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Solar panel cost in Bristol, City of (BS3)

See realistic solar installation costs, savings and payback for BS3 (Bristol, City of) 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
9.9 years
After this, it's pure profit
Upfront Cost
£8,139
What you pay to get started
Annual Benefit
£823
What you save every year
Profit Over 25 Years
£12,432
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 Southern Western, the current unit rate is 26.39p/kWh with a 57.89p/day standing charge. Your postcode’s south-facing sunshine yield is 994 kWh/kW — 19 below the regional median (1013).

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 994 kWh per year on a south-facing roof. We value self-used electricity at 26.4p and exported surplus at a baseline 10p via SEG. Use the calculator above for your exact tariff.

Unit rate
26.4p/kWh
Standing charge
57.9p/day
Sunshine yield (south)
994 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: £823, Upfront: £8,139, Break-even: 9.9 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1988 kWh 795 kWh 1193 kWh £210 £119 £329 £3,256 9.9 yrs £3,327
3 kW 2982 kWh 1193 kWh 1789 kWh £315 £179 £494 £4,883 9.9 yrs £4,991
4 kW 3976 kWh 1590 kWh 2386 kWh £420 £239 £658 £6,511 9.9 yrs £6,655
5 kW 4970 kWh 1988 kWh 2982 kWh £525 £298 £823 £8,139 9.9 yrs £8,318
6 kW 5964 kWh 2386 kWh 3578 kWh £630 £358 £987 £9,767 9.9 yrs £9,982
7 kW 6958 kWh 2783 kWh 4175 kWh £735 £417 £1,152 £11,394 9.9 yrs £11,645
8 kW 7952 kWh 3181 kWh 4771 kWh £839 £477 £1,317 £13,022 9.9 yrs £13,309

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: £986, Upfront: £10,239, Break-even: 10.4 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1988 kWh 1193 kWh 795 kWh £315 £80 £394 £5,356 13.6 yrs £2,531
3 kW 2982 kWh 1789 kWh 1193 kWh £472 £119 £591 £6,983 11.8 yrs £4,846
4 kW 3976 kWh 2386 kWh 1590 kWh £630 £159 £789 £8,611 10.9 yrs £7,161
5 kW 4970 kWh 2982 kWh 1988 kWh £787 £199 £986 £10,239 10.4 yrs £9,477
6 kW 5964 kWh 3578 kWh 2386 kWh £944 £239 £1,183 £11,867 10.0 yrs £11,792
7 kW 6958 kWh 4175 kWh 2783 kWh £1,102 £278 £1,380 £13,494 9.8 yrs £14,107
8 kW 7952 kWh 4771 kWh 3181 kWh £1,259 £318 £1,577 £15,122 9.6 yrs £16,423

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: £1,067, Upfront: £11,639, Break-even: 10.9 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1988 kWh 1392 kWh 596 kWh £367 £60 £427 £6,756 15.8 yrs £1,782
3 kW 2982 kWh 2087 kWh 895 kWh £551 £89 £640 £8,383 13.1 yrs £4,423
4 kW 3976 kWh 2783 kWh 1193 kWh £735 £119 £854 £10,011 11.7 yrs £7,065
5 kW 4970 kWh 3479 kWh 1491 kWh £918 £149 £1,067 £11,639 10.9 yrs £9,706
6 kW 5964 kWh 4175 kWh 1789 kWh £1,102 £179 £1,281 £13,267 10.4 yrs £12,347
7 kW 6958 kWh 4871 kWh 2087 kWh £1,285 £209 £1,494 £14,894 10.0 yrs £14,988
8 kW 7952 kWh 5567 kWh 2386 kWh £1,469 £239 £1,708 £16,522 9.7 yrs £17,629

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: £1,092, Upfront: £13,389, 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 1988 kWh 1451 kWh 537 kWh £383 £54 £437 £8,506 19.5 yrs £228
3 kW 2982 kWh 2177 kWh 805 kWh £574 £81 £655 £10,133 15.5 yrs £2,967
4 kW 3976 kWh 2903 kWh 1074 kWh £766 £107 £873 £11,761 13.5 yrs £5,706
5 kW 4970 kWh 3628 kWh 1342 kWh £957 £134 £1,092 £13,389 12.3 yrs £8,445
6 kW 5964 kWh 4354 kWh 1610 kWh £1,149 £161 £1,310 £15,017 11.5 yrs £11,183
7 kW 6958 kWh 5079 kWh 1879 kWh £1,340 £188 £1,528 £16,644 10.9 yrs £13,922
8 kW 7952 kWh 5805 kWh 2147 kWh £1,532 £215 £1,747 £18,272 10.5 yrs £16,661

