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Solar panel cost in Croydon (CR8)

See realistic solar installation costs, savings and payback for CR8 (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
10.1 years
After this, it's pure profit
Upfront Cost
£9,767
What you pay to get started
Annual Benefit
£971
What you save every year
Profit Over 25 Years
£14,506
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 971 kWh/kW — 58 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 971 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)
971 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: £809, Upfront: £8,139, Break-even: 10.1 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1942 kWh 777 kWh 1165 kWh £207 £117 £324 £3,256 10.1 yrs £3,217
3 kW 2913 kWh 1165 kWh 1748 kWh £311 £175 £485 £4,883 10.1 yrs £4,826
4 kW 3883 kWh 1553 kWh 2330 kWh £414 £233 £647 £6,511 10.1 yrs £6,435
5 kW 4854 kWh 1942 kWh 2913 kWh £518 £291 £809 £8,139 10.1 yrs £8,043
6 kW 5825 kWh 2330 kWh 3495 kWh £621 £350 £971 £9,767 10.1 yrs £9,652
7 kW 6796 kWh 2718 kWh 4078 kWh £725 £408 £1,133 £11,394 10.1 yrs £11,260
8 kW 7767 kWh 3107 kWh 4660 kWh £829 £466 £1,295 £13,022 10.1 yrs £12,869

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: £971, Upfront: £10,239, Break-even: 10.5 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1942 kWh 1165 kWh 777 kWh £311 £78 £388 £5,356 13.8 yrs £2,412
3 kW 2913 kWh 1748 kWh 1165 kWh £466 £117 £583 £6,983 12.0 yrs £4,668
4 kW 3883 kWh 2330 kWh 1553 kWh £621 £155 £777 £8,611 11.1 yrs £6,924
5 kW 4854 kWh 2913 kWh 1942 kWh £777 £194 £971 £10,239 10.5 yrs £9,180
6 kW 5825 kWh 3495 kWh 2330 kWh £932 £233 £1,165 £11,867 10.2 yrs £11,436
7 kW 6796 kWh 4078 kWh 2718 kWh £1,087 £272 £1,359 £13,494 9.9 yrs £13,692
8 kW 7767 kWh 4660 kWh 3107 kWh £1,243 £311 £1,553 £15,122 9.7 yrs £15,948

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: £1,052, Upfront: £11,639, Break-even: 11.1 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1942 kWh 1359 kWh 583 kWh £362 £58 £421 £6,756 16.1 yrs £1,659
3 kW 2913 kWh 2039 kWh 874 kWh £544 £87 £631 £8,383 13.3 yrs £4,239
4 kW 3883 kWh 2718 kWh 1165 kWh £725 £117 £841 £10,011 11.9 yrs £6,819
5 kW 4854 kWh 3398 kWh 1456 kWh £906 £146 £1,052 £11,639 11.1 yrs £9,398
6 kW 5825 kWh 4078 kWh 1748 kWh £1,087 £175 £1,262 £13,267 10.5 yrs £11,978
7 kW 6796 kWh 4757 kWh 2039 kWh £1,269 £204 £1,473 £14,894 10.1 yrs £14,558
8 kW 7767 kWh 5437 kWh 2330 kWh £1,450 £233 £1,683 £16,522 9.8 yrs £17,137

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: £1,076, Upfront: £13,389, Break-even: 12.4 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1942 kWh 1417 kWh 524 kWh £378 £52 £430 £8,506 19.8 yrs £104
3 kW 2913 kWh 2126 kWh 786 kWh £567 £79 £646 £10,133 15.7 yrs £2,780
4 kW 3883 kWh 2835 kWh 1049 kWh £756 £105 £861 £11,761 13.7 yrs £5,457
5 kW 4854 kWh 3544 kWh 1311 kWh £945 £131 £1,076 £13,389 12.4 yrs £8,134
6 kW 5825 kWh 4252 kWh 1573 kWh £1,134 £157 £1,291 £15,017 11.6 yrs £10,811
7 kW 6796 kWh 4961 kWh 1835 kWh £1,323 £183 £1,507 £16,644 11.0 yrs £13,487
8 kW 7767 kWh 5670 kWh 2097 kWh £1,512 £210 £1,722 £18,272 10.6 yrs £16,164

