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Solar panel cost in Birmingham (B3)

See realistic solar installation costs, savings and payback for B3 (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
12.1 years
After this, it's pure profit
Upfront Cost
£5,481
What you pay to get started
Annual Benefit
£453
What you save every year
Profit Over 25 Years
£5,836
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 3.0 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: £9,134, Break-even: 12.1 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1871 kWh 748 kWh 1122 kWh £190 £112 £302 £3,654 12.1 yrs £2,382
3 kW 2806 kWh 1122 kWh 1684 kWh £284 £168 £453 £5,481 12.1 yrs £3,573
4 kW 3741 kWh 1497 kWh 2245 kWh £379 £224 £604 £7,307 12.1 yrs £4,764
5 kW 4677 kWh 1871 kWh 2806 kWh £474 £281 £754 £9,134 12.1 yrs £5,955
6 kW 5612 kWh 2245 kWh 3367 kWh £569 £337 £905 £10,961 12.1 yrs £7,146
7 kW 6547 kWh 2619 kWh 3928 kWh £663 £393 £1,056 £12,788 12.1 yrs £8,337
8 kW 7483 kWh 2993 kWh 4490 kWh £758 £449 £1,207 £14,615 12.1 yrs £9,528

Assumptions: south-facing, sensible tilt; self-use shares from site rules; export at 10p baseline. Costs: panels £/kW = 1,827, battery £/kWh = 700.

3 kWh battery 5 kW example → Annual benefit: £898, Upfront: £11,234, Break-even: 12.5 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1871 kWh 1122 kWh 748 kWh £284 £75 £359 £5,754 16.0 yrs £1,429
3 kW 2806 kWh 1684 kWh 1122 kWh £426 £112 £539 £7,581 14.1 yrs £3,193
4 kW 3741 kWh 2245 kWh 1497 kWh £569 £150 £718 £9,407 13.1 yrs £4,958
5 kW 4677 kWh 2806 kWh 1871 kWh £711 £187 £898 £11,234 12.5 yrs £6,722
6 kW 5612 kWh 3367 kWh 2245 kWh £853 £224 £1,077 £13,061 12.1 yrs £8,487
7 kW 6547 kWh 3928 kWh 2619 kWh £995 £262 £1,257 £14,888 11.8 yrs £10,251
8 kW 7483 kWh 4490 kWh 2993 kWh £1,137 £299 £1,437 £16,715 11.6 yrs £12,016

Assumptions: south-facing, sensible tilt; self-use shares from site rules; export at 10p baseline. Costs: panels £/kW = 1,827, battery £/kWh = 700.

5 kWh battery 5 kW example → Annual benefit: £970, Upfront: £12,634, Break-even: 13.0 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1871 kWh 1309 kWh 561 kWh £332 £56 £388 £7,154 18.4 yrs £603
3 kW 2806 kWh 1964 kWh 842 kWh £498 £84 £582 £8,981 15.4 yrs £2,654
4 kW 3741 kWh 2619 kWh 1122 kWh £663 £112 £776 £10,807 13.9 yrs £4,705
5 kW 4677 kWh 3274 kWh 1403 kWh £829 £140 £970 £12,634 13.0 yrs £6,756
6 kW 5612 kWh 3928 kWh 1684 kWh £995 £168 £1,163 £14,461 12.4 yrs £8,808
7 kW 6547 kWh 4583 kWh 1964 kWh £1,161 £196 £1,357 £16,288 12.0 yrs £10,859
8 kW 7483 kWh 5238 kWh 2245 kWh £1,327 £224 £1,551 £18,115 11.7 yrs £12,910

Assumptions: south-facing, sensible tilt; self-use shares from site rules; export at 10p baseline. Costs: panels £/kW = 1,827, battery £/kWh = 700.

7.5 kWh battery 5 kW example → Annual benefit: £991, Upfront: £14,384, Break-even: 14.5 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1871 kWh 1366 kWh 505 kWh £346 £51 £396 £8,904 22.5 yrs £-975
3 kW 2806 kWh 2048 kWh 758 kWh £519 £76 £595 £10,731 18.0 yrs £1,162
4 kW 3741 kWh 2731 kWh 1010 kWh £692 £101 £793 £12,557 15.8 yrs £3,299
5 kW 4677 kWh 3414 kWh 1263 kWh £865 £126 £991 £14,384 14.5 yrs £5,436
6 kW 5612 kWh 4097 kWh 1515 kWh £1,038 £152 £1,189 £16,211 13.6 yrs £7,574
7 kW 6547 kWh 4780 kWh 1768 kWh £1,211 £177 £1,387 £18,038 13.0 yrs £9,711
8 kW 7483 kWh 5462 kWh 2020 kWh £1,384 £202 £1,586 £19,865 12.5 yrs £11,848

Assumptions: south-facing, sensible tilt; self-use shares from site rules; export at 10p baseline. Costs: panels £/kW = 1,827, battery £/kWh = 700.

