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Solar panel cost in Birmingham (B20)

See realistic solar installation costs, savings and payback for B20 (Birmingham) 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
10.8 years
After this, it's pure profit
Upfront Cost
£8,139
What you pay to get started
Annual Benefit
£755
What you save every year
Profit Over 25 Years
£10,732
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 Midlands, the current unit rate is 25.33p/kWh with a 59.71p/day standing charge. Your postcode’s south-facing sunshine yield is 936 kWh/kW — 6 below the regional median (942).

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 936 kWh per year on a south-facing roof. We value self-used electricity at 25.3p and exported surplus at a baseline 10p via SEG. Use the calculator above for your exact tariff.

Unit rate
25.3p/kWh
Standing charge
59.7p/day
Sunshine yield (south)
936 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: £755, Upfront: £8,139, Break-even: 10.8 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1872 kWh 749 kWh 1123 kWh £190 £112 £302 £3,256 10.8 yrs £2,783
3 kW 2807 kWh 1123 kWh 1684 kWh £284 £168 £453 £4,883 10.8 yrs £4,175
4 kW 3743 kWh 1497 kWh 2246 kWh £379 £225 £604 £6,511 10.8 yrs £5,566
5 kW 4679 kWh 1872 kWh 2807 kWh £474 £281 £755 £8,139 10.8 yrs £6,958
6 kW 5615 kWh 2246 kWh 3369 kWh £569 £337 £906 £9,767 10.8 yrs £8,350
7 kW 6551 kWh 2620 kWh 3930 kWh £664 £393 £1,057 £11,394 10.8 yrs £9,741
8 kW 7487 kWh 2995 kWh 4492 kWh £759 £449 £1,208 £13,022 10.8 yrs £11,133

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: £898, Upfront: £10,239, Break-even: 11.4 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1872 kWh 1123 kWh 749 kWh £284 £75 £359 £5,356 14.9 yrs £1,831
3 kW 2807 kWh 1684 kWh 1123 kWh £427 £112 £539 £6,983 13.0 yrs £3,796
4 kW 3743 kWh 2246 kWh 1497 kWh £569 £150 £719 £8,611 12.0 yrs £5,762
5 kW 4679 kWh 2807 kWh 1872 kWh £711 £187 £898 £10,239 11.4 yrs £7,727
6 kW 5615 kWh 3369 kWh 2246 kWh £853 £225 £1,078 £11,867 11.0 yrs £9,693
7 kW 6551 kWh 3930 kWh 2620 kWh £996 £262 £1,258 £13,494 10.7 yrs £11,658
8 kW 7487 kWh 4492 kWh 2995 kWh £1,138 £299 £1,437 £15,122 10.5 yrs £13,624

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: £970, Upfront: £11,639, Break-even: 12.0 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1872 kWh 1310 kWh 561 kWh £332 £56 £388 £6,756 17.4 yrs £1,005
3 kW 2807 kWh 1965 kWh 842 kWh £498 £84 £582 £8,383 14.4 yrs £3,257
4 kW 3743 kWh 2620 kWh 1123 kWh £664 £112 £776 £10,011 12.9 yrs £5,510
5 kW 4679 kWh 3275 kWh 1404 kWh £830 £140 £970 £11,639 12.0 yrs £7,762
6 kW 5615 kWh 3930 kWh 1684 kWh £996 £168 £1,164 £13,267 11.4 yrs £10,014
7 kW 6551 kWh 4586 kWh 1965 kWh £1,162 £197 £1,358 £14,894 11.0 yrs £12,267
8 kW 7487 kWh 5241 kWh 2246 kWh £1,327 £225 £1,552 £16,522 10.6 yrs £14,519

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: £992, Upfront: £13,389, Break-even: 13.5 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1872 kWh 1366 kWh 505 kWh £346 £51 £397 £8,506 21.4 yrs £-573
3 kW 2807 kWh 2049 kWh 758 kWh £519 £76 £595 £10,133 17.0 yrs £1,765
4 kW 3743 kWh 2733 kWh 1011 kWh £692 £101 £793 £11,761 14.8 yrs £4,104
5 kW 4679 kWh 3416 kWh 1263 kWh £865 £126 £992 £13,389 13.5 yrs £6,442
6 kW 5615 kWh 4099 kWh 1516 kWh £1,038 £152 £1,190 £15,017 12.6 yrs £8,781
7 kW 6551 kWh 4782 kWh 1769 kWh £1,211 £177 £1,388 £16,644 12.0 yrs £11,119
8 kW 7487 kWh 5465 kWh 2021 kWh £1,384 £202 £1,586 £18,272 11.5 yrs £13,458

