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Solar panel cost in Rhondda Cynon Taf (CF38)

See realistic solar installation costs, savings and payback for CF38 (Rhondda Cynon Taf) 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
13.7 years
After this, it's pure profit
Upfront Cost
£8,138
What you pay to get started
Annual Benefit
£594
What you save every year
Profit Over 25 Years
£6,717
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: Bigger systems don’t shorten payback—cost and savings rise together per kW.
  • 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

Costs: Battery prices are typically £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 23.31p/kWh with a 56.85p/day standing charge. Your postcode’s south-facing sunshine yield is 969 kWh/kW — 1 above the regional median (968).

Read the full story

A typical roof here lands around 4.0 kW, with most eligible homes comfortably fitting within 3–6 kW. Each kilowatt of panels produces roughly 969 kWh per year on a south-facing roof. We value self-used electricity at 23.3p and exported surplus at a baseline 10p via SEG. Use the calculator above for your exact tariff.

Unit rate
23.3p/kWh
Standing charge
56.9p/day
Sunshine yield (south)
969 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: £743, Upfront: £10,173, 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 1939 kWh 776 kWh 1163 kWh £181 £116 £297 £4,069 13.7 yrs £1,873
3 kW 2908 kWh 1163 kWh 1745 kWh £271 £174 £446 £6,104 13.7 yrs £2,810
4 kW 3878 kWh 1551 kWh 2327 kWh £362 £233 £594 £8,138 13.7 yrs £3,746
5 kW 4847 kWh 1939 kWh 2908 kWh £452 £291 £743 £10,173 13.7 yrs £4,683
6 kW 5817 kWh 2327 kWh 3490 kWh £542 £349 £891 £12,207 13.7 yrs £5,619
7 kW 6786 kWh 2714 kWh 4072 kWh £633 £407 £1,040 £14,242 13.7 yrs £6,556
8 kW 7755 kWh 3102 kWh 4653 kWh £723 £465 £1,188 £16,276 13.7 yrs £7,493

Assumptions: south-facing, sensible tilt; self-use shares from site rules; export at 10p baseline. Costs: panels £/kW = 2,035, battery £/kWh = 700.

3 kWh battery 5 kW example → Annual benefit: £872, Upfront: £12,273, Break-even: 14.1 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1939 kWh 1163 kWh 776 kWh £271 £78 £349 £6,169 17.7 yrs £805
3 kW 2908 kWh 1745 kWh 1163 kWh £407 £116 £523 £8,204 15.7 yrs £2,258
4 kW 3878 kWh 2327 kWh 1551 kWh £542 £155 £697 £10,238 14.7 yrs £3,711
5 kW 4847 kWh 2908 kWh 1939 kWh £678 £194 £872 £12,273 14.1 yrs £5,163
6 kW 5817 kWh 3490 kWh 2327 kWh £813 £233 £1,046 £14,307 13.7 yrs £6,616
7 kW 6786 kWh 4072 kWh 2714 kWh £949 £271 £1,221 £16,342 13.4 yrs £8,069
8 kW 7755 kWh 4653 kWh 3102 kWh £1,085 £310 £1,395 £18,376 13.2 yrs £9,522

Assumptions: south-facing, sensible tilt; self-use shares from site rules; export at 10p baseline. Costs: panels £/kW = 2,035, battery £/kWh = 700.

5 kWh battery 5 kW example → Annual benefit: £936, Upfront: £13,673, Break-even: 14.6 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1939 kWh 1357 kWh 582 kWh £316 £58 £375 £7,569 20.2 yrs £-79
3 kW 2908 kWh 2036 kWh 872 kWh £475 £87 £562 £9,604 17.1 yrs £1,632
4 kW 3878 kWh 2714 kWh 1163 kWh £633 £116 £749 £11,638 15.5 yrs £3,343
5 kW 4847 kWh 3393 kWh 1454 kWh £791 £145 £936 £13,673 14.6 yrs £5,054
6 kW 5817 kWh 4072 kWh 1745 kWh £949 £174 £1,124 £15,707 14.0 yrs £6,764
7 kW 6786 kWh 4750 kWh 2036 kWh £1,107 £204 £1,311 £17,742 13.5 yrs £8,475
8 kW 7755 kWh 5429 kWh 2327 kWh £1,265 £233 £1,498 £19,776 13.2 yrs £10,186

Assumptions: south-facing, sensible tilt; self-use shares from site rules; export at 10p baseline. Costs: panels £/kW = 2,035, battery £/kWh = 700.

7.5 kWh battery 5 kW example → Annual benefit: £956, Upfront: £15,423, Break-even: 16.1 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1939 kWh 1415 kWh 523 kWh £330 £52 £382 £9,319 24.4 yrs £-1,674
3 kW 2908 kWh 2123 kWh 785 kWh £495 £79 £573 £11,354 19.8 yrs £114
4 kW 3878 kWh 2831 kWh 1047 kWh £660 £105 £765 £13,388 17.5 yrs £1,903
5 kW 4847 kWh 3538 kWh 1309 kWh £825 £131 £956 £15,423 16.1 yrs £3,691
6 kW 5817 kWh 4246 kWh 1570 kWh £990 £157 £1,147 £17,457 15.2 yrs £5,479
7 kW 6786 kWh 4954 kWh 1832 kWh £1,155 £183 £1,338 £19,492 14.6 yrs £7,267
8 kW 7755 kWh 5661 kWh 2094 kWh £1,320 £209 £1,529 £21,526 14.1 yrs £9,055

Assumptions: south-facing, sensible tilt; self-use shares from site rules; export at 10p baseline. Costs: panels £/kW = 2,035, battery £/kWh = 700.

