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Solar Panels in LE21 (Leicester)

See if solar pays off for you in Leicester — 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
13.2 years
After this, it's pure profit
Upfront Cost
£12,207
What you pay to get started
Annual Benefit
£927
What you save every year
Profit Over 25 Years
£10,958
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 East Midlands, the current unit rate is 25.55p/kWh with a 49.09p/day standing charge. Your postcode’s south-facing sunshine yield is 952 kWh/kW — 16 below the regional median (968).

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 952 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
49.1p/day
Sunshine yield (south)
952 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: £772, Upfront: £10,173, 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 1904 kWh 762 kWh 1143 kWh £195 £114 £309 £4,069 13.2 yrs £2,108
3 kW 2856 kWh 1143 kWh 1714 kWh £292 £171 £463 £6,104 13.2 yrs £3,163
4 kW 3809 kWh 1523 kWh 2285 kWh £389 £229 £618 £8,138 13.2 yrs £4,217
5 kW 4761 kWh 1904 kWh 2856 kWh £487 £286 £772 £10,173 13.2 yrs £5,271
6 kW 5713 kWh 2285 kWh 3428 kWh £584 £343 £927 £12,207 13.2 yrs £6,325
7 kW 6665 kWh 2666 kWh 3999 kWh £681 £400 £1,081 £14,242 13.2 yrs £7,379
8 kW 7617 kWh 3047 kWh 4570 kWh £778 £457 £1,235 £16,276 13.2 yrs £8,434

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: £920, Upfront: £12,273, 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 1904 kWh 1143 kWh 762 kWh £292 £76 £368 £6,169 16.8 yrs £1,193
3 kW 2856 kWh 1714 kWh 1143 kWh £438 £114 £552 £8,204 14.9 yrs £2,839
4 kW 3809 kWh 2285 kWh 1523 kWh £584 £152 £736 £10,238 13.9 yrs £4,486
5 kW 4761 kWh 2856 kWh 1904 kWh £730 £190 £920 £12,273 13.3 yrs £6,132
6 kW 5713 kWh 3428 kWh 2285 kWh £876 £229 £1,104 £14,307 13.0 yrs £7,779
7 kW 6665 kWh 3999 kWh 2666 kWh £1,022 £267 £1,288 £16,342 12.7 yrs £9,425
8 kW 7617 kWh 4570 kWh 3047 kWh £1,168 £305 £1,472 £18,376 12.5 yrs £11,071

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: £994, Upfront: £13,673, Break-even: 13.8 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1904 kWh 1333 kWh 571 kWh £341 £57 £398 £7,569 19.0 yrs £385
3 kW 2856 kWh 1999 kWh 857 kWh £511 £86 £597 £9,604 16.1 yrs £2,328
4 kW 3809 kWh 2666 kWh 1143 kWh £681 £114 £795 £11,638 14.6 yrs £4,270
5 kW 4761 kWh 3332 kWh 1428 kWh £851 £143 £994 £13,673 13.8 yrs £6,213
6 kW 5713 kWh 3999 kWh 1714 kWh £1,022 £171 £1,193 £15,707 13.2 yrs £8,155
7 kW 6665 kWh 4665 kWh 1999 kWh £1,192 £200 £1,392 £17,742 12.7 yrs £10,098
8 kW 7617 kWh 5332 kWh 2285 kWh £1,362 £229 £1,591 £19,776 12.4 yrs £12,040

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: £1,016, Upfront: £15,423, Break-even: 15.2 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1904 kWh 1390 kWh 514 kWh £355 £51 £407 £9,319 22.9 yrs £-1,187
3 kW 2856 kWh 2085 kWh 771 kWh £533 £77 £610 £11,354 18.6 yrs £844
4 kW 3809 kWh 2780 kWh 1028 kWh £710 £103 £813 £13,388 16.5 yrs £2,875
5 kW 4761 kWh 3475 kWh 1285 kWh £888 £129 £1,016 £15,423 15.2 yrs £4,907
6 kW 5713 kWh 4170 kWh 1542 kWh £1,066 £154 £1,220 £17,457 14.3 yrs £6,938
7 kW 6665 kWh 4865 kWh 1800 kWh £1,243 £180 £1,423 £19,492 13.7 yrs £8,970
8 kW 7617 kWh 5560 kWh 2057 kWh £1,421 £206 £1,626 £21,526 13.2 yrs £11,001