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: £1,006, Upfront: £15,139, Break-even: 15.1 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1872 kWh 1404 kWh 468 kWh £356 £47 £402 £10,256 25.5 yrs £-2,208
3 kW 2807 kWh 2106 kWh 702 kWh £533 £70 £604 £11,883 19.7 yrs £188
4 kW 3743 kWh 2807 kWh 936 kWh £711 £94 £805 £13,511 16.8 yrs £2,583
5 kW 4679 kWh 3509 kWh 1170 kWh £889 £117 £1,006 £15,139 15.1 yrs £4,979
6 kW 5615 kWh 4211 kWh 1404 kWh £1,067 £140 £1,207 £16,767 13.9 yrs £7,375
7 kW 6551 kWh 4913 kWh 1638 kWh £1,244 £164 £1,408 £18,394 13.1 yrs £9,771
8 kW 7487 kWh 5615 kWh 1872 kWh £1,422 £187 £1,609 £20,022 12.4 yrs £12,167

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: £1,020, Upfront: £17,589, Break-even: 17.2 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1872 kWh 1441 kWh 430 kWh £365 £43 £408 £12,706 31.1 yrs £-4,544
3 kW 2807 kWh 2162 kWh 646 kWh £548 £65 £612 £14,333 23.4 yrs £-2,090
4 kW 3743 kWh 2882 kWh 861 kWh £730 £86 £816 £15,961 19.6 yrs £363
5 kW 4679 kWh 3603 kWh 1076 kWh £913 £108 £1,020 £17,589 17.2 yrs £2,816
6 kW 5615 kWh 4324 kWh 1291 kWh £1,095 £129 £1,224 £19,217 15.7 yrs £5,269
7 kW 6551 kWh 5044 kWh 1507 kWh £1,278 £151 £1,428 £20,844 14.6 yrs £7,723
8 kW 7487 kWh 5765 kWh 1722 kWh £1,460 £172 £1,632 £22,472 13.8 yrs £10,176

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 Birmingham

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.

Compare solar quotes before you sign

Check what MCS certification means

Understand DNO, G98 and G99 export limits

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Want a quote sanity check for B20?

Share the first part of your postcode and a few basics. We’ll help you check whether system size, battery, export and paperwork assumptions look sensible before you commit to installer conversations.

This is a practical sanity-check request, not an instant quote promise. The Blue Ape quote route above remains available if you already want installer introductions.

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Insights for B20

Figures below are tailored to B20 — click through for full league tables.

Big-Roof Britain Rank #1418 of 2182
4.7 kWp (UK avg 5.1 kWp)
~10 panels (≈430 W)
Solar Payback Index Rank #1766 of 2996
10.8 years (UK avg 10.8 years)
~£755 /yr • £8,139 upfront
Standing-Charge Drag Rank #2046 of 2996
28.9% (UK avg 26.6%) drag on savings
£218 fixed • ~£755 /yr value
Aspect Penalty View ranking →
East −21.6% West −19.3%
Typical output loss versus a south-facing roof (lower is better)

Seasonal solar output in B20

Monthly generation per kilowatt of solar panels

kWh 36 Jan 50 Feb 82 Mar 105 Apr 114 May 112 Jun 114 Jul 102 Aug 86 Sep 61 Oct 41 Nov 33 Dec
Best month Worst month Winter (Dec–Feb) Other months

Winter output: 50.9% of an average month (Dec–Feb)

Best / worst month: May / Dec

These figures show output per kilowatt (kW) of panels installed. In winter, a 1 kW system here produces about 40 kWh per month; the average month produces around 78 kWh. So a typical 4 kW home system would generate roughly 159 kWh in winter, or 312 kWh in an average month.

Your Area at a Glance

Your Electricity Rate
25.33p/kWh
Daily Fixed Charge
59.71p/day
Local Sunshine
936kWh/kW
A 1 kW system generates ~936 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: 61% • Flats: 35% • Bungalows: 1% Based on 9,308 properties

Coverage

Birmingham (100%)

Areas Covered

Handsworth Wood, Birchfield, Lozells, Aston, Handsworth, Perry Barr

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 Midlands

B21 (Birmingham)
≈1.5 km away
Local sunshine: ~935 kWh/kWp · -0% vs B20
B19 (Birmingham)
≈2.1 km away
Local sunshine: ~938 kWh/kWp · +0% vs B20
B18 (Birmingham)
≈2.3 km away
Local sunshine: ~938 kWh/kWp · +0% vs B20
B6 (Birmingham)
≈2.4 km away
Local sunshine: ~940 kWh/kWp · +0% vs B20
B99 (Birmingham)
≈2.6 km away
Local sunshine: ~940 kWh/kWp · +0% vs B20
B42 (Birmingham)
≈2.9 km away
Local sunshine: ~936 kWh/kWp · +0% vs B20

Similar sunshine across the UK

YO60 (North Yorkshire)
~936 kWh/kWp · +0% vs B20
S43 (Chesterfield)
~935 kWh/kWp · -0% vs B20
L3 (Liverpool)
~936 kWh/kWp · +0% vs B20