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Solar panel cost in Cornwall (EX23)

See realistic solar installation costs, savings and payback for EX23 (Cornwall) 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
9.8 years
After this, it's pure profit
Upfront Cost
£9,767
What you pay to get started
Annual Benefit
£1,001
What you save every year
Profit Over 25 Years
£15,263
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 Southern Western, the current unit rate is 26.39p/kWh with a 57.89p/day standing charge. Your postcode’s south-facing sunshine yield is 1008 kWh/kW — 6 below the regional median (1013).

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 1008 kWh per year on a south-facing roof. We value self-used electricity at 26.4p and exported surplus at a baseline 10p via SEG. Use the calculator above for your exact tariff.

Unit rate
26.4p/kWh
Standing charge
57.9p/day
Sunshine yield (south)
1008 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: £834, Upfront: £8,139, Break-even: 9.8 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2016 kWh 806 kWh 1209 kWh £213 £121 £334 £3,256 9.8 yrs £3,419
3 kW 3024 kWh 1209 kWh 1814 kWh £319 £181 £501 £4,883 9.8 yrs £5,128
4 kW 4031 kWh 1613 kWh 2419 kWh £426 £242 £667 £6,511 9.8 yrs £6,838
5 kW 5039 kWh 2016 kWh 3024 kWh £532 £302 £834 £8,139 9.8 yrs £8,547
6 kW 6047 kWh 2419 kWh 3628 kWh £638 £363 £1,001 £9,767 9.8 yrs £10,257
7 kW 7055 kWh 2822 kWh 4233 kWh £745 £423 £1,168 £11,394 9.8 yrs £11,966
8 kW 8063 kWh 3225 kWh 4838 kWh £851 £484 £1,335 £13,022 9.8 yrs £13,676

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: £1,000, Upfront: £10,239, Break-even: 10.2 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2016 kWh 1209 kWh 806 kWh £319 £81 £400 £5,356 13.4 yrs £2,641
3 kW 3024 kWh 1814 kWh 1209 kWh £479 £121 £600 £6,983 11.6 yrs £5,011
4 kW 4031 kWh 2419 kWh 1613 kWh £638 £161 £800 £8,611 10.8 yrs £7,381
5 kW 5039 kWh 3024 kWh 2016 kWh £798 £202 £1,000 £10,239 10.2 yrs £9,751
6 kW 6047 kWh 3628 kWh 2419 kWh £958 £242 £1,199 £11,867 9.9 yrs £12,122
7 kW 7055 kWh 4233 kWh 2822 kWh £1,117 £282 £1,399 £13,494 9.6 yrs £14,492
8 kW 8063 kWh 4838 kWh 3225 kWh £1,277 £323 £1,599 £15,122 9.5 yrs £16,862

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: £1,082, Upfront: £11,639, Break-even: 10.8 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2016 kWh 1411 kWh 605 kWh £372 £60 £433 £6,756 15.6 yrs £1,901
3 kW 3024 kWh 2117 kWh 907 kWh £559 £91 £649 £8,383 12.9 yrs £4,602
4 kW 4031 kWh 2822 kWh 1209 kWh £745 £121 £866 £10,011 11.6 yrs £7,303
5 kW 5039 kWh 3528 kWh 1512 kWh £931 £151 £1,082 £11,639 10.8 yrs £10,003
6 kW 6047 kWh 4233 kWh 1814 kWh £1,117 £181 £1,299 £13,267 10.2 yrs £12,704
7 kW 7055 kWh 4939 kWh 2117 kWh £1,303 £212 £1,515 £14,894 9.8 yrs £15,404
8 kW 8063 kWh 5644 kWh 2419 kWh £1,489 £242 £1,731 £16,522 9.5 yrs £18,105

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: £1,107, Upfront: £13,389, Break-even: 12.1 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2016 kWh 1471 kWh 544 kWh £388 £54 £443 £8,506 19.2 yrs £350
3 kW 3024 kWh 2207 kWh 816 kWh £582 £82 £664 £10,133 15.3 yrs £3,149
4 kW 4031 kWh 2943 kWh 1088 kWh £777 £109 £886 £11,761 13.3 yrs £5,949
5 kW 5039 kWh 3679 kWh 1361 kWh £971 £136 £1,107 £13,389 12.1 yrs £8,749
6 kW 6047 kWh 4414 kWh 1633 kWh £1,165 £163 £1,328 £15,017 11.3 yrs £11,549
7 kW 7055 kWh 5150 kWh 1905 kWh £1,359 £190 £1,550 £16,644 10.7 yrs £14,348
8 kW 8063 kWh 5886 kWh 2177 kWh £1,553 £218 £1,771 £18,272 10.3 yrs £17,148

