Solar provider Activ8 Energies and SSE Airtricity have partnered to launch a funded solar PV initiative for businesses across the island of Ireland, worth up to £170 million (approximately €202 million), offering companies a route to on-site renewable generation without upfront capital expenditure. Under the scheme, Activ8 and SSE jointly fund, install, and maintain the solar PV systems, with businesses purchasing the electricity generated on site at an agreed rate through long-term power purchase agreements of between 15 and 25 years.

Sync NI reported that the initiative is available nationwide and is aimed particularly at sectors with high and consistent energy demand, including manufacturing, logistics, and large-scale commercial operations. It is designed to provide long-term energy price stability at a time when international supply pressures and geopolitical uncertainty continue to drive cost volatility.

Ciaran Marron, CEO of Activ8 Energies, said energy price instability has become a real issue for businesses in Northern Ireland and right across the island of Ireland, and that the funded initiative gives companies a clear path to predictable energy pricing without upfront investment, allowing them to plan ahead with greater confidence, invest in growth, and remain competitive even as energy markets remain uncertain.

Stephen Gallagher, managing director of SSE Airtricity, said the initiative provides price certainty for businesses while removing the upfront cost barrier to decarbonising operations, and encouraged businesses in Northern Ireland in particular to avail of the opportunity.

The launch comes as Monaghan-based Activ8 Energies marks its 20th anniversary. The company has grown to become a significant provider of large-scale renewable energy solutions for Irish businesses, with the SSE Airtricity partnership representing its largest funded initiative to date.

Read the full report on the Activ8 and SSE Airtricity funded solar initiative.