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Solar panel cost in Cumberland (CA12)

See realistic solar installation costs, savings and payback for CA12 (Cumberland) 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
12.9 years
After this, it's pure profit
Upfront Cost
£9,767
What you pay to get started
Annual Benefit
£757
What you save every year
Profit Over 25 Years
£9,161
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 North West, the current unit rate is 26.13p/kWh with a 47.61p/day standing charge. Your postcode’s south-facing sunshine yield is 767 kWh/kW — 103 below the regional median (870).

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 767 kWh per year on a south-facing roof. We value self-used electricity at 26.1p and exported surplus at a baseline 10p via SEG. Use the calculator above for your exact tariff.

Unit rate
26.1p/kWh
Standing charge
47.6p/day
Sunshine yield (south)
767 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: £631, Upfront: £8,139, Break-even: 12.9 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1534 kWh 614 kWh 920 kWh £160 £92 £252 £3,256 12.9 yrs £1,792
3 kW 2301 kWh 920 kWh 1381 kWh £240 £138 £379 £4,883 12.9 yrs £2,688
4 kW 3068 kWh 1227 kWh 1841 kWh £321 £184 £505 £6,511 12.9 yrs £3,584
5 kW 3835 kWh 1534 kWh 2301 kWh £401 £230 £631 £8,139 12.9 yrs £4,480
6 kW 4602 kWh 1841 kWh 2761 kWh £481 £276 £757 £9,767 12.9 yrs £5,375
7 kW 5369 kWh 2148 kWh 3221 kWh £561 £322 £883 £11,394 12.9 yrs £6,271
8 kW 6136 kWh 2454 kWh 3682 kWh £641 £368 £1,009 £13,022 12.9 yrs £7,167

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: £755, Upfront: £10,239, Break-even: 13.6 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1534 kWh 920 kWh 614 kWh £240 £61 £302 £5,356 17.7 yrs £682
3 kW 2301 kWh 1381 kWh 920 kWh £361 £92 £453 £6,983 15.4 yrs £2,072
4 kW 3068 kWh 1841 kWh 1227 kWh £481 £123 £604 £8,611 14.3 yrs £3,463
5 kW 3835 kWh 2301 kWh 1534 kWh £601 £153 £755 £10,239 13.6 yrs £4,854
6 kW 4602 kWh 2761 kWh 1841 kWh £721 £184 £906 £11,867 13.1 yrs £6,245
7 kW 5369 kWh 3221 kWh 2148 kWh £842 £215 £1,056 £13,494 12.8 yrs £7,635
8 kW 6136 kWh 3682 kWh 2454 kWh £962 £245 £1,207 £15,122 12.5 yrs £9,026

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: £816, Upfront: £11,639, Break-even: 14.3 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1534 kWh 1074 kWh 460 kWh £281 £46 £327 £6,756 20.7 yrs £-224
3 kW 2301 kWh 1611 kWh 690 kWh £421 £69 £490 £8,383 17.1 yrs £1,415
4 kW 3068 kWh 2148 kWh 920 kWh £561 £92 £653 £10,011 15.3 yrs £3,053
5 kW 3835 kWh 2684 kWh 1150 kWh £701 £115 £816 £11,639 14.3 yrs £4,691
6 kW 4602 kWh 3221 kWh 1381 kWh £842 £138 £980 £13,267 13.5 yrs £6,329
7 kW 5369 kWh 3758 kWh 1611 kWh £982 £161 £1,143 £14,894 13.0 yrs £7,967
8 kW 6136 kWh 4295 kWh 1841 kWh £1,122 £184 £1,306 £16,522 12.6 yrs £9,606

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: £835, Upfront: £13,389, 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 1534 kWh 1120 kWh 414 kWh £293 £41 £334 £8,506 25.5 yrs £-1,825
3 kW 2301 kWh 1680 kWh 621 kWh £439 £62 £501 £10,133 20.2 yrs £-113
4 kW 3068 kWh 2240 kWh 828 kWh £585 £83 £668 £11,761 17.6 yrs £1,600
5 kW 3835 kWh 2799 kWh 1035 kWh £732 £104 £835 £13,389 16.0 yrs £3,312
6 kW 4602 kWh 3359 kWh 1243 kWh £878 £124 £1,002 £15,017 15.0 yrs £5,025
7 kW 5369 kWh 3919 kWh 1450 kWh £1,024 £145 £1,169 £16,644 14.2 yrs £6,737
8 kW 6136 kWh 4479 kWh 1657 kWh £1,170 £166 £1,336 £18,272 13.7 yrs £8,449

