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Solar panel cost in Birmingham (B21)

See realistic solar installation costs, savings and payback for B21 (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
£754
What you save every year
Profit Over 25 Years
£10,706
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 935 kWh/kW — 7 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 935 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)
935 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: £754, 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 1869 kWh 748 kWh 1121 kWh £189 £112 £302 £3,256 10.8 yrs £2,775
3 kW 2804 kWh 1121 kWh 1682 kWh £284 £168 £452 £4,883 10.8 yrs £4,162
4 kW 3738 kWh 1495 kWh 2243 kWh £379 £224 £603 £6,511 10.8 yrs £5,550
5 kW 4673 kWh 1869 kWh 2804 kWh £473 £280 £754 £8,139 10.8 yrs £6,937
6 kW 5607 kWh 2243 kWh 3364 kWh £568 £336 £905 £9,767 10.8 yrs £8,325
7 kW 6542 kWh 2617 kWh 3925 kWh £663 £393 £1,055 £11,394 10.8 yrs £9,712
8 kW 7476 kWh 2991 kWh 4486 kWh £758 £449 £1,206 £13,022 10.8 yrs £11,100

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: £897, 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 1869 kWh 1121 kWh 748 kWh £284 £75 £359 £5,356 14.9 yrs £1,821
3 kW 2804 kWh 1682 kWh 1121 kWh £426 £112 £538 £6,983 13.0 yrs £3,781
4 kW 3738 kWh 2243 kWh 1495 kWh £568 £150 £718 £8,611 12.0 yrs £5,742
5 kW 4673 kWh 2804 kWh 1869 kWh £710 £187 £897 £10,239 11.4 yrs £7,702
6 kW 5607 kWh 3364 kWh 2243 kWh £852 £224 £1,076 £11,867 11.0 yrs £9,663
7 kW 6542 kWh 3925 kWh 2617 kWh £994 £262 £1,256 £13,494 10.7 yrs £11,623
8 kW 7476 kWh 4486 kWh 2991 kWh £1,136 £299 £1,435 £15,122 10.5 yrs £13,584

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: £969, 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 1869 kWh 1308 kWh 561 kWh £331 £56 £387 £6,756 17.4 yrs £994
3 kW 2804 kWh 1963 kWh 841 kWh £497 £84 £581 £8,383 14.4 yrs £3,241
4 kW 3738 kWh 2617 kWh 1121 kWh £663 £112 £775 £10,011 12.9 yrs £5,488
5 kW 4673 kWh 3271 kWh 1402 kWh £829 £140 £969 £11,639 12.0 yrs £7,735
6 kW 5607 kWh 3925 kWh 1682 kWh £994 £168 £1,162 £13,267 11.4 yrs £9,982
7 kW 6542 kWh 4579 kWh 1963 kWh £1,160 £196 £1,356 £14,894 11.0 yrs £12,229
8 kW 7476 kWh 5233 kWh 2243 kWh £1,326 £224 £1,550 £16,522 10.7 yrs £14,476

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: £990, 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 1869 kWh 1364 kWh 505 kWh £346 £50 £396 £8,506 21.5 yrs £-584
3 kW 2804 kWh 2047 kWh 757 kWh £518 £76 £594 £10,133 17.1 yrs £1,749
4 kW 3738 kWh 2729 kWh 1009 kWh £691 £101 £792 £11,761 14.8 yrs £4,082
5 kW 4673 kWh 3411 kWh 1262 kWh £864 £126 £990 £13,389 13.5 yrs £6,415
6 kW 5607 kWh 4093 kWh 1514 kWh £1,037 £151 £1,188 £15,017 12.6 yrs £8,748
7 kW 6542 kWh 4775 kWh 1766 kWh £1,210 £177 £1,386 £16,644 12.0 yrs £11,081
8 kW 7476 kWh 5458 kWh 2019 kWh £1,382 £202 £1,584 £18,272 11.5 yrs £13,414

