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Solar Panels in EC3N (City of London)

See if solar pays off for you in City of London — price, savings and payback in under a minute (official UK data).

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
12.7 years
After this, it's pure profit
Upfront Cost
£12,207
What you pay to get started
Annual Benefit
£962
What you save every year
Profit Over 25 Years
£11,839
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 London, the current unit rate is 25.63p/kWh with a 46.06p/day standing charge. Your postcode’s south-facing sunshine yield is 986 kWh/kW — 4 below the regional median (991).

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 986 kWh per year on a south-facing roof. We value self-used electricity at 25.6p and exported surplus at a baseline 10p via SEG. Use the calculator above for your exact tariff.

Unit rate
25.6p/kWh
Standing charge
46.1p/day
Sunshine yield (south)
986 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: £802, Upfront: £10,173, Break-even: 12.7 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1973 kWh 789 kWh 1184 kWh £202 £118 £321 £4,069 12.7 yrs £2,343
3 kW 2959 kWh 1184 kWh 1775 kWh £303 £178 £481 £6,104 12.7 yrs £3,515
4 kW 3946 kWh 1578 kWh 2367 kWh £404 £237 £641 £8,138 12.7 yrs £4,686
5 kW 4932 kWh 1973 kWh 2959 kWh £506 £296 £802 £10,173 12.7 yrs £5,858
6 kW 5918 kWh 2367 kWh 3551 kWh £607 £355 £962 £12,207 12.7 yrs £7,030
7 kW 6905 kWh 2762 kWh 4143 kWh £708 £414 £1,122 £14,242 12.7 yrs £8,201
8 kW 7891 kWh 3156 kWh 4735 kWh £809 £473 £1,282 £16,276 12.7 yrs £9,373

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: £956, Upfront: £12,273, 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 1973 kWh 1184 kWh 789 kWh £303 £79 £382 £6,169 16.1 yrs £1,477
3 kW 2959 kWh 1775 kWh 1184 kWh £455 £118 £573 £8,204 14.3 yrs £3,265
4 kW 3946 kWh 2367 kWh 1578 kWh £607 £158 £765 £10,238 13.4 yrs £5,053
5 kW 4932 kWh 2959 kWh 1973 kWh £758 £197 £956 £12,273 12.8 yrs £6,842
6 kW 5918 kWh 3551 kWh 2367 kWh £910 £237 £1,147 £14,307 12.5 yrs £8,630
7 kW 6905 kWh 4143 kWh 2762 kWh £1,062 £276 £1,338 £16,342 12.2 yrs £10,418
8 kW 7891 kWh 4735 kWh 3156 kWh £1,213 £316 £1,529 £18,376 12.0 yrs £12,206

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: £1,033, Upfront: £13,673, Break-even: 13.2 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1973 kWh 1381 kWh 592 kWh £354 £59 £413 £7,569 18.3 yrs £693
3 kW 2959 kWh 2071 kWh 888 kWh £531 £89 £620 £9,604 15.5 yrs £2,790
4 kW 3946 kWh 2762 kWh 1184 kWh £708 £118 £826 £11,638 14.1 yrs £4,887
5 kW 4932 kWh 3452 kWh 1480 kWh £885 £148 £1,033 £13,673 13.2 yrs £6,983
6 kW 5918 kWh 4143 kWh 1775 kWh £1,062 £178 £1,239 £15,707 12.7 yrs £9,080
7 kW 6905 kWh 4833 kWh 2071 kWh £1,239 £207 £1,446 £17,742 12.3 yrs £11,177
8 kW 7891 kWh 5524 kWh 2367 kWh £1,416 £237 £1,652 £19,776 12.0 yrs £13,273

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: £1,056, Upfront: £15,423, 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 1973 kWh 1440 kWh 533 kWh £369 £53 £422 £9,319 22.1 yrs £-872
3 kW 2959 kWh 2160 kWh 799 kWh £554 £80 £634 £11,354 17.9 yrs £1,317
4 kW 3946 kWh 2880 kWh 1065 kWh £738 £107 £845 £13,388 15.8 yrs £3,507
5 kW 4932 kWh 3600 kWh 1332 kWh £923 £133 £1,056 £15,423 14.6 yrs £5,696
6 kW 5918 kWh 4320 kWh 1598 kWh £1,107 £160 £1,267 £17,457 13.8 yrs £7,885
7 kW 6905 kWh 5040 kWh 1864 kWh £1,292 £186 £1,478 £19,492 13.2 yrs £10,074
8 kW 7891 kWh 5760 kWh 2131 kWh £1,476 £213 £1,689 £21,526 12.7 yrs £12,263

