Hello
@Colin4444
First things first, get a couple of installers out to your house, to do a free inspection and a quote. Don't give in to a quick, hard sell, though.
You need to know approx. how many panels you'll get on your roof, as a starting point.
You can subsequently look into differnt manufacturers, and the efficiency of their panels etc.
The direction that each side of your roof faces will play an important part on how much power you can generate. South facing is ideal, West or East facing next, while North facing will produce very little.
The inverter that you select is also very important, as mentioned above, by
@mugsymugsy - you've got to get a hybrid inverter, even if you don't go for a battery immediately, you may decide to do so, in the future.
There are differnt views on whether to get a battery, and also get water heated (usually by an "Eddie"), as part of your overall package.
The more people in your house, the more hot water that's needed. Personally, I think its an expensive extra that I didn't want, but then again, we've a small household.
When your household uses most of it's electricity, along with how much power you are likely to be able to generate, influence the battery decision. Typically, people who get batteries, generate more power during the day, then they need, so store the surplus power in their battery, and user it when the panels stop working for the evening/night.
Beware of companies offering discounts, if your let them advertise on your house, post installation. As a rule of thumb, they are expensive, even after the discount.
I'm not up to date on prices, but I still see regular comments from people saying that the big electricity and gas companies are expensive, compared to some independents.
Lots of quotes, from lots of installers, is the way to go... Just make sure that you are comparing like with like.
Also, check the likes of Trustpilot for reviews, in addition to asking the FB group for references.
Huawei are a well regarded brand, but be warned, their kit isn't compatible with most other manufacturers, so you'll be locked into Huawei for all future products, if you buy into them. They are also more expensive than many of the other well known manufacturers.
After getting a number of quotes, I ended up selecting Evolve ECO Solutions to instal my system. I was very happy with them, found them competitive on price etc. Lennon Solar also made my short list, along with a couple of others. I live on the north side of Dublin, btw.
There are grants available, as I'm sure you know. However, you need to ensure that you've got the ability to install enough panels, to qualify etc. You'll also need to get a BER rating. Visit the SEAI website, for info. and to ensure that any installer or engineer you are considering, are on the SEAI approved list, before you commit.
Finally, do not pay large deposits in advance. Done installers are trying to extract 50% deposits, we'll in advance of installation dates, which is crazy, and sees you take on the risk if something goes wrong (a few installers have gone bust, leaving people high and dry, for example). Also, when l paying a deposit, pay it by credit card if you can, as you'll get a level of protection, in the event of a problem.
Now, go set up that dummy FB account and join the group that I've previously suggested (via Clubmans post, above)... I promise, you'll be glad you did.
Thats why a more long standing provider like Bord Gais might be better.. at least they wont go bust with your deposit, and if something does go wrong further down the line you should be OK...