Solar could be a silver bullet for Irish renewables

Circal’s Bill Sadlier talks about why solar continues to outperform wind in the renewable sector and the importance of collaborating with farmers. Cáit Caden reports

Business 26092024. No Repro Fee. Circal, a leading developer of solar and energy storage projects, today announced that it has secured €15 million from Octopus Energy Generation. This investment will drive Circal’s current sustainability projects and accelerate its growth ambitions for clean energy projects in Ireland and the USA. Founded by energy transition industry veterans Bill Sadlier and Seán Manley, Circal is a developer of utility-scale solar and energy storage projects. Its team has 4.5GW combined capacity of active projects in its pipeline in Ireland and the USA. Pictured are Sean Manley, Chief Operating Officer, Circal and Bill Sadlier, Chief Executive, Circal . Photo: Fennell Photography

Solar energy has quickly become a silver bullet for the renewables sector as residential and commercial customers can avail of grants to install panels and subsequently get cheaper clean electricity and not suffer the same planning backlogs that wind projects often become entangled in.

Consequently, several companies have grown substantially on the back of the increasing interest in solar, especially in an age of energy volatility. One of these is Circal.