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: £1,071, Upfront: £17,173, Break-even: 16.0 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1973 kWh 1480 kWh 493 kWh £379 £49 £429 £11,069 25.8 yrs £-2,498
3 kW 2959 kWh 2219 kWh 740 kWh £569 £74 £643 £13,104 20.4 yrs £-248
4 kW 3946 kWh 2959 kWh 986 kWh £758 £99 £857 £15,138 17.7 yrs £2,003
5 kW 4932 kWh 3699 kWh 1233 kWh £948 £123 £1,071 £17,173 16.0 yrs £4,254
6 kW 5918 kWh 4439 kWh 1480 kWh £1,138 £148 £1,286 £19,207 14.9 yrs £6,505
7 kW 6905 kWh 5178 kWh 1726 kWh £1,327 £173 £1,500 £21,242 14.2 yrs £8,756
8 kW 7891 kWh 5918 kWh 1973 kWh £1,517 £197 £1,714 £23,276 13.6 yrs £11,007

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: £1,087, Upfront: £19,623, Break-even: 18.1 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1973 kWh 1519 kWh 454 kWh £389 £45 £435 £13,519 31.1 yrs £-4,825
3 kW 2959 kWh 2279 kWh 681 kWh £584 £68 £652 £15,554 23.9 yrs £-2,513
4 kW 3946 kWh 3038 kWh 907 kWh £779 £91 £869 £17,588 20.2 yrs £-200
5 kW 4932 kWh 3798 kWh 1134 kWh £973 £113 £1,087 £19,623 18.1 yrs £2,112
6 kW 5918 kWh 4557 kWh 1361 kWh £1,168 £136 £1,304 £21,657 16.6 yrs £4,425
7 kW 6905 kWh 5317 kWh 1588 kWh £1,363 £159 £1,521 £23,692 15.6 yrs £6,737
8 kW 7891 kWh 6076 kWh 1815 kWh £1,557 £181 £1,739 £25,726 14.8 yrs £9,050

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 EC3N

Figures below are tailored to EC3N — click through for full league tables.

Solar Payback Index Rank #1363 of 2997
11.1 years (UK avg 11.3 years)
~£1,101 /yr • £12,207 upfront
Standing-Charge Drag Rank #435 of 2997
15.3% (UK avg 21.7%) drag on savings
£168 fixed • ~£1,101 /yr value

Your Area at a Glance

Your Electricity Rate
25.63p/kWh
Daily Fixed Charge
46.06p/day
Local Sunshine
986kWh/kW
A 1 kW system generates ~986 kWh per year. A typical home uses ~2,700 kWh per year.
Typical System Size
6.0kW
For eligible homes in this area

Local Property Data

Property Types

Houses: 0% • Flats: 99% • Bungalows: 0% Based on 328 properties

Coverage

City of London (80%)|Tower Hamlets (11%)|Islington (9%)

Areas Covered

Tower, Clerkenwell, Aldgate, St Katharine's & Wapping, Portsoken, Whitechapel, Billingsgate, Bridge

Data Sources & Assumptions

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

Electricity rates: Ofgem price cap, Q4 2025

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 London

EC3A (City of London)
≈0.4 km away
Local sunshine: ~989 kWh/kWp · +0% vs EC3N
EC3R (City of London)
≈0.4 km away
Local sunshine: ~989 kWh/kWp · +0% vs EC3N
EC3B (City of London)
≈0.4 km away
Local sunshine: ~989 kWh/kWp · +0% vs EC3N
EC3M (City of London)
≈0.5 km away
Local sunshine: ~989 kWh/kWp · +0% vs EC3N
E77 (Tower Hamlets)
≈0.6 km away
Local sunshine: ~989 kWh/kWp · +0% vs EC3N
EC3V (City of London)
≈0.7 km away
Local sunshine: ~987 kWh/kWp · +0% vs EC3N

Similar sunshine across the UK

LL62 (Isle of Anglesey)
~986 kWh/kWp · -0% vs EC3N
FY4 (Blackpool)
~986 kWh/kWp · -0% vs EC3N
LA16 (Westmorland and Furness)
~987 kWh/kWp · +0% vs EC3N