Ground-mounted · checked 3 November 2026
Ground-mounted solar panels in Wexford
Panels on a frame in the garden don't need planning permission if all the free-standing panels together cover no more than 25 m², stand no higher than 2.5 m, aren't in front of the house, and leave at least 25 m² of garden behind or beside it.
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- No planning up to 25 m² at a house
- 60% TAMS 3 grant on farms
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Last checked 3 November 2026: SEAI grant rules (scheme guide v6.0), Purevolt's and Selectra's published prices and export rates, read at source. Output from EU PVGIS and weather from Met Éireann, pulled the same day.
Do I need planning permission for ground-mounted panels?
Panels on a frame in the garden don't need planning permission if all the free-standing panels together cover no more than 25 m², stand no higher than 2.5 m, aren't in front of the house, and leave at least 25 m² of garden behind or beside it.
| Rule | Exempt from planning at a house if |
|---|---|
| Total panel area | No more than 25 m², counting any free-standing panels already there |
| Height | No more than 2.5 m above the ground at the highest point |
| Position | Not forward of the front wall of the house |
| Garden left | At least 25 m² of private open space behind or beside the house |
| Conservation areas | Only if the panels don't materially affect the character of the area |
| Glint and glare | Panels that cause hazardous glint or glare aren't exempt, and must be covered or removed until it's fixed |
From S.I. No. 493 of 2022, Planning and Development (Exempted Development) (No. 4) Regulations, Class 2(c). These are the rules for houses; apartments aren't covered. Panels on the roof have their own rules: no more than 15 cm above the roof (50 cm on a flat roof) and at least 50 cm from the edge.
Does the SEAI grant cover ground-mounted panels?
SEAI's guide doesn't say either way: it covers solar PV on the home, and doesn't mention ground mounts, garages or outbuildings.
From SEAI Solar PV Scheme Application Guide, v6.0, 12 Oct 2026 (read 3 Nov 2026). Ask SEAI on (01) 808 2100 or solarpv@seai.ie, and get the answer in writing, before you plan on the grant. On a farm, the Solar Capital Investment Scheme under TAMS 3 pays 60%, with its own €90,000 investment ceiling, and the array can include the needs of one house on the holding (gov.ie, Solar Capital Investment Scheme under TAMS 3).
How much does a ground-mounted array make in Wexford?
A frame can face due south at about 35°, so it makes what a south roof at that angle makes: about 1,056 kWh per kWp a year in Wexford town, 933 in Bunclody.
| Town | South at 35° | East and west | Panels at 10° |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wexford town | 1,056 | 825 | 953 |
| Rosslare | 1,048 | 818 | 946 |
| Kilmore Quay | 1,045 | 816 | 945 |
| Courtown | 992 | 783 | 898 |
| Gorey | 979 | 775 | 887 |
| New Ross | 975 | 775 | 887 |
| Ferns | 973 | 774 | 884 |
| Enniscorthy | 971 | 771 | 884 |
| Bunclody | 933 | 745 | 850 |
kWh a year per kWp, from EU PVGIS 5.2, 2005–2020 satellite record, 14% losses, local hills included. PVGIS models building-mounted panels; a free-standing frame is our comparison.
What about wind on an open site?
Johnstown Castle, Met Éireann's station near Wexford town, has recorded gusts of 63 knots since 2009, so ask what wind load the frame and its foundations are rated for.
From Met Éireann, Johnstown Castle 2 monthly records, our reading of the monthly records for 2009–2025. A frame in an open field near the coast takes more wind than panels flat on a roof, so ask for the foundation design on the quote.
FAQ
Quick answers
Do I need planning permission for ground-mounted solar panels?
Panels on a frame in the garden don't need planning permission if all the free-standing panels together cover no more than 25 m², stand no higher than 2.5 m, aren't in front of the house, and leave at least 25 m² of garden behind or beside it. (S.I. No. 493 of 2022, Planning and Development (Exempted Development) (No. 4) Regulations)
Does the SEAI grant cover ground-mounted panels?
SEAI's scheme guide doesn't mention ground-mounted panels, garages or outbuildings; it talks about panels on the home (SEAI Solar PV Scheme Application Guide, v6.0, 12 Oct 2026 (read 3 Nov 2026)). Ask SEAI on (01) 808 2100 or solarpv@seai.ie before you count on the grant.
Is there a grant for ground-mounted solar on a farm?
Farms use the Solar Capital Investment Scheme under TAMS 3: 60% grant, with its own €90,000 investment ceiling, and the array can be sized to include one dwelling house on the holding (gov.ie, Solar Capital Investment Scheme under TAMS 3).
Do ground-mounted panels make more power?
They can face due south at about 35°, so they match a south roof: about 1,056 kWh per kWp a year in Wexford town and 933 in Bunclody (EU PVGIS 5.2).
How much do ground-mounted solar panels cost?
None of the Irish installers we checked publish a ground-mount price, so ask for the frame, the foundations and the cable trench to the house itemised on the quote.
Keep reading
More on solar in Wexford
- Solar panel cost in Wexford
- The SEAI solar grant
- Solar batteries in Wexford
- Solar panel installers in Wexford
- How many panels you need
- Wexford towns compared
- Solar panels in Wexford town1,056 kWh per kWp a year
- Solar panels in Enniscorthy971 kWh per kWp a year
- Solar panels in Gorey979 kWh per kWp a year
- Solar panels in New Ross975 kWh per kWp a year
- Solar panels in Courtown992 kWh per kWp a year
- Solar panels in Bunclody933 kWh per kWp a year
- Solar panels in Rosslare1,048 kWh per kWp a year
- Solar panels in Ferns973 kWh per kWp a year
- Solar panels in Kilmore Quay1,045 kWh per kWp a year
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Where these numbers come from (16 public sources, checked 3 November 2026)
- Irish Times, 15 Oct 2026
- SEAI Solar PV Scheme Application Guide, v6.0, 12 Oct 2026 (read 3 Nov 2026)
- Grant Thornton
- WattCharger, Aug 2026
- Selectra, updated 12 Sep 2026
- Irish Times, 25 Sep 2026
- Solar Safeguarding Zone data, Dept of Housing
- Pager Power, quoting the Oireachtas housing committee
- gov.ie, 7 Oct 2022
- Wexford County Development Plan 2022–2028, Volume 6: Architectural Conservation Areas
- ESB Networks
- Met Éireann, Sunshine and Solar Radiation
- EU PVGIS 5.2
- S.I. No. 493 of 2022, Planning and Development (Exempted Development) (No. 4) Regulations
- gov.ie, Solar Capital Investment Scheme under TAMS 3
- Met Éireann, Johnstown Castle 2 monthly records