Early adopters: An examination of solar PV electrified homes in Ireland

Residential solar photovoltaic (PV) is a significant contributor to sustainable energy systems. Early adopters can provide insights into its effectiveness and lessons for policymakers and grid operators. This study investigates electricity use in 59 early-adopter PV homes in Ireland, integrating household survey data with high-resolution smart meter and PV system data. The dataset enables analysis of technology adoption, load profiles and self-usage. Data standardisation was challenging due to 12 different PV data sources, 25 file formats, and seven temporal resolutions. This underscores the need for harmonised data protocols. Early adopter electrified homes differ markedly from national averages: mean annual electricity use was 9279 kWh, 2.2 times the Irish mean, and baseloads were well below the ~250 W expected from national load profiles. Fewer than 10% of households peaked in the evening (5–7 p.m.), while 53% peaked overnight, reflecting EV charging, battery operation, and tariff-driven load shifting. Average self-consumption rate (SCR, 57%) was above the 30% assumed in fuel savings calculations but below the 100% used in building energy rating assessments. In bivariate tests, battery ownership was associated with ~ + 16 pp. higher SCR while smart tariffs were associated with lower SCR and Self-Sufficiency Rate (SSR) (~ − 16 pp. and ~ 12 pp. respectively). EV ownership was linked to materially higher annual use and higher peak import, but not to higher SCR, implying sub-optimal charging alignment with PV output. The findings highlight to policymakers opportunities and risks in scaling PV adoption, particularly the importance of aligning flexible loads with renewables to maximise SCR/SSR and reduce peaks.