Ireland sets new daily solar peak above 1.2 GW

Ireland's grid hit a new daily solar peak of over 1.2 GW on Tuesday, according to Renews.biz. The figure is notable in context: Ireland operates a small, island synchronous zone, meaning each incremental gigawatt of non-synchronous generation adds measurable system stress.

The milestone arrives as Irish solar capacity has expanded sharply in recent years. Grid operators EirGrid and ESB Networks have been managing rising non-synchronous penetration limits, and a reading above 1.2 GW will feed directly into their next system capability assessments.

Separately, pv magazine reported that France collected 13,760 tonnes of end-of-life solar modules in 2025, up 40% year-on-year. Government agency Soren projects annual recycling volumes to reach nearly 180,000 tonnes by 2040. The two data points together illustrate where European solar now sits in its lifecycle: new peak-output records at the front end, industrial-scale end-of-life infrastructure building at the back.