Special Report: Endless possibilities of solar power investment

Solar farms will be a mainstay in Ireland as we move from fossil fuels to more renewable sources in the years ahead. Pádraig Hoare examines the technology’s advantages and disadvantages

A sheep grazes at a solar farm in Sonnewalde, Germany. Counterintuitively, solar panels are less efficient in higher temperatures, meaning Ireland’s temperate climate could be optimal for the clean energy. Picture: Sean Gallup/Getty

International energy experts are waxing lyrical about its endless possibilities, businesses are increasingly buying into it, and the public barely knows about it.

Solar farms are poised to be a mainstay in Ireland as the country transitions from fossil fuels to more renewable sources in the coming decades, and along with wind and hydro-generated power.