Close to half the energy provided by Eirgrid came from renewable sources last month.

The majority of that came from windfarms, which accounted for almost 35% of all electricity used in the country.

Electricity from renewable sources accounted for just over 40 per cent of total demand in October.

Renewable energy figures. Image: Eirgrid

Eirgrid director of system operations Dermot Gillespie said that, while solar generation was down from record highs during the summer, the October total was still higher than for any month last year.

He said the figures suggest that progress is being made in connecting greater amounts of renewable energy to the national grid.

Currently, the electricity grid can accommodate up to 75% of electricity from renewable sources at any one time

Gas generation accounted for 44% of the country’s electricity needs in September. A further 16% was imported via interconnection, with the remaining numbers coming from coal and other sources.

Reporting by Alan Cantwell.