SSE Airtricity Solar Panels Review 2026: Prices, 32c Export Rate & Verdict

SSE Airtricity sells home solar panels through Activ8 Solar Energies, the Monaghan installer it part-owns. The headline is an export rate of 32c per kWh in the first year, the highest in Ireland, but the premium lasts only 2 years and SSE Airtricity publishes no prices at all.

We went through SSE Airtricity's solar page, the premium rate terms and conditions and Activ8's own pages on 9 October 2026, and set what they publish against independent SEAI-registered installers on price, kit, warranty and finance.

Does SSE Airtricity Install Solar Panels?

Not itself. SSE Airtricity describes Activ8 Solar Energies as its joint-venture partner for the supply and installation of solar panels, and Activ8 describes SSE Airtricity as a 50% shareholder. You enquire through SSE Airtricity, but the survey, the quote and the installation come from Activ8, which says it has fitted solar on more than 25,000 homes and businesses. See our Activ8 Solar Energies profile for reviews and coverage.

That makes this a different arrangement from Electric Ireland and Bord Gáis, which sell solar under their own brand. It is also separate from SSE Airtricity's one stop shop service for whole-home retrofits.

What's Included in an SSE Airtricity Solar Package

• Solar panels: 460W panels, going by the example in SSE Airtricity's savings footnote. The panel brand is not named, so ask for it in the quote.
• Inverter: included, brand not published.
• Battery (optional): a Duracell battery. Capacity and price are not published.
• Other add-ons: a hot water diverter and an EV charger.
• SEAI grant: Activ8 helps manage the application for the grant of up to €1,800.
• Survey and install: a free consultation, a free home survey, then installation that SSE Airtricity says is completed in one day.

SSE Airtricity Solar Panel Prices

SSE Airtricity does not publish solar panel prices, and neither does Activ8. You get a price only after the home survey. The one figure on SSE Airtricity's site is SEAI's median of €10,900 before the grant for a standalone solar installation in the first nine months of 2024, which is a market figure and not its own price.

It does say what size it has in mind: for a typical three-bedroom home using about 4,200 kWh a year, a 4.5 kW system of 10 panels. Its savings example uses 12 panels. These are the independent installer prices to hold a quote against:

If the quote comes in above these ranges, the export premium is unlikely to make up the difference (the sums are below). Our solar panel cost guide has the full price table for every system size.

The 32c Export Rate: How It Really Works

SSE Airtricity's standard export rate is 19.50 c/kWh. Customers who have solar or a battery installed by Activ8 get a premium on top: 12.5c per kWh in year one, making 32c, and 7.5c in year two, making 27c. The terms and conditions set out the limits:

• It lasts 2 years from the date the panels are installed. After that you are on the standard rate.
• You must be an SSE Airtricity electricity customer. New and existing customers both qualify, but the premium only starts once your supply is registered with SSE Airtricity. Join late and you get only what is left of the two years.
• The installation must be by Activ8, on or after 1 September 2025. Solar owners who switch to SSE Airtricity with another installer's system get the standard rate.
• It is not guaranteed. SSE Airtricity reserves the right to change the premium, or cancel the offer, at any time and without notice, including during your two years.

What is it worth? A 12-panel system generates around 4,700 kWh a year. If you export 60% of that, which is typical without a battery, the premium adds about €350 in year one and €210 in year two, or roughly €560 in total. That is our estimate, and a battery would lower it because you export less. It is a real benefit, but it is a one-off worth a few hundred euro, not a reason to pay well over the market price for the system. Our SSE Airtricity export rate review covers the standard rate and how it is paid.

The "Save Up to 85%" Claim

SSE Airtricity advertises savings of up to 85% on your electricity bills. Its footnote shows the assumptions: a 12-panel system of 460W panels, a home using 4,200 kWh a year, half of that electricity still bought at SSE Airtricity's standard smart meter rate of 45c per kWh, and the other half exported at the year-one premium rate of 32c.

Two things flatter that figure. The 45c standard rate is higher than most customers pay, since SSE Airtricity's own discount plans are well below it, so the starting bill is overstated. And the 32c export rate applies in year one only; by year three the same exports earn 19.50 c/kWh. Use our solar savings calculator with your own usage and tariff for a figure that holds beyond the first year.

