- the system size in kW, the panel and inverter models, and the number of panels on each roof face
- an annual generation estimate that takes account of orientation, pitch and shading
- an estimate of how much you will use yourself and how much you will export
- mounting system, roof checks and any strengthening, plus bird protection if you want it
- scaffolding, the electrical work and the DNO notification or application
- warranties for panels, inverter and workmanship, and what the inverter costs to replace
In Ireland: SEAI grants and the BER
For solar PV, SEAI grants may help; the details are below with sources. For a complete upgrade, the National Home Energy Upgrade Scheme works through SEAI-registered One Stop Shops, which manage the whole job to at least a B2 BER and deduct the grant from the cost upfront.
A Building Energy Rating (BER) is needed when a home is sold or let, and an assessment is part of most upgrade schemes. Ask the installer whether they are SEAI-registered, because only registered contractors can carry out grant-aided work.
Source: seai.ie
SEAI and local authority grants
SEAI Solar Electricity Grant (Solar PV): SEAI individual grant for installing solar PV panels on a home, with a maximum grant of €1,800.
Only the scheme operator decides whether you qualify. For SEAI grants, approval must usually be in place before work starts, so agree the timing with the business before you sign.
Source: seai.ie
How your request reaches one business
You confirm your mobile number with a text code and your email address with a link. We then show the request to businesses in your area, without your name or contact details. Only one business can take it on; it pays Offrano for the request, and it costs you nothing.
Before that business sees your details, we email you its name, address and phone number. We check only that it is a registered business, for example through its Companies Registration Office entry or VAT number, not the quality of its work. We cannot promise that a business will respond; if nobody takes the request within 21 days, we withdraw it. Offrano is not a party to any contract for the work.
Grants in Ireland
These schemes may apply to your project. What counts are the provider's conditions at the time you apply.
SEAI Solar Electricity Grant (Solar PV)
Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI)
SEAI individual grant for installing solar PV panels on a home, with a maximum grant of €1,800.
Source: www.seai.ie · As of 09.2026
Frequently asked questions
Can I get paid for the electricity I export?
You apply to a SEG supplier yourself; rates vary between suppliers.
Are solar panels worth it on an east-west roof?
Often, yes. An east-west roof produces less at midday than a south-facing one but spreads generation into the morning and evening, when many households use more electricity. The installer's generation and self-use estimate for your roof is what matters.
Should I add a battery at the same time?
It depends on how much of your generation you would otherwise export and on your tariff. Fitting both together lets the installer design them as one system and can save a second visit. A battery can also be added later if the inverter set-up allows it.
What is a One Stop Shop?
An SEAI-registered company that manages a complete home energy upgrade to at least a B2 BER, from assessment to final rating, and deducts the grant upfront.
Source: seai.ie
What does the request cost me?
Nothing. The business that takes on your request pays Offrano for it. Whether you accept its quote is entirely up to you.
Why does only one business get my request?
So that you are not called by several firms at once. The business that takes it on has the request to itself.
Ready to make your request?
Describe your project – your request goes to exactly one business.
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