Activ8 Solar Energies, the largest supplier of solar PV units in Ireland and partner to SSE Airtricity, has opened its new 20,000 sq ft headquarters in Carrickmacross, Co Monaghan and announced plans to add 200 highly-skilled green jobs over the next two years.

The roles, which include administrative and back-office positions, along with positions in the areas of design, technical, engineering, plumbing and roofing, will be filled to support the transition towards a carbon-neutral economy.

The Carrickmacross site is the most energy-efficient commercial premises in Monaghan and the first NZEB standard (Nearly Zero Energy Building) to obtain planning permission in the county.

"We are delighted to have taken the next step in our journey by moving into our new state-of-the-art headquarters," said Ciaran Marron, CEO of Activ8 Solar Energies.

"We want to continue delivering the high-quality service we are proud of. To achieve this, we are excited to announce the creation of 200 jobs over the next two years. This will increase our capacity across several departments including engineers, electricians, plumbers and roofers, along with several office and management roles to be filled.

In Association with

“Our new headquarters reflect our commitment to sustainability and we’re excited that our efforts in this regard have been recognised with the recent announcement that we have been shortlisted as a finalist in the 2022 SEAI Energy Awards," he added.

“Today’s official opening of our new headquarters is a key milestone for the company, and it would not have been possible if not for the dedication and hard work from the fantastic staff we have in Activ8 and I can’t thank them enough.

"We are very excited for the future of Activ8 Solar Energies and we look forward to growing further through our successful partnership with SSE Airtricity.”

Speaking at the official opening, Taoiseach Micheál Martin said: "This facility will have a positive impact on the North-East region moving towards a carbon-neutral economy and will result in a significant increase in the provision of solar products and services for homes and businesses across Ireland.

"This will ensure more sustainable options being offered to businesses and customers across the country and ultimately support the delivery of Ireland’s climate targets."

Activ8 and SSE have delivered over 3,000 domestic solar installations this year and have ambitions to deliver up to 50,000 installations over the next decade.

Over 100,000 solar panels have been installed by Activ8 across Ireland, generating 36.5m kWh of green energy, or the equivalent carbon offset of 11.5m litres of diesel.

"SSE Airtricity began working with Activ8 Solar Energies in 2018 and the partnership has grown from strength to strength ever since, as both organisations are committed to being pioneers in green energy," said Nikki Flanders, managing director of SSE Energy Customer Solutions.

"The drive for innovation and commitment to sustainability demonstrated through Activ8’s new headquarters is aligned to the sustainable values that continue to drive SSE Airtricity’s business and increasingly, our customers, too."

25 jobs at Rahi

Elsewhere, IT systems integrator Rahi, which has its European sales headquarters in Limerick, has announced an additional integration and warehousing facility to be located in Ballycoolin, Co Dublin to support its growing Irish and European data centre business.

The company will add 25 staff in its racking and integration services division with roles for project managers, data centre logistics and data centre operators.

Rahi, founded by US-based entrepreneur Tarun Raisoni, now has facilities and operations in 40 countries and employs 1,200 people worldwide, including 100 in Ireland and the rest of Europe.

"We recognise the importance of Ireland as a technological hub for Europe and the world. As a team, we have grown massively in recent years with the expansion of our Limerick office," said Marcu Doran, VP and general manager of Rahi Europe.

"We are committed to accelerating growth across both Ireland and EMEA and I am pleased to announce new job opportunities in the Irish region. 

“The concept of the data centre has evolved to encompass diverse and sustainable environments along with traditional on-premises infrastructure, cloud platforms, co-location facilities and edge data centres.

"Rahi is a global leader and our Irish team will play a pivotal role in creating industry leading technological solutions for our customers.”