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Solar panel cost in Cumberland (CA23)

See realistic solar installation costs, savings and payback for CA23 (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
11.1 years
After this, it's pure profit
Upfront Cost
£8,139
What you pay to get started
Annual Benefit
£734
What you save every year
Profit Over 25 Years
£10,212
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 892 kWh/kW — 22 above the regional median (870).

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 892 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)
892 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: £734, Upfront: £8,139, Break-even: 11.1 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1785 kWh 714 kWh 1071 kWh £187 £107 £294 £3,256 11.1 yrs £2,617
3 kW 2677 kWh 1071 kWh 1606 kWh £280 £161 £440 £4,883 11.1 yrs £3,925
4 kW 3569 kWh 1428 kWh 2142 kWh £373 £214 £587 £6,511 11.1 yrs £5,233
5 kW 4462 kWh 1785 kWh 2677 kWh £466 £268 £734 £8,139 11.1 yrs £6,541
6 kW 5354 kWh 2142 kWh 3212 kWh £560 £321 £881 £9,767 11.1 yrs £7,850
7 kW 6246 kWh 2498 kWh 3748 kWh £653 £375 £1,028 £11,394 11.1 yrs £9,158
8 kW 7138 kWh 2855 kWh 4283 kWh £746 £428 £1,174 £13,022 11.1 yrs £10,466

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: £878, 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 1785 kWh 1071 kWh 714 kWh £280 £71 £351 £5,356 15.3 yrs £1,668
3 kW 2677 kWh 1606 kWh 1071 kWh £420 £107 £527 £6,983 13.3 yrs £3,552
4 kW 3569 kWh 2142 kWh 1428 kWh £560 £143 £702 £8,611 12.3 yrs £5,436
5 kW 4462 kWh 2677 kWh 1785 kWh £699 £178 £878 £10,239 11.7 yrs £7,320
6 kW 5354 kWh 3212 kWh 2142 kWh £839 £214 £1,054 £11,867 11.3 yrs £9,204
7 kW 6246 kWh 3748 kWh 2498 kWh £979 £250 £1,229 £13,494 11.0 yrs £11,088
8 kW 7138 kWh 4283 kWh 2855 kWh £1,119 £286 £1,405 £15,122 10.8 yrs £12,972

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: £950, 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 1785 kWh 1249 kWh 535 kWh £326 £54 £380 £6,756 17.8 yrs £844
3 kW 2677 kWh 1874 kWh 803 kWh £490 £80 £570 £8,383 14.7 yrs £3,016
4 kW 3569 kWh 2498 kWh 1071 kWh £653 £107 £760 £10,011 13.2 yrs £5,187
5 kW 4462 kWh 3123 kWh 1338 kWh £816 £134 £950 £11,639 12.3 yrs £7,359
6 kW 5354 kWh 3748 kWh 1606 kWh £979 £161 £1,140 £13,267 11.6 yrs £9,531
7 kW 6246 kWh 4372 kWh 1874 kWh £1,142 £187 £1,330 £14,894 11.2 yrs £11,703
8 kW 7138 kWh 4997 kWh 2142 kWh £1,306 £214 £1,520 £16,522 10.9 yrs £13,875

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: £971, 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 1785 kWh 1303 kWh 482 kWh £340 £48 £389 £8,506 21.9 yrs £-734
3 kW 2677 kWh 1954 kWh 723 kWh £511 £72 £583 £10,133 17.4 yrs £1,525
4 kW 3569 kWh 2606 kWh 964 kWh £681 £96 £777 £11,761 15.1 yrs £3,783
5 kW 4462 kWh 3257 kWh 1205 kWh £851 £120 £971 £13,389 13.8 yrs £6,041
6 kW 5354 kWh 3908 kWh 1446 kWh £1,021 £145 £1,166 £15,017 12.9 yrs £8,299
7 kW 6246 kWh 4560 kWh 1686 kWh £1,191 £169 £1,360 £16,644 12.2 yrs £10,558
8 kW 7138 kWh 5211 kWh 1927 kWh £1,362 £193 £1,554 £18,272 11.8 yrs £12,816

