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Solar panel cost in St Albans (AL3)

See realistic solar installation costs, savings and payback for AL3 (St Albans) in under a minute using official UK data. Start with the calculator, then get a no-obligation quote from an MCS-certified installer. You can also ask the SolarByPostcode assistant to sanity-check your roof, bills and plans.

Solar Calculator

Change the settings below to see how costs and savings work for your situation.

System Size

Roof Direction

Battery Storage

Export Value

Your Numbers

Break-even
9.9 years
After this, it's pure profit
Upfront Cost
£8,139
What you pay to get started
Annual Benefit
£819
What you save every year
Profit Over 25 Years
£12,345
After paying itself off, you're this much ahead

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How we calculate this

Solar generation: Based on typical south-facing roof at 35° angle. We account for weather, dirt, and system losses (14%).

How much you'll use directly:

  • Without battery: You'll use about 40% of what you generate. The rest gets sold back to the grid.
  • With 5 kWh battery: You'll use about 70% (battery stores extra for evening use).
  • With 10 kWh battery: You'll use about 75% (more storage means less exported).
  • Panel-only payback: The official cost per kW is lower above 4 kW, so a 5–6 kW system can pay back a little faster than a 3–4 kW system on otherwise identical assumptions.
  • Battery & payback: Batteries raise self-use and cut bills, but added hardware cost often lengthens break-even at typical UK rates.
  • When a battery can still make sense:
    • Evening-heavy usage patterns
    • Time-of-use tariffs / cheap night rates
    • Low export rate vs. high unit rate
    • Heat pump or EV charging synergy
    • Optional backup/resilience (system-dependent)
    • Lower evening-hour CO₂ vs. grid

Panel costs: Uses March 2026 TIC mean installation costs: £1,827/kW up to 4 kW and £1,628/kW above 4 kW.

Other costs: Battery prices are modelled at £700 per kWh. Export tariffs vary by supplier (usually 5–15p per kWh).

Grid connection: Systems up to about 3.7 kW typically need just a notification (G98). Larger systems may need permission (G99).

These are typical values based on average usage patterns. Your actual results will vary based on your roof, shading, and how you use electricity.

Your area in context

In Eastern, the current unit rate is 26.38p/kWh with a 53.94p/day standing charge. Your postcode’s south-facing sunshine yield is 990 kWh/kW — 19 below the regional median (1009).

Read the full story

A typical roof here lands around 5.0 kW, with most eligible homes comfortably fitting within 3–6 kW. Each kilowatt of panels produces roughly 990 kWh per year on a south-facing roof. We value self-used electricity at 26.4p and exported surplus at a baseline 10p via SEG. Use the calculator above for your exact tariff.

Unit rate
26.4p/kWh
Standing charge
53.9p/day
Sunshine yield (south)
990 kWh/kW
Export price (baseline)
10p/kWh

Browse the scenarios below. Each battery size has its own expand — open the one that matches your plan (or just explore). For each system size (2–8 kW) we show annual output, how much you use directly, what gets exported, annual benefit, upfront cost, break-even, and a 20-year net. Negative numbers are possible — that’s the honest trade-off when adding more battery than your usage profile justifies.

No battery 5 kW example → Annual benefit: £819, Upfront: £8,139, Break-even: 9.9 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1980 kWh 792 kWh 1188 kWh £209 £119 £328 £3,256 9.9 yrs £3,299
3 kW 2970 kWh 1188 kWh 1782 kWh £313 £178 £492 £4,883 9.9 yrs £4,949
4 kW 3960 kWh 1584 kWh 2376 kWh £418 £238 £655 £6,511 9.9 yrs £6,598
5 kW 4950 kWh 1980 kWh 2970 kWh £522 £297 £819 £8,139 9.9 yrs £8,248
6 kW 5940 kWh 2376 kWh 3564 kWh £627 £356 £983 £9,767 9.9 yrs £9,898
7 kW 6930 kWh 2772 kWh 4158 kWh £731 £416 £1,147 £11,394 9.9 yrs £11,547
8 kW 7920 kWh 3168 kWh 4752 kWh £836 £475 £1,311 £13,022 9.9 yrs £13,197

Assumptions: south-facing, sensible tilt; self-use shares from site rules; export at 10p baseline. Costs: panels £/kW = 1,628, battery £/kWh = 700.

