Independent solar numbers for your postcode using official UK data
Home Regions Guides Compare quotes Solar assistant
Insights
Big Roof Britain Solar Payback Index Standing Charge Drag Roof Direction Penalty Winter Solar Reality Seasonal Solar Output

Solar panel cost in Birmingham (B73)

See realistic solar installation costs, savings and payback for B73 (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
£9,767
What you pay to get started
Annual Benefit
£907
What you save every year
Profit Over 25 Years
£12,896
After paying itself off, you're this much ahead

Ready to Get Started?

Get your free quote from Blue Ape Renewables. They'll connect you with MCS-certified installers in your area and handle all the paperwork.

Get Solar Quote →
4.8★ Trustpilot • Octopus Energy trusted partner • MCS certified • No obligation
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 937 kWh/kW — 5 below the regional median (942).

Read the full story

A typical roof here lands around 6.0 kW, with most eligible homes comfortably fitting within 3–6 kW. Each kilowatt of panels produces roughly 937 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)
937 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 1873 kWh 749 kWh 1124 kWh £190 £112 £302 £3,256 10.8 yrs £2,788
3 kW 2810 kWh 1124 kWh 1686 kWh £285 £169 £453 £4,883 10.8 yrs £4,182
4 kW 3746 kWh 1498 kWh 2248 kWh £380 £225 £604 £6,511 10.8 yrs £5,576
5 kW 4683 kWh 1873 kWh 2810 kWh £474 £281 £755 £8,139 10.8 yrs £6,970
6 kW 5619 kWh 2248 kWh 3372 kWh £569 £337 £907 £9,767 10.8 yrs £8,364
7 kW 6556 kWh 2622 kWh 3934 kWh £664 £393 £1,058 £11,394 10.8 yrs £9,758
8 kW 7492 kWh 2997 kWh 4495 kWh £759 £450 £1,209 £13,022 10.8 yrs £11,152

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: £899, 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 1873 kWh 1124 kWh 749 kWh £285 £75 £360 £5,356 14.9 yrs £1,837
3 kW 2810 kWh 1686 kWh 1124 kWh £427 £112 £539 £6,983 12.9 yrs £3,805
4 kW 3746 kWh 2248 kWh 1498 kWh £569 £150 £719 £8,611 12.0 yrs £5,773
5 kW 4683 kWh 2810 kWh 1873 kWh £712 £187 £899 £10,239 11.4 yrs £7,741
6 kW 5619 kWh 3372 kWh 2248 kWh £854 £225 £1,079 £11,867 11.0 yrs £9,710
7 kW 6556 kWh 3934 kWh 2622 kWh £996 £262 £1,259 £13,494 10.7 yrs £11,678
8 kW 7492 kWh 4495 kWh 2997 kWh £1,139 £300 £1,438 £15,122 10.5 yrs £13,646

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: £971, 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 1873 kWh 1311 kWh 562 kWh £332 £56 £388 £6,756 17.4 yrs £1,011
3 kW 2810 kWh 1967 kWh 843 kWh £498 £84 £582 £8,383 14.4 yrs £3,266
4 kW 3746 kWh 2622 kWh 1124 kWh £664 £112 £777 £10,011 12.9 yrs £5,522
5 kW 4683 kWh 3278 kWh 1405 kWh £830 £140 £971 £11,639 12.0 yrs £7,777
6 kW 5619 kWh 3934 kWh 1686 kWh £996 £169 £1,165 £13,267 11.4 yrs £10,032
7 kW 6556 kWh 4589 kWh 1967 kWh £1,162 £197 £1,359 £14,894 11.0 yrs £12,288
8 kW 7492 kWh 5245 kWh 2248 kWh £1,328 £225 £1,553 £16,522 10.6 yrs £14,543

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 1873 kWh 1367 kWh 506 kWh £346 £51 £397 £8,506 21.4 yrs £-567
3 kW 2810 kWh 2051 kWh 759 kWh £520 £76 £595 £10,133 17.0 yrs £1,775
4 kW 3746 kWh 2735 kWh 1011 kWh £693 £101 £794 £11,761 14.8 yrs £4,116
5 kW 4683 kWh 3418 kWh 1264 kWh £866 £126 £992 £13,389 13.5 yrs £6,458
6 kW 5619 kWh 4102 kWh 1517 kWh £1,039 £152 £1,191 £15,017 12.6 yrs £8,799
7 kW 6556 kWh 4786 kWh 1770 kWh £1,212 £177 £1,389 £16,644 12.0 yrs £11,141
8 kW 7492 kWh 5470 kWh 2023 kWh £1,385 £202 £1,588 £18,272 11.5 yrs £13,482