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: £1,108, Upfront: £15,139, Break-even: 13.7 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1988 kWh 1491 kWh 497 kWh £393 £50 £443 £10,256 23.1 yrs £-1,392
3 kW 2982 kWh 2237 kWh 746 kWh £590 £75 £665 £11,883 17.9 yrs £1,412
4 kW 3976 kWh 2982 kWh 994 kWh £787 £99 £886 £13,511 15.2 yrs £4,216
5 kW 4970 kWh 3728 kWh 1243 kWh £984 £124 £1,108 £15,139 13.7 yrs £7,020
6 kW 5964 kWh 4473 kWh 1491 kWh £1,180 £149 £1,330 £16,767 12.6 yrs £9,824
7 kW 6958 kWh 5219 kWh 1740 kWh £1,377 £174 £1,551 £18,394 11.9 yrs £12,629
8 kW 7952 kWh 5964 kWh 1988 kWh £1,574 £199 £1,773 £20,022 11.3 yrs £15,433

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: £1,124, Upfront: £17,589, Break-even: 15.6 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1988 kWh 1531 kWh 457 kWh £404 £46 £450 £12,706 28.3 yrs £-3,712
3 kW 2982 kWh 2296 kWh 686 kWh £606 £69 £675 £14,333 21.2 yrs £-842
4 kW 3976 kWh 3062 kWh 914 kWh £808 £91 £899 £15,961 17.7 yrs £2,027
5 kW 4970 kWh 3827 kWh 1143 kWh £1,010 £114 £1,124 £17,589 15.6 yrs £4,896
6 kW 5964 kWh 4592 kWh 1372 kWh £1,212 £137 £1,349 £19,217 14.2 yrs £7,765
7 kW 6958 kWh 5358 kWh 1600 kWh £1,414 £160 £1,574 £20,844 13.2 yrs £10,635
8 kW 7952 kWh 6123 kWh 1829 kWh £1,616 £183 £1,799 £22,472 12.5 yrs £13,504

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 Bristol, City of

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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Insights for BS3

Figures below are tailored to BS3 — click through for full league tables.

Big-Roof Britain Rank #1834 of 2182
4.4 kWp (UK avg 5.1 kWp)
~9 panels (≈430 W)
Solar Payback Index Rank #769 of 2996
9.9 years (UK avg 10.8 years)
~£823 /yr • £8,139 upfront
Standing-Charge Drag Rank #1527 of 2996
25.6% (UK avg 26.6%) drag on savings
£211 fixed • ~£823 /yr value
Aspect Penalty View ranking →
East −20.2% West −20.5%
Typical output loss versus a south-facing roof (lower is better)

Seasonal solar output in BS3

Monthly generation per kilowatt of solar panels

kWh 38 Jan 53 Feb 86 Mar 113 Apr 122 May 119 Jun 121 Jul 107 Aug 92 Sep 66 Oct 44 Nov 33 Dec
Best month Worst month Winter (Dec–Feb) Other months

Winter output: 50.0% 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 41 kWh per month; the average month produces around 83 kWh. So a typical 4 kW home system would generate roughly 166 kWh in winter, or 331 kWh in an average month.

Your Area at a Glance

Your Electricity Rate
26.39p/kWh
Daily Fixed Charge
57.89p/day
Local Sunshine
994kWh/kW
A 1 kW system generates ~994 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: 52% • Flats: 43% • Bungalows: 1% Based on 13,120 properties

Coverage

Bristol, City of (100%)

Areas Covered

Bedminster, Southville, Windmill Hill, Filwood, Bishopsworth, Knowle, Long Ashton, Lawrence Hill

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 Southern Western

BS77 (Bristol, City of)
≈0.0 km away
Local sunshine: ~999 kWh/kWp · +0% vs BS3
BS1 (Bristol, City of)
≈1.7 km away
Local sunshine: ~994 kWh/kWp · +0% vs BS3
BS8 (Bristol, City of)
≈2.2 km away
Local sunshine: ~996 kWh/kWp · +0% vs BS3
BS4 (Bristol, City of)
≈2.5 km away
Local sunshine: ~994 kWh/kWp · -0% vs BS3
BS98 (Bristol, City of)
≈2.5 km away
Local sunshine: ~992 kWh/kWp · -0% vs BS3
BS2 (Bristol, City of)
≈2.7 km away
Local sunshine: ~992 kWh/kWp · -0% vs BS3

Similar sunshine across the UK

SE14 (Lewisham)
~994 kWh/kWp · -0% vs BS3
SG15 (Central Bedfordshire)
~994 kWh/kWp · -0% vs BS3
SL8 (Buckinghamshire)
~994 kWh/kWp · +0% vs BS3