HOW TO HIRE · ELECTRICAL

How to hire a solar panel installer in Ireland
The checks, the questions and the paperwork.

A solar pv installation in Ireland costs €6,000–€12,000 per install, typically around €8,000. Here is how to check that in a minute, what to ask before you book, and what you must be handed when the job is done.

  • Search and compare — no account needed
  • Nearest to you first
  • One score from Google, Trustpilot and Locufy reviews

THE 60-SECOND VERSION

Hiring a solar panel installer in five steps

  1. Are you on the SEAI Registered Contractor List, and what is your number?A number you can look up yourself before you agree a price — post-Installation Support — after installation, ongoing support is offered, including system monitoring and maintenance services.
  2. How does several factors including system size change the price?The area covered is what the day rate is set against. — ask before the quote rather than after.
  3. How does type of equipment change the price?Bulky materials cost more to get to site. — ask before the quote rather than after.
  4. How does roof complexity change the price?It affects the finish as much as it affects the price. — ask before the quote rather than after.
  5. What is not included?Installation Process — the installation process includes mounting solar panels, wiring the system, and connecting it to the grid — get the exclusions named in the quote, because a solar panel installer job is priced on what was agreed and not on what was assumed.

BEFORE YOU BOOK

Check before you book

SEAI Registered Contractor List

REGISTERED FOR WHAT, EXACTLY. Contractors may only carry out the measures they are registered for, so a contractor on the list for insulation is not thereby approved for a heat pump. A renewable installer registers with SEAI first and then adds heat pump or solar PV. For solar PV the INSTALLER applies to ESB Networks for the grid connection, not you. Registration is not a licence to trade — anyone may install insulation. It is MANDATORY TO GET THE GRANT, which is the practical constraint for almost every homeowner.

Search the SEAI Registered Contractor List for the name or the registration number before you agree a price. seai.ie →

Insurance

Expect public liability; grant work also carries SEAI's own code of practice. From a company, ask for the insurer, the limit and the VAT number, and ask who actually attends: the team that turns up may be employed, subcontracted or both, and only one of those is supervised by the firm you are paying.

Ask to see the current certificate of insurance — the insurer's name, the limit and the date it runs to.

Trader or private seller

Under the Consumer Rights Act 2022 a trader must tell you they are a trader, and your consumer rights — work carried out with reasonable skill and care, and a cooling-off period on a contract agreed in your home or online — apply to traders and not to private sellers. On Locufy the trader status is shown on the profile.

Look for the trader badge on the Locufy profile, and ask anyone else for it in writing before you agree a price.

Identity

Providers on Locufy prove who they are with photo ID before they can be booked; the ID-checked badge shows who has done it, and the document itself is deleted once the check is made. For a solar panel installer coming into your home it is the cheapest check there is.

Look for the ID-checked badge on the card, before you message anyone.

VAT

VAT at 13.5%, the reduced rate Revenue publishes for this service. Ask whether the price you were given includes it. A trader under the €42,500 registration threshold does not charge it; one over it must, and must show it separately.

Ask whether the figure you were given includes it, and for the VAT number if they are registered — Revenue publishes the rate for this service. revenue.ie →

“Are you on the SEAI Registered Contractor List, and what is your number?”

A good answer: A number you can look up yourself before you agree a price — post-Installation Support — after installation, ongoing support is offered, including system monitoring and maintenance services.

“How does several factors including system size change the price?”

A good answer: The area covered is what the day rate is set against. — ask before the quote rather than after.

“How does type of equipment change the price?”

A good answer: Bulky materials cost more to get to site. — ask before the quote rather than after.

“How does roof complexity change the price?”

A good answer: It affects the finish as much as it affects the price. — ask before the quote rather than after.

“What is not included?”

A good answer: Installation Process — the installation process includes mounting solar panels, wiring the system, and connecting it to the grid — get the exclusions named in the quote, because a solar panel installer job is priced on what was agreed and not on what was assumed.

“Who insures you, and what is the policy number?”

A good answer: Expect public liability; grant work also carries SEAI's own code of practice — system Design — once the site is assessed, a custom solar PV system design is created to meet your energy needs.

“What do I get in writing, and when?”

A good answer: A written scope and a price before the solar panel installer starts, and an itemised invoice after — site Assessment — A thorough site assessment is conducted to evaluate the suitability of your property for solar PV installation.

