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Solar panel cost in Gloucester (GL4)

See realistic solar installation costs, savings and payback for GL4 (Gloucester) 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
10.6 years
After this, it's pure profit
Upfront Cost
£8,139
What you pay to get started
Annual Benefit
£766
What you save every year
Profit Over 25 Years
£11,018
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 Midlands, the current unit rate is 25.33p/kWh with a 59.71p/day standing charge. Your postcode’s south-facing sunshine yield is 950 kWh/kW — 8 above the regional median (942).

Read the full story

A typical roof here lands around 5.0 kW, with most eligible homes comfortably fitting within 3–6 kW. Each kilowatt of panels produces roughly 950 kWh per year on a south-facing roof. We value self-used electricity at 25.3p and exported surplus at a baseline 10p via SEG. Use the calculator above for your exact tariff.

Unit rate
25.3p/kWh
Standing charge
59.7p/day
Sunshine yield (south)
950 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: £766, Upfront: £8,139, Break-even: 10.6 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1900 kWh 760 kWh 1140 kWh £193 £114 £307 £3,256 10.6 yrs £2,875
3 kW 2850 kWh 1140 kWh 1710 kWh £289 £171 £460 £4,883 10.6 yrs £4,312
4 kW 3800 kWh 1520 kWh 2280 kWh £385 £228 £613 £6,511 10.6 yrs £5,749
5 kW 4750 kWh 1900 kWh 2850 kWh £481 £285 £766 £8,139 10.6 yrs £7,187
6 kW 5700 kWh 2280 kWh 3420 kWh £578 £342 £920 £9,767 10.6 yrs £8,624
7 kW 6650 kWh 2660 kWh 3990 kWh £674 £399 £1,073 £11,394 10.6 yrs £10,061
8 kW 7600 kWh 3040 kWh 4560 kWh £770 £456 £1,226 £13,022 10.6 yrs £11,499

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: £912, Upfront: £10,239, Break-even: 11.2 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1900 kWh 1140 kWh 760 kWh £289 £76 £365 £5,356 14.7 yrs £1,940
3 kW 2850 kWh 1710 kWh 1140 kWh £433 £114 £547 £6,983 12.8 yrs £3,960
4 kW 3800 kWh 2280 kWh 1520 kWh £578 £152 £730 £8,611 11.8 yrs £5,979
5 kW 4750 kWh 2850 kWh 1900 kWh £722 £190 £912 £10,239 11.2 yrs £7,999
6 kW 5700 kWh 3420 kWh 2280 kWh £866 £228 £1,094 £11,867 10.8 yrs £10,019
7 kW 6650 kWh 3990 kWh 2660 kWh £1,011 £266 £1,277 £13,494 10.6 yrs £12,039
8 kW 7600 kWh 4560 kWh 3040 kWh £1,155 £304 £1,459 £15,122 10.4 yrs £14,059

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: £985, Upfront: £11,639, 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 1900 kWh 1330 kWh 570 kWh £337 £57 £394 £6,756 17.2 yrs £1,122
3 kW 2850 kWh 1995 kWh 855 kWh £505 £86 £591 £8,383 14.2 yrs £3,433
4 kW 3800 kWh 2660 kWh 1140 kWh £674 £114 £788 £10,011 12.7 yrs £5,745
5 kW 4750 kWh 3325 kWh 1425 kWh £842 £142 £985 £11,639 11.8 yrs £8,056
6 kW 5700 kWh 3990 kWh 1710 kWh £1,011 £171 £1,182 £13,267 11.2 yrs £10,367
7 kW 6650 kWh 4655 kWh 1995 kWh £1,179 £200 £1,379 £14,894 10.8 yrs £12,678
8 kW 7600 kWh 5320 kWh 2280 kWh £1,348 £228 £1,576 £16,522 10.5 yrs £14,989

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: £1,007, Upfront: £13,389, Break-even: 13.3 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1900 kWh 1387 kWh 513 kWh £351 £51 £403 £8,506 21.1 yrs £-453
3 kW 2850 kWh 2080 kWh 770 kWh £527 £77 £604 £10,133 16.8 yrs £1,946
4 kW 3800 kWh 2774 kWh 1026 kWh £703 £103 £805 £11,761 14.6 yrs £4,344
5 kW 4750 kWh 3468 kWh 1282 kWh £878 £128 £1,007 £13,389 13.3 yrs £6,743
6 kW 5700 kWh 4161 kWh 1539 kWh £1,054 £154 £1,208 £15,017 12.4 yrs £9,141
7 kW 6650 kWh 4854 kWh 1796 kWh £1,230 £180 £1,409 £16,644 11.8 yrs £11,540
8 kW 7600 kWh 5548 kWh 2052 kWh £1,405 £205 £1,611 £18,272 11.3 yrs £13,938

