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Solar panel cost in Croydon (CR5)

See realistic solar installation costs, savings and payback for CR5 (Croydon) 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
9.9 years
After this, it's pure profit
Upfront Cost
£9,767
What you pay to get started
Annual Benefit
£983
What you save every year
Profit Over 25 Years
£14,818
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 East, the current unit rate is 26.67p/kWh with a 54.45p/day standing charge. Your postcode’s south-facing sunshine yield is 983 kWh/kW — 46 below the regional median (1029).

Read the full story

A typical roof here lands around 6.0 kW, with most eligible homes comfortably fitting within 3–6 kW. Each kilowatt of panels produces roughly 983 kWh per year on a south-facing roof. We value self-used electricity at 26.7p and exported surplus at a baseline 10p via SEG. Use the calculator above for your exact tariff.

Unit rate
26.7p/kWh
Standing charge
54.5p/day
Sunshine yield (south)
983 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: £819, Upfront: £8,139, Break-even: 9.9 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1967 kWh 787 kWh 1180 kWh £210 £118 £328 £3,256 9.9 yrs £3,300
3 kW 2950 kWh 1180 kWh 1770 kWh £315 £177 £492 £4,883 9.9 yrs £4,951
4 kW 3933 kWh 1573 kWh 2360 kWh £420 £236 £656 £6,511 9.9 yrs £6,601
5 kW 4917 kWh 1967 kWh 2950 kWh £525 £295 £819 £8,139 9.9 yrs £8,251
6 kW 5900 kWh 2360 kWh 3540 kWh £629 £354 £983 £9,767 9.9 yrs £9,901
7 kW 6883 kWh 2753 kWh 4130 kWh £734 £413 £1,147 £11,394 9.9 yrs £11,552
8 kW 7867 kWh 3147 kWh 4720 kWh £839 £472 £1,311 £13,022 9.9 yrs £13,202

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: £983, Upfront: £10,239, Break-even: 10.4 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1967 kWh 1180 kWh 787 kWh £315 £79 £393 £5,356 13.6 yrs £2,512
3 kW 2950 kWh 1770 kWh 1180 kWh £472 £118 £590 £6,983 11.8 yrs £4,818
4 kW 3933 kWh 2360 kWh 1573 kWh £629 £157 £787 £8,611 10.9 yrs £7,124
5 kW 4917 kWh 2950 kWh 1967 kWh £787 £197 £983 £10,239 10.4 yrs £9,430
6 kW 5900 kWh 3540 kWh 2360 kWh £944 £236 £1,180 £11,867 10.1 yrs £11,735
7 kW 6883 kWh 4130 kWh 2753 kWh £1,101 £275 £1,377 £13,494 9.8 yrs £14,041
8 kW 7867 kWh 4720 kWh 3147 kWh £1,259 £315 £1,573 £15,122 9.6 yrs £16,347

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: £1,065, Upfront: £11,639, Break-even: 10.9 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1967 kWh 1377 kWh 590 kWh £367 £59 £426 £6,756 15.9 yrs £1,768
3 kW 2950 kWh 2065 kWh 885 kWh £551 £88 £639 £8,383 13.1 yrs £4,401
4 kW 3933 kWh 2753 kWh 1180 kWh £734 £118 £852 £10,011 11.7 yrs £7,035
5 kW 4917 kWh 3442 kWh 1475 kWh £918 £147 £1,065 £11,639 10.9 yrs £9,669
6 kW 5900 kWh 4130 kWh 1770 kWh £1,101 £177 £1,278 £13,267 10.4 yrs £12,303
7 kW 6883 kWh 4818 kWh 2065 kWh £1,285 £206 £1,492 £14,894 10.0 yrs £14,936
8 kW 7867 kWh 5507 kWh 2360 kWh £1,469 £236 £1,705 £16,522 9.7 yrs £17,570

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: £1,090, Upfront: £13,389, 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 1967 kWh 1436 kWh 531 kWh £383 £53 £436 £8,506 19.5 yrs £214
3 kW 2950 kWh 2153 kWh 796 kWh £574 £80 £654 £10,133 15.5 yrs £2,946
4 kW 3933 kWh 2871 kWh 1062 kWh £766 £106 £872 £11,761 13.5 yrs £5,678
5 kW 4917 kWh 3589 kWh 1327 kWh £957 £133 £1,090 £13,389 12.3 yrs £8,411
6 kW 5900 kWh 4307 kWh 1593 kWh £1,149 £159 £1,308 £15,017 11.5 yrs £11,143
7 kW 6883 kWh 5025 kWh 1858 kWh £1,340 £186 £1,526 £16,644 10.9 yrs £13,875
8 kW 7867 kWh 5743 kWh 2124 kWh £1,532 £212 £1,744 £18,272 10.5 yrs £16,607