3 kWh battery 5 kW example → Annual benefit: £982, Upfront: £10,239, Break-even: 10.4 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1980 kWh 1188 kWh 792 kWh £313 £79 £393 £5,356 13.6 yrs £2,497
3 kW 2970 kWh 1782 kWh 1188 kWh £470 £119 £589 £6,983 11.9 yrs £4,795
4 kW 3960 kWh 2376 kWh 1584 kWh £627 £158 £785 £8,611 11.0 yrs £7,093
5 kW 4950 kWh 2970 kWh 1980 kWh £784 £198 £982 £10,239 10.4 yrs £9,391
6 kW 5940 kWh 3564 kWh 2376 kWh £940 £238 £1,178 £11,867 10.1 yrs £11,690
7 kW 6930 kWh 4158 kWh 2772 kWh £1,097 £277 £1,374 £13,494 9.8 yrs £13,988
8 kW 7920 kWh 4752 kWh 3168 kWh £1,254 £317 £1,570 £15,122 9.6 yrs £16,286

Assumptions: south-facing, sensible tilt; self-use shares from site rules; export at 10p baseline. Costs: panels £/kW = 1,628, battery £/kWh = 700.

5 kWh battery 5 kW example → Annual benefit: £1,063, Upfront: £11,639, Break-even: 11.0 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1980 kWh 1386 kWh 594 kWh £366 £59 £425 £6,756 15.9 yrs £1,745
3 kW 2970 kWh 2079 kWh 891 kWh £548 £89 £638 £8,383 13.1 yrs £4,368
4 kW 3960 kWh 2772 kWh 1188 kWh £731 £119 £850 £10,011 11.8 yrs £6,990
5 kW 4950 kWh 3465 kWh 1485 kWh £914 £149 £1,063 £11,639 11.0 yrs £9,613
6 kW 5940 kWh 4158 kWh 1782 kWh £1,097 £178 £1,275 £13,267 10.4 yrs £12,236
7 kW 6930 kWh 4851 kWh 2079 kWh £1,280 £208 £1,488 £14,894 10.0 yrs £14,858
8 kW 7920 kWh 5544 kWh 2376 kWh £1,463 £238 £1,700 £16,522 9.7 yrs £17,481

Assumptions: south-facing, sensible tilt; self-use shares from site rules; export at 10p baseline. Costs: panels £/kW = 1,628, battery £/kWh = 700.

7.5 kWh battery 5 kW example → Annual benefit: £1,087, Upfront: £13,389, Break-even: 12.3 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1980 kWh 1445 kWh 535 kWh £381 £53 £435 £8,506 19.6 yrs £190
3 kW 2970 kWh 2168 kWh 802 kWh £572 £80 £652 £10,133 15.5 yrs £2,910
4 kW 3960 kWh 2891 kWh 1069 kWh £763 £107 £870 £11,761 13.5 yrs £5,630
5 kW 4950 kWh 3614 kWh 1337 kWh £953 £134 £1,087 £13,389 12.3 yrs £8,349
6 kW 5940 kWh 4336 kWh 1604 kWh £1,144 £160 £1,304 £15,017 11.5 yrs £11,069
7 kW 6930 kWh 5059 kWh 1871 kWh £1,335 £187 £1,522 £16,644 10.9 yrs £13,789
8 kW 7920 kWh 5782 kWh 2138 kWh £1,525 £214 £1,739 £18,272 10.5 yrs £16,509

Assumptions: south-facing, sensible tilt; self-use shares from site rules; export at 10p baseline. Costs: panels £/kW = 1,628, battery £/kWh = 700.

10 kWh battery 5 kW example → Annual benefit: £1,103, Upfront: £15,139, Break-even: 13.7 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1980 kWh 1485 kWh 495 kWh £392 £50 £441 £10,256 23.2 yrs £-1,430
3 kW 2970 kWh 2228 kWh 743 kWh £588 £74 £662 £11,883 18.0 yrs £1,354
4 kW 3960 kWh 2970 kWh 990 kWh £784 £99 £883 £13,511 15.3 yrs £4,139
5 kW 4950 kWh 3713 kWh 1238 kWh £979 £124 £1,103 £15,139 13.7 yrs £6,924
6 kW 5940 kWh 4455 kWh 1485 kWh £1,175 £149 £1,324 £16,767 12.7 yrs £9,709
7 kW 6930 kWh 5198 kWh 1733 kWh £1,371 £173 £1,544 £18,394 11.9 yrs £12,493
8 kW 7920 kWh 5940 kWh 1980 kWh £1,567 £198 £1,765 £20,022 11.3 yrs £15,278

Assumptions: south-facing, sensible tilt; self-use shares from site rules; export at 10p baseline. Costs: panels £/kW = 1,628, battery £/kWh = 700.

