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Solar panel cost in West Lancashire (L40)

See realistic solar installation costs, savings and payback for L40 (West Lancashire) 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
10.8 years
After this, it's pure profit
Upfront Cost
£9,767
What you pay to get started
Annual Benefit
£905
What you save every year
Profit Over 25 Years
£12,865
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 North West, the current unit rate is 26.13p/kWh with a 47.61p/day standing charge. Your postcode’s south-facing sunshine yield is 917 kWh/kW — 47 above the regional median (870).

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 917 kWh per year on a south-facing roof. We value self-used electricity at 26.1p and exported surplus at a baseline 10p via SEG. Use the calculator above for your exact tariff.

Unit rate
26.1p/kWh
Standing charge
47.6p/day
Sunshine yield (south)
917 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: £754, Upfront: £8,139, 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 1834 kWh 734 kWh 1101 kWh £192 £110 £302 £3,256 10.8 yrs £2,780
3 kW 2751 kWh 1101 kWh 1651 kWh £288 £165 £453 £4,883 10.8 yrs £4,169
4 kW 3668 kWh 1467 kWh 2201 kWh £383 £220 £604 £6,511 10.8 yrs £5,559
5 kW 4585 kWh 1834 kWh 2751 kWh £479 £275 £754 £8,139 10.8 yrs £6,949
6 kW 5503 kWh 2201 kWh 3302 kWh £575 £330 £905 £9,767 10.8 yrs £8,339
7 kW 6420 kWh 2568 kWh 3852 kWh £671 £385 £1,056 £11,394 10.8 yrs £9,729
8 kW 7337 kWh 2935 kWh 4402 kWh £767 £440 £1,207 £13,022 10.8 yrs £11,119

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: £902, Upfront: £10,239, Break-even: 11.3 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1834 kWh 1101 kWh 734 kWh £288 £73 £361 £5,356 14.8 yrs £1,863
3 kW 2751 kWh 1651 kWh 1101 kWh £431 £110 £541 £6,983 12.9 yrs £3,845
4 kW 3668 kWh 2201 kWh 1467 kWh £575 £147 £722 £8,611 11.9 yrs £5,826
5 kW 4585 kWh 2751 kWh 1834 kWh £719 £183 £902 £10,239 11.3 yrs £7,808
6 kW 5503 kWh 3302 kWh 2201 kWh £863 £220 £1,083 £11,867 11.0 yrs £9,789
7 kW 6420 kWh 3852 kWh 2568 kWh £1,006 £257 £1,263 £13,494 10.7 yrs £11,771
8 kW 7337 kWh 4402 kWh 2935 kWh £1,150 £293 £1,444 £15,122 10.5 yrs £13,752

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: £976, Upfront: £11,639, Break-even: 11.9 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1834 kWh 1284 kWh 550 kWh £335 £55 £391 £6,756 17.3 yrs £1,055
3 kW 2751 kWh 1926 kWh 825 kWh £503 £83 £586 £8,383 14.3 yrs £3,332
4 kW 3668 kWh 2568 kWh 1101 kWh £671 £110 £781 £10,011 12.8 yrs £5,610
5 kW 4585 kWh 3210 kWh 1376 kWh £839 £138 £976 £11,639 11.9 yrs £7,887
6 kW 5503 kWh 3852 kWh 1651 kWh £1,006 £165 £1,172 £13,267 11.3 yrs £10,164
7 kW 6420 kWh 4494 kWh 1926 kWh £1,174 £193 £1,367 £14,894 10.9 yrs £12,442
8 kW 7337 kWh 5136 kWh 2201 kWh £1,342 £220 £1,562 £16,522 10.6 yrs £14,719

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: £998, Upfront: £13,389, Break-even: 13.4 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1834 kWh 1339 kWh 495 kWh £350 £50 £399 £8,506 21.3 yrs £-518
3 kW 2751 kWh 2008 kWh 743 kWh £525 £74 £599 £10,133 16.9 yrs £1,848
4 kW 3668 kWh 2678 kWh 990 kWh £700 £99 £799 £11,761 14.7 yrs £4,215
5 kW 4585 kWh 3347 kWh 1238 kWh £875 £124 £998 £13,389 13.4 yrs £6,581
6 kW 5503 kWh 4017 kWh 1486 kWh £1,050 £149 £1,198 £15,017 12.5 yrs £8,947
7 kW 6420 kWh 4686 kWh 1733 kWh £1,225 £173 £1,398 £16,644 11.9 yrs £11,313
8 kW 7337 kWh 5356 kWh 1981 kWh £1,399 £198 £1,598 £18,272 11.4 yrs £13,679

