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Solar panel cost in Cumberland (CA26)

See realistic solar installation costs, savings and payback for CA26 (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
11.4 years
After this, it's pure profit
Upfront Cost
£8,139
What you pay to get started
Annual Benefit
£714
What you save every year
Profit Over 25 Years
£9,719
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 868 kWh/kW — 2 below 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 868 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)
868 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: £714, Upfront: £8,139, 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 1737 kWh 695 kWh 1042 kWh £182 £104 £286 £3,256 11.4 yrs £2,459
3 kW 2605 kWh 1042 kWh 1563 kWh £272 £156 £429 £4,883 11.4 yrs £3,688
4 kW 3473 kWh 1389 kWh 2084 kWh £363 £208 £571 £6,511 11.4 yrs £4,918
5 kW 4342 kWh 1737 kWh 2605 kWh £454 £261 £714 £8,139 11.4 yrs £6,147
6 kW 5210 kWh 2084 kWh 3126 kWh £545 £313 £857 £9,767 11.4 yrs £7,377
7 kW 6078 kWh 2431 kWh 3647 kWh £635 £365 £1,000 £11,394 11.4 yrs £8,606
8 kW 6947 kWh 2779 kWh 4168 kWh £726 £417 £1,143 £13,022 11.4 yrs £9,835

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: £854, Upfront: £10,239, 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 1737 kWh 1042 kWh 695 kWh £272 £69 £342 £5,356 15.7 yrs £1,479
3 kW 2605 kWh 1563 kWh 1042 kWh £408 £104 £513 £6,983 13.6 yrs £3,269
4 kW 3473 kWh 2084 kWh 1389 kWh £545 £139 £683 £8,611 12.6 yrs £5,059
5 kW 4342 kWh 2605 kWh 1737 kWh £681 £174 £854 £10,239 12.0 yrs £6,848
6 kW 5210 kWh 3126 kWh 2084 kWh £817 £208 £1,025 £11,867 11.6 yrs £8,638
7 kW 6078 kWh 3647 kWh 2431 kWh £953 £243 £1,196 £13,494 11.3 yrs £10,428
8 kW 6947 kWh 4168 kWh 2779 kWh £1,089 £278 £1,367 £15,122 11.1 yrs £12,217

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: £924, Upfront: £11,639, Break-even: 12.6 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1737 kWh 1216 kWh 521 kWh £318 £52 £370 £6,756 18.3 yrs £640
3 kW 2605 kWh 1824 kWh 782 kWh £476 £78 £555 £8,383 15.1 yrs £2,709
4 kW 3473 kWh 2431 kWh 1042 kWh £635 £104 £740 £10,011 13.5 yrs £4,779
5 kW 4342 kWh 3039 kWh 1303 kWh £794 £130 £924 £11,639 12.6 yrs £6,849
6 kW 5210 kWh 3647 kWh 1563 kWh £953 £156 £1,109 £13,267 12.0 yrs £8,919
7 kW 6078 kWh 4255 kWh 1824 kWh £1,112 £182 £1,294 £14,894 11.5 yrs £10,989
8 kW 6947 kWh 4863 kWh 2084 kWh £1,271 £208 £1,479 £16,522 11.2 yrs £13,058

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: £945, Upfront: £13,389, Break-even: 14.2 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1737 kWh 1268 kWh 469 kWh £331 £47 £378 £8,506 22.5 yrs £-942
3 kW 2605 kWh 1902 kWh 703 kWh £497 £70 £567 £10,133 17.9 yrs £1,212
4 kW 3473 kWh 2536 kWh 938 kWh £663 £94 £756 £11,761 15.6 yrs £3,365
5 kW 4342 kWh 3169 kWh 1172 kWh £828 £117 £945 £13,389 14.2 yrs £5,519
6 kW 5210 kWh 3803 kWh 1407 kWh £994 £141 £1,134 £15,017 13.2 yrs £7,673
7 kW 6078 kWh 4437 kWh 1641 kWh £1,159 £164 £1,324 £16,644 12.6 yrs £9,827
8 kW 6947 kWh 5071 kWh 1876 kWh £1,325 £188 £1,513 £18,272 12.1 yrs £11,981

