Ryanair CEO Michael O’Leary has begun the green transformation of his midlands farm and insists State grants for solar panels should be fast-tracked to help farmers reduce their carbon footprint. The airline boss invested €140,000 installing solar panels and 90kW of batteries at his 2,000-acre Gigginstown estate outside Mullingar, Co Westmeath. The 231-panel Swyft Energy system is one of Ireland’s biggest agricultural solar installations.
The installations can generate up to 100,000kWh of electricity a year. O’Leary, 63, insists the grant format should speed up to help farmers who want to reduce their reliance on the national grid. “Government grants are critical, particularly for smaller farmers,” he said. “We’ve had to wait several months after installation to receive the grant – I can afford to do that – but the Government needs to do more to fast-forward that for smaller farmers.
“The grant should be delivered at the time of installation,” O’Leary added. He said he was dismissive about solar power until he realised the tech had advanced to a point which makes it financially viable. “We’re here in North Westmeath, it’s not the Costa del Sol, and yet we are generating remarkable amounts of power; I was astonished. During the summer months, I was generating 70 per cent of the electricity we consume.
Self-sufficient
“We’re exporting around 30 per cent of it back into the grid, so the numbers are compelling.” Financially, the combined savings amount to over €3,000 a month since the project was completed in June, while the entire system will have fully paid for itself in just over five years. Adrian Casey, co-founder of Swyft Energy, said the installation means Gigginstown is energy self-sufficient between 7am-11pm from late spring to early autumn.
Electricity storage will be particularly beneficial during winter, when sheds must be lit up to house the farm’s 600 Aberdeen Angus cattle. “The batteries can now be night-cycled, charged at night when demand on the national grid is low and electricity rates are cheaper, and discharged in the morning when demand is higher,” he said. “The system has exported 8,000kWh of green electricity, roughly €1,500 in savings applied as a credit on the bill.”
O’Leary expects the greening of his farm to spark accusations that it is negligible in the face of Ryanair’s carbon footprint. He said aviation accounts for 2.5 per cent of global CO2 emissions and the airline is investing €30 billion in greener, quieter Boeing 737 Max 10 planes, due to arrive in 2027. “The aircraft we fly today burn about 40 per cent less fuel than 15 years ago. The technology in aviation, a bit like solar, is transformative,” he added.
Michael O’Leary is pictured with Adrian Casey and Joe Freyne of Swyft Energy
