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Solar panel cost in Bradford (BD3)

See realistic solar installation costs, savings and payback for BD3 (Bradford) 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
11.0 years
After this, it's pure profit
Upfront Cost
£8,139
What you pay to get started
Annual Benefit
£739
What you save every year
Profit Over 25 Years
£10,326
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 Yorkshire, the current unit rate is 25.31p/kWh with a 64.38p/day standing charge. Your postcode’s south-facing sunshine yield is 916 kWh/kW — 13 below the regional median (929).

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 916 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
64.4p/day
Sunshine yield (south)
916 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: £739, Upfront: £8,139, Break-even: 11.0 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1832 kWh 733 kWh 1099 kWh £186 £110 £295 £3,256 11.0 yrs £2,653
3 kW 2748 kWh 1099 kWh 1649 kWh £278 £165 £443 £4,883 11.0 yrs £3,980
4 kW 3665 kWh 1466 kWh 2199 kWh £371 £220 £591 £6,511 11.0 yrs £5,306
5 kW 4581 kWh 1832 kWh 2748 kWh £464 £275 £739 £8,139 11.0 yrs £6,633
6 kW 5497 kWh 2199 kWh 3298 kWh £557 £330 £886 £9,767 11.0 yrs £7,960
7 kW 6413 kWh 2565 kWh 3848 kWh £649 £385 £1,034 £11,394 11.0 yrs £9,286
8 kW 7329 kWh 2932 kWh 4397 kWh £742 £440 £1,182 £13,022 11.0 yrs £10,613

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: £879, Upfront: £10,239, Break-even: 11.7 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1832 kWh 1099 kWh 733 kWh £278 £73 £352 £5,356 15.2 yrs £1,675
3 kW 2748 kWh 1649 kWh 1099 kWh £417 £110 £527 £6,983 13.2 yrs £3,563
4 kW 3665 kWh 2199 kWh 1466 kWh £557 £147 £703 £8,611 12.2 yrs £5,451
5 kW 4581 kWh 2748 kWh 1832 kWh £696 £183 £879 £10,239 11.7 yrs £7,338
6 kW 5497 kWh 3298 kWh 2199 kWh £835 £220 £1,055 £11,867 11.3 yrs £9,226
7 kW 6413 kWh 3848 kWh 2565 kWh £974 £257 £1,230 £13,494 11.0 yrs £11,114
8 kW 7329 kWh 4397 kWh 2932 kWh £1,113 £293 £1,406 £15,122 10.8 yrs £13,001

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: £949, Upfront: £11,639, Break-even: 12.3 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1832 kWh 1283 kWh 550 kWh £325 £55 £380 £6,756 17.8 yrs £836
3 kW 2748 kWh 1924 kWh 825 kWh £487 £82 £569 £8,383 14.7 yrs £3,005
4 kW 3665 kWh 2565 kWh 1099 kWh £649 £110 £759 £10,011 13.2 yrs £5,173
5 kW 4581 kWh 3206 kWh 1374 kWh £812 £137 £949 £11,639 12.3 yrs £7,341
6 kW 5497 kWh 3848 kWh 1649 kWh £974 £165 £1,139 £13,267 11.6 yrs £9,509
7 kW 6413 kWh 4489 kWh 1924 kWh £1,136 £192 £1,329 £14,894 11.2 yrs £11,677
8 kW 7329 kWh 5130 kWh 2199 kWh £1,299 £220 £1,518 £16,522 10.9 yrs £13,845

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: £970, Upfront: £13,389, Break-even: 13.8 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1832 kWh 1338 kWh 495 kWh £339 £49 £388 £8,506 21.9 yrs £-745
3 kW 2748 kWh 2006 kWh 742 kWh £508 £74 £582 £10,133 17.4 yrs £1,507
4 kW 3665 kWh 2675 kWh 989 kWh £677 £99 £776 £11,761 15.2 yrs £3,759
5 kW 4581 kWh 3344 kWh 1237 kWh £846 £124 £970 £13,389 13.8 yrs £6,012
6 kW 5497 kWh 4013 kWh 1484 kWh £1,016 £148 £1,164 £15,017 12.9 yrs £8,264
7 kW 6413 kWh 4681 kWh 1732 kWh £1,185 £173 £1,358 £16,644 12.3 yrs £10,516
8 kW 7329 kWh 5350 kWh 1979 kWh £1,354 £198 £1,552 £18,272 11.8 yrs £12,769

