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Solar panel cost in Birmingham (B38)

See realistic solar installation costs, savings and payback for B38 (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
£7,307
What you pay to get started
Annual Benefit
£605
What you save every year
Profit Over 25 Years
£7,830
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 938 kWh/kW — 4 below the regional median (942).

Read the full story

A typical roof here lands around 4.0 kW, with most eligible homes comfortably fitting within 3–6 kW. Each kilowatt of panels produces roughly 938 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)
938 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: £757, 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 1877 kWh 751 kWh 1126 kWh £190 £113 £303 £3,654 12.1 yrs £2,401
3 kW 2815 kWh 1126 kWh 1689 kWh £285 £169 £454 £5,481 12.1 yrs £3,602
4 kW 3753 kWh 1501 kWh 2252 kWh £380 £225 £605 £7,307 12.1 yrs £4,803
5 kW 4692 kWh 1877 kWh 2815 kWh £475 £282 £757 £9,134 12.1 yrs £6,003
6 kW 5630 kWh 2252 kWh 3378 kWh £570 £338 £908 £10,961 12.1 yrs £7,204
7 kW 6568 kWh 2627 kWh 3941 kWh £666 £394 £1,060 £12,788 12.1 yrs £8,405
8 kW 7507 kWh 3003 kWh 4504 kWh £761 £450 £1,211 £14,615 12.1 yrs £9,605

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: £901, 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 1877 kWh 1126 kWh 751 kWh £285 £75 £360 £5,754 16.0 yrs £1,452
3 kW 2815 kWh 1689 kWh 1126 kWh £428 £113 £540 £7,581 14.0 yrs £3,228
4 kW 3753 kWh 2252 kWh 1501 kWh £570 £150 £721 £9,407 13.1 yrs £5,004
5 kW 4692 kWh 2815 kWh 1877 kWh £713 £188 £901 £11,234 12.5 yrs £6,780
6 kW 5630 kWh 3378 kWh 2252 kWh £856 £225 £1,081 £13,061 12.1 yrs £8,556
7 kW 6568 kWh 3941 kWh 2627 kWh £998 £263 £1,261 £14,888 11.8 yrs £10,332
8 kW 7507 kWh 4504 kWh 3003 kWh £1,141 £300 £1,441 £16,715 11.6 yrs £12,108

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: £973, 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 1877 kWh 1314 kWh 563 kWh £333 £56 £389 £7,154 18.4 yrs £627
3 kW 2815 kWh 1971 kWh 845 kWh £499 £84 £584 £8,981 15.4 yrs £2,691
4 kW 3753 kWh 2627 kWh 1126 kWh £666 £113 £778 £10,807 13.9 yrs £4,755
5 kW 4692 kWh 3284 kWh 1408 kWh £832 £141 £973 £12,634 13.0 yrs £6,819
6 kW 5630 kWh 3941 kWh 1689 kWh £998 £169 £1,167 £14,461 12.4 yrs £8,882
7 kW 6568 kWh 4598 kWh 1971 kWh £1,165 £197 £1,362 £16,288 12.0 yrs £10,946
8 kW 7507 kWh 5255 kWh 2252 kWh £1,331 £225 £1,556 £18,115 11.6 yrs £13,010

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: £994, 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 1877 kWh 1370 kWh 507 kWh £347 £51 £398 £8,904 22.4 yrs £-950
3 kW 2815 kWh 2055 kWh 760 kWh £521 £76 £597 £10,731 18.0 yrs £1,200
4 kW 3753 kWh 2740 kWh 1013 kWh £694 £101 £795 £12,557 15.8 yrs £3,350
5 kW 4692 kWh 3425 kWh 1267 kWh £868 £127 £994 £14,384 14.5 yrs £5,500
6 kW 5630 kWh 4110 kWh 1520 kWh £1,041 £152 £1,193 £16,211 13.6 yrs £7,650
7 kW 6568 kWh 4795 kWh 1773 kWh £1,215 £177 £1,392 £18,038 13.0 yrs £9,800
8 kW 7507 kWh 5480 kWh 2027 kWh £1,388 £203 £1,591 £19,865 12.5 yrs £11,950

