Solar system installation
Complete solar hot water installations – panels, pipework, pump station, controller and cylinder. Designed around your roof, your household size and your existing heating.
Free solar survey and quote
Solar Panel Installation in Louth (Drogheda, Dundalk, Ardee)
Solar hot water systems designed, installed and serviced across County Louth. On average a solar system will provide 70% of your annual hot water needs – hot water you are currently paying gas, oil or electricity for.
- Free no-obligation survey
- 12-month installation guarantee
- Fully insured
- 15+ years experience
70%Of your annual hot water
needs, on average
needs, on average
Year 5Average point at which a solar
system has paid for itself
system has paid for itself
35°Optimum panel angle,
facing south
facing south
12 mthGuarantee on every
installation we carry out
installation we carry out
Solar systems
Solar hot water for Irish homes – what it actually does
A solar hot water system uses panels on your roof to heat water, which is stored in a cylinder and used exactly as you use hot water now. It is not a replacement for your boiler – it works alongside it. The sun does as much of the work as it can, and your boiler only tops up the difference. That is where the saving comes from.
Ireland gets more usable sunshine than people assume. You will not get all your hot water from the sun in December, but across a full year the average system provides around 70% of a household’s hot water – and near enough all of it through the summer months, when your boiler can effectively stay off.
Cylinder upgrades
Solar needs a twin-coil cylinder – one coil for the solar, one for the boiler. If yours is single-coil or simply old, we supply and fit a properly sized replacement.
Boiler integration
The controls matter as much as the panels. We set the system up so the boiler only fires when solar cannot meet demand, rather than both fighting each other.
Solar servicing & repair
Existing system underperforming? Solar fluid degrades, pumps fail and sensors drift. We service, re-pressurise and repair solar systems fitted by anyone.
Free roof survey
We look at orientation, pitch, shading and roof condition before quoting. If your roof is not suitable we will tell you, rather than sell you a system that will disappoint.
Commercial solar hot water
Guesthouses, salons, gyms and other businesses with heavy hot water demand are often the best candidates of all. See our commercial plumbing page.
How much will I save?
On average a Solar System will have paid for itself after year 5 and on average will provide 70% of your annual hot water needs. It is hard to put an exact price on saving as every solar installation is different.
For example, the optimum position of the Solar Panel – not all houses are south facing. The optimum position is south facing at 35 degrees on the roof. In today’s climate and the rising cost of heating bills, any help in reducing your household bills has to be considered.
The things that make the biggest difference to your actual saving are:
- Which way the roof faces. South is best; south-east and south-west still work well. Due north is not worth doing.
- Roof pitch. Around 35 degrees is the sweet spot in Ireland.
- Shading. A tall tree or a neighbouring gable can cost you a surprising amount.
- How much hot water you actually use. A busy family home saves far more than a couple who are out all day.
- What you heat water with now. Replacing expensive electric immersion heating gives the fastest payback.
Flat plate or evacuated tube?
There are two kinds of solar hot water panel, and the right one depends on your roof rather than on which is “better”.
Flat plate collectors sit lower and flatter against the roof, look tidier, are more robust and are usually less expensive. They are the common choice where roof space is not tight.
Evacuated tube collectors are more efficient per square metre and perform better in cold and overcast weather – which matters in an Irish winter. They cost more, but they are the answer when roof space is limited or the orientation is not ideal.
We will tell you which suits your house when we survey it, and why.
What is involved in a solar installation
A typical domestic solar hot water installation takes one to two days. Panels are mounted on the roof, the flow and return pipework is run down to the hot press, a twin-coil cylinder goes in if you do not already have one, and the pump station and controller are fitted and commissioned. We fill the system with the correct glycol solution, pressure test it, set the controls and show you how it works before we leave.
Everything we install carries a 12-month installation guarantee and we are fully insured. As with all our work, the quote is free and there is no obligation.
Solar hot water and solar electricity are two different things. This page is about solar thermal – panels that heat your water, which is plumbing work. Solar PV panels generate electricity and are installed by a registered electrical contractor. Grant support for home energy upgrades in Ireland is run by the SEAI and the schemes change, so check the current terms on the official SEAI website before budgeting.
Solar hot water panels on an Irish roof
On average around 70% of a household's annual hot water, straight from the sun.
Where we work
Areas we service
Louth
Solar hot water installation across Louth village and the surrounding rural properties.
Drogheda
Solar panel installation Drogheda – surveys, installations and servicing across the town.
Dundalk
Solar panel installation Dundalk. We are based in the town, so surveys are easy to arrange.
Ardee
Rural homes on oil often see the biggest benefit from solar. Full cover across Ardee and mid-Louth.
Solar questions
Frequently Asked Questions
How much will I save of my bills if I install a Solar Panel?
On average a Solar System will have paid for itself after year 5 and on average will provide 70% of your annual hot water needs. It is hard to put an exact price on saving as every solar installation is different. For example, the optimum position of the Solar Panel – not all houses are south facing. The optimum position is south facing at 35 degrees on the roof. In today’s climate and the rising cost of heating bills, any help in reducing your household bills has to be considered.
Does solar actually work in Ireland?
Yes, for hot water it works well. Solar panels use daylight, not just direct sunshine, so they still generate on a bright overcast day. Through the summer a correctly sized system can cover practically all of a household’s hot water. In midwinter it contributes less and the boiler does more – which is why the system is designed to work with your boiler rather than instead of it.
Do I need a new hot water cylinder?
Usually, yes. Solar needs a twin-coil cylinder so the solar and the boiler can each heat the water independently. Most existing cylinders are single-coil. We include the cylinder in the quote so there is no surprise later.
My roof does not face south. Is it still worth it?
Often yes. South facing at 35 degrees is the optimum, but south-east and south-west roofs still perform well – you simply get somewhat less over the year. A roof facing due north is not worth doing, and we will say so. That is what the free survey is for.
How long does a solar installation take?
A typical domestic installation takes one to two days, including fitting the panels, running the pipework, fitting the cylinder if needed, and commissioning the system.
Do solar systems need servicing?
Yes. The glycol solution in the panels degrades over time and loses its frost protection, and pumps and sensors can fail. A check every few years keeps the system performing. We service existing solar systems regardless of who installed them.