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: £1,013, Upfront: £15,139, Break-even: 14.9 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1834 kWh 1376 kWh 459 kWh £359 £46 £405 £10,256 25.3 yrs £-2,149
3 kW 2751 kWh 2063 kWh 688 kWh £539 £69 £608 £11,883 19.5 yrs £276
4 kW 3668 kWh 2751 kWh 917 kWh £719 £92 £811 £13,511 16.7 yrs £2,701
5 kW 4585 kWh 3439 kWh 1146 kWh £899 £115 £1,013 £15,139 14.9 yrs £5,127
6 kW 5503 kWh 4127 kWh 1376 kWh £1,078 £138 £1,216 £16,767 13.8 yrs £7,552
7 kW 6420 kWh 4815 kWh 1605 kWh £1,258 £160 £1,419 £18,394 13.0 yrs £9,977
8 kW 7337 kWh 5503 kWh 1834 kWh £1,438 £183 £1,621 £20,022 12.3 yrs £12,403

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: £1,028, Upfront: £17,589, Break-even: 17.1 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1834 kWh 1412 kWh 422 kWh £369 £42 £411 £12,706 30.9 yrs £-4,481
3 kW 2751 kWh 2118 kWh 633 kWh £554 £63 £617 £14,333 23.2 yrs £-1,997
4 kW 3668 kWh 2825 kWh 844 kWh £738 £84 £822 £15,961 19.4 yrs £488
5 kW 4585 kWh 3531 kWh 1055 kWh £923 £105 £1,028 £17,589 17.1 yrs £2,972
6 kW 5503 kWh 4237 kWh 1266 kWh £1,107 £127 £1,234 £19,217 15.6 yrs £5,457
7 kW 6420 kWh 4943 kWh 1477 kWh £1,292 £148 £1,439 £20,844 14.5 yrs £7,941
8 kW 7337 kWh 5649 kWh 1687 kWh £1,476 £169 £1,645 £22,472 13.7 yrs £10,426

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 West Lancashire

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 L40

Figures below are tailored to L40 — click through for full league tables.

Big-Roof Britain Rank #439 of 2182
5.7 kWp (UK avg 5.1 kWp)
~12 panels (≈430 W)
Solar Payback Index Rank #1789 of 2996
10.8 years (UK avg 10.8 years)
~£905 /yr • £9,767 upfront
Standing-Charge Drag Rank #350 of 2996
19.2% (UK avg 26.6%) drag on savings
£174 fixed • ~£905 /yr value
Aspect Penalty View ranking →
East −19.6% West −20.9%
Typical output loss versus a south-facing roof (lower is better)

Seasonal solar output in L40

Monthly generation per kilowatt of solar panels

kWh 29 Jan 49 Feb 80 Mar 108 Apr 119 May 114 Jun 113 Jul 102 Aug 83 Sep 57 Oct 37 Nov 26 Dec
Best month Worst month Winter (Dec–Feb) Other months

Winter output: 45.5% 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 35 kWh per month; the average month produces around 76 kWh. So a typical 4 kW home system would generate roughly 139 kWh in winter, or 306 kWh in an average month.

Your Area at a Glance

Your Electricity Rate
26.13p/kWh
Daily Fixed Charge
47.61p/day
Local Sunshine
917kWh/kW
A 1 kW system generates ~917 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: 72% • Flats: 13% • Bungalows: 14% Based on 5,250 properties

Coverage

West Lancashire (91%)|Chorley (9%)

Areas Covered

Burscough Bridge & Rufford, Burscough Town, Ormskirk West, Rural West, Croston, Mawdesley & Euxton South, Rural South, Rural North East + 2 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 North West

L39 (West Lancashire)
≈4.3 km away
Local sunshine: ~919 kWh/kWp · +0% vs L40
WN8 (West Lancashire)
≈7.4 km away
Local sunshine: ~909 kWh/kWp · -1% vs L40
WN6 (Wigan)
≈12.5 km away
Local sunshine: ~885 kWh/kWp · -3% vs L40
WN5 (Wigan)
≈12.7 km away
Local sunshine: ~905 kWh/kWp · -1% vs L40
PR26 (South Ribble)
≈13.0 km away
Local sunshine: ~891 kWh/kWp · -3% vs L40
PR7 (Chorley)
≈14.4 km away
Local sunshine: ~862 kWh/kWp · -6% vs L40

Similar sunshine across the UK

BT24 (Newry, Mourne and Down)
~917 kWh/kWp · -0% vs L40
SR2 (Sunderland)
~917 kWh/kWp · +0% vs L40
TS3 (Middlesbrough)
~917 kWh/kWp · +0% vs L40