Getting the quote right

  • Several factors including system size — the area covered is what the day rate is set against.
  • Type of equipment — bulky materials cost more to get to site.
  • Roof complexity — it affects the finish as much as it affects the price.
  • Local labour rates — it determines how long the finished work will last.
  • In writing before anyone starts — a message on Locufy counts
  • What is NOT included, named
  • Who actually attends, and whether they are employed or subcontracted
  • The VAT number, and whether it checks out on the Revenue register

Walk away if

  • They are not on the SEAI Registered Contractor List, or the number does not resolve to the name on the quote
  • They will not talk about it: several factors including system size — the area covered is what the day rate is set against
  • They will not talk about it: type of equipment — bulky materials cost more to get to site
  • They will not talk about it: roof complexity — it affects the finish as much as it affects the price
  • A price for the solar panel installer before anyone has asked the size, the access or the condition of what they are working on
  • Cash only, or a large deposit before anything at all has started
LOW
€6,000
TYPICAL
€8,000
HIGH
€12,000

What a solar panel installer costs: €6,000–€12,000 per install

The figures are for the job, per install, and a quote for your own is the only number that binds anyone. Residential solar installation and Commercial solar installation each carry their own band. Solar PV Installation price guide →

Guide prices compiled by the Locufy team from published Irish and UK provider price lists and 2026/27 cost guides. Updated 2026.

KNOW WHAT TO LOOK FOR? NOW FIND ONE

Solar panel installers near you, with the badges that matter shown

ID checked, trader status and one score from every review — on the card, before you message anyone. Nearest first. No account needed to look.

Or post the job free and let them come to you.

  1. Look firstSeveral factors including system size — the area covered is what the day rate is set against — that is what the solar panel installer is judging on the first visit, and a price given without it is a guess.
  2. Agree what is being doneType of equipment — bulky materials cost more to get to site — put in writing before anyone starts, because it is the document you both read back at the end.
  3. The work itselfRoof complexity — it affects the finish as much as it affects the price — and anything found on the day that was not in that is priced before it is started.
  4. Check it togetherLocal labour rates — it determines how long the finished work will last — walked against the written scope rather than against the feeling of it, while the solar panel installer is still there.
  5. What you are handedThe itemised invoice and any guarantee on the workmanship and the parts, energy needs of your home — it is agreed before the work starts, not after.

Site Assessment
A thorough site assessment is conducted to evaluate the suitability of your property for solar PV installation.
System Design
Once the site is assessed, a custom solar PV system design is created to meet your energy needs.
Installation Process
The installation process includes mounting solar panels, wiring the system, and connecting it to the grid.
Post-Installation Support
After installation, ongoing support is offered, including system monitoring and maintenance services.
Residential Solar Installation
This involves installing solar panels on a home’s rooftop or property to provide electricity for household use.
Commercial Solar Installation
This service caters to businesses looking to implement solar energy solutions on larger scales, often involving more complex systems.

AFTER

When the job is done

Keep the invoice and the paperworkAn itemised invoice with the trader's name, the work and the total — post-Installation Support — after installation, ongoing support is offered, including system monitoring and maintenance services, because it is what a buyer's solicitor, an insurer or a lender asks for long after the solar panel installer has gone.
Test what was doneInstallation Process — the installation process includes mounting solar panels, wiring the system, and connecting it to the grid — and something that does not work on the day is theirs to put right there and then.
Ask what the guarantee isOn the workmanship and on the parts, and for how long each one runs — they are usually different. system Design — once the site is assessed, a custom solar PV system design is created to meet your energy needs — under the Consumer Rights Act 2022 what was agreed is what can be relied on.
Leave the reviewOnly a booked job can be reviewed on Locufy, which is why the score on a solar panel installer's card means something — site Assessment — A thorough site assessment is conducted to evaluate the suitability of your property for solar PV installation.

MONEY BACK

Grants that may apply

BETTER ENERGY HOMES (SEAI) · GRANTVerified 18 August 2026

SEAI Solar Electricity (PV) Grant

Up to €1,800.

Who: Owner of a home built and occupied before 2021. Work by an SEAI-registered contractor, with a BER after the works.

Official details on seai.ie →

Schemes change. The amounts above were checked on the dates shown; the official page is the one that counts.

STEP 1Say it in writing, firstSay what is wrong and what you want done. Under the Consumer Rights Act 2022 the work must be carried out with reasonable skill and care, and defective work put right.
STEP 2Use the make-it-right step on LocufyUnder four stars you are asked whether to send it to the provider first; we follow it through. Then review.
STEP 3Escalate to the body that regulates itReport it to SEAI Registered Contractor List.
STEP 4Small claimsSmall claims covers €2,000, once you have asked in writing and given them a chance to put it right.

Hiring a solar panel installer: questions people ask

The cost of solar PV installation is influenced by several factors including system size, type of equipment, roof complexity, and local labour rates. Additional costs may arise from necessary structural modifications or permits.

The duration of a solar PV installation can vary but typically takes 1 to 3 days. Larger or more complex installations may require additional time for planning and execution.

Yes, it is essential to hire a qualified specialist for solar PV installation due to the technical nature of the work and compliance with safety regulations. This includes electrical and structural assessments.

Same-day installation for solar PV systems is rare due to the need for proper assessment and planning. However, some companies may offer expedited services for urgent cases, depending on availability.

Out of scope services may include extensive roof repairs, landscaping for shading issues, or electrical work unrelated to the solar system. These tasks typically require separate arrangements with specialised contractors.

Search the name or the registration number. If the number does not resolve to the name on the quote, stop there.