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: £1,092, Upfront: £15,139, Break-even: 13.9 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1942 kWh 1456 kWh 485 kWh £388 £49 £437 £10,256 23.5 yrs £-1,517
3 kW 2913 kWh 2184 kWh 728 kWh £583 £73 £655 £11,883 18.1 yrs £1,225
4 kW 3883 kWh 2913 kWh 971 kWh £777 £97 £874 £13,511 15.5 yrs £3,966
5 kW 4854 kWh 3641 kWh 1214 kWh £971 £121 £1,092 £15,139 13.9 yrs £6,708
6 kW 5825 kWh 4369 kWh 1456 kWh £1,165 £146 £1,311 £16,767 12.8 yrs £9,449
7 kW 6796 kWh 5097 kWh 1699 kWh £1,359 £170 £1,529 £18,394 12.0 yrs £12,191
8 kW 7767 kWh 5825 kWh 1942 kWh £1,554 £194 £1,748 £20,022 11.5 yrs £14,932

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: £1,109, Upfront: £17,589, Break-even: 15.9 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1942 kWh 1495 kWh 447 kWh £399 £45 £443 £12,706 28.7 yrs £-3,838
3 kW 2913 kWh 2243 kWh 670 kWh £598 £67 £665 £14,333 21.6 yrs £-1,031
4 kW 3883 kWh 2990 kWh 893 kWh £797 £89 £887 £15,961 18.0 yrs £1,775
5 kW 4854 kWh 3738 kWh 1116 kWh £997 £112 £1,109 £17,589 15.9 yrs £4,581
6 kW 5825 kWh 4485 kWh 1340 kWh £1,196 £134 £1,330 £19,217 14.4 yrs £7,387
7 kW 6796 kWh 5233 kWh 1563 kWh £1,396 £156 £1,552 £20,844 13.4 yrs £10,194
8 kW 7767 kWh 5980 kWh 1786 kWh £1,595 £179 £1,774 £22,472 12.7 yrs £13,000

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 CR8

Figures below are tailored to CR8 — click through for full league tables.

Big-Roof Britain Rank #1145 of 2182
4.9 kWp (UK avg 5.1 kWp)
~10 panels (≈430 W)
Solar Payback Index Rank #1218 of 2996
10.1 years (UK avg 10.8 years)
~£971 /yr • £9,767 upfront
Standing-Charge Drag Rank #650 of 2996
20.5% (UK avg 26.6%) drag on savings
£199 fixed • ~£971 /yr value
Aspect Penalty View ranking →
East −19.5% West −21.5%
Typical output loss versus a south-facing roof (lower is better)

Seasonal solar output in CR8

Monthly generation per kilowatt of solar panels

kWh 35 Jan 48 Feb 82 Mar 112 Apr 118 May 120 Jun 121 Jul 108 Aug 92 Sep 64 Oct 42 Nov 30 Dec
Best month Worst month Winter (Dec–Feb) Other months

Winter output: 46.4% 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 38 kWh per month; the average month produces around 81 kWh. So a typical 4 kW home system would generate roughly 150 kWh in winter, or 324 kWh in an average month.

Your Area at a Glance

Your Electricity Rate
26.67p/kWh
Daily Fixed Charge
54.45p/day
Local Sunshine
971kWh/kW
A 1 kW system generates ~971 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: 44% • Flats: 49% • Bungalows: 4% Based on 9,533 properties

Coverage

Croydon (96%)|Sutton (2%)|Tandridge (1%)

Areas Covered

Purley & Woodcote, Purley Oaks & Riddlesdown, Kenley, Addiscombe West, South Beddington & Roundshaw, Coulsdon Town, Portley & Queens Park, Whyteleafe + 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

CR2 (Croydon)
≈1.1 km away
Local sunshine: ~990 kWh/kWp · +2% vs CR8
CR5 (Croydon)
≈3.2 km away
Local sunshine: ~983 kWh/kWp · +1% vs CR8
SM6 (Sutton)
≈3.8 km away
Local sunshine: ~995 kWh/kWp · +2% vs CR8
CR9 (Croydon)
≈4.3 km away
Local sunshine: ~996 kWh/kWp · +3% vs CR8
CR0 (Croydon)
≈4.4 km away
Local sunshine: ~996 kWh/kWp · +3% vs CR8
CR90 (Croydon)
≈4.5 km away
Local sunshine: ~990 kWh/kWp · +2% vs CR8

Similar sunshine across the UK

YO15 (East Riding of Yorkshire)
~971 kWh/kWp · +0% vs CR8
HP27 (Buckinghamshire)
~971 kWh/kWp · -0% vs CR8
HP17 (Buckinghamshire)
~971 kWh/kWp · -0% vs CR8