Solar Ireland and the SSI Strengthen Collaboration to Advance Responsible Solar Supply Chains

Solar Ireland announced the next step in its partnership with the Solar Stewardship Initiative (SSI) following the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding at SolarPower Europe’s Sustainable Solar Europe event in Brussels.

Solar Ireland has been engaged with SSI since its inception, helping to shape the development of credible, transparent and effective sustainability tools for the European solar industry. As the sector grows rapidly in Ireland and across Europe, this renewed partnership reflects a shared commitment to work with members, manufacturers and policy partners to continue expanding solar deployment in support of Ireland’s 2030 renewable energy goals, while ensuring that growth is delivered responsibly and in a manner that supports fair and sustainable outcomes for everyone involved.

The collaboration builds on work already underway across Ireland to improve traceability, responsible sourcing and due diligence. The new agreement strengthens the alignment of the Irish market with European standards, ensuring that the sector continues to scale in a way that meets the expectations of communities, investors and international partners.

Evolving strong foundations into a European-aligned approach

Speaking at the signing, Ronan Power, CEO of Solar Ireland, said:

“Ireland’s solar industry is already taking meaningful steps to strengthen responsible supply chains. Our collaboration with SSI since its early days has helped ensure that credible frameworks are accessible to the Irish market. This enhanced partnership allows us to take that work further, giving our members access to European standards, tools and training so we can continue to grow at pace while maintaining transparency, integrity and public trust.”

Under the agreement, Solar Ireland and SSI will work together to:

• Share guidance, training and resources with Solar Ireland members
• Support continuous adoption of coherent, credible traceability and due-diligence approaches
• Promote responsible sourcing and sustainability standards across the Irish market
• Strengthen alignment with EU expectations for renewable energy supply chains

A European partnership supporting Ireland’s leadership

Solar Ireland will integrate SSI materials and expertise into its working groups, policy engagement and the new Members Area launching in early 2026. This will support companies in understanding and preparing for emerging European requirements around sustainability claims, traceability expectations and value chain due diligence.

Rachel Owens, CEO of the Solar Stewardship Initiative, said:

“We are delighted to strengthen our collaboration with Solar Ireland. As Ireland accelerates its solar deployment, it is essential that responsible and sustainable practices remain at the heart of industry growth. This partnership reflects our shared commitment to advancing transparency, accountability, and stewardship across the solar value chain.

 At the Solar Stewardship Initiative, we are keen to develop strategic partnerships with national associations globally, working together to embed responsible practices at both national and local levels. The industry continues to evolve quickly, and we want to support companies across Ireland in strengthening their ESG and traceability practices. By working together, we can deepen transparency and ensure the sector continues to deliver social and environmental value as it grows.”

Supporting confidence for communities, Government and industry

The MoU confirms a shared ambition to grow a solar industry that is not only delivering clean energy at scale, but doing so with clear, ethical and accountable practices. As deployment accelerates, the partnership will help ensure consistent understanding of responsible supply chain expectations and reinforce confidence in Ireland’s solar sector.

Solar Ireland and SSI will now begin implementing a shared programme of training, member briefings and collaborative communications to support responsible industry development and Ireland’s journey toward 8 GW of solar by 2030.