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Solar panel cost in Cardiff (CF1)

See realistic solar installation costs, savings and payback for CF1 (Cardiff) 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
£5,481
What you pay to get started
Annual Benefit
£500
What you save every year
Profit Over 25 Years
£7,030
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 South Wales, the current unit rate is 26.33p/kWh with a 57.84p/day standing charge. Your postcode’s south-facing sunshine yield is 1009 kWh/kW — 40 above the regional median (968).

Read the full story

A typical roof here lands around 3.0 kW, with most eligible homes comfortably fitting within 3–6 kW. Each kilowatt of panels produces roughly 1009 kWh per year on a south-facing roof. We value self-used electricity at 26.3p and exported surplus at a baseline 10p via SEG. Use the calculator above for your exact tariff.

Unit rate
26.3p/kWh
Standing charge
57.8p/day
Sunshine yield (south)
1009 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: £834, Upfront: £9,134, 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 2018 kWh 807 kWh 1211 kWh £213 £121 £334 £3,654 11.0 yrs £3,019
3 kW 3027 kWh 1211 kWh 1816 kWh £319 £182 £500 £5,481 11.0 yrs £4,528
4 kW 4036 kWh 1614 kWh 2422 kWh £425 £242 £667 £7,307 11.0 yrs £6,037
5 kW 5045 kWh 2018 kWh 3027 kWh £531 £303 £834 £9,134 11.0 yrs £7,546
6 kW 6054 kWh 2422 kWh 3632 kWh £638 £363 £1,001 £10,961 11.0 yrs £9,056
7 kW 7063 kWh 2825 kWh 4238 kWh £744 £424 £1,168 £12,788 11.0 yrs £10,565
8 kW 8072 kWh 3229 kWh 4843 kWh £850 £484 £1,334 £14,615 11.0 yrs £12,074

Assumptions: south-facing, sensible tilt; self-use shares from site rules; export at 10p baseline. Costs: panels £/kW = 1,827, battery £/kWh = 700.

3 kWh battery 5 kW example → Annual benefit: £999, Upfront: £11,234, Break-even: 11.2 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2018 kWh 1211 kWh 807 kWh £319 £81 £400 £5,754 14.4 yrs £2,237
3 kW 3027 kWh 1816 kWh 1211 kWh £478 £121 £599 £7,581 12.6 yrs £4,405
4 kW 4036 kWh 2422 kWh 1614 kWh £638 £161 £799 £9,407 11.8 yrs £6,573
5 kW 5045 kWh 3027 kWh 2018 kWh £797 £202 £999 £11,234 11.2 yrs £8,742
6 kW 6054 kWh 3632 kWh 2422 kWh £956 £242 £1,199 £13,061 10.9 yrs £10,910
7 kW 7063 kWh 4238 kWh 2825 kWh £1,116 £283 £1,398 £14,888 10.6 yrs £13,078
8 kW 8072 kWh 4843 kWh 3229 kWh £1,275 £323 £1,598 £16,715 10.5 yrs £15,247

Assumptions: south-facing, sensible tilt; self-use shares from site rules; export at 10p baseline. Costs: panels £/kW = 1,827, battery £/kWh = 700.

5 kWh battery 5 kW example → Annual benefit: £1,081, Upfront: £12,634, 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 2018 kWh 1413 kWh 605 kWh £372 £61 £432 £7,154 16.5 yrs £1,496
3 kW 3027 kWh 2119 kWh 908 kWh £558 £91 £649 £8,981 13.8 yrs £3,994
4 kW 4036 kWh 2825 kWh 1211 kWh £744 £121 £865 £10,807 12.5 yrs £6,492
5 kW 5045 kWh 3531 kWh 1513 kWh £930 £151 £1,081 £12,634 11.7 yrs £8,989
6 kW 6054 kWh 4238 kWh 1816 kWh £1,116 £182 £1,297 £14,461 11.1 yrs £11,487
7 kW 7063 kWh 4944 kWh 2119 kWh £1,302 £212 £1,514 £16,288 10.8 yrs £13,985
8 kW 8072 kWh 5650 kWh 2422 kWh £1,488 £242 £1,730 £18,115 10.5 yrs £16,483

Assumptions: south-facing, sensible tilt; self-use shares from site rules; export at 10p baseline. Costs: panels £/kW = 1,827, battery £/kWh = 700.

7.5 kWh battery 5 kW example → Annual benefit: £1,106, Upfront: £14,384, Break-even: 13.0 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2018 kWh 1473 kWh 545 kWh £388 £54 £442 £8,904 20.1 yrs £-56
3 kW 3027 kWh 2210 kWh 817 kWh £582 £82 £664 £10,731 16.2 yrs £2,540
4 kW 4036 kWh 2946 kWh 1090 kWh £776 £109 £885 £12,557 14.2 yrs £5,137
5 kW 5045 kWh 3683 kWh 1362 kWh £970 £136 £1,106 £14,384 13.0 yrs £7,734
6 kW 6054 kWh 4419 kWh 1635 kWh £1,164 £163 £1,327 £16,211 12.2 yrs £10,331
7 kW 7063 kWh 5156 kWh 1907 kWh £1,358 £191 £1,548 £18,038 11.7 yrs £12,927
8 kW 8072 kWh 5893 kWh 2179 kWh £1,551 £218 £1,769 £19,865 11.2 yrs £15,524

Assumptions: south-facing, sensible tilt; self-use shares from site rules; export at 10p baseline. Costs: panels £/kW = 1,827, battery £/kWh = 700.