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: £1,005, 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 1869 kWh 1402 kWh 467 kWh £355 £47 £402 £10,256 25.5 yrs £-2,219
3 kW 2804 kWh 2103 kWh 701 kWh £533 £70 £603 £11,883 19.7 yrs £171
4 kW 3738 kWh 2804 kWh 935 kWh £710 £93 £804 £13,511 16.8 yrs £2,561
5 kW 4673 kWh 3505 kWh 1168 kWh £888 £117 £1,005 £15,139 15.1 yrs £4,951
6 kW 5607 kWh 4205 kWh 1402 kWh £1,065 £140 £1,205 £16,767 13.9 yrs £7,342
7 kW 6542 kWh 4906 kWh 1635 kWh £1,243 £164 £1,406 £18,394 13.1 yrs £9,732
8 kW 7476 kWh 5607 kWh 1869 kWh £1,420 £187 £1,607 £20,022 12.5 yrs £12,122

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: £1,019, Upfront: £17,589, Break-even: 17.3 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1869 kWh 1439 kWh 430 kWh £365 £43 £408 £12,706 31.2 yrs £-4,555
3 kW 2804 kWh 2159 kWh 645 kWh £547 £64 £611 £14,333 23.4 yrs £-2,107
4 kW 3738 kWh 2878 kWh 860 kWh £729 £86 £815 £15,961 19.6 yrs £340
5 kW 4673 kWh 3598 kWh 1075 kWh £911 £107 £1,019 £17,589 17.3 yrs £2,788
6 kW 5607 kWh 4318 kWh 1290 kWh £1,094 £129 £1,223 £19,217 15.7 yrs £5,236
7 kW 6542 kWh 5037 kWh 1505 kWh £1,276 £150 £1,426 £20,844 14.6 yrs £7,683
8 kW 7476 kWh 5757 kWh 1720 kWh £1,458 £172 £1,630 £22,472 13.8 yrs £10,131

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.

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Check what MCS certification means

Understand DNO, G98 and G99 export limits

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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 B21

Figures below are tailored to B21 — click through for full league tables.

Big-Roof Britain Rank #1573 of 2182
4.6 kWp (UK avg 5.1 kWp)
~10 panels (≈430 W)
Solar Payback Index Rank #1767 of 2996
10.8 years (UK avg 10.8 years)
~£754 /yr • £8,139 upfront
Standing-Charge Drag Rank #2047 of 2996
28.9% (UK avg 26.6%) drag on savings
£218 fixed • ~£754 /yr value
Aspect Penalty View ranking →
East −21.5% West −19.2%
Typical output loss versus a south-facing roof (lower is better)

Seasonal solar output in B21

Monthly generation per kilowatt of solar panels

kWh 36 Jan 49 Feb 81 Mar 105 Apr 114 May 112 Jun 114 Jul 103 Aug 86 Sep 61 Oct 41 Nov 33 Dec
Best month Worst month Winter (Dec–Feb) Other months

Winter output: 50.6% 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 39 kWh per month; the average month produces around 78 kWh. So a typical 4 kW home system would generate roughly 158 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
935kWh/kW
A 1 kW system generates ~935 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: 80% • Flats: 18% • Bungalows: 0% Based on 8,021 properties

Coverage

Birmingham (98%)|Sandwell (2%)

Areas Covered

Lozells, Holyhead, Handsworth, Soho & Jewellery Quarter, Handsworth Wood, West Bromwich Central, St Pauls

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

B20 (Birmingham)
≈1.5 km away
Local sunshine: ~936 kWh/kWp · +0% vs B21
B18 (Birmingham)
≈1.8 km away
Local sunshine: ~938 kWh/kWp · +0% vs B21
B66 (Sandwell)
≈2.2 km away
Local sunshine: ~933 kWh/kWp · -0% vs B21
B19 (Birmingham)
≈2.2 km away
Local sunshine: ~938 kWh/kWp · +0% vs B21
B99 (Birmingham)
≈3.0 km away
Local sunshine: ~940 kWh/kWp · +1% vs B21
B67 (Sandwell)
≈3.0 km away
Local sunshine: ~933 kWh/kWp · -0% vs B21

Similar sunshine across the UK

LS22 (Leeds)
~935 kWh/kWp · +0% vs B21
S42 (North East Derbyshire)
~935 kWh/kWp · +0% vs B21
SA10 (Neath Port Talbot)
~935 kWh/kWp · +0% vs B21