3 October 2024
Renewables provided a third of electricity in September
Electricity from renewable sources provided for a third of total demand in September, according to provisional data from grid operator EirGrid.
The majority of renewable electricity1 generated last month came from windfarms, which accounted for just under 29% of all electricity used in Ireland.
Total generation from wind energy amounted to 776 GWh (Gigawatt hours) over the month, marking the second highest September figure on record.
Overall, renewables provided 33.5% of electricity in September.
Some 72 GWh of electricity came from grid-scale solar2 last month, roughly on par with May’s figure following successive strong months for solar generation in July and August over the summer. Grid-scale solar accounted for 2.7% of electricity in September.
Overall electricity system demand3 stood at 2,683 GWh for September.
Gas generation accounted for 44% of all electricity used in September, with just under 16% being imported via interconnection, 5.5% coming from coal, and the remaining 2% from other sources4.
EirGrid is responsible for leading Ireland's transition to a low carbon future so that 80% of electricity can come from renewables by 2030, as set out in Government targets.
Currently the electricity grid can accommodate up to 75% of electricity from renewable sources at any one time. This is known as the system non-synchronous penetration (SNSP) limit. EirGrid is aiming to further increase the SNSP limit.
Diarmaid Gillespie, Director of System Operations at EirGrid, said: “While solar generation was down from record highs during the summer the September total was still higher than for any month last year, which signals the progress being made in connecting greater amounts of renewable energy to the national grid.
"Wind energy represented the vast majority of renewable generation last month, which demonstrates the continued centrality of this source of electricity for the power system.”
About the Data
The data is based on 15-minute SCADA readings (MW). The data referenced above is Ireland-only.
Data is provisional and unmetered data, based on real-time information.
1Average Fuel Mix is a representation of the System Generation fuel mix and net imports across the power system. The “Renewables” category includes wind, solar, hydro and biomass sources. It excludes some non-centrally monitored generation (for example, small-scale combined heat and power and microgeneration).
2Not including rooftop (embedded) solar.
3System demand represents the electricity production required to meet national electricity consumption, including system losses, but net of generators' requirements.
4The “Other” category includes Peat, Distillate, Combined Heat and Power (CHP), Aggregated Generating Units (AGUs) and Demand Side Units (DSUs). Waste is split 50% between the “Other” and “Renewable” categories.