Finance and Grants

SSE Airtricity's solar page mentions one finance route: the government-backed Home Energy Upgrade Loan Scheme, and only where the panels are fitted as part of a one stop shop home upgrade. For a standalone solar installation, Activ8 offers its own Flexipay finance through humm, with plans over 3, 5 or 7 years. Activ8 does not publish the interest rate, so get the APR and the total cost of credit in writing. It lists a minimum taxable income of €1,500 a month and says early repayment carries no extra fees.

For comparison, Bord Gáis currently advertises 0% finance on a €99 deposit, and credit union green loans are widely available. Our solar financing guide compares the options.

One detail to double-check: SSE Airtricity's solar guide still says the SEAI grant is for homes built before 2021. It now covers homes built and occupied before 2025. The amounts it gives (€700 per kWp for the first 2 kWp, €200 per kWp for the next 2, up to €1,800) are correct. See our SEAI grants guide for the current rules.

Warranty

SSE Airtricity lists a "25 year warranty" as a feature of the service, and its guide describes that as a 25-year performance warranty on Activ8's panels. A performance warranty is the manufacturer's promise about panel output. It is not cover for the installation work, the inverter or the battery, and neither site publishes those terms. Ask for the workmanship, inverter and battery warranties in writing before you sign. Our solar battery brands guide covers what to expect from a battery warranty.

SSE Airtricity Solar Panels: Pros and Cons

Pros

• The highest export rate in Ireland for the first year, and still above every standard rate in the second.
• An established installer. Activ8 has been installing solar since 2007 and is backed by a major energy supplier.
• Free home survey before you get a price.
• Finance available through Activ8.

Cons

• No published prices, so you cannot compare until after a survey.
• The premium export rate ends after 2 years and can be changed or withdrawn before then.
• You have to buy your electricity from SSE Airtricity to get the premium, which limits shopping around on unit rates.
• Panel, inverter and battery details are not published, and nor is the workmanship warranty.
• Finance interest rate is not published.

Should You Get Solar Panels from SSE Airtricity?

It is worth a quote, particularly if you are already an SSE Airtricity customer, because the survey is free and the export premium is worth having. Judge the quote on the system price first. The premium is worth roughly €560 over two years on a 12-panel system, so a quote more than that above an independent installer's is the dearer deal. Get the kit list, the warranties and the finance APR in writing, then compare with two top-rated independent installers.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much do SSE Airtricity solar panels cost?

SSE Airtricity and Activ8 do not publish prices; you get a quote after a free home survey. As a benchmark, independent installers charge €6,500–€7,200 after the SEAI grant for a 10-panel system, the size SSE Airtricity suggests for a typical three-bedroom home.

Who installs SSE Airtricity solar panels?

Activ8 Solar Energies, SSE Airtricity's joint-venture partner, carries out the survey, supply and installation.

How do I get SSE Airtricity's 32c export rate?

Have solar panels or a battery installed by Activ8 on or after 1 September 2025 and be an SSE Airtricity electricity customer. You are paid 32c per kWh in the first year after installation and 27c in the second, then the standard rate.

How much does SSE Airtricity pay for solar electricity?

Its standard export rate is 19.50 c/kWh. Only Activ8 customers get the higher 32c and 27c rates, and only for two years.

Does SSE Airtricity offer finance for solar panels?

Activ8 offers Flexipay finance through humm over 3, 5 or 7 years, with the interest rate given on application. SSE Airtricity also points to the Home Energy Upgrade Loan Scheme for solar fitted as part of a one stop shop upgrade.

What battery does SSE Airtricity supply?

A Duracell battery, supplied and fitted by Activ8. The capacity and price are not published, so ask for both in the quote.

How do I contact SSE Airtricity about solar panels?

SSE Airtricity's solar page gives 0818 001 597 for the Activ8 team, Monday to Friday, 8.30am to 5.30pm, or you can request a callback on the page.

Sources

• SSE Airtricity: Solar panels for your home (checked 9 October 2026), sseairtricity.com
• SSE Airtricity: Microgen Premium Activ8 terms and conditions, sseairtricity.com
• SSE Airtricity: Using solar panels to generate electricity for your home (6 January 2025), sseairtricity.com
• SEAI: Solar Electricity Grant, seai.ie