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: £847, Upfront: £15,139, Break-even: 17.9 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1534 kWh 1150 kWh 383 kWh £301 £38 £339 £10,256 30.3 yrs £-3,476
3 kW 2301 kWh 1726 kWh 575 kWh £451 £58 £508 £11,883 23.4 yrs £-1,714
4 kW 3068 kWh 2301 kWh 767 kWh £601 £77 £678 £13,511 19.9 yrs £48
5 kW 3835 kWh 2876 kWh 959 kWh £752 £96 £847 £15,139 17.9 yrs £1,810
6 kW 4602 kWh 3451 kWh 1150 kWh £902 £115 £1,017 £16,767 16.5 yrs £3,571
7 kW 5369 kWh 4027 kWh 1342 kWh £1,052 £134 £1,186 £18,394 15.5 yrs £5,333
8 kW 6136 kWh 4602 kWh 1534 kWh £1,202 £153 £1,356 £20,022 14.8 yrs £7,095

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: £860, Upfront: £17,589, Break-even: 20.5 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1534 kWh 1181 kWh 353 kWh £309 £35 £344 £12,706 36.9 yrs £-5,827
3 kW 2301 kWh 1772 kWh 529 kWh £463 £53 £516 £14,333 27.8 yrs £-4,016
4 kW 3068 kWh 2362 kWh 706 kWh £617 £71 £688 £15,961 23.2 yrs £-2,204
5 kW 3835 kWh 2953 kWh 882 kWh £772 £88 £860 £17,589 20.5 yrs £-393
6 kW 4602 kWh 3543 kWh 1058 kWh £926 £106 £1,032 £19,217 18.6 yrs £1,418
7 kW 5369 kWh 4134 kWh 1235 kWh £1,080 £123 £1,204 £20,844 17.3 yrs £3,230
8 kW 6136 kWh 4725 kWh 1411 kWh £1,235 £141 £1,376 £22,472 16.3 yrs £5,041

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 Cumberland

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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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 CA12

Figures below are tailored to CA12 — click through for full league tables.

Big-Roof Britain Rank #766 of 2182
5.3 kWp (UK avg 5.1 kWp)
~11 panels (≈430 W)
Solar Payback Index Rank #2782 of 2996
12.9 years (UK avg 10.8 years)
~£757 /yr • £9,767 upfront
Standing-Charge Drag Rank #1005 of 2996
23.0% (UK avg 26.6%) drag on savings
£174 fixed • ~£757 /yr value
Aspect Penalty View ranking →
East −17.4% West −18.0%
Typical output loss versus a south-facing roof (lower is better)

Seasonal solar output in CA12

Monthly generation per kilowatt of solar panels

kWh 20 Jan 37 Feb 65 Mar 98 Apr 109 May 102 Jun 101 Jul 86 Aug 68 Sep 42 Oct 25 Nov 16 Dec
Best month Worst month Winter (Dec–Feb) Other months

Winter output: 37.9% 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 24 kWh per month; the average month produces around 64 kWh. So a typical 4 kW home system would generate roughly 97 kWh in winter, or 256 kWh in an average month.

Your Area at a Glance

Your Electricity Rate
26.13p/kWh
Daily Fixed Charge
47.61p/day
Local Sunshine
767kWh/kW
A 1 kW system generates ~767 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: 64% • Flats: 22% • Bungalows: 12% Based on 2,872 properties

Coverage

Cumberland (95%)|Westmorland and Furness (5%)

Areas Covered

Keswick, Bothel and Wharrels, Greystoke and Ullswater

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 North West

CA13 (Cumberland)
≈16.3 km away
Local sunshine: ~812 kWh/kWp · +6% vs CA12
LA22 (Westmorland and Furness)
≈21.9 km away
Local sunshine: ~836 kWh/kWp · +9% vs CA12
CA26 (Cumberland)
≈23.8 km away
Local sunshine: ~868 kWh/kWp · +13% vs CA12
CA7 (Cumberland)
≈24.7 km away
Local sunshine: ~910 kWh/kWp · +19% vs CA12
CA11 (Westmorland and Furness)
≈25.5 km away
Local sunshine: ~877 kWh/kWp · +14% vs CA12
CA15 (Cumberland)
≈25.8 km away
Local sunshine: ~915 kWh/kWp · +19% vs CA12

Similar sunshine across the UK

PA22 (Argyll and Bute)
~766 kWh/kWp · -0% vs CA12
PH24 (Highland)
~766 kWh/kWp · -0% vs CA12
PA71 (Argyll and Bute)
~768 kWh/kWp · +0% vs CA12