Solar projects in Cork
17 Cork businesses, sports clubs and farms with solar panels are listed here with size, installer and source. The largest is Eli Lilly, Kinsale at 9.6 MW. The planning register adds 68 Cork applications for on-site solar, 57 of them granted.
Which Cork businesses have solar panels?
| Site | Size | Installer | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eli Lilly, KinsalePharma and medtech, 2021 | 9.6 MW | Enerpower, now Greenvolt Next | Greenvolt Next |
| Cork Airport, Holiday Blue car parkAirports and ports, 2027, under construction | 1.7 MW | Greenvolt Next | Greenvolt Next |
| PepsiCo, Little IslandFood and drink, 2024 | 1.6 MW | Not named | Echo Live |
| AMS (Architectural & Metal Systems), Little IslandManufacturing, 2023 | 993 kW | PV Generation | PV Generation |
| The Montenotte Hotel, CorkHotels and leisure, 2026 | 140 kW | PV Generation | PV Generation |
| UCC, ORB building extensionPublic sector, 2020 | 42 kW | Not named | University College Cork |
| 9 White Deer BreweryFood and drink | 30 kW | Not named | SEAI |
3 of the 7 are 1 MW or bigger: Eli Lilly, Kinsale (9.6 MW), Cork Airport, Holiday Blue car park (1.7 MW), PepsiCo, Little Island (1.6 MW). These are the Cork entries in a national list. See all commercial solar projects in Ireland for the other counties and for the costs and savings each business published.
Which Cork sports clubs have solar panels?
| Club or venue | Size | Installer | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Munster Rugby, Virgin Media Park (Musgrave Park)Rugby, 2024 | 255 kW | Pinergy | Pinergy |
| St Finbarr's Hurling & Football Club, TogherGAA club, 2025 | 136 panels | Not named | Echo |
| Fermoy Swimming PoolPool and leisure centre, 2024 | 170 panels | Not named | Construction Ireland |
4 more Cork clubs have funding approved or plans announced, with no panels reported yet:
- Carrigtwohill GAA: Community Sport Facilities Fund 2023 round €17,285 (Community Sport Facilities Fund allocation list (RTÉ-hosted))
- Muskerry RFC: Community Sport Facilities Fund 2023 round €124,580 (Community Sport Facilities Fund allocation list (RTÉ-hosted))
- St Vincent's Hurling & Football Club: Shared Island Fund, joint Cork City and Belfast City application (club amount not stated) (Belfast City Council minutes)
- SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh: plans announced (Cork GAA)
For what clubs around the country saved and which grants they used, see solar panels for sports clubs.
Which Cork farms have solar panels?
| Farm | Size | Installer | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hill Top Agri FarmsDairy with pigs, 2022 | 150 kW | SolarCo | SolarCo presentation (hosted by Teagasc) |
| Leahy Open Farm2022 | 70 kW | Local Power | Local Power presentation (hosted by Teagasc) |
| Unnamed Cork farm2025 | 62 kW | SolarCo | SolarCo |
| Fergal and Amy Coughlan, InnishannonDairy, 160 cows, 2025 | 32.4 kW | Home and Agri Energy | Irish Farmers Journal |
| Unnamed Cork horticultural farmTillage and horticulture, 2022 | 15 kW | Local Power | Local Power presentation (hosted by Teagasc) |
| John Murphy, DripseyDairy, 2022 | 32 panels | IFA / Bord Gáis Energy pilot | Agriland |
| Conor DesmondDairy, About 130 cows, 2026 | 68 panels | Not named | Agriland |
Most farm roof systems need no planning permission and are never reported, so this is a small sample. See farm solar case studies from every county for costs, grants and payback.
What solar planning applications have been made in Cork?
