Whether you have a home or a business in Northern Ireland, you may be considering installing solar panels as a cheaper and more environmentally friendly option for your energy production.
Often, people from Northern Ireland have concerns about the performance of Solar PV systems due to the amount of cloud cover, but we’re here to set the record straight. We’ve collated real-world results from our solar panel installations from the past two years, using true data from the SolisCloud and Growatt systems.
Many of the systems were installed alongside batteries or hot water diverters, however the production is purely a measure of what the solar panels produced over the year. Across the board, it’s proof of how solar works in Northern Ireland, across all areas, roofs and system designs. Have a look for yourself!
Solar Power Output in Annalong
A 5.53kW Solar PV system in Annalong, Co Down was installed alongside the G98 compliant 3.6kW hybrid inverter and 5kWh Li-Ion battery. First Class Solar estimated an annual production of 4,162kWh per year.
Actual Production
2024: 4,865kWh
2025: 5,340kWh
Result: across both years, this Solar PV system has surpassed our predicted production by an average of 9.76%.
Solar Energy Production in Lisburn
This system in Lisburn consists of a 5.53 kWp solar array, a 3.6 kW hybrid inverter and a 5kWh solar battery. When it was designed by the First Class Solar team, the estimated annual generation was 3,919 kWh.
Actual Production
2024: 4,333kWh
2025: 4,695kWh (an increase of 8.3% compared with 2024)
Result: Over the two-year period, the Solar PV system has comfortably exceeded its original estimate, producing an average of 9.76% more energy than predicted.
Ballymena Solar Panel Output
A larger Solar PV system was installed in Ballymena, Co Antrim with 6.09kWh PV power alongside a 3.6kWh hybrid inverter and a hot water diverter. This was estimated to produce 4,720kWh annually.
Actual Production
2024: 4,398kWh
2025: 4,789kWh (up from 8.9% from the year before)
Result: this solar PV system installed in Ballymena has produced 2.86% less on average than the estimate over the 2024-2025 period. There are various reasons for this, including some shading that was possibly not taken into account in the design, such as a chimney or foliage that has grown up, panels that are heavily soiled, or a more cloudy year than predicted.
Whilst being slightly less than original estimates, this continues to be a great result as it still meant lower electric bills across the year for this customer, plus the added benefit of hot water, resulting in lower oil and gas bills too.
Solar PV Production in Crumlin
In Crumlin, Co Antrim a 5.92kWh solar PV system with a 3.6kW hybrid inverter and 5kWh Li-Ion battery was calculated to produce 4,121kWh per year.
Actual Production
2024: 3,783kWh
2025: 4,713kWh (up 24.5% from previous year!)
Result: Across both years, this Crumlin solar PV system beat the prediction by an average of 3.08%.
Portadown Solar Panel Output
Estimated to produce 3,721kWh per year, this First Class Solar system installed in Portadown consists of 4.74kWh of solar panels, alongside a 3.6kWh hybrid inverter and a 5kWh solar battery.
Actual Production
2024: 3,990kWh
2025: 4,463kWh (an increase of 11.8% from 2024)
Result: This solar PV system performed better than estimated in both 2024 and 2025, with average production being higher by 13.59% across the two years.
Dromore Solar Panel Performance
A 4.4kWh solar system in Dromore, fitted alongside a 3kWh hybrid inverter and a hot water diverter was calculated to produce 2,970kWh per year.
Actual Production
2024: 3,164kWh
2025: 3,216kWh
Result: For both years, this Solar PV system exceeded original estimates, averaging an increase of 7.41% across 2024/2025.
Across the board, the results speak for themselves. We can see that in general, 2025 tended to show higher levels of solar energy production (and when you think of 2025 summer compared to 2024, the reason becomes clear), with all systems producing more energy in the summer months with long, bright days. Those systems with batteries tended to be more fruitful for homes during winter months, with the added benefit of charging the batteries over the winter nights on the cheaper overnight tariff.
But all in all, each and every First Class Solar system has helped our customers save money on their electric bills. As these systems last for 25+ years, these savings really do add up! We are proud of contributing towards this, and would be happy to help you save money if you are considering installing a Solar PV system. Get in touch with us today for your personalised quote!
Email: info@firstclasssolar.co.uk
Telephone: 02896 005042
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