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: £1,106, Upfront: £15,139, 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 1967 kWh 1475 kWh 492 kWh £393 £49 £443 £10,256 23.2 yrs £-1,405
3 kW 2950 kWh 2212 kWh 737 kWh £590 £74 £664 £11,883 17.9 yrs £1,393
4 kW 3933 kWh 2950 kWh 983 kWh £787 £98 £885 £13,511 15.3 yrs £4,191
5 kW 4917 kWh 3687 kWh 1229 kWh £983 £123 £1,106 £15,139 13.7 yrs £6,988
6 kW 5900 kWh 4425 kWh 1475 kWh £1,180 £147 £1,328 £16,767 12.6 yrs £9,786
7 kW 6883 kWh 5162 kWh 1721 kWh £1,377 £172 £1,549 £18,394 11.9 yrs £12,584
8 kW 7867 kWh 5900 kWh 1967 kWh £1,574 £197 £1,770 £20,022 11.3 yrs £15,381

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: £1,123, Upfront: £17,589, Break-even: 15.7 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1967 kWh 1514 kWh 452 kWh £404 £45 £449 £12,706 28.3 yrs £-3,724
3 kW 2950 kWh 2271 kWh 678 kWh £606 £68 £674 £14,333 21.3 yrs £-860
4 kW 3933 kWh 3029 kWh 905 kWh £808 £90 £898 £15,961 17.8 yrs £2,003
5 kW 4917 kWh 3786 kWh 1131 kWh £1,010 £113 £1,123 £17,589 15.7 yrs £4,866
6 kW 5900 kWh 4543 kWh 1357 kWh £1,212 £136 £1,347 £19,217 14.3 yrs £7,729
7 kW 6883 kWh 5300 kWh 1583 kWh £1,414 £158 £1,572 £20,844 13.3 yrs £10,593
8 kW 7867 kWh 6057 kWh 1809 kWh £1,615 £181 £1,796 £22,472 12.5 yrs £13,456

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 Croydon

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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Insights for CR5

Figures below are tailored to CR5 — click through for full league tables.

Big-Roof Britain Rank #596 of 2182
5.5 kWp (UK avg 5.1 kWp)
~12 panels (≈430 W)
Solar Payback Index Rank #786 of 2996
9.9 years (UK avg 10.8 years)
~£983 /yr • £9,767 upfront
Standing-Charge Drag Rank #611 of 2996
20.2% (UK avg 26.6%) drag on savings
£199 fixed • ~£983 /yr value
Aspect Penalty View ranking →
East −20.6% West −19.3%
Typical output loss versus a south-facing roof (lower is better)

Seasonal solar output in CR5

Monthly generation per kilowatt of solar panels

kWh 37 Jan 50 Feb 82 Mar 112 Apr 118 May 120 Jun 121 Jul 108 Aug 92 Sep 65 Oct 45 Nov 33 Dec
Best month Worst month Winter (Dec–Feb) Other months

Winter output: 48.7% of an average month (Dec–Feb)

Best / worst month: Jul / 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 82 kWh. So a typical 4 kW home system would generate roughly 160 kWh in winter, or 328 kWh in an average month.

Your Area at a Glance

Your Electricity Rate
26.67p/kWh
Daily Fixed Charge
54.45p/day
Local Sunshine
983kWh/kW
A 1 kW system generates ~983 kWh per year. A typical home uses ~2,700 kWh per year.
Typical System Size
6.0kW
For houses & bungalows in this area

Local Property Data

Property Types

Houses: 65% • Flats: 26% • Bungalows: 7% Based on 7,381 properties

Coverage

Croydon (81%)|Reigate and Banstead (15%)|Sutton (4%)

Areas Covered

Coulsdon Town, Old Coulsdon, Chipstead, Kingswood & Woodmansterne, Hooley, Merstham & Netherne, Carshalton South & Clockhouse, Purley & Woodcote + 3 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 East

CR8 (Croydon)
≈3.2 km away
Local sunshine: ~971 kWh/kWp · -1% vs CR5
CR2 (Croydon)
≈4.2 km away
Local sunshine: ~990 kWh/kWp · +1% vs CR5
SM7 (Reigate and Banstead)
≈4.4 km away
Local sunshine: ~991 kWh/kWp · +1% vs CR5
CR3 (Tandridge)
≈4.4 km away
Local sunshine: ~986 kWh/kWp · +0% vs CR5
SM6 (Sutton)
≈4.7 km away
Local sunshine: ~995 kWh/kWp · +1% vs CR5
SM5 (Sutton)
≈5.3 km away
Local sunshine: ~995 kWh/kWp · +1% vs CR5

Similar sunshine across the UK

NG23 (Newark and Sherwood)
~983 kWh/kWp · -0% vs CR5
OX10 (South Oxfordshire)
~983 kWh/kWp · -0% vs CR5
PL29 (Cornwall)
~983 kWh/kWp · +0% vs CR5