10 kWh battery 5 kW example → Annual benefit: £1,005, Upfront: £16,134, Break-even: 16.0 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1871 kWh 1403 kWh 468 kWh £355 £47 £402 £10,654 26.5 yrs £-2,611
3 kW 2806 kWh 2105 kWh 702 kWh £533 £70 £603 £12,481 20.7 yrs £-416
4 kW 3741 kWh 2806 kWh 935 kWh £711 £94 £804 £14,307 17.8 yrs £1,779
5 kW 4677 kWh 3508 kWh 1169 kWh £888 £117 £1,005 £16,134 16.0 yrs £3,973
6 kW 5612 kWh 4209 kWh 1403 kWh £1,066 £140 £1,206 £17,961 14.9 yrs £6,168
7 kW 6547 kWh 4911 kWh 1637 kWh £1,244 £164 £1,408 £19,788 14.1 yrs £8,363
8 kW 7483 kWh 5612 kWh 1871 kWh £1,422 £187 £1,609 £21,615 13.4 yrs £10,557

Assumptions: south-facing, sensible tilt; self-use shares from site rules; export at 10p baseline. Costs: panels £/kW = 1,827, battery £/kWh = 700.

13.5 kWh battery 5 kW example → Annual benefit: £1,020, Upfront: £18,584, Break-even: 18.2 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1871 kWh 1440 kWh 430 kWh £365 £43 £408 £13,104 32.1 yrs £-4,946
3 kW 2806 kWh 2161 kWh 645 kWh £547 £65 £612 £14,931 24.4 yrs £-2,694
4 kW 3741 kWh 2881 kWh 861 kWh £730 £86 £816 £16,757 20.5 yrs £-442
5 kW 4677 kWh 3601 kWh 1076 kWh £912 £108 £1,020 £18,584 18.2 yrs £1,810
6 kW 5612 kWh 4321 kWh 1291 kWh £1,095 £129 £1,224 £20,411 16.7 yrs £4,062
7 kW 6547 kWh 5041 kWh 1506 kWh £1,277 £151 £1,428 £22,238 15.6 yrs £6,314
8 kW 7483 kWh 5762 kWh 1721 kWh £1,459 £172 £1,632 £24,065 14.7 yrs £8,566

Assumptions: south-facing, sensible tilt; self-use shares from site rules; export at 10p baseline. Costs: panels £/kW = 1,827, 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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Insights for B3

Figures below are tailored to B3 — click through for full league tables.

Solar Payback Index Rank #1769 of 2996
10.8 years (UK avg 10.8 years)
~£905 /yr • £9,767 upfront
Standing-Charge Drag Rank #1245 of 2996
24.1% (UK avg 26.6%) drag on savings
£218 fixed • ~£905 /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 B3

Monthly generation per kilowatt of solar panels

kWh 36 Jan 50 Feb 82 Mar 105 Apr 114 May 114 Jun 114 Jul 102 Aug 87 Sep 61 Oct 41 Nov 31 Dec
Best month Worst month Winter (Dec–Feb) Other months

Winter output: 49.8% 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 39 kWh per month; the average month produces around 78 kWh. So a typical 4 kW home system would generate roughly 155 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
3.0kW
For eligible homes in this area

⚠️ This area is predominantly flats. Many residents require freeholder approval for solar installations. System size shown reflects houses and bungalows only.

Local Property Data

Property Types

Houses: 1% • Flats: 98% • Bungalows: 0% Based on 3,436 properties

Coverage

Birmingham (100%)

Areas Covered

Ladywood, Soho & Jewellery Quarter, Newtown, Bordesley & Highgate, Brandwood & King's Heath

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

B2 (Birmingham)
≈0.5 km away
Local sunshine: ~940 kWh/kWp · +0% vs B3
B1 (Birmingham)
≈0.5 km away
Local sunshine: ~935 kWh/kWp · +0% vs B3
B4 (Birmingham)
≈0.7 km away
Local sunshine: ~940 kWh/kWp · +0% vs B3
B5 (Birmingham)
≈0.9 km away
Local sunshine: ~936 kWh/kWp · +0% vs B3
B18 (Birmingham)
≈1.5 km away
Local sunshine: ~938 kWh/kWp · +0% vs B3
B19 (Birmingham)
≈1.6 km away
Local sunshine: ~938 kWh/kWp · +0% vs B3

Similar sunshine across the UK

S43 (Chesterfield)
~935 kWh/kWp · +0% vs B3
SA41 (Pembrokeshire)
~935 kWh/kWp · -0% vs B3
CF81 (Caerphilly)
~935 kWh/kWp · -0% vs B3