Co. Kerry · updated 29 October 2026

Solar panels in Kenmare

A south-facing roof in Kenmare makes about 852 kWh a year for every kWp of panels. That's 4,130 kWh from 10 panels, for about €6,200 after the SEAI grant. Here's what that means for your roof, and one local SEAI-registered installer will price it.

852 kWh per kWp a year, south roof
#5 of 8 Kerry towns for output
5–6 yrs rough payback, 10 panels

Get a price in Kenmare Call 087 162 1846

What would panels make on a Kenmare roof?

Town Roof faces

System size

8 panels3.88kWp10 panels4.85kWp12 panels5.82kWp16 panels7.76kWp

Your unit rate (cent per kWh, on your bill)

Power a year4,130 kWh

Price after grant€6,200

Saving a year€981–€1,271

Pays back in4.9–6.3 years

JFMAMJJASOND

Month by month for 10 panels, 4.85kWp. December makes about a fifth of what June does.

Get a real price for this roof

How this is worked out

Output: the EU's PVGIS satellite record for each town, 2005 to 2020, with panels at 35°, 14% system losses and the local hills taken into account. Price: Purevolt's published quotes, less the €1,800 SEAI grant. Saving: a range from using 30% of the power yourself (nobody home during the day) to 70% (home most of the day), scaled down for systems over 10 panels because they export more, at your unit rate, and sell the rest at 18.5c, what most suppliers pay. It's an estimate, not a quote. Prices, tariffs and your roof will change it.

Brightly painted shops on Main Street, Kenmare — Main Street, Kenmare. Photo: JoachimKohler-HB, CC BY-SA 4.0

Local facts

What's different about solar in Kenmare

A south roof here makes about 852 kWh a year per kWp, fifth of the eight Kerry towns we checked (EU PVGIS 5.2).
Kenmare had 2,566 people at the 2022 census (CSO Census 2022, via Wikipedia). It sits at the head of Kenmare Bay.
South-east and south-west roofs make about 809 kWh per kWp here, 95% of a south roof. East and west roofs make 699 (EU PVGIS 5.2).
Near the bay, ask for panels tested for salt mist under IEC 61701 and stainless or aluminium fixings.
Kenmare is a market town for a large farming area. Farms use TAMS 3, which pays 60% towards solar (The Irish Field, 3 Mar 2023). Shops, cafés and guesthouses run as businesses use SEAI's business grant (SEAI business solar grant).
It's about 33.7 km from Kerry Airport, well outside the safeguarding zones (Solar Safeguarding Zone data, Dept of Housing).

Kerry towns compared

kWh a year per kWp, south roof. Source: EU PVGIS 5.2.

Which way to face

A Kenmare roof, every direction

South852

South-east or south-west809

East and west699

Flat, panels at 10°791

kWh a year per kWp. Source: EU PVGIS 5.2.

Month by month, 10 panels on a south roof

151Jan220Feb365Mar495Apr524May511Jun496Jul456Aug374Sep248Oct180Nov113Dec

kWh per month. June makes about 5 times what December does.

Prices

What panels cost in Kenmare

Installers in Kenmare set their own prices, so these are published Irish figures to hold a quote against, with what each system would make here.

System	Quoted	SEAI grant	You pay	kWh a year in Kenmare
8 panels3.88kWp	€7,600	−€1,800	€5,800	3,310
10 panels4.85kWp	€8,000	−€1,800	€6,200	4,130
12 panels5.82kWp	€8,400	−€1,800	€6,600	4,960
16 panels7.76kWp	€9,200	−€1,800	€7,400	6,610

Quoted prices are Purevolt's published examples, 0% VAT. Grant at SEAI's current rates, panels only. Output for a south roof, from EU PVGIS 5.2.

Batteries, VAT, export rates and payback →

Get a price

One local installer, one price for your roof

Tell us about the house and we pass it to one SEAI-registered installer who works in Kenmare. Not a list, and nobody else gets your number.

You fill in five questionsWhat you want, your town, when, and which way the roof faces. About a minute.
The installer rings youThey'll ask about your bills and roof, and usually want to see it before they price it.
You get a price and decideNothing is agreed until you accept. Get your SEAI grant offer before any work starts.

Get a price for your roof

Five quick questions. Free, and nothing's agreed until you accept a price.

What are you looking for?

Solar Panels Kerry is an introduction service, not an installer. One local SEAI-registered installer gets your request, gives you the price and deals with you directly.

Kenmare questions

How much do solar panels cost in Kenmare?

Purevolt, an Irish installer, publishes quotes of €7,600 for 8 panels to €9,200 for 16, before the grant (Purevolt). Take off the €1,800 SEAI grant and a Kerry home pays about €5,800 to €7,400, with 0% VAT. The Irish Times puts an average home at €6,000 to €9,000 after the grant (Irish Times, 15 Oct 2026).

How much power do panels make in Kenmare?

About 852 kWh a year per kWp on a south roof, so 10 panels (4.85kWp) make about 4,130 kWh. East and west roofs make about 699 per kWp (EU PVGIS 5.2).

Do panels near the sea in Kenmare need anything different?

Ask for panels tested for salt mist under IEC 61701 and check what the fixings are made of. Salt air is hard on cheap metal.

Do I need planning permission in Kenmare?

Usually not for panels on a house roof: there's no limit on area anywhere in the country, subject to conditions (gov.ie, 7 Oct 2022). The catch is protected structures and Architectural Conservation Areas, where the panels mustn't materially affect the character of the building or the area. Kerry County Council publishes its conservation area boundaries (Kerry County Council conservation areas, data.gov.ie).

How much is the SEAI grant?

SEAI pays €900 per kWp up to 2kWp, so €1,800 for the panels. Fit a battery as well and SEAI adds €300 for each extra kWp up to 4kWp, capped at €2,400, plus €600 for the battery (SEAI). The battery part started on 6 October 2026 (pv magazine, 30 Sep 2026).

How long do panels take to pay back?

Usually five to eight years (Irish Times, 15 Oct 2026). It depends on how much of the power you use yourself: that saves your full unit rate, 36c to 45c per kWh on standard tariffs, while exported power earns 18.5c to 19.5c (WattCharger, Aug 2026). Use the calculator for your own town.

Nearby towns

Where these numbers come from (17 public sources, checked 29 October 2026)

Sources (2)

Prices and facts on this page were checked against these published pages. We are not connected to these businesses.

Purevolt: purevolt.ie
WattCharger, Aug 2026: wattcharger.com