Planning requirements for domestic solar panels set to be eased

Homeowners will soon be able to put solar panels on their roof without planning permission regardless of where they live under new proposals aimed at speeding up progress on carbon reduction.

Measures announced by the Department of Housing on Tuesday also include unprecedented exemptions for other buildings including community and educational properties, places of worship, healthcare facilities, libraries and farms.

Last week, the Government’s first progress report on the Climate Action Plan noted a delay in introducing interim regulations amending solar panel planning.

Tuesday’s proposals will also result in exemptions for certain wall-mounted and free-standing solar panel installations increased to 60sq m (645sq ft).

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“These draft regulations will help facilitate the rollout of rooftop solar energy across the country [and] enable individuals, communities, businesses and farms to play their part in creating a future fuelled by renewable energy,” said Minister of State for Planning and Local Government Peter Burke.

The move is also being pitched as an opportunity to cut energy bills for property owners and to help secure Ireland’s energy security, an issue increasingly to the fore given recent rises in fuel importation costs.

The draft regulations provide for existing planning exemptions for the installation of domestic solar panels to be extended to all houses, regardless of their location. Such installations would also be permitted to cover the entire roof, subject to minor setback distances.

In 43 proposed “solar safeguarding zones”, an existing exemption of 50sq m (538sq ft) or less is proposed to be increased to 60sq m (645sq ft) per building. Such safeguarding zones, accounting for less than 3 per cent of the country’s land area, are necessary for aviation safety.

“[This is] due to the potential impact of glint and glare arising from increased solar developments in proximity to sites such as airports and hospitals which have helipads,” the department said.

“Anyone seeking to avail of larger rooftop solar installations within solar safeguarding zones can apply for planning permission.”

The draft regulations aim to bring Ireland in line with the EU Solar Rooftops Initiative, simplifying the installation of solar rooftops.

It forms part of the effort to pursue a target of generating up to 380MW (approximately one million solar panels) of microgeneration as part of Ireland’s overall target of 2.5GW solar electricity by 2030 under the Government’s Climate Action Plan.