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: £1,007, Upfront: £15,139, Break-even: 15.0 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1873 kWh 1405 kWh 468 kWh £356 £47 £403 £10,256 25.5 yrs £-2,202
3 kW 2810 kWh 2107 kWh 702 kWh £534 £70 £604 £11,883 19.7 yrs £197
4 kW 3746 kWh 2810 kWh 937 kWh £712 £94 £805 £13,511 16.8 yrs £2,596
5 kW 4683 kWh 3512 kWh 1171 kWh £890 £117 £1,007 £15,139 15.0 yrs £4,995
6 kW 5619 kWh 4215 kWh 1405 kWh £1,068 £140 £1,208 £16,767 13.9 yrs £7,394
7 kW 6556 kWh 4917 kWh 1639 kWh £1,245 £164 £1,409 £18,394 13.1 yrs £9,793
8 kW 7492 kWh 5619 kWh 1873 kWh £1,423 £187 £1,611 £20,022 12.4 yrs £12,192

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: £1,021, 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 1873 kWh 1442 kWh 431 kWh £365 £43 £408 £12,706 31.1 yrs £-4,537
3 kW 2810 kWh 2163 kWh 646 kWh £548 £65 £613 £14,333 23.4 yrs £-2,081
4 kW 3746 kWh 2885 kWh 862 kWh £731 £86 £817 £15,961 19.5 yrs £376
5 kW 4683 kWh 3606 kWh 1077 kWh £913 £108 £1,021 £17,589 17.2 yrs £2,832
6 kW 5619 kWh 4327 kWh 1292 kWh £1,096 £129 £1,225 £19,217 15.7 yrs £5,288
7 kW 6556 kWh 5048 kWh 1508 kWh £1,279 £151 £1,429 £20,844 14.6 yrs £7,745
8 kW 7492 kWh 5769 kWh 1723 kWh £1,461 £172 £1,634 £22,472 13.8 yrs £10,201

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

New quote check

Want a quote sanity check for B73?

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.

Request a quote sanity check →

Insights for B73

Figures below are tailored to B73 — click through for full league tables.

Big-Roof Britain Rank #822 of 2182
5.2 kWp (UK avg 5.1 kWp)
~11 panels (≈430 W)
Solar Payback Index Rank #1775 of 2996
10.8 years (UK avg 10.8 years)
~£907 /yr • £9,767 upfront
Standing-Charge Drag Rank #1205 of 2996
24.0% (UK avg 26.6%) drag on savings
£218 fixed • ~£907 /yr value
Aspect Penalty View ranking →
East −21.5% West −19.7%
Typical output loss versus a south-facing roof (lower is better)

Seasonal solar output in B73

Monthly generation per kilowatt of solar panels

kWh 36 Jan 50 Feb 82 Mar 105 Apr 113 May 113 Jun 114 Jul 102 Aug 87 Sep 61 Oct 41 Nov 33 Dec
Best month Worst month Winter (Dec–Feb) Other months

Winter output: 51.0% 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 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
937kWh/kW
A 1 kW system generates ~937 kWh per year. A typical home uses ~2,700 kWh per year.
Typical System Size
6.0kW
For houses & bungalows in this area

Local Property Data

Property Types

Houses: 60% • Flats: 30% • Bungalows: 6% Based on 5,193 properties

Coverage

Birmingham (100%)

Areas Covered

Sutton Trinity, Sutton Vesey, Sutton Wylde Green, Erdington, Perry Common

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

B72 (Birmingham)
≈1.0 km away
Local sunshine: ~942 kWh/kWp · +1% vs B73
B75 (Birmingham)
≈1.7 km away
Local sunshine: ~945 kWh/kWp · +1% vs B73
B74 (Birmingham)
≈2.4 km away
Local sunshine: ~933 kWh/kWp · -0% vs B73
B76 (Birmingham)
≈3.4 km away
Local sunshine: ~948 kWh/kWp · +1% vs B73
B44 (Birmingham)
≈4.4 km away
Local sunshine: ~938 kWh/kWp · +0% vs B73
B23 (Birmingham)
≈4.6 km away
Local sunshine: ~942 kWh/kWp · +1% vs B73

Similar sunshine across the UK

L5 (Liverpool)
~937 kWh/kWp · +0% vs B73
L4 (Liverpool)
~937 kWh/kWp · +0% vs B73
L2 (Liverpool)
~936 kWh/kWp · -0% vs B73