13.5 kWh battery 5 kW example → Annual benefit: £1,119, Upfront: £17,589, Break-even: 15.7 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1980 kWh 1525 kWh 455 kWh £402 £46 £448 £12,706 28.4 yrs £-3,751
3 kW 2970 kWh 2287 kWh 683 kWh £603 £68 £672 £14,333 21.3 yrs £-901
4 kW 3960 kWh 3049 kWh 911 kWh £804 £91 £895 £15,961 17.8 yrs £1,949
5 kW 4950 kWh 3812 kWh 1139 kWh £1,005 £114 £1,119 £17,589 15.7 yrs £4,798
6 kW 5940 kWh 4574 kWh 1366 kWh £1,207 £137 £1,343 £19,217 14.3 yrs £7,648
7 kW 6930 kWh 5336 kWh 1594 kWh £1,408 £159 £1,567 £20,844 13.3 yrs £10,497
8 kW 7920 kWh 6099 kWh 1822 kWh £1,609 £182 £1,791 £22,472 12.5 yrs £13,347

Assumptions: south-facing, sensible tilt; self-use shares from site rules; export at 10p baseline. Costs: panels £/kW = 1,628, battery £/kWh = 700.

Figures are illustrative and use the same method as the calculator above. For exact results, adjust your roof direction, tariff, and usage in the calculator.

Before you request quotes in St Albans

Use the numbers above to sanity-check installer quotes. The main things to compare are system size, battery assumptions, payback claims, MCS certification, DNO paperwork and export assumptions.

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Understand DNO, G98 and G99 export limits

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Insights for AL3

Figures below are tailored to AL3 — click through for full league tables.

Big-Roof Britain Rank #1051 of 2182
5.0 kWp (UK avg 5.1 kWp)
~11 panels (≈430 W)
Solar Payback Index Rank #755 of 2996
9.9 years (UK avg 10.8 years)
~£819 /yr • £8,139 upfront
Standing-Charge Drag Rank #1244 of 2996
24.1% (UK avg 26.6%) drag on savings
£197 fixed • ~£819 /yr value
Aspect Penalty View ranking →
East −21.5% West −19.5%
Typical output loss versus a south-facing roof (lower is better)

Seasonal solar output in AL3

Monthly generation per kilowatt of solar panels

kWh 39 Jan 51 Feb 84 Mar 111 Apr 117 May 120 Jun 121 Jul 109 Aug 93 Sep 66 Oct 45 Nov 34 Dec
Best month Worst month Winter (Dec–Feb) Other months

Winter output: 50.4% of an average month (Dec–Feb)

Best / worst month: Jul / Dec

These figures show output per kilowatt (kW) of panels installed. In winter, a 1 kW system here produces about 42 kWh per month; the average month produces around 83 kWh. So a typical 4 kW home system would generate roughly 166 kWh in winter, or 330 kWh in an average month.

Your Area at a Glance

Your Electricity Rate
26.38p/kWh
Daily Fixed Charge
53.94p/day
Local Sunshine
990kWh/kW
A 1 kW system generates ~990 kWh per year. A typical home uses ~2,700 kWh per year.
Typical System Size
5.0kW
For houses & bungalows in this area

Local Property Data

Property Types

Houses: 72% • Flats: 20% • Bungalows: 4% Based on 7,121 properties

Coverage

St Albans (83%)|Dacorum (17%)

Areas Covered

Verulam, Redbourn, Batchwood, Watling, Hill End, Bernards Heath, St Peters, Sandridge & Wheathampstead + 3 more

Data Sources & Assumptions

Solar yield: PVGIS (EU Joint Research Centre), January 2025 data

Electricity rates: Ofgem price cap, Q3 2026

Installation costs: DESNZ/MCS data, March 2026 (TIC)

Property data: EPC open data (Open Government Licence), aggregated

All estimates are typical values. Actual results vary based on your specific situation, roof characteristics, and usage patterns.

Compare nearby areas

Nearby in Eastern

AL1 (St Albans)
≈2.6 km away
Local sunshine: ~993 kWh/kWp · +0% vs AL3
AL4 (St Albans)
≈3.3 km away
Local sunshine: ~992 kWh/kWp · +0% vs AL3
AL2 (St Albans)
≈4.7 km away
Local sunshine: ~992 kWh/kWp · +0% vs AL3
AL5 (St Albans)
≈5.8 km away
Local sunshine: ~996 kWh/kWp · +1% vs AL3
HP2 (Dacorum)
≈7.5 km away
Local sunshine: ~992 kWh/kWp · +0% vs AL3
WD5 (Three Rivers)
≈8.1 km away
Local sunshine: ~988 kWh/kWp · -0% vs AL3

Similar sunshine across the UK

MK5 (Milton Keynes)
~990 kWh/kWp · -0% vs AL3
KT17 (Epsom and Ewell)
~990 kWh/kWp · +0% vs AL3
KT18 (Epsom and Ewell)
~990 kWh/kWp · -0% vs AL3