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: £1,031, Upfront: £17,173, Break-even: 16.7 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1904 kWh 1428 kWh 476 kWh £365 £48 £413 £11,069 26.8 yrs £-2,819
3 kW 2856 kWh 2142 kWh 714 kWh £547 £71 £619 £13,104 21.2 yrs £-728
4 kW 3809 kWh 2856 kWh 952 kWh £730 £95 £825 £15,138 18.3 yrs £1,362
5 kW 4761 kWh 3570 kWh 1190 kWh £912 £119 £1,031 £17,173 16.7 yrs £3,453
6 kW 5713 kWh 4285 kWh 1428 kWh £1,095 £143 £1,238 £19,207 15.5 yrs £5,544
7 kW 6665 kWh 4999 kWh 1666 kWh £1,277 £167 £1,444 £21,242 14.7 yrs £7,634
8 kW 7617 kWh 5713 kWh 1904 kWh £1,460 £190 £1,650 £23,276 14.1 yrs £9,725

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: £1,046, Upfront: £19,623, Break-even: 18.8 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1904 kWh 1466 kWh 438 kWh £375 £44 £418 £13,519 32.3 yrs £-5,150
3 kW 2856 kWh 2199 kWh 657 kWh £562 £66 £628 £15,554 24.8 yrs £-3,001
4 kW 3809 kWh 2933 kWh 876 kWh £749 £88 £837 £17,588 21.0 yrs £-851
5 kW 4761 kWh 3666 kWh 1095 kWh £937 £109 £1,046 £19,623 18.8 yrs £1,299
6 kW 5713 kWh 4399 kWh 1314 kWh £1,124 £131 £1,255 £21,657 17.3 yrs £3,449
7 kW 6665 kWh 5132 kWh 1533 kWh £1,311 £153 £1,465 £23,692 16.2 yrs £5,599
8 kW 7617 kWh 5865 kWh 1752 kWh £1,499 £175 £1,674 £25,726 15.4 yrs £7,749

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 LE21

Figures below are tailored to LE21 — click through for full league tables.

Solar Payback Index Rank #1777 of 2997
11.5 years (UK avg 11.3 years)
~£1,060 /yr • £12,207 upfront
Standing-Charge Drag Rank #698 of 2997
16.9% (UK avg 21.7%) drag on savings
£179 fixed • ~£1,060 /yr value

Your Area at a Glance

Your Electricity Rate
25.55p/kWh
Daily Fixed Charge
49.09p/day
Local Sunshine
952kWh/kW
A 1 kW system generates ~952 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

No EPC data available for this outcode

Coverage

Leicester (93%)|Blaby (7%)

Areas Covered

Castle, Thorpe Astley & St Mary's

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 East Midlands

LE1 (Leicester)
≈0.4 km away
Local sunshine: ~952 kWh/kWp · +0% vs LE21
LE87 (Leicester)
≈0.6 km away
Local sunshine: ~966 kWh/kWp · +1% vs LE21
LE5 (Leicester)
≈2.0 km away
Local sunshine: ~959 kWh/kWp · +1% vs LE21
LE2 (Leicester)
≈2.4 km away
Local sunshine: ~952 kWh/kWp · +0% vs LE21
LE41 (Leicester)
≈2.4 km away
Local sunshine: ~954 kWh/kWp · +0% vs LE21
LE4 (Leicester)
≈3.1 km away
Local sunshine: ~952 kWh/kWp · +0% vs LE21

Similar sunshine across the UK

HU14 (East Riding of Yorkshire)
~952 kWh/kWp · -0% vs LE21
DG8 (Dumfries and Galloway)
~952 kWh/kWp · -0% vs LE21
B46 (North Warwickshire)
~952 kWh/kWp · -0% vs LE21