10 kWh battery 5 kW example → Annual benefit: £969, Upfront: £17,173, Break-even: 17.7 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1939 kWh 1454 kWh 485 kWh £339 £48 £387 £11,069 28.6 yrs £-3,320
3 kW 2908 kWh 2181 kWh 727 kWh £508 £73 £581 £13,104 22.5 yrs £-1,481
4 kW 3878 kWh 2908 kWh 969 kWh £678 £97 £775 £15,138 19.5 yrs £359
5 kW 4847 kWh 3635 kWh 1212 kWh £847 £121 £969 £17,173 17.7 yrs £2,199
6 kW 5817 kWh 4362 kWh 1454 kWh £1,017 £145 £1,162 £19,207 16.5 yrs £4,039
7 kW 6786 kWh 5089 kWh 1696 kWh £1,186 £170 £1,356 £21,242 15.7 yrs £5,878
8 kW 7755 kWh 5817 kWh 1939 kWh £1,356 £194 £1,550 £23,276 15.0 yrs £7,718

Assumptions: south-facing, sensible tilt; self-use shares from site rules; export at 10p baseline. Costs: panels £/kW = 2,035, battery £/kWh = 700.

13.5 kWh battery 5 kW example → Annual benefit: £981, Upfront: £19,623, Break-even: 20.0 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1939 kWh 1493 kWh 446 kWh £348 £45 £393 £13,519 34.4 yrs £-5,667
3 kW 2908 kWh 2239 kWh 669 kWh £522 £67 £589 £15,554 26.4 yrs £-3,776
4 kW 3878 kWh 2986 kWh 892 kWh £696 £89 £785 £17,588 22.4 yrs £-1,884
5 kW 4847 kWh 3732 kWh 1115 kWh £870 £111 £981 £19,623 20.0 yrs £7
6 kW 5817 kWh 4479 kWh 1338 kWh £1,044 £134 £1,178 £21,657 18.4 yrs £1,898
7 kW 6786 kWh 5225 kWh 1561 kWh £1,218 £156 £1,374 £23,692 17.2 yrs £3,790
8 kW 7755 kWh 5972 kWh 1784 kWh £1,392 £178 £1,570 £25,726 16.4 yrs £5,681

Assumptions: south-facing, sensible tilt; self-use shares from site rules; export at 10p baseline. Costs: panels £/kW = 2,035, 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.

Insights for CF38

Figures below are tailored to CF38 — click through for full league tables.

Big-Roof Britain Rank #1534 of 2182
4.7 kWp (UK avg 5.1 kWp)
~10 panels (≈430 W)
Solar Payback Index Rank #1155 of 2997
12.2 years (UK avg 12.6 years)
~£670 /yr • £8,138 upfront
Standing-Charge Drag Rank #2281 of 2997
28.7% (UK avg 24.6%) drag on savings
£193 fixed • ~£670 /yr value
Aspect Penalty View ranking →
East −19.0% West −20.3%
Typical output loss versus a south-facing roof (lower is better)

Seasonal solar output in CF38

Monthly generation per kilowatt of solar panels

kWh 33 Jan 50 Feb 85 Mar 112 Apr 122 May 120 Jun 120 Jul 106 Aug 89 Sep 61 Oct 42 Nov 28 Dec
Best month Worst month Winter (Dec–Feb) Other months

Winter output: 46.1% 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 37 kWh per month; the average month produces around 81 kWh. So a typical 4 kW home system would generate roughly 149 kWh in winter, or 323 kWh in an average month.

Your Area at a Glance

Your Electricity Rate
23.31p/kWh
Daily Fixed Charge
56.85p/day
Local Sunshine
969kWh/kW
A 1 kW system generates ~969 kWh per year. A typical home uses ~2,700 kWh per year.
Typical System Size
4.0kW
For houses & bungalows in this area

Local Property Data

Property Types

Houses: 83% • Flats: 10% • Bungalows: 6% Based on 5,077 properties

Coverage

Rhondda Cynon Taf (100%)

Areas Covered

Beddau and Tyn-y-nant, Llantwit Fardre, Church Village, Ton-teg, Graig and Pontypridd West

Data Sources & Assumptions

Solar yield: PVGIS (EU Joint Research Centre), January 2025 data

Electricity rates: Ofgem price cap, Q1 2026

Installation costs: MCS certified installer data, March 2025

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

CF37 (Rhondda Cynon Taf)
≈4.5 km away
Local sunshine: ~940 kWh/kWp · -3% vs CF38
CF72 (Rhondda Cynon Taf)
≈5.2 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,011 kWh/kWp · +4% vs CF38
CF15 (Cardiff)
≈5.7 km away
Local sunshine: ~985 kWh/kWp · +2% vs CF38
CF7 (Rhondda Cynon Taf)
≈7.4 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,043 kWh/kWp · +8% vs CF38
CF83 (Caerphilly)
≈7.7 km away
Local sunshine: ~988 kWh/kWp · +2% vs CF38
CF39 (Rhondda Cynon Taf)
≈7.8 km away
Local sunshine: ~929 kWh/kWp · -4% vs CF38

Similar sunshine across the UK

NG14 (Gedling)
~969 kWh/kWp · +0% vs CF38
DN40 (North East Lincolnshire)
~970 kWh/kWp · +0% vs CF38
CV34 (Warwick)
~969 kWh/kWp · -0% vs CF38