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: £986, 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 1785 kWh 1338 kWh 446 kWh £350 £45 £394 £10,256 26.0 yrs £-2,368
3 kW 2677 kWh 2008 kWh 669 kWh £525 £67 £592 £11,883 20.1 yrs £-53
4 kW 3569 kWh 2677 kWh 892 kWh £699 £89 £789 £13,511 17.1 yrs £2,263
5 kW 4462 kWh 3346 kWh 1115 kWh £874 £112 £986 £15,139 15.4 yrs £4,579
6 kW 5354 kWh 4015 kWh 1338 kWh £1,049 £134 £1,183 £16,767 14.2 yrs £6,895
7 kW 6246 kWh 4685 kWh 1562 kWh £1,224 £156 £1,380 £18,394 13.3 yrs £9,211
8 kW 7138 kWh 5354 kWh 1785 kWh £1,399 £178 £1,577 £20,022 12.7 yrs £11,526

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: £1,000, 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 1785 kWh 1374 kWh 410 kWh £359 £41 £400 £12,706 31.8 yrs £-4,703
3 kW 2677 kWh 2061 kWh 616 kWh £539 £62 £600 £14,333 23.9 yrs £-2,330
4 kW 3569 kWh 2748 kWh 821 kWh £718 £82 £800 £15,961 19.9 yrs £44
5 kW 4462 kWh 3435 kWh 1026 kWh £898 £103 £1,000 £17,589 17.6 yrs £2,417
6 kW 5354 kWh 4122 kWh 1231 kWh £1,077 £123 £1,200 £19,217 16.0 yrs £4,790
7 kW 6246 kWh 4810 kWh 1437 kWh £1,257 £144 £1,400 £20,844 14.9 yrs £7,164
8 kW 7138 kWh 5497 kWh 1642 kWh £1,436 £164 £1,600 £22,472 14.0 yrs £9,537

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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Want a quote sanity check for CA23?

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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 CA23

Figures below are tailored to CA23 — click through for full league tables.

Big-Roof Britain Rank #365 of 2182
5.8 kWp (UK avg 5.1 kWp)
~12 panels (≈430 W)
Solar Payback Index Rank #2066 of 2996
11.1 years (UK avg 10.8 years)
~£734 /yr • £8,139 upfront
Standing-Charge Drag Rank #1128 of 2996
23.7% (UK avg 26.6%) drag on savings
£174 fixed • ~£734 /yr value
Aspect Penalty View ranking →
East −19.9% West −21.3%
Typical output loss versus a south-facing roof (lower is better)

Seasonal solar output in CA23

Monthly generation per kilowatt of solar panels

kWh 25 Jan 45 Feb 77 Mar 111 Apr 124 May 117 Jun 113 Jul 99 Aug 78 Sep 50 Oct 33 Nov 21 Dec
Best month Worst month Winter (Dec–Feb) Other months

Winter output: 40.9% 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 30 kWh per month; the average month produces around 74 kWh. So a typical 4 kW home system would generate roughly 122 kWh in winter, or 297 kWh in an average month.

Your Area at a Glance

Your Electricity Rate
26.13p/kWh
Daily Fixed Charge
47.61p/day
Local Sunshine
892kWh/kW
A 1 kW system generates ~892 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: 86% • Flats: 2% • Bungalows: 11% Based on 394 properties

Coverage

Cumberland (100%)

Areas Covered

Cleator Moor West, Cleator Moor East and Frizington, Egremont

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

CA25 (Cumberland)
≈1.1 km away
Local sunshine: ~893 kWh/kWp · +0% vs CA23
CA24 (Cumberland)
≈1.9 km away
Local sunshine: ~894 kWh/kWp · +0% vs CA23
CA26 (Cumberland)
≈3.6 km away
Local sunshine: ~868 kWh/kWp · -3% vs CA23
CA22 (Cumberland)
≈3.7 km away
Local sunshine: ~938 kWh/kWp · +5% vs CA23
CA27 (Cumberland)
≈5.7 km away
Local sunshine: ~949 kWh/kWp · +6% vs CA23
CA28 (Cumberland)
≈5.8 km away
Local sunshine: ~920 kWh/kWp · +3% vs CA23

Similar sunshine across the UK

KA24 (North Ayrshire)
~892 kWh/kWp · -0% vs CA23
BT6 (Belfast)
~892 kWh/kWp · -0% vs CA23
EH5 (City of Edinburgh)
~892 kWh/kWp · +0% vs CA23