A breakfast roll was €3. And in 2006, we weren’t just eating them. We were singing about them.
Pat Shortt’s The Jumbo Breakfast Roll spent six weeks at number one and finished the year as Ireland’s best-selling single of 2006, even outselling Shakira’s Hips Don’t Lie.
Phones had buttons and the iPhone didn’t exist.
And spotting solar technology on the roof of an Irish home was unusual enough to make you look twice. Twenty years later, quite a lot has changed.
That’s the idea behind the advertising campaign you may have spotted on billboards or heard on the radio recently as Activ8 Solar Energies celebrates 20 years in business.
One of those billboards carries a simple message:
“We’ve been installing solar since a breakfast roll was €3.”
It’s a bit of fun.
But it’s also a surprisingly effective way of putting 20 years into perspective.
What Was Ireland Like 20 Years Ago?
Let’s go back to 2006 when Ireland was still in the middle of the Celtic Tiger years.
More than a million of us had been putting money into SSIAs, with the first accounts beginning to mature that year. A new car? A holiday? Home improvements? Pay something off? Those were the kinds of conversations taking place around Irish kitchen tables.
The Luas was still relatively new. Dublin Airport’s Terminal 2 didn’t exist. Neither did the iPhone.
There was no Instagram. No WhatsApp. No Spotify. Twitter was only getting started, while Facebook had yet to become the everyday part of Irish life it would eventually become.
If you wanted to take a decent photograph, there was a fair chance you brought a camera. If you got lost, you might actually have to ask someone for directions.
And if somebody mentioned TikTok, you’d probably have assumed they were talking about a clock.
Then there was the soundtrack.
Pat Shortt released The Jumbo Breakfast Roll in February 2006. It was essentially an ode to one of Ireland’s great culinary institutions, and the country absolutely loved it.
Six weeks at number one. The biggest-selling single of the year. Shakira, Gnarls Barkley, Justin Timberlake and the rest had to settle for looking up the charts at a song about a breakfast roll.
It was a very particular time and place. Which is precisely why, 20 years later, we couldn’t resist putting the breakfast roll on a billboard.
What Did Solar Energy Look Like in Ireland 20 Years Ago?
Solar wasn’t part of everyday conversation around Irish homes in anything like the way it is today. Seeing solar technology on a house was relatively unusual.
Today, take a drive through almost any Irish town, village or housing estate and you’ll probably spot solar panels quite quickly.
And the questions homeowners ask have changed with them.
Do solar panels actually work in Irish weather?
How many solar panels would I need?
Is my roof suitable?
Should I get a solar battery?
What grants are available?
Would solar make sense if I’m buying an electric car?
These are now perfectly ordinary questions for Irish homeowners. And the numbers behind that transformation are remarkable.
How Much Has Solar Energy Grown in Ireland?
More than 200,000 Irish homes now have solar panels, while Ireland passed another major solar milestone in 2026 when total installed capacity exceeded 3GW.
Solar has moved from being an unusual sight to becoming an increasingly familiar part of the Irish landscape.
For homeowners, that means solar isn’t some technology that might become mainstream at some point in the future. It’s already sitting on rooftops all over the country.
And Activ8 has had a front-row seat for much of that transformation.
How Has Home Solar Changed in 20 Years?
The conversation about installing solar today is very different from the one homeowners would have had 20 years ago.
Solar PV can now form part of a much wider home-energy system.
Homeowners can consider battery storage, allowing surplus electricity generated during daylight hours to be stored and used later.
Electric vehicles mean some households can use electricity generated on their own roof to help power their car.
Surplus solar electricity can be exported back to the national grid.
Solar can also form part of a wider home-energy upgrade alongside technologies such as heat pumps and improvements to insulation, windows and doors.
And there is Government support towards the cost.
In 2026, eligible homeowners can receive an SEAI Solar PV Grant of up to €1,800. The current scheme provides €700 per kWp up to 2kWp and €200 for each additional kWp up to 4kWp, capped at €1,800.
Are Solar Panels Now Mainstream in Ireland?
With more than 200,000 Irish homes now having solar panels, we’re certainly getting there.
Perhaps an even better indication is the type of conversations we’re now having with homeowners.
Solar isn’t only being considered by early adopters with a particular interest in renewable technology.
It might be a couple in their seventies wondering whether it’s still worthwhile installing solar at their age.
It might be a family trying to get more control over their electricity bills.
It might be somebody buying their first electric car.
Or it might simply be a homeowner who has noticed that several houses on their road now have panels and started wondering whether their own roof could do the same job.
We’ve answered many of those questions elsewhere on this site.
Twenty years ago, these weren’t questions most Irish households were asking. Today, they very much are.
20 Years and More Than 25,000 Solar Installations Later
And that brings us back to the reason for the breakfast roll and the old mobile phone.
Activ8 Solar Energies is celebrating 20 years in business.
During that time, we’ve installed more than 25,000 solar systems.
We’ve watched solar move from something relatively unfamiliar to a technology now found on more than 200,000 Irish homes.
We’ve seen battery storage and electric vehicles become part of the conversation. We’ve seen Government grants and supports evolve.
And we’ve seen Irish homeowners become far more familiar with where their electricity comes from, what it costs and how much of it they could potentially generate themselves.
A lot has changed in 20 years.
We’re pleased to report that the breakfast roll has survived, although good luck trying to find one for three quid.
Frequently Asked Questions About Solar Energy in Ireland
How long has Activ8 Solar Energies been in business?
Activ8 Solar Energies is celebrating 20 years in business in 2026 and has installed more than 25,000 solar systems during that time.
How many homes in Ireland have solar panels?
More than 200,000 Irish homes now have solar panels, illustrating how significantly domestic solar has grown in Ireland over the past two decades.
How much solar capacity does Ireland have?
Ireland passed 3GW of installed solar capacity in 2026, marking another significant milestone in the development of solar energy in Ireland.
Were solar panels common in Ireland 20 years ago?
No. Solar technology was a much less common sight on Irish homes 20 years ago. Today, more than 200,000 Irish homes have solar panels installed.
Celebrating 20 Years of Activ8 Solar Energies
Our latest advertising campaign is having a little fun with how much Ireland has changed during Activ8’s 20 years in business.
But behind the nostalgia is something we’re extremely proud of.
Twenty years in business. More than 25,000 solar installations. And an Irish solar landscape that has changed almost beyond recognition along the way.
So if you’ve spotted one of our anniversary billboards or heard us on the radio recently, hopefully it’s brought back a few memories.
And after 20 years, we’re looking forward to seeing what comes next.
We have absolutely no idea what a breakfast roll will cost in 2046.
But we’d quite like it to stay below a tenner.
