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Solar panel cost in Exeter (EX3)

See realistic solar installation costs, savings and payback for EX3 (Exeter) 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
9.5 years
After this, it's pure profit
Upfront Cost
£9,767
What you pay to get started
Annual Benefit
£1,025
What you save every year
Profit Over 25 Years
£15,848
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 1031 kWh/kW — 18 above 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 1031 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)
1031 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: £854, Upfront: £8,139, Break-even: 9.5 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2063 kWh 825 kWh 1238 kWh £218 £124 £342 £3,256 9.5 yrs £3,575
3 kW 3094 kWh 1238 kWh 1857 kWh £327 £186 £512 £4,883 9.5 yrs £5,363
4 kW 4126 kWh 1650 kWh 2475 kWh £436 £248 £683 £6,511 9.5 yrs £7,150
5 kW 5157 kWh 2063 kWh 3094 kWh £544 £309 £854 £8,139 9.5 yrs £8,938
6 kW 6189 kWh 2475 kWh 3713 kWh £653 £371 £1,025 £9,767 9.5 yrs £10,725
7 kW 7220 kWh 2888 kWh 4332 kWh £762 £433 £1,195 £11,394 9.5 yrs £12,513
8 kW 8252 kWh 3301 kWh 4951 kWh £871 £495 £1,366 £13,022 9.5 yrs £14,300

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: £1,023, Upfront: £10,239, Break-even: 10.0 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2063 kWh 1238 kWh 825 kWh £327 £83 £409 £5,356 13.1 yrs £2,828
3 kW 3094 kWh 1857 kWh 1238 kWh £490 £124 £614 £6,983 11.4 yrs £5,291
4 kW 4126 kWh 2475 kWh 1650 kWh £653 £165 £818 £8,611 10.5 yrs £7,755
5 kW 5157 kWh 3094 kWh 2063 kWh £817 £206 £1,023 £10,239 10.0 yrs £10,219
6 kW 6189 kWh 3713 kWh 2475 kWh £980 £248 £1,227 £11,867 9.7 yrs £12,683
7 kW 7220 kWh 4332 kWh 2888 kWh £1,143 £289 £1,432 £13,494 9.4 yrs £15,146
8 kW 8252 kWh 4951 kWh 3301 kWh £1,307 £330 £1,637 £15,122 9.2 yrs £17,610

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: £1,107, Upfront: £11,639, 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 2063 kWh 1444 kWh 619 kWh £381 £62 £443 £6,756 15.3 yrs £2,104
3 kW 3094 kWh 2166 kWh 928 kWh £572 £93 £664 £8,383 12.6 yrs £4,906
4 kW 4126 kWh 2888 kWh 1238 kWh £762 £124 £886 £10,011 11.3 yrs £7,707
5 kW 5157 kWh 3610 kWh 1547 kWh £953 £155 £1,107 £11,639 10.5 yrs £10,509
6 kW 6189 kWh 4332 kWh 1857 kWh £1,143 £186 £1,329 £13,267 10.0 yrs £13,311
7 kW 7220 kWh 5054 kWh 2166 kWh £1,334 £217 £1,550 £14,894 9.6 yrs £16,113
8 kW 8252 kWh 5776 kWh 2475 kWh £1,524 £248 £1,772 £16,522 9.3 yrs £18,915

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: £1,133, Upfront: £13,389, Break-even: 11.8 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2063 kWh 1506 kWh 557 kWh £397 £56 £453 £8,506 18.8 yrs £557
3 kW 3094 kWh 2259 kWh 835 kWh £596 £84 £680 £10,133 14.9 yrs £3,460
4 kW 4126 kWh 3012 kWh 1114 kWh £795 £111 £906 £11,761 13.0 yrs £6,363
5 kW 5157 kWh 3765 kWh 1392 kWh £994 £139 £1,133 £13,389 11.8 yrs £9,266
6 kW 6189 kWh 4518 kWh 1671 kWh £1,192 £167 £1,359 £15,017 11.0 yrs £12,170
7 kW 7220 kWh 5271 kWh 1949 kWh £1,391 £195 £1,586 £16,644 10.5 yrs £15,073
8 kW 8252 kWh 6024 kWh 2228 kWh £1,590 £223 £1,812 £18,272 10.1 yrs £17,976

