Joe MacGrath, Chief Executive of Tipperary County Council stands in front of 180 solar photovoltaic panels on the civic offices in Nenagh, Co Tipperary.
Tipperary is now home to Ireland’s largest solar photovoltaic (PV) project after 800 solar panels installed across nine buildings will soon come into service.
The solar panels have been distributed across public buildings in the county including libraries, fire stations, leisure centres and civic offices and was led by the county’s largest renewable energy group, the Tipperary Energy Agency (TEA) while 50pc of the project investment has been funded by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI).
With the installation of these 800 solar panels, Ireland’s entire solar PV energy producing capability has increased an incredible 44pc in a country where wind power is largely favoured due to our climate.
It is now expected that once the solar project becomes fully functional, it will hope to see significant financial savings on energy bills as this renewable energy project will see average savings of 11pc on electricity costs for Tipperary County Council.
Speaking of the good news, chief executive of Tipperary County Council, Joe MacGrath, said: “We are already some six years ahead of schedule and expect to achieve our [Europe] 2020 target in 2014.
“Working with the Tipperary Energy Agency and others, our focus for the remainder of this decade will remain on energy efficiency and renewable energy in the homes, communities and businesses across County Tipperary”.
