A partnership between Activ8 and SSE Airtricity has delivered more than 3,000 domestic solar installations this year, with plans to deliver 50,000 installations over the next 10 years.
Activ8 Solar Energies and SSE Airtricity have announced the creation of up to 200 jobs over the next two years.
It came as solar panel supplier Activ8, which is the exclusive solar partner of SSE Airtricity, opened a new state-of-the-art headquarters in Monaghan.
New roles will be in areas such as design, technical, engineering, plumbing and roofing, along with administration and back-office positions.
The 20,000 sq ft facility in Carrickmacross was officially opened today (30 August) by Taoiseach Micheál Martin, TD.
Martin said the facility will have a positive impact on the north-east region and will lead to a “significant increase” in the provision of solar products across Ireland.
“This will ensure more sustainable options being offered to businesses and customers across the country and ultimately support the delivery of Ireland’s climate targets,” Martin said.
Founded in 2007, Activ8 has delivered more than 15,000 solar installations to date across Ireland, consisting of more than 100,000 solar panels.
The company said these panels generate 36.5m kWh of green energy, which is the equivalent carbon offset of 11.5m litres of diesel, or the energy needed to charge more than 3bn smartphones for a year.
Activ8 CEO Ciaran Marron said the move to the new headquarters is the next step of the company’s journey, which will increase its capacity across several departments.
“Today’s official opening of our new headquarters is a key milestone for the company, and it would not have been possible if not for the dedication and hard work from the fantastic staff we have in Activ8 and I can’t thank them enough,” Marron added.
SSE Airtricity began working with Activ8 in 2018 to grow the number of solar installations in Ireland. This partnership has delivered more than 3,000 domestic solar installations so far this year, with plans to create a further 50,000 installations over the next 10 years.
The interest in solar energy in Ireland has been growing recently. Last month, a report by Wind Energy Ireland said it is “just about possible” for Ireland to meet its 2030 climate targets and urged the Government to accelerate onshore wind and solar power generation.
Meanwhile, global renewable energy company Ørsted announced the acquisition of its first Irish solar project today.
Through an agreement with renewable energy developer Terra Solar, Ørsted has acquired the Ballinrea solar project, which is located between Carrigaline and Cork city.
The site is expected to be operational by 2025 and will power up to 16,000 homes.
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