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: £1,150, Upfront: £15,139, 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 2063 kWh 1547 kWh 516 kWh £408 £52 £460 £10,256 22.3 yrs £-1,058
3 kW 3094 kWh 2321 kWh 774 kWh £612 £77 £690 £11,883 17.2 yrs £1,913
4 kW 4126 kWh 3094 kWh 1031 kWh £817 £103 £920 £13,511 14.7 yrs £4,884
5 kW 5157 kWh 3868 kWh 1289 kWh £1,021 £129 £1,150 £15,139 13.2 yrs £7,855
6 kW 6189 kWh 4641 kWh 1547 kWh £1,225 £155 £1,380 £16,767 12.2 yrs £10,825
7 kW 7220 kWh 5415 kWh 1805 kWh £1,429 £181 £1,610 £18,394 11.4 yrs £13,796
8 kW 8252 kWh 6189 kWh 2063 kWh £1,633 £206 £1,839 £20,022 10.9 yrs £16,767

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: £1,167, Upfront: £17,589, Break-even: 15.1 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2063 kWh 1588 kWh 474 kWh £419 £47 £467 £12,706 27.2 yrs £-3,373
3 kW 3094 kWh 2383 kWh 712 kWh £629 £71 £700 £14,333 20.5 yrs £-334
4 kW 4126 kWh 3177 kWh 949 kWh £838 £95 £933 £15,961 17.1 yrs £2,704
5 kW 5157 kWh 3971 kWh 1186 kWh £1,048 £119 £1,167 £17,589 15.1 yrs £5,743
6 kW 6189 kWh 4765 kWh 1423 kWh £1,258 £142 £1,400 £19,217 13.7 yrs £8,781
7 kW 7220 kWh 5559 kWh 1661 kWh £1,467 £166 £1,633 £20,844 12.8 yrs £11,820
8 kW 8252 kWh 6354 kWh 1898 kWh £1,677 £190 £1,867 £22,472 12.0 yrs £14,858

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 Exeter

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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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 EX3

Figures below are tailored to EX3 — click through for full league tables.

Big-Roof Britain Rank #419 of 2182
5.7 kWp (UK avg 5.1 kWp)
~12 panels (≈430 W)
Solar Payback Index Rank #290 of 2996
9.5 years (UK avg 10.8 years)
~£1,024 /yr • £9,767 upfront
Standing-Charge Drag Rank #667 of 2996
20.6% (UK avg 26.6%) drag on savings
£211 fixed • ~£1,024 /yr value
Aspect Penalty View ranking →
East −20.1% West −20.3%
Typical output loss versus a south-facing roof (lower is better)

Seasonal solar output in EX3

Monthly generation per kilowatt of solar panels

kWh 40 Jan 57 Feb 90 Mar 118 Apr 125 May 123 Jun 122 Jul 112 Aug 95 Sep 67 Oct 48 Nov 35 Dec
Best month Worst month Winter (Dec–Feb) Other months

Winter output: 51.2% 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 44 kWh per month; the average month produces around 86 kWh. So a typical 4 kW home system would generate roughly 176 kWh in winter, or 344 kWh in an average month.

Your Area at a Glance

Your Electricity Rate
26.39p/kWh
Daily Fixed Charge
57.89p/day
Local Sunshine
1031kWh/kW
A 1 kW system generates ~1031 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: 71% • Flats: 19% • Bungalows: 8% Based on 1,845 properties

Coverage

Exeter (79%)|East Devon (21%)

Areas Covered

Topsham, St Loyes, Clyst Valley, Woodbury & Lympstone

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

EX2 (Exeter)
≈4.9 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,038 kWh/kWp · +1% vs EX3
EX1 (Exeter)
≈5.9 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,020 kWh/kWp · -1% vs EX3
EX4 (Exeter)
≈6.5 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,015 kWh/kWp · -2% vs EX3
EX5 (East Devon)
≈8.0 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,028 kWh/kWp · -0% vs EX3
EX8 (East Devon)
≈8.1 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,036 kWh/kWp · +0% vs EX3
EX6 (Teignbridge)
≈9.6 km away
Local sunshine: ~998 kWh/kWp · -3% vs EX3

Similar sunshine across the UK

SP3 (Wiltshire)
~1,031 kWh/kWp · -0% vs EX3
CF32 (Bridgend)
~1,031 kWh/kWp · -0% vs EX3
ME18 (Maidstone)
~1,032 kWh/kWp · +0% vs EX3