Cookies are small text files that are stored on your device (computer, tablet, or mobile phone) when you visit a website. They are widely used to make websites work more efficiently, provide a better user experience, and give website owners information about how their site is being used.

Cookies serve a variety of purposes. Some are essential for the website to function at all - for example, remembering your login status or maintaining your shopping cart. Others help us understand how visitors interact with our website so we can improve the experience. Still others are used by third-party services (like Google Analytics) to provide analytics and reporting features.

Cookies can be "persistent" (stored on your device until they expire or you delete them) or "session" cookies (deleted automatically when you close your browser). They can also be "first-party" (set by us directly) or "third-party" (set by external services we use, such as Google Analytics).

This Cookie Policy explains how Solar Ireland uses cookies on our website solarirelandgroup.ie. It applies to all visitors and is intended to comply with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), the ePrivacy Directive (as transposed into Irish law by the European Communities (Electronic Communications Networks and Services) (Privacy and Electronic Communications) Regulations 2011), and guidance from the Data Protection Commission (DPC).

We use cookies for three broad categories of purposes. Understanding these categories will help you make an informed decision about which cookies to accept.

Essential Cookies

These cookies are strictly necessary for the website to function properly. They enable core functionality such as page navigation, secure access to protected areas, cookie consent management, and protection against cross-site request forgery (CSRF) attacks. They cannot be disabled without fundamentally breaking the website experience.

Analytics Cookies

These cookies help us understand how visitors interact with our website - which pages are most popular, how long visitors spend on each page, and how they navigate through the site. We use this anonymised data to improve our content, fix usability issues, and make our website better for everyone. Analytics cookies are optional and require your consent.

Marketing Cookies

These cookies are used to measure the effectiveness of our advertising campaigns and to understand how visitors arrive at our website after clicking on an ad. We do not use marketing cookies to build detailed profiles of your interests, serve personalised advertisements, or retarget you across other websites. Marketing cookies are optional and require your consent.

When you first visit our website, you will be presented with a cookie consent banner that allows you to accept all cookies, reject non-essential cookies, or customise your preferences for each category. Your choice will be remembered for future visits.

The following table provides a complete list of all cookies used on the Solar Ireland website, organised by category. This table is updated whenever we add, remove, or modify cookies.

Essential Cookies

These cookies cannot be disabled. They are necessary for the website to function securely and correctly.

Cookie Name	Purpose	Duration	Type
solar_cookie_consent	Stores your cookie consent preferences (which categories you have accepted or rejected)	12 months	Persistent
__Secure-next-auth.session-token	Maintains your secure authenticated session on the website	Session	HTTP Only
XSRF-TOKEN	Prevents cross-site request forgery (CSRF) attacks to protect your data	24 hours	HTTP Only
__next-build-id	Ensures you receive the latest version of the website from our CDN	Session	Persistent

Analytics Cookies

These cookies are optional and are only set if you accept analytics cookies. They help us understand how visitors use our website.

Cookie Name	Purpose	Duration	Type
_ga	Distinguishes unique visitors to calculate visitor, session, and campaign data. IP addresses are anonymised.	2 years	Persistent
_ga_<ID>	Maintains session state across page requests for a specific Google Analytics property	2 years	Persistent
_gid	Distinguishes unique visitors within a 24-hour period for more granular analysis	24 hours	Persistent

Marketing Cookies

These cookies are optional and are only set if you accept marketing cookies. They are used for ad campaign measurement only.

Cookie Name	Purpose	Duration	Type
_fbp	Stores browser information to measure and improve the effectiveness of Facebook/Meta advertising campaigns	3 months	Persistent
_fbc	Stores referral information when a visitor arrives via a Facebook ad click, used for attribution	2 years	Persistent

Our Google Analytics Configuration

We have configured Google Analytics 4 with the following privacy-protective settings: IP anonymisation is enabled, data sharing with Google for advertising purposes is disabled, Google Signals data collection is disabled, and data retention is set to 14 months. No personally identifiable information is collected through analytics cookies.

In addition to our own first-party cookies, some cookies on our website are set by third-party services that we use to provide analytics, security, and performance features. Each third-party service is independently responsible for their own cookie usage and data practices.

Google Analytics 4

Website analytics service that helps us understand how visitors interact with solarirelandgroup.ie. Collects anonymised data about page views, sessions, devices, and navigation. We have configured GA4 with IP anonymisation and disabled advertising data sharing.

Privacy policy: policies.google.com/privacy

Meta / Facebook Pixel

Used for ad campaign measurement - to track how many visitors who click on our Facebook ads subsequently visit specific pages on our website. We do not use this data for retargeting or building user profiles.

Privacy policy: facebook.com/privacy/policy/

Vercel Analytics

Web performance and analytics service provided by our hosting platform (Vercel). Collects anonymised data about page load times, Core Web Vitals, and visitor counts. Data is processed within EU regions.

Privacy policy: vercel.com/legal/privacy-policy

We do not control the cookies set by these third-party services. However, we have carefully selected service providers that maintain appropriate data protection standards and are GDPR- compliant. We conduct periodic reviews of our third-party integrations to ensure continued compliance with data protection requirements and our own privacy standards.