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: £1,021, Upfront: £15,139, Break-even: 14.8 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1900 kWh 1425 kWh 475 kWh £361 £48 £408 £10,256 25.1 yrs £-2,086
3 kW 2850 kWh 2138 kWh 712 kWh £541 £71 £613 £11,883 19.4 yrs £370
4 kW 3800 kWh 2850 kWh 950 kWh £722 £95 £817 £13,511 16.5 yrs £2,827
5 kW 4750 kWh 3562 kWh 1188 kWh £902 £119 £1,021 £15,139 14.8 yrs £5,284
6 kW 5700 kWh 4275 kWh 1425 kWh £1,083 £142 £1,225 £16,767 13.7 yrs £7,741
7 kW 6650 kWh 4988 kWh 1662 kWh £1,263 £166 £1,430 £18,394 12.9 yrs £10,197
8 kW 7600 kWh 5700 kWh 1900 kWh £1,444 £190 £1,634 £20,022 12.3 yrs £12,654

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: £1,036, Upfront: £17,589, Break-even: 17.0 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1900 kWh 1463 kWh 437 kWh £371 £44 £414 £12,706 30.7 yrs £-4,420
3 kW 2850 kWh 2194 kWh 656 kWh £556 £66 £621 £14,333 23.1 yrs £-1,905
4 kW 3800 kWh 2926 kWh 874 kWh £741 £87 £829 £15,961 19.3 yrs £610
5 kW 4750 kWh 3658 kWh 1092 kWh £926 £109 £1,036 £17,589 17.0 yrs £3,125
6 kW 5700 kWh 4389 kWh 1311 kWh £1,112 £131 £1,243 £19,217 15.5 yrs £5,640
7 kW 6650 kWh 5120 kWh 1530 kWh £1,297 £153 £1,450 £20,844 14.4 yrs £8,155
8 kW 7600 kWh 5852 kWh 1748 kWh £1,482 £175 £1,657 £22,472 13.6 yrs £10,670

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 Gloucester

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 GL4

Figures below are tailored to GL4 — click through for full league tables.

Big-Roof Britain Rank #1523 of 2182
4.7 kWp (UK avg 5.1 kWp)
~10 panels (≈430 W)
Solar Payback Index Rank #1609 of 2996
10.6 years (UK avg 10.8 years)
~£766 /yr • £8,139 upfront
Standing-Charge Drag Rank #1946 of 2996
28.5% (UK avg 26.6%) drag on savings
£218 fixed • ~£766 /yr value
Aspect Penalty View ranking →
East −19.5% West −19.8%
Typical output loss versus a south-facing roof (lower is better)

Seasonal solar output in GL4

Monthly generation per kilowatt of solar panels

kWh 34 Jan 49 Feb 82 Mar 110 Apr 118 May 117 Jun 118 Jul 104 Aug 89 Sep 61 Oct 40 Nov 28 Dec
Best month Worst month Winter (Dec–Feb) Other months

Winter output: 46.8% 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 37 kWh per month; the average month produces around 79 kWh. So a typical 4 kW home system would generate roughly 148 kWh in winter, or 317 kWh in an average month.

Your Area at a Glance

Your Electricity Rate
25.33p/kWh
Daily Fixed Charge
59.71p/day
Local Sunshine
950kWh/kW
A 1 kW system generates ~950 kWh per year. A typical home uses ~2,700 kWh per year.
Typical System Size
5.0kW
For houses & bungalows in this area

Local Property Data

Property Types

Houses: 69% • Flats: 16% • Bungalows: 11% Based on 11,095 properties

Coverage

Gloucester (92%)|Stroud (5%)|Tewkesbury (2%)|Cotswold (1%)

Areas Covered

Matson, Robinswood and White City, Barnwood, Abbeydale, Abbeymead, Tuffley, Coney Hill, Grange + 5 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 Midlands

GL3 (Tewkesbury)
≈2.7 km away
Local sunshine: ~969 kWh/kWp · +2% vs GL4
GL1 (Gloucester)
≈2.9 km away
Local sunshine: ~969 kWh/kWp · +2% vs GL4
GL2 (Gloucester)
≈3.8 km away
Local sunshine: ~969 kWh/kWp · +2% vs GL4
GL51 (Cheltenham)
≈9.6 km away
Local sunshine: ~964 kWh/kWp · +1% vs GL4
GL6 (Stroud)
≈10.0 km away
Local sunshine: ~981 kWh/kWp · +3% vs GL4
GL53 (Cheltenham)
≈10.8 km away
Local sunshine: ~958 kWh/kWp · +1% vs GL4

Similar sunshine across the UK

DN3 (Doncaster)
~950 kWh/kWp · +0% vs GL4
L45 (Wirral)
~950 kWh/kWp · +0% vs GL4
CH45 (Wirral)
~950 kWh/kWp · +0% vs GL4