Solar panel calculator
Leave a field blank to use a typical home. Your unit rate is on your electricity bill (cent per kWh, incl. VAT).
Your estimate: 4 kWp in Cork
| Generation per year | 3,886 kWh |
|---|---|
| Used in the home | 1,547 kWh (39.8% of generation, 36.8% of your use) |
| Exported to the grid | 2,340 kWh |
| Saving on your bill | €541 a year |
| Export payments | €433 a year |
| Tax on export income over €400 | −€9 a year (at 28%) |
| Total benefit | €965 a year |
| Typical price (before grant) | €7,800 |
| SEAI grant | €1,800 |
| Net cost | €6,000 |
| Payback | 6.2 years |
| Net gain over 25 years | €16,872 |
Published packages in Cork, for your home
| # | Installer | System | Price before grant | Grant | After grant | Saving a year | Payback |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gavin Walker Electrical Contractors Ltd | 6 panels, 3 kWp | €4,500 | €1,600 | €2,900 | €774 | 3.7 yrs |
| 2 | Gavin Walker Electrical Contractors Ltd | 10 panels, 4 kWp | €6,000 | €1,800 | €4,200 | €965 | 4.4 yrs |
| 3 | Grid Solar Ltd | 16 panels, 7.04* kWp | €8,150 | €1,800 | €6,350 | €1,403 | 4.5 yrs |
| 4 | ePower | 22 panels, 9.68* kWp | €9,900 | €1,800 | €8,100 | €1,765 | 4.6 yrs |
| 5 | ePower | 16 panels, 7.04* kWp | €8,700 | €1,800 | €6,900 | €1,403 | 4.9 yrs |
* size worked out from the panel count. Prices as published on each installer's website; ranked by estimated payback for a typical home, never by commission.
Assumes 4,200 kWh a year, electricity bought at 35c/kWh and exported at 18.5c/kWh (28% tax on export income), south-facing, nobody home in the daytime. SEAI: solar PV €700/kWp up to 2 kWp, then €200/kWp up to 4 kWp (max €1800); battery €600 for 5 kWh or more (open for applications since 6 October 2026; can be claimed with the solar PV grant in one application). Homes built and occupied before 2025; installed by an SEAI-registered company. Battery grant: 5 kWh or more, one per MPRN, with or without solar panels.