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: £959, Upfront: £15,139, Break-even: 15.8 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1737 kWh 1303 kWh 434 kWh £340 £43 £384 £10,256 26.7 yrs £-2,580
3 kW 2605 kWh 1954 kWh 651 kWh £511 £65 £576 £11,883 20.6 yrs £-370
4 kW 3473 kWh 2605 kWh 868 kWh £681 £87 £768 £13,511 17.6 yrs £1,839
5 kW 4342 kWh 3256 kWh 1085 kWh £851 £109 £959 £15,139 15.8 yrs £4,049
6 kW 5210 kWh 3908 kWh 1303 kWh £1,021 £130 £1,151 £16,767 14.6 yrs £6,259
7 kW 6078 kWh 4559 kWh 1520 kWh £1,191 £152 £1,343 £18,394 13.7 yrs £8,469
8 kW 6947 kWh 5210 kWh 1737 kWh £1,361 £174 £1,535 £20,022 13.0 yrs £10,679

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: £973, Upfront: £17,589, Break-even: 18.1 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1737 kWh 1337 kWh 399 kWh £349 £40 £389 £12,706 32.6 yrs £-4,918
3 kW 2605 kWh 2006 kWh 599 kWh £524 £60 £584 £14,333 24.5 yrs £-2,652
4 kW 3473 kWh 2674 kWh 799 kWh £699 £80 £779 £15,961 20.5 yrs £-386
5 kW 4342 kWh 3343 kWh 999 kWh £874 £100 £973 £17,589 18.1 yrs £1,879
6 kW 5210 kWh 4012 kWh 1198 kWh £1,048 £120 £1,168 £19,217 16.5 yrs £4,145
7 kW 6078 kWh 4680 kWh 1398 kWh £1,223 £140 £1,363 £20,844 15.3 yrs £6,411
8 kW 6947 kWh 5349 kWh 1598 kWh £1,398 £160 £1,557 £22,472 14.4 yrs £8,677

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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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 CA26

Figures below are tailored to CA26 — click through for full league tables.

Big-Roof Britain Rank #898 of 2182
5.2 kWp (UK avg 5.1 kWp)
~11 panels (≈430 W)
Solar Payback Index Rank #2248 of 2996
11.4 years (UK avg 10.8 years)
~£714 /yr • £8,139 upfront
Standing-Charge Drag Rank #1297 of 2996
24.4% (UK avg 26.6%) drag on savings
£174 fixed • ~£714 /yr value
Aspect Penalty View ranking →
East −19.3% West −20.5%
Typical output loss versus a south-facing roof (lower is better)

Seasonal solar output in CA26

Monthly generation per kilowatt of solar panels

kWh 25 Jan 44 Feb 75 Mar 108 Apr 121 May 114 Jun 110 Jul 95 Aug 75 Sep 48 Oct 32 Nov 21 Dec
Best month Worst month Winter (Dec–Feb) Other months

Winter output: 41.3% 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 72 kWh. So a typical 4 kW home system would generate roughly 120 kWh in winter, or 289 kWh in an average month.

Your Area at a Glance

Your Electricity Rate
26.13p/kWh
Daily Fixed Charge
47.61p/day
Local Sunshine
868kWh/kW
A 1 kW system generates ~868 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: 78% • Flats: 4% • Bungalows: 18% Based on 893 properties

Coverage

Cumberland (100%)

Areas Covered

Cleator Moor East and Frizington, Kells and Sandwith, Hillcrest and Hensingham

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)
≈2.9 km away
Local sunshine: ~893 kWh/kWp · +3% vs CA26
CA23 (Cumberland)
≈3.6 km away
Local sunshine: ~892 kWh/kWp · +3% vs CA26
CA24 (Cumberland)
≈4.5 km away
Local sunshine: ~894 kWh/kWp · +3% vs CA26
CA28 (Cumberland)
≈5.9 km away
Local sunshine: ~920 kWh/kWp · +6% vs CA26
CA22 (Cumberland)
≈7.3 km away
Local sunshine: ~938 kWh/kWp · +8% vs CA26
CA27 (Cumberland)
≈8.6 km away
Local sunshine: ~949 kWh/kWp · +9% vs CA26

Similar sunshine across the UK

BT44 (Causeway Coast and Glens)
~868 kWh/kWp · -0% vs CA26
BT29 (Antrim and Newtownabbey)
~869 kWh/kWp · +0% vs CA26
EH49 (West Lothian)
~868 kWh/kWp · -0% vs CA26