Mike Galvin, an active member of the Irish Solar Owners Group, which has over 77,000 members, discusses what to think about before installing solar panels.
Mike recently retired as a Lecturer in Business Administration at MTU and has been a Solar PV & EV owner for 4 years. Fortunately he enjoys data, complexity & smart tariffs so he’s done all the hard work for you!
We were very lucky also to get Adam Pamplin, an experienced solar installer, who answered queries relating to solar on older buildings.
They were joined by 32 Cottageologists on Wednesday February 25 2026, to hear about how to research the issues for your building, get quotations, select an installer, and what to think about after the installation is completed.
For those who like numbers detail, don’t miss the three slides at the end of Mike’s presentation.
Some of the issues that affect owners of old buildings you might need to consider are listed here:
• Do you have a sketch plan of where any underground electrical cables are?
• Have you considered ground panels if you have space (cost ≅ €1000 more)?
• Have you considered using outbuildings if your main roof needs ”care”?
• Have you researched fixing types if intending to fix to slate, corrugated, zinc rollform, pan tiles or even haybarns?
• Has your house had a ”periodic inspection report” on electrics within past 5 years?
• Do you know the “rules” about changeover switches to operate from battery if your grid power is out?
• Electricians walk a difficult path because they are responsible for buildings they certify. Have you checked whether the one you use has solar qualifications, if not do they recommend a company to use? It can make life easier if not cheaper…
• If you plan to use a traditionally constructed roof, will it take the panel weight (typically 18-25 kg/panel) – or might you need an engineer to check this?