Households in one Irish neighborhood saved around €1,000 ($1,215) a year on electricity after joining forces to install solar panels, according to Echo Live.
Their experience is encouraging neighbors on Cork's northside to take a similar approach.
Here's what to know
Merrion Court in Montenotte became the first northside estate to adopt a "solar meitheal."
Residents use the community-led model to organize solar installations together, pooling their efforts on planning and panel purchases.
After organizing their own solar panel installations, residents of Newtown Court in Grange helped other estates follow suit.
The approach takes its name from "meitheal," an Irish-language word describing community members pitching in to assist one another with large undertakings.
Newtown Court resident Oliver Deasy discussed the project he coordinated during a meeting in Mayfield, and Green Party councillor Oliver Moran organized the event.
For households exploring solar savings, $0 upfront leases can save you hundreds of dollars per month. EasyHome's free explorer tool helps you estimate your potential savings and find vetted local installers.
Crushed by your bills? See instant solar savings from vetted installers in just a few clicks With energy prices through the roof, there's never been a better time to go solar — and EasyHome can help you find the best prices from the best installers in your area. EasyHome takes the guesswork and headaches out of energy upgrades by showing you estimated savings from a network of vetted local partners. To get started, just enter your ZIP and share a few details about your home — seeing your estimate is really that easy. |
More background
"The demand for solar among communities is absolutely huge right now," Moran said, per Echo Live. "There's a perfect storm of the cost of energy, households wanting to do something for climate action, and people knowing too that they need to build their own resilience against more shocks in the future."
Moran explained that the community basis of the project helped those new to solar energy feel empowered to make the switch.
"The idea of a 'solar meitheal' is great for households to reduce their costs, but there's also a sense of confidence-in-numbers when making a decision like this with neighbors," he said, per Echo Live.
What's being done?
Moran hopes Northside Solar can create a repeatable model by working with residents' associations across the northside.
The initiative plans to expand to Montenotte Park next.
For those weighing the resilience concern Moran raised, EasyHome also offers options for exploring battery storage alongside solar. Combining solar panels with a battery can help manage electricity costs and provide backup power during outages.
"That sense of being able to share experience and knowledge informally and at a neighborhood level is really important," Moran told Echo Live.
Where can I learn more?
Cork's "solar meitheal" gives neighbors a way to cut electricity costs together. These stories explore shared solar and savings from rooftop panels and batteries in Australia and the U.K.
• In Australia, rooftop solar on 183 homes is cutting bills for 495 households.
• One U.K. homeowner says solar and battery storage erased electricity bills, saving £1,050.
• In England, free rooftop solar cut one couple's summer bills below £3, earning them £197.
Get TCD's free newsletters for easy tips, smart advice, and a chance to earn $5,000 toward home upgrades. To see more stories like this one, change your Google preferences here.