You have several options for managing cookies on our website and across all websites you visit.

Our Cookie Consent Mechanism

When you first visit our website, a cookie consent banner appears at the bottom of your screen. You are presented with three options:

"Accept All Cookies" - enables essential, analytics, and marketing cookies.
"Reject Non-Essential" - enables only essential cookies. Analytics and marketing cookies will not be set.
"Manage" - opens a detailed settings panel where you can individually toggle each cookie category on or off.

Your preferences are stored locally on your device and will be remembered for 12 months. After this period, you will be asked again on your next visit. You can update your preferences at any time by clicking the floating cookie settings button (the cookie icon at the bottom-right corner of the page) or by clearing your cookies and revisiting the website.

Withdrawing Consent

You can withdraw your consent for analytics and marketing cookies at any time without affecting your right to use the website. To withdraw consent:

Click the floating cookie settings icon at the bottom-right of any page and update your preferences.
Clear your browser cookies - this will reset your consent and the banner will appear again on your next visit.
Disable specific cookies through your browser settings (see below).

Browser Settings

Most modern browsers allow you to manage cookies through their settings. Here is how to access cookie settings in popular browsers:

Google Chrome - Settings > Privacy and Security > Cookies and other site data

Mozilla Firefox - Settings > Privacy & Security > Cookies and Site Data

Apple Safari - Preferences > Privacy > Manage Website Data

Microsoft Edge - Settings > Cookies and site permissions > Manage and delete cookies

Opera - Settings > Privacy & Security > Cookies

Please note that blocking essential cookies may prevent the website from functioning correctly. If you use multiple devices or browsers, you will need to set your cookie preferences on each one. For more detailed information about cookies and how to manage them, visit www.allaboutcookies.org or www.youronlinechoices.eu (for EU-based choices).

Our cookie consent banner is designed to be clear, transparent, and compliant with GDPR and the ePrivacy Directive requirements for obtaining valid consent. Here is how it works:

How the Banner Works

When you visit our website for the first time (or after your previous consent has expired after 12 months), a consent banner appears at the bottom of your screen. The banner clearly explains that we use cookies to enhance your experience, analyse site traffic, and personalise content. It distinguishes between necessary cookies (which are always active) and optional cookies (analytics and marketing).

What Each Option Means

"Accept All Cookies"

All three categories of cookies (essential, analytics, and marketing) will be enabled. Google Analytics and Meta Pixel cookies will be set on your device. Your consent is recorded with a timestamp.

"Reject Non-Essential"

Only essential cookies will be enabled. No analytics or marketing cookies will be set. Google Analytics and Meta Pixel will not be loaded on your device. You can still use the full website functionality.

"Manage" / Custom Settings

Opens a detailed panel where you can individually toggle each category. Necessary cookies are always on. You can enable analytics but not marketing, or both. Your selections are saved when you click "Save Preferences".

Consent Storage and Expiry

Your consent preferences are stored locally on your device using the solar_cookie_consent cookie and in your browser's local storage. The consent record includes:

Whether you have accepted or rejected (or customised) cookie consent
Which specific cookie categories you have enabled (necessary, analytics, marketing)
The exact date and time (timestamp) when consent was given
A consent expiry of 12 months from the date of acceptance

After 12 months, your consent will expire and the banner will appear again on your next visit, giving you a fresh opportunity to review and update your preferences. This periodic re-consent is in line with Data Protection Commission guidance on consent renewal.

GDPR-Compliant Consent

Our consent mechanism meets all GDPR requirements for valid consent: it is freely given, specific, informed, and unambiguous. Consent is recorded with a timestamp, can be withdrawn at any time, and is as easy to withdraw as it is to give. We do not use cookie walls, pre-ticked boxes, or dark patterns to obtain consent.

We may update this Cookie Policy from time to time to reflect changes in the cookies we use, changes in third-party services, changes in applicable law or regulatory guidance, or for other operational reasons.

When we make material changes to this policy - such as adding new cookie categories, introducing new third-party services, or changing how cookies are used - we will update the "Last updated" date at the top of this page and, where appropriate, display a notice on our website. If the changes affect your existing consent, we will re-present the consent banner so you can review and update your preferences.

We encourage you to review this Cookie Policy periodically. You can always access the latest version at solarirelandgroup.ie/cookies. If you have questions about our use of cookies that are not addressed in this policy, please contact us using the details below.

If you have any questions, concerns, or requests about our use of cookies or this Cookie Policy, please contact us. We are happy to help with any cookie-related enquiry.

Email

sales@solarirelandgroup.ie

Phone

[Phone Number]

Website

solarirelandgroup.ie

You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the Data Protection Commission (DPC), Ireland's supervisory authority, if you believe that our use of cookies infringes your data protection rights. Contact the DPC at dataprotection.ie or call +353 21 431 0700.

Cookie Policy

Our Cookie Consent Mechanism

Withdrawing Consent

Browser Settings

Hey there! 👋

Cookie Policy

Our Cookie Consent Mechanism

Withdrawing Consent

Browser Settings

Hey there! 👋