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: £1,123, Upfront: £15,139, Break-even: 13.5 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2016 kWh 1512 kWh 504 kWh £399 £50 £449 £10,256 22.8 yrs £-1,268
3 kW 3024 kWh 2268 kWh 756 kWh £598 £76 £674 £11,883 17.6 yrs £1,597
4 kW 4031 kWh 3024 kWh 1008 kWh £798 £101 £899 £13,511 15.0 yrs £4,463
5 kW 5039 kWh 3780 kWh 1260 kWh £997 £126 £1,123 £15,139 13.5 yrs £7,329
6 kW 6047 kWh 4535 kWh 1512 kWh £1,197 £151 £1,348 £16,767 12.4 yrs £10,195
7 kW 7055 kWh 5291 kWh 1764 kWh £1,396 £176 £1,573 £18,394 11.7 yrs £13,061
8 kW 8063 kWh 6047 kWh 2016 kWh £1,596 £202 £1,797 £20,022 11.1 yrs £15,927

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: £1,140, Upfront: £17,589, Break-even: 15.4 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2016 kWh 1552 kWh 464 kWh £410 £46 £456 £12,706 27.9 yrs £-3,586
3 kW 3024 kWh 2328 kWh 695 kWh £614 £70 £684 £14,333 21.0 yrs £-654
4 kW 4031 kWh 3104 kWh 927 kWh £819 £93 £912 £15,961 17.5 yrs £2,278
5 kW 5039 kWh 3880 kWh 1159 kWh £1,024 £116 £1,140 £17,589 15.4 yrs £5,210
6 kW 6047 kWh 4656 kWh 1391 kWh £1,229 £139 £1,368 £19,217 14.0 yrs £8,141
7 kW 7055 kWh 5432 kWh 1623 kWh £1,434 £162 £1,596 £20,844 13.1 yrs £11,073
8 kW 8063 kWh 6208 kWh 1854 kWh £1,638 £185 £1,824 £22,472 12.3 yrs £14,005

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 Cornwall

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.

Compare solar quotes before you sign

Check what MCS certification means

Understand DNO, G98 and G99 export limits

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This is a practical sanity-check request, not an instant quote promise. The Blue Ape quote route above remains available if you already want installer introductions.

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Insights for EX23

Figures below are tailored to EX23 — click through for full league tables.

Big-Roof Britain Rank #339 of 2182
5.8 kWp (UK avg 5.1 kWp)
~12 panels (≈430 W)
Solar Payback Index Rank #614 of 2996
9.8 years (UK avg 10.8 years)
~£1,001 /yr • £9,767 upfront
Standing-Charge Drag Rank #725 of 2996
21.1% (UK avg 26.6%) drag on savings
£211 fixed • ~£1,001 /yr value
Aspect Penalty View ranking →
East −19.3% West −20.7%
Typical output loss versus a south-facing roof (lower is better)

Seasonal solar output in EX23

Monthly generation per kilowatt of solar panels

kWh 36 Jan 55 Feb 88 Mar 118 Apr 126 May 121 Jun 120 Jul 110 Aug 93 Sep 66 Oct 42 Nov 32 Dec
Best month Worst month Winter (Dec–Feb) Other months

Winter output: 48.8% 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 41 kWh per month; the average month produces around 84 kWh. So a typical 4 kW home system would generate roughly 164 kWh in winter, or 336 kWh in an average month.

Your Area at a Glance

Your Electricity Rate
26.39p/kWh
Daily Fixed Charge
57.89p/day
Local Sunshine
1008kWh/kW
A 1 kW system generates ~1008 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: 56% • Flats: 18% • Bungalows: 24% Based on 5,784 properties

Coverage

Cornwall (100%)

Areas Covered

Bude, Stratton, Kilkhampton & Morwenstow, Poundstock, Hartland, Milton & Tamarside, Camelford & Boscastle

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 Southern Western

EX22 (Torridge)
≈12.9 km away
Local sunshine: ~976 kWh/kWp · -3% vs EX23
PL35 (Cornwall)
≈19.5 km away
Local sunshine: ~974 kWh/kWp · -3% vs EX23
EX21 (Torridge)
≈23.4 km away
Local sunshine: ~962 kWh/kWp · -5% vs EX23
PL34 (Cornwall)
≈23.7 km away
Local sunshine: ~964 kWh/kWp · -4% vs EX23
PL15 (Cornwall)
≈24.9 km away
Local sunshine: ~987 kWh/kWp · -2% vs EX23
PL32 (Cornwall)
≈25.0 km away
Local sunshine: ~968 kWh/kWp · -4% vs EX23

Similar sunshine across the UK

OX13 (Vale of White Horse)
~1,008 kWh/kWp · -0% vs EX23
IG7 (Epping Forest)
~1,008 kWh/kWp · -0% vs EX23
RH1 (Reigate and Banstead)
~1,008 kWh/kWp · -0% vs EX23