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Solar panel cost in Rhondda Cynon Taf (CF42)

See realistic solar installation costs, savings and payback for CF42 (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
12.5 years
After this, it's pure profit
Upfront Cost
£7,307
What you pay to get started
Annual Benefit
£584
What you save every year
Profit Over 25 Years
£7,302
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 884 kWh/kW — 85 below 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 884 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)
884 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: £730, Upfront: £9,134, Break-even: 12.5 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1767 kWh 707 kWh 1060 kWh £186 £106 £292 £3,654 12.5 yrs £2,190
3 kW 2651 kWh 1060 kWh 1591 kWh £279 £159 £438 £5,481 12.5 yrs £3,285
4 kW 3535 kWh 1414 kWh 2121 kWh £372 £212 £584 £7,307 12.5 yrs £4,380
5 kW 4419 kWh 1767 kWh 2651 kWh £465 £265 £730 £9,134 12.5 yrs £5,476
6 kW 5302 kWh 2121 kWh 3181 kWh £558 £318 £877 £10,961 12.5 yrs £6,571
7 kW 6186 kWh 2474 kWh 3712 kWh £652 £371 £1,023 £12,788 12.5 yrs £7,666
8 kW 7070 kWh 2828 kWh 4242 kWh £745 £424 £1,169 £14,615 12.5 yrs £8,761

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: £875, Upfront: £11,234, Break-even: 12.8 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1767 kWh 1060 kWh 707 kWh £279 £71 £350 £5,754 16.4 yrs £1,245
3 kW 2651 kWh 1591 kWh 1060 kWh £419 £106 £525 £7,581 14.4 yrs £2,917
4 kW 3535 kWh 2121 kWh 1414 kWh £558 £141 £700 £9,407 13.4 yrs £4,590
5 kW 4419 kWh 2651 kWh 1767 kWh £698 £177 £875 £11,234 12.8 yrs £6,262
6 kW 5302 kWh 3181 kWh 2121 kWh £838 £212 £1,050 £13,061 12.4 yrs £7,934
7 kW 6186 kWh 3712 kWh 2474 kWh £977 £247 £1,225 £14,888 12.2 yrs £9,607
8 kW 7070 kWh 4242 kWh 2828 kWh £1,117 £283 £1,400 £16,715 11.9 yrs £11,279

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: £947, Upfront: £12,634, Break-even: 13.3 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1767 kWh 1237 kWh 530 kWh £326 £53 £379 £7,154 18.9 yrs £422
3 kW 2651 kWh 1856 kWh 795 kWh £489 £80 £568 £8,981 15.8 yrs £2,383
4 kW 3535 kWh 2474 kWh 1060 kWh £652 £106 £758 £10,807 14.3 yrs £4,344
5 kW 4419 kWh 3093 kWh 1326 kWh £814 £133 £947 £12,634 13.3 yrs £6,305
6 kW 5302 kWh 3712 kWh 1591 kWh £977 £159 £1,136 £14,461 12.7 yrs £8,266
7 kW 6186 kWh 4330 kWh 1856 kWh £1,140 £186 £1,326 £16,288 12.3 yrs £10,227
8 kW 7070 kWh 4949 kWh 2121 kWh £1,303 £212 £1,515 £18,115 12.0 yrs £12,188

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: £969, Upfront: £14,384, Break-even: 14.9 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1767 kWh 1290 kWh 477 kWh £340 £48 £387 £8,904 23.0 yrs £-1,155
3 kW 2651 kWh 1935 kWh 716 kWh £510 £72 £581 £10,731 18.5 yrs £893
4 kW 3535 kWh 2580 kWh 954 kWh £679 £95 £775 £12,557 16.2 yrs £2,940
5 kW 4419 kWh 3226 kWh 1193 kWh £849 £119 £969 £14,384 14.9 yrs £4,988
6 kW 5302 kWh 3871 kWh 1432 kWh £1,019 £143 £1,162 £16,211 13.9 yrs £7,036
7 kW 6186 kWh 4516 kWh 1670 kWh £1,189 £167 £1,356 £18,038 13.3 yrs £9,083
8 kW 7070 kWh 5161 kWh 1909 kWh £1,359 £191 £1,550 £19,865 12.8 yrs £11,131

