Ireland’s first fully solar powered school

Clare school C.B.S. Ennis primary becomes the first school in Ireland to produce all its electricity using solar power. The school managed to cut its energy bill by €10,000 thanks to solar panels on its roof that generated more green energy than the school used. The Green Party has been focused on delivering solar panels to every school in the country and repeat this story across Ireland.

Senator Roisin Garvey, Green Party Spokesperson for Rural Development, has been working with the school for many years;

“It is amazing to see a school with over 650 students become completely powered by solar energy and save money in doing so. This shows that switching to clean, green energy can be done and the Green Party is working to ensure every school in Ireland will follow in the footsteps of Ennis.

“Credit must be given to the Principal Dara Glynn for driving this and to all the school community for fundraising together to help make it happen. Children are demanding this type of action, as it is their future we must protect.”

The school installed solar panels providing 40kw of energy on its roof in October 2022. The school reported that in 2023, it generated 39.48MWh (megawatt-hours) of electricity while using only 32.40MWh. The excess energy was sold back to the national grid, earning revenue for the school. The energy created prevented almost 30 tonnes of carbon dioxide from being emitted, the equivalent of the amount of carbon over 2,000 ten-year-old trees would have saved.