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: £984, Upfront: £15,139, Break-even: 15.4 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1832 kWh 1374 kWh 458 kWh £348 £46 £394 £10,256 26.1 yrs £-2,383
3 kW 2748 kWh 2061 kWh 687 kWh £522 £69 £590 £11,883 20.1 yrs £-75
4 kW 3665 kWh 2748 kWh 916 kWh £696 £92 £787 £13,511 17.2 yrs £2,234
5 kW 4581 kWh 3436 kWh 1145 kWh £870 £115 £984 £15,139 15.4 yrs £4,542
6 kW 5497 kWh 4123 kWh 1374 kWh £1,043 £137 £1,181 £16,767 14.2 yrs £6,851
7 kW 6413 kWh 4810 kWh 1603 kWh £1,217 £160 £1,378 £18,394 13.4 yrs £9,159
8 kW 7329 kWh 5497 kWh 1832 kWh £1,391 £183 £1,574 £20,022 12.7 yrs £11,467

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: £998, Upfront: £17,589, Break-even: 17.6 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1832 kWh 1411 kWh 421 kWh £357 £42 £399 £12,706 31.8 yrs £-4,721
3 kW 2748 kWh 2116 kWh 632 kWh £536 £63 £599 £14,333 23.9 yrs £-2,356
4 kW 3665 kWh 2822 kWh 843 kWh £714 £84 £798 £15,961 20.0 yrs £8
5 kW 4581 kWh 3527 kWh 1054 kWh £893 £105 £998 £17,589 17.6 yrs £2,373
6 kW 5497 kWh 4233 kWh 1264 kWh £1,071 £126 £1,198 £19,217 16.0 yrs £4,737
7 kW 6413 kWh 4938 kWh 1475 kWh £1,250 £147 £1,397 £20,844 14.9 yrs £7,102
8 kW 7329 kWh 5643 kWh 1686 kWh £1,428 £169 £1,597 £22,472 14.1 yrs £9,466

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 Bradford

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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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 BD3

Figures below are tailored to BD3 — click through for full league tables.

Big-Roof Britain Rank #843 of 2182
5.2 kWp (UK avg 5.1 kWp)
~11 panels (≈430 W)
Solar Payback Index Rank #1958 of 2996
11.0 years (UK avg 10.8 years)
~£738 /yr • £8,139 upfront
Standing-Charge Drag Rank #2366 of 2996
31.8% (UK avg 26.6%) drag on savings
£235 fixed • ~£738 /yr value
Aspect Penalty View ranking →
East −21.2% West −20.3%
Typical output loss versus a south-facing roof (lower is better)

Seasonal solar output in BD3

Monthly generation per kilowatt of solar panels

kWh 33 Jan 48 Feb 80 Mar 104 Apr 114 May 109 Jun 112 Jul 104 Aug 84 Sep 58 Oct 38 Nov 31 Dec
Best month Worst month Winter (Dec–Feb) Other months

Winter output: 48.8% 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 37 kWh per month; the average month produces around 76 kWh. So a typical 4 kW home system would generate roughly 149 kWh in winter, or 305 kWh in an average month.

Your Area at a Glance

Your Electricity Rate
25.31p/kWh
Daily Fixed Charge
64.38p/day
Local Sunshine
916kWh/kW
A 1 kW system generates ~916 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: 83% • Flats: 16% • Bungalows: 1% Based on 11,398 properties

Coverage

Bradford (97%)|Leeds (3%)

Areas Covered

Bradford Moor, Bowling and Barkerend, Bolton and Undercliffe, City, Calverley & Farsley, Little Horton

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 Yorkshire

BD99 (Bradford)
≈1.2 km away
Local sunshine: ~908 kWh/kWp · -1% vs BD3
BD1 (Bradford)
≈1.5 km away
Local sunshine: ~908 kWh/kWp · -1% vs BD3
BD2 (Bradford)
≈1.9 km away
Local sunshine: ~904 kWh/kWp · -1% vs BD3
BD4 (Bradford)
≈2.3 km away
Local sunshine: ~914 kWh/kWp · -0% vs BD3
BD5 (Bradford)
≈2.5 km away
Local sunshine: ~908 kWh/kWp · -1% vs BD3
BD8 (Bradford)
≈3.0 km away
Local sunshine: ~907 kWh/kWp · -1% vs BD3

Similar sunshine across the UK

BT31 (Newry, Mourne and Down)
~916 kWh/kWp · +0% vs BD3
ST11 (Staffordshire Moorlands)
~916 kWh/kWp · -0% vs BD3
NE65 (Northumberland)
~916 kWh/kWp · +0% vs BD3