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Solar panel cost in Sandwell (B71)

See realistic solar installation costs, savings and payback for B71 (Sandwell) 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
£603
What you save every year
Profit Over 25 Years
£7,776
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 4.0 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 1870 kWh 748 kWh 1122 kWh £189 £112 £302 £3,654 12.1 yrs £2,380
3 kW 2805 kWh 1122 kWh 1683 kWh £284 £168 £452 £5,481 12.1 yrs £3,569
4 kW 3740 kWh 1496 kWh 2244 kWh £379 £224 £603 £7,307 12.1 yrs £4,759
5 kW 4675 kWh 1870 kWh 2805 kWh £474 £280 £754 £9,134 12.1 yrs £5,949
6 kW 5610 kWh 2244 kWh 3366 kWh £568 £337 £905 £10,961 12.1 yrs £7,139
7 kW 6545 kWh 2618 kWh 3927 kWh £663 £393 £1,056 £12,788 12.1 yrs £8,329
8 kW 7480 kWh 2992 kWh 4488 kWh £758 £449 £1,207 £14,615 12.1 yrs £9,518

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: £897, 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 1870 kWh 1122 kWh 748 kWh £284 £75 £359 £5,754 16.0 yrs £1,426
3 kW 2805 kWh 1683 kWh 1122 kWh £426 £112 £538 £7,581 14.1 yrs £3,189
4 kW 3740 kWh 2244 kWh 1496 kWh £568 £150 £718 £9,407 13.1 yrs £4,953
5 kW 4675 kWh 2805 kWh 1870 kWh £710 £187 £897 £11,234 12.5 yrs £6,716
6 kW 5610 kWh 3366 kWh 2244 kWh £853 £224 £1,077 £13,061 12.1 yrs £8,479
7 kW 6545 kWh 3927 kWh 2618 kWh £995 £262 £1,256 £14,888 11.8 yrs £10,242
8 kW 7480 kWh 4488 kWh 2992 kWh £1,137 £299 £1,436 £16,715 11.6 yrs £12,005

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: £969, 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 1870 kWh 1309 kWh 561 kWh £332 £56 £388 £7,154 18.5 yrs £600
3 kW 2805 kWh 1963 kWh 841 kWh £497 £84 £581 £8,981 15.4 yrs £2,649
4 kW 3740 kWh 2618 kWh 1122 kWh £663 £112 £775 £10,807 13.9 yrs £4,699
5 kW 4675 kWh 3272 kWh 1402 kWh £829 £140 £969 £12,634 13.0 yrs £6,749
6 kW 5610 kWh 3927 kWh 1683 kWh £995 £168 £1,163 £14,461 12.4 yrs £8,799
7 kW 6545 kWh 4581 kWh 1963 kWh £1,160 £196 £1,357 £16,288 12.0 yrs £10,849
8 kW 7480 kWh 5236 kWh 2244 kWh £1,326 £224 £1,551 £18,115 11.7 yrs £12,899

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 1870 kWh 1365 kWh 505 kWh £346 £50 £396 £8,904 22.5 yrs £-978
3 kW 2805 kWh 2048 kWh 757 kWh £519 £76 £594 £10,731 18.1 yrs £1,157
4 kW 3740 kWh 2730 kWh 1010 kWh £692 £101 £793 £12,557 15.8 yrs £3,293
5 kW 4675 kWh 3413 kWh 1262 kWh £864 £126 £991 £14,384 14.5 yrs £5,429
6 kW 5610 kWh 4095 kWh 1515 kWh £1,037 £151 £1,189 £16,211 13.6 yrs £7,565
7 kW 6545 kWh 4778 kWh 1767 kWh £1,210 £177 £1,387 £18,038 13.0 yrs £9,701
8 kW 7480 kWh 5460 kWh 2020 kWh £1,383 £202 £1,585 £19,865 12.5 yrs £11,837

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: 16.1 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1870 kWh 1402 kWh 467 kWh £355 £47 £402 £10,654 26.5 yrs £-2,614
3 kW 2805 kWh 2104 kWh 701 kWh £533 £70 £603 £12,481 20.7 yrs £-421
4 kW 3740 kWh 2805 kWh 935 kWh £710 £93 £804 £14,307 17.8 yrs £1,773
5 kW 4675 kWh 3506 kWh 1169 kWh £888 £117 £1,005 £16,134 16.1 yrs £3,966
6 kW 5610 kWh 4207 kWh 1402 kWh £1,066 £140 £1,206 £17,961 14.9 yrs £6,159
7 kW 6545 kWh 4909 kWh 1636 kWh £1,243 £164 £1,407 £19,788 14.1 yrs £8,352
8 kW 7480 kWh 5610 kWh 1870 kWh £1,421 £187 £1,608 £21,615 13.4 yrs £10,545

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: £1,019, 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 1870 kWh 1440 kWh 430 kWh £365 £43 £408 £13,104 32.1 yrs £-4,949
3 kW 2805 kWh 2160 kWh 645 kWh £547 £65 £612 £14,931 24.4 yrs £-2,699
4 kW 3740 kWh 2880 kWh 860 kWh £729 £86 £815 £16,757 20.5 yrs £-448
5 kW 4675 kWh 3600 kWh 1075 kWh £912 £108 £1,019 £18,584 18.2 yrs £1,802
6 kW 5610 kWh 4320 kWh 1290 kWh £1,094 £129 £1,223 £20,411 16.7 yrs £4,053
7 kW 6545 kWh 5040 kWh 1505 kWh £1,277 £151 £1,427 £22,238 15.6 yrs £6,303
8 kW 7480 kWh 5760 kWh 1720 kWh £1,459 £172 £1,631 £24,065 14.8 yrs £8,554

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 Sandwell

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 B71

Figures below are tailored to B71 — click through for full league tables.

Big-Roof Britain Rank #1902 of 2182
4.3 kWp (UK avg 5.1 kWp)
~9 panels (≈430 W)
Solar Payback Index Rank #2560 of 2996
12.1 years (UK avg 10.8 years)
~£603 /yr • £7,307 upfront
Standing-Charge Drag Rank #2647 of 2996
36.2% (UK avg 26.6%) drag on savings
£218 fixed • ~£603 /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 B71

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
4.0kW
For houses & bungalows in this area

Local Property Data

Property Types

Houses: 64% • Flats: 29% • Bungalows: 4% Based on 7,663 properties

Coverage

Sandwell (100%)

Areas Covered

Hateley Heath, Charlemont with Grove Vale, West Bromwich Central, Wednesbury South, St Pauls, Greets Green and Lyng, Newton

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

B70 (Sandwell)
≈2.2 km away
Local sunshine: ~932 kWh/kWp · -0% vs B71
WS10 (Sandwell)
≈3.6 km away
Local sunshine: ~932 kWh/kWp · -0% vs B71
WS5 (Walsall)
≈3.8 km away
Local sunshine: ~933 kWh/kWp · -0% vs B71
B43 (Sandwell)
≈3.9 km away
Local sunshine: ~936 kWh/kWp · +0% vs B71
B69 (Sandwell)
≈4.2 km away
Local sunshine: ~927 kWh/kWp · -1% vs B71
DY4 (Sandwell)
≈4.3 km away
Local sunshine: ~932 kWh/kWp · -0% vs B71

Similar sunshine across the UK

YO42 (East Riding of Yorkshire)
~935 kWh/kWp · -0% vs B71
YO13 (North Yorkshire)
~935 kWh/kWp · +0% vs B71
SY14 (Cheshire West and Chester)
~935 kWh/kWp · -0% vs B71