The national planning register holds 68 applications to 30 September 2026 for solar panels that supply a Cork business, farm or public building on its own site.
| Measure | Figure |
|---|---|
| Applications | 68 |
| Granted | 57 |
| Cork City Council | 26 |
| Cork County Council | 42 |
| Roof-mounted | 51 |
| Ground-mounted | 11 |
| On farms | 10 |
| Capacity granted, where a size is stated | 10.8 MW |
| Confirmed built by a published report | 5 |
The applications that name the site, largest first:
| Site | Council | Size applied for | Status | Planning record |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cork Airport | City | 1.7 MW | Granted | 2024, ref 2443516 |
| Trabolgan Holiday Centre | County | 610 kW | Invalid application | 2026, ref 26/1314 |
| NSC Campus | City | 495.5 kW | Granted | 2023, ref 2341906 |
| Ballyhandle Quarry | County | 420 kW | Granted | 2026, ref 26/0801 |
| Collins SuperValu, Carrigaline | County | 236 kW | Built | 2022, ref 22/4892 |
| Avoncourt Packaging | City | 215.8 kW | Granted | 2022, ref 2241608 |
| Folláin Teo | County | 201 kW | No decision recorded | 2017, ref 17/6399 |
| Avoncourt Packaging | City | 199 kW | Granted | 2021, ref 2139886 |
| Irish International Trading Corporation | City | 174.3 kW | Granted | 2023, ref 2342242 |
| Hurleys' SuperValu | County | 153 kW | Granted | 2020, ref 20/5036 |
| Casey's Hotel | County | 70 kW | Granted | 2024, ref 24/102 |
| O'Brien's Service Station | City | Not stated | Granted | 2019, ref 1938584 |
Show 21 more applications
| Site | Council | Size applied for | Status | Planning record |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ryan's SuperValu, Grange Road | City | Not stated | Granted | 2021, ref 2140272 |
| Educate Together National School, Carrs Hill | City | Not stated | Granted | 2021, ref 2140429 |
| Ballyvolane Shopping Centre | City | Not stated | Granted | 2022, ref 2241026 |
| Blarney Waste Water Treatment Plant | City | Not stated | Granted | 2022, ref 2241082 |
| O'Leary's SuperValu, Tower Shopping Centre | City | Not stated | Built | 2022, ref 2241130 |
| Ryan's SuperValu, Crestfield Centre | City | Not stated | Built | 2022, ref 2241313 |
| M.D. O'Shea & Sons | City | Not stated | Granted | 2022, ref 2241442 |
| Cnoc Mhuire | City | 222 panels | Granted | 2023, ref 2342212 |
| ESB Wilton Regional Office | City | Not stated | Granted | 2025, ref 2543635 |
| ALDI Bishopstown Road | City | Not stated | Built | 2025, ref 2543809 |
| Lidl | County | Not stated | Granted | 2018, ref 18/599 |
| Dano's SuperValu | County | Not stated | Granted | 2019, ref 19/5454 |
| Boherbue Co-Op Stores and SuperValu | County | Not stated | Granted | 2021, ref 21/4331 |
| Amber Service Station | County | Not stated | Granted | 2022, ref 22/4143 |
| O'Mahony's Centra | County | Not stated | Granted | 2022, ref 22/4911 |
| Recordati Ireland | County | Not stated | Granted | 2022, ref 22/5411 |
| Fota Wildlife Park | County | 98 panels | Built | 2022, ref 22/5601 |
| Abbeylands Nursing Home and Alzheimer's Unit | County | 308 panels | Invalid application | 2025, ref 25/6743 |
| Abbeylands Nursing Home and Alzheimer's Unit | County | 308 panels | Granted | 2026, ref 26/1564 |
| Hilltop Farms | County | Not stated | Granted | 2016, ref 16/6506 |
| Glenilen Farm | County | Not stated | Granted | 2022, ref 22/603 |
"Granted" is permission to build. A scheme is shown as built only where a published report says so. Houses do not appear because solar on a house is exempt. See the planning rules for solar panels in Cork, including the 6 safeguarding zones.
How was this list put together?
- Businesses, clubs and farms: taken from news reports, company announcements and installers' own case studies. Each row names its source.
- Planning: every Cork application in the national planning register that mentions solar was read. Grid-scale solar farms and houses were removed.
- Limits: a site with panels and no published report is not here. Sizes are as the source states them.
Data last reviewed October 2026. For a home, see solar panel prices in Cork and Cork solar installers.