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: £1,009, 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 1877 kWh 1408 kWh 469 kWh £357 £47 £403 £10,654 26.4 yrs £-2,585
3 kW 2815 kWh 2111 kWh 704 kWh £535 £70 £605 £12,481 20.6 yrs £-377
4 kW 3753 kWh 2815 kWh 938 kWh £713 £94 £807 £14,307 17.7 yrs £1,830
5 kW 4692 kWh 3519 kWh 1173 kWh £891 £117 £1,009 £16,134 16.0 yrs £4,038
6 kW 5630 kWh 4223 kWh 1408 kWh £1,070 £141 £1,210 £17,961 14.8 yrs £6,246
7 kW 6568 kWh 4926 kWh 1642 kWh £1,248 £164 £1,412 £19,788 14.0 yrs £8,453
8 kW 7507 kWh 5630 kWh 1877 kWh £1,426 £188 £1,614 £21,615 13.4 yrs £10,661

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: £1,023, 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 1877 kWh 1445 kWh 432 kWh £366 £43 £409 £13,104 32.0 yrs £-4,920
3 kW 2815 kWh 2168 kWh 647 kWh £549 £65 £614 £14,931 24.3 yrs £-2,655
4 kW 3753 kWh 2890 kWh 863 kWh £732 £86 £818 £16,757 20.5 yrs £-389
5 kW 4692 kWh 3613 kWh 1079 kWh £915 £108 £1,023 £18,584 18.2 yrs £1,876
6 kW 5630 kWh 4335 kWh 1295 kWh £1,098 £129 £1,228 £20,411 16.6 yrs £4,141
7 kW 6568 kWh 5058 kWh 1511 kWh £1,281 £151 £1,432 £22,238 15.5 yrs £6,406
8 kW 7507 kWh 5780 kWh 1727 kWh £1,464 £173 £1,637 £24,065 14.7 yrs £8,671

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.

Compare solar quotes before you sign

Check what MCS certification means

Understand DNO, G98 and G99 export limits

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Insights for B38

Figures below are tailored to B38 — click through for full league tables.

Big-Roof Britain Rank #1563 of 2182
4.6 kWp (UK avg 5.1 kWp)
~10 panels (≈430 W)
Solar Payback Index Rank #2553 of 2996
12.1 years (UK avg 10.8 years)
~£605 /yr • £7,307 upfront
Standing-Charge Drag Rank #2634 of 2996
36.0% (UK avg 26.6%) drag on savings
£218 fixed • ~£605 /yr value
Aspect Penalty View ranking →
East −21.0% West −19.4%
Typical output loss versus a south-facing roof (lower is better)

Seasonal solar output in B38

Monthly generation per kilowatt of solar panels

kWh 36 Jan 49 Feb 81 Mar 105 Apr 115 May 114 Jun 114 Jul 103 Aug 87 Sep 61 Oct 41 Nov 32 Dec
Best month Worst month Winter (Dec–Feb) Other months

Winter output: 49.7% 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 155 kWh in winter, or 313 kWh in an average month.

Your Area at a Glance

Your Electricity Rate
25.33p/kWh
Daily Fixed Charge
59.71p/day
Local Sunshine
938kWh/kW
A 1 kW system generates ~938 kWh per year. A typical home uses ~2,700 kWh per year.
Typical System Size
4.0kW
For houses & bungalows in this area

Local Property Data

Property Types

Houses: 65% • Flats: 26% • Bungalows: 6% Based on 6,374 properties

Coverage

Birmingham (90%)|Bromsgrove (10%)

Areas Covered

King's Norton South, King's Norton North, Wythall West, Bournville & Cotteridge, Longbridge & West Heath, Barnt Green & Hopwood

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

B22 (Birmingham)
≈1.2 km away
Local sunshine: ~937 kWh/kWp · -0% vs B38
B30 (Birmingham)
≈2.0 km away
Local sunshine: ~938 kWh/kWp · -0% vs B38
B31 (Birmingham)
≈2.7 km away
Local sunshine: ~940 kWh/kWp · +0% vs B38
B14 (Birmingham)
≈3.5 km away
Local sunshine: ~942 kWh/kWp · +0% vs B38
B47 (Bromsgrove)
≈3.9 km away
Local sunshine: ~953 kWh/kWp · +2% vs B38
B29 (Birmingham)
≈4.2 km away
Local sunshine: ~940 kWh/kWp · +0% vs B38

Similar sunshine across the UK

YO61 (North Yorkshire)
~938 kWh/kWp · -0% vs B38
SY15 (Powys)
~938 kWh/kWp · -0% vs B38
CA22 (Cumberland)
~938 kWh/kWp · +0% vs B38