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: £983, Upfront: £16,134, Break-even: 16.4 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1767 kWh 1326 kWh 442 kWh £349 £44 £393 £10,654 27.1 yrs £-2,789
3 kW 2651 kWh 1988 kWh 663 kWh £524 £66 £590 £12,481 21.2 yrs £-684
4 kW 3535 kWh 2651 kWh 884 kWh £698 £88 £786 £14,307 18.2 yrs £1,421
5 kW 4419 kWh 3314 kWh 1105 kWh £873 £110 £983 £16,134 16.4 yrs £3,527
6 kW 5302 kWh 3977 kWh 1326 kWh £1,047 £133 £1,180 £17,961 15.2 yrs £5,632
7 kW 6186 kWh 4640 kWh 1547 kWh £1,222 £155 £1,376 £19,788 14.4 yrs £7,737
8 kW 7070 kWh 5302 kWh 1767 kWh £1,396 £177 £1,573 £21,615 13.7 yrs £9,843

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: £997, Upfront: £18,584, Break-even: 18.6 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1767 kWh 1361 kWh 407 kWh £358 £41 £399 £13,104 32.8 yrs £-5,124
3 kW 2651 kWh 2041 kWh 610 kWh £538 £61 £598 £14,931 24.9 yrs £-2,961
4 kW 3535 kWh 2722 kWh 813 kWh £717 £81 £798 £16,757 21.0 yrs £-798
5 kW 4419 kWh 3402 kWh 1016 kWh £896 £102 £997 £18,584 18.6 yrs £1,365
6 kW 5302 kWh 4083 kWh 1220 kWh £1,075 £122 £1,197 £20,411 17.1 yrs £3,528
7 kW 6186 kWh 4763 kWh 1423 kWh £1,254 £142 £1,396 £22,238 15.9 yrs £5,691
8 kW 7070 kWh 5444 kWh 1626 kWh £1,433 £163 £1,596 £24,065 15.1 yrs £7,854

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 Rhondda Cynon Taf

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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Insights for CF42

Figures below are tailored to CF42 — click through for full league tables.

Big-Roof Britain Rank #1463 of 2182
4.7 kWp (UK avg 5.1 kWp)
~10 panels (≈430 W)
Solar Payback Index Rank #2712 of 2996
12.5 years (UK avg 10.8 years)
~£585 /yr • £7,307 upfront
Standing-Charge Drag Rank #2642 of 2996
36.1% (UK avg 26.6%) drag on savings
£211 fixed • ~£585 /yr value
Aspect Penalty View ranking →
East −20.1% West −17.6%
Typical output loss versus a south-facing roof (lower is better)

Seasonal solar output in CF42

Monthly generation per kilowatt of solar panels

kWh 27 Jan 42 Feb 81 Mar 106 Apr 115 May 111 Jun 111 Jul 98 Aug 83 Sep 52 Oct 33 Nov 24 Dec
Best month Worst month Winter (Dec–Feb) Other months

Winter output: 41.9% 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 31 kWh per month; the average month produces around 74 kWh. So a typical 4 kW home system would generate roughly 123 kWh in winter, or 295 kWh in an average month.

Your Area at a Glance

Your Electricity Rate
26.33p/kWh
Daily Fixed Charge
57.84p/day
Local Sunshine
884kWh/kW
A 1 kW system generates ~884 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: 92% • Flats: 6% • Bungalows: 2% Based on 4,936 properties

Coverage

Rhondda Cynon Taf (100%)

Areas Covered

Treorchy, Treherbert, Porth

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

CF41 (Rhondda Cynon Taf)
≈2.9 km away
Local sunshine: ~927 kWh/kWp · +5% vs CF42
CF43 (Rhondda Cynon Taf)
≈5.0 km away
Local sunshine: ~921 kWh/kWp · +4% vs CF42
CF40 (Rhondda Cynon Taf)
≈6.6 km away
Local sunshine: ~933 kWh/kWp · +6% vs CF42
CF44 (Rhondda Cynon Taf)
≈7.5 km away
Local sunshine: ~903 kWh/kWp · +2% vs CF42
CF39 (Rhondda Cynon Taf)
≈9.5 km away
Local sunshine: ~929 kWh/kWp · +5% vs CF42
CF45 (Rhondda Cynon Taf)
≈10.2 km away
Local sunshine: ~898 kWh/kWp · +2% vs CF42

Similar sunshine across the UK

M33 (Trafford)
~884 kWh/kWp · -0% vs CF42
BT11 (Belfast)
~884 kWh/kWp · +0% vs CF42
CA3 (Cumberland)
~884 kWh/kWp · +0% vs CF42