10 kWh battery 5 kW example → Annual benefit: £1,122, Upfront: £16,134, Break-even: 14.4 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2018 kWh 1513 kWh 504 kWh £399 £50 £449 £10,654 23.7 yrs £-1,675
3 kW 3027 kWh 2270 kWh 757 kWh £598 £76 £673 £12,481 18.5 yrs £988
4 kW 4036 kWh 3027 kWh 1009 kWh £797 £101 £898 £14,307 15.9 yrs £3,651
5 kW 5045 kWh 3784 kWh 1261 kWh £996 £126 £1,122 £16,134 14.4 yrs £6,313
6 kW 6054 kWh 4540 kWh 1513 kWh £1,196 £151 £1,347 £17,961 13.3 yrs £8,976
7 kW 7063 kWh 5297 kWh 1766 kWh £1,395 £177 £1,571 £19,788 12.6 yrs £11,639
8 kW 8072 kWh 6054 kWh 2018 kWh £1,594 £202 £1,796 £21,615 12.0 yrs £14,301

Assumptions: south-facing, sensible tilt; self-use shares from site rules; export at 10p baseline. Costs: panels £/kW = 1,827, battery £/kWh = 700.

13.5 kWh battery 5 kW example → Annual benefit: £1,139, Upfront: £18,584, Break-even: 16.3 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2018 kWh 1554 kWh 464 kWh £409 £46 £456 £13,104 28.8 yrs £-3,993
3 kW 3027 kWh 2331 kWh 696 kWh £614 £70 £683 £14,931 21.9 yrs £-1,264
4 kW 4036 kWh 3108 kWh 928 kWh £818 £93 £911 £16,757 18.4 yrs £1,464
5 kW 5045 kWh 3885 kWh 1160 kWh £1,023 £116 £1,139 £18,584 16.3 yrs £4,193
6 kW 6054 kWh 4662 kWh 1392 kWh £1,227 £139 £1,367 £20,411 14.9 yrs £6,921
7 kW 7063 kWh 5438 kWh 1624 kWh £1,432 £162 £1,594 £22,238 13.9 yrs £9,650
8 kW 8072 kWh 6215 kWh 1857 kWh £1,637 £186 £1,822 £24,065 13.2 yrs £12,379

Assumptions: south-facing, sensible tilt; self-use shares from site rules; export at 10p baseline. Costs: panels £/kW = 1,827, 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 Cardiff

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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Insights for CF1

Figures below are tailored to CF1 — click through for full league tables.

Solar Payback Index Rank #1959 of 2996
11.0 years (UK avg 10.8 years)
~£500 /yr • £5,481 upfront
Standing-Charge Drag Rank #2946 of 2996
42.2% (UK avg 26.6%) drag on savings
£211 fixed • ~£500 /yr value
Aspect Penalty View ranking →
East −19.6% West −21.8%
Typical output loss versus a south-facing roof (lower is better)

Seasonal solar output in CF1

Monthly generation per kilowatt of solar panels

kWh 36 Jan 52 Feb 87 Mar 116 Apr 128 May 126 Jun 125 Jul 109 Aug 93 Sep 64 Oct 42 Nov 32 Dec
Best month Worst month Winter (Dec–Feb) Other months

Winter output: 47.5% 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 40 kWh per month; the average month produces around 84 kWh. So a typical 4 kW home system would generate roughly 160 kWh in winter, or 336 kWh in an average month.

Your Area at a Glance

Your Electricity Rate
26.33p/kWh
Daily Fixed Charge
57.84p/day
Local Sunshine
1009kWh/kW
A 1 kW system generates ~1009 kWh per year. A typical home uses ~2,700 kWh per year.
Typical System Size
3.0kW
For houses & bungalows in this area

Local Property Data

Property Types

No EPC data available for this outcode

Coverage

Cardiff (99%)|Vale of Glamorgan (1%)

Areas Covered

Cathays, Butetown, Grangetown, Riverside, Canton, Splott, Adamsdown, Dinas Powys + 4 more

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 South Wales

CF10 (Cardiff)
≈0.7 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,009 kWh/kWp · +0% vs CF1
CF95 (Cardiff)
≈0.7 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,009 kWh/kWp · +0% vs CF1
CF24 (Cardiff)
≈1.4 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,009 kWh/kWp · +0% vs CF1
CF11 (Cardiff)
≈1.6 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,006 kWh/kWp · -0% vs CF1
CF91 (Cardiff)
≈1.7 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,009 kWh/kWp · -0% vs CF1
CF2 (Cardiff)
≈2.0 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,009 kWh/kWp · +0% vs CF1

Similar sunshine across the UK

NR21 (North Norfolk)
~1,009 kWh/kWp · -0% vs CF1
BA6 (Somerset)
~1,009 kWh/kWp · -0% vs CF1
PE11 (South Holland)
~1,009 kWh/kWp · +0% vs CF1