Guides › Electricity grid capacity

Electricity grid capacity in Ireland: ESB substations near a site

ESB Networks doesn't publish where its cables run, but it does publish how much spare capacity each of its substations has, in its Available Capacity Heatmap. For a house, the key question is whether there's a substation close enough to connect to. For bigger connections, it's how much spare capacity the larger station upstream has. EirGrid separately publishes the high-voltage transmission grid.

How InSite helps

Lists the nearest ESB substations within 1 km, with distance and spare capacity, and tells you whether any is within ESB's 300 m guide for a house connection.
If none is, you'll know early that a new substation or line may be needed, usually at your cost.
Shows the parent high-voltage stations within 15 km, and any EirGrid lines or substations nearby, existing and planned.
Gives a ready-written email to ESB Networks asking about a connection for the site.

Free, from public data. Enter an Eircode or address:

or choose a location on the map

Two networks

ESB Networks runs the distribution network: the local medium- and low-voltage lines and substations that connect homes, farms and businesses.
EirGrid runs the transmission grid: 110 kV and above, the national backbone between large substations and power stations. Its plans are public because new lines need public consultation.

Reading ESB's capacity heatmap

ESB's heatmap lists around 46,000 substations, refreshed about every quarter, with their spare capacity for new demand (using electricity) and new generation (such as solar). ESB's own notes say:

Low-voltage connections (under 500 kVA: homes, small businesses, farms) typically need a substation within about 300 m. Further than that, a new substation may be needed nearer the site, usually at the customer's cost.
Medium-voltage connections (500 kVA and over) depend on the spare capacity at the parent high-voltage station.
The figures are transformer capacity only, not the circuits upstream; they're first come, first served, and they're an indication to start a conversation, not a guarantee.

The locations of the larger high-voltage stations in the heatmap are only indicative.

What it can't tell you

Whether a connection is possible, or its cost. Only an ESB Networks connection application answers that.
Where the existing low-voltage lines run on or past the site. ESB doesn't publish them; ask ESB, or look for poles on the ground.

Sources

ESB Networks: Available Capacity Heatmap, esbnetworks.ie
EirGrid: Transmission Development Plan public map, eirgrid.ie

Last reviewed 2026-10-02.

Check any site in Ireland

One free report from public data: terrain, flood risk, geology, archaeology, protected areas, radon, planning history and more.

or choose a location on the map

Related guides

All guides →