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Solar panel cost in Rochdale (M24)

See realistic solar installation costs, savings and payback for M24 (Rochdale) 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
13.1 years
After this, it's pure profit
Upfront Cost
£7,307
What you pay to get started
Annual Benefit
£557
What you save every year
Profit Over 25 Years
£6,612
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 846 kWh/kW — 24 below the regional median (870).

Read the full story

A typical roof here lands around 4.0 kW, with most eligible homes comfortably fitting within 3–6 kW. Each kilowatt of panels produces roughly 846 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)
846 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: £696, Upfront: £9,134, Break-even: 13.1 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1692 kWh 677 kWh 1015 kWh £177 £102 £278 £3,654 13.1 yrs £1,914
3 kW 2538 kWh 1015 kWh 1523 kWh £265 £152 £418 £5,481 13.1 yrs £2,871
4 kW 3384 kWh 1354 kWh 2031 kWh £354 £203 £557 £7,307 13.1 yrs £3,828
5 kW 4230 kWh 1692 kWh 2538 kWh £442 £254 £696 £9,134 13.1 yrs £4,785
6 kW 5076 kWh 2031 kWh 3046 kWh £531 £305 £835 £10,961 13.1 yrs £5,742
7 kW 5922 kWh 2369 kWh 3553 kWh £619 £355 £974 £12,788 13.1 yrs £6,699
8 kW 6769 kWh 2707 kWh 4061 kWh £707 £406 £1,114 £14,615 13.1 yrs £7,657

Assumptions: south-facing, sensible tilt; self-use shares from site rules; export at 10p baseline. Costs: panels £/kW = 1,827, battery £/kWh = 700.

3 kWh battery 5 kW example → Annual benefit: £832, Upfront: £11,234, 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 1692 kWh 1015 kWh 677 kWh £265 £68 £333 £5,754 17.3 yrs £906
3 kW 2538 kWh 1523 kWh 1015 kWh £398 £102 £499 £7,581 15.2 yrs £2,409
4 kW 3384 kWh 2031 kWh 1354 kWh £531 £135 £666 £9,407 14.1 yrs £3,912
5 kW 4230 kWh 2538 kWh 1692 kWh £663 £169 £832 £11,234 13.5 yrs £5,415
6 kW 5076 kWh 3046 kWh 2031 kWh £796 £203 £999 £13,061 13.1 yrs £6,918
7 kW 5922 kWh 3553 kWh 2369 kWh £929 £237 £1,165 £14,888 12.8 yrs £8,421
8 kW 6769 kWh 4061 kWh 2707 kWh £1,061 £271 £1,332 £16,715 12.5 yrs £9,924

Assumptions: south-facing, sensible tilt; self-use shares from site rules; export at 10p baseline. Costs: panels £/kW = 1,827, battery £/kWh = 700.

5 kWh battery 5 kW example → Annual benefit: £901, Upfront: £12,634, Break-even: 14.0 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1692 kWh 1184 kWh 508 kWh £310 £51 £360 £7,154 19.9 yrs £52
3 kW 2538 kWh 1777 kWh 761 kWh £464 £76 £540 £8,981 16.6 yrs £1,828
4 kW 3384 kWh 2369 kWh 1015 kWh £619 £102 £721 £10,807 15.0 yrs £3,604
5 kW 4230 kWh 2961 kWh 1269 kWh £774 £127 £901 £12,634 14.0 yrs £5,379
6 kW 5076 kWh 3553 kWh 1523 kWh £929 £152 £1,081 £14,461 13.4 yrs £7,155
7 kW 5922 kWh 4146 kWh 1777 kWh £1,083 £178 £1,261 £16,288 12.9 yrs £8,931
8 kW 6769 kWh 4738 kWh 2031 kWh £1,238 £203 £1,441 £18,115 12.6 yrs £10,707

Assumptions: south-facing, sensible tilt; self-use shares from site rules; export at 10p baseline. Costs: panels £/kW = 1,827, battery £/kWh = 700.

7.5 kWh battery 5 kW example → Annual benefit: £921, Upfront: £14,384, Break-even: 15.6 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1692 kWh 1235 kWh 457 kWh £323 £46 £368 £8,904 24.2 yrs £-1,534
3 kW 2538 kWh 1853 kWh 685 kWh £484 £69 £553 £10,731 19.4 yrs £323
4 kW 3384 kWh 2471 kWh 914 kWh £646 £91 £737 £12,557 17.0 yrs £2,181
5 kW 4230 kWh 3088 kWh 1142 kWh £807 £114 £921 £14,384 15.6 yrs £4,039
6 kW 5076 kWh 3706 kWh 1371 kWh £968 £137 £1,105 £16,211 14.7 yrs £5,897
7 kW 5922 kWh 4323 kWh 1599 kWh £1,130 £160 £1,290 £18,038 14.0 yrs £7,754
8 kW 6769 kWh 4941 kWh 1828 kWh £1,291 £183 £1,474 £19,865 13.5 yrs £9,612

Assumptions: south-facing, sensible tilt; self-use shares from site rules; export at 10p baseline. Costs: panels £/kW = 1,827, battery £/kWh = 700.

10 kWh battery 5 kW example → Annual benefit: £935, Upfront: £16,134, Break-even: 17.3 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1692 kWh 1269 kWh 423 kWh £332 £42 £374 £10,654 28.5 yrs £-3,175
3 kW 2538 kWh 1904 kWh 635 kWh £497 £63 £561 £12,481 22.3 yrs £-1,263
4 kW 3384 kWh 2538 kWh 846 kWh £663 £85 £748 £14,307 19.1 yrs £649
5 kW 4230 kWh 3173 kWh 1058 kWh £829 £106 £935 £16,134 17.3 yrs £2,562
6 kW 5076 kWh 3807 kWh 1269 kWh £995 £127 £1,122 £17,961 16.0 yrs £4,474
7 kW 5922 kWh 4442 kWh 1481 kWh £1,161 £148 £1,309 £19,788 15.1 yrs £6,387
8 kW 6769 kWh 5076 kWh 1692 kWh £1,326 £169 £1,496 £21,615 14.5 yrs £8,299

Assumptions: south-facing, sensible tilt; self-use shares from site rules; export at 10p baseline. Costs: panels £/kW = 1,827, battery £/kWh = 700.

13.5 kWh battery 5 kW example → Annual benefit: £948, Upfront: £18,584, Break-even: 19.6 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1692 kWh 1303 kWh 389 kWh £340 £39 £379 £13,104 34.5 yrs £-5,516
3 kW 2538 kWh 1954 kWh 584 kWh £511 £58 £569 £14,931 26.2 yrs £-3,549
4 kW 3384 kWh 2606 kWh 778 kWh £681 £78 £759 £16,757 22.1 yrs £-1,582
5 kW 4230 kWh 3257 kWh 973 kWh £851 £97 £948 £18,584 19.6 yrs £385
6 kW 5076 kWh 3909 kWh 1168 kWh £1,021 £117 £1,138 £20,411 17.9 yrs £2,352
7 kW 5922 kWh 4560 kWh 1362 kWh £1,192 £136 £1,328 £22,238 16.7 yrs £4,319
8 kW 6769 kWh 5212 kWh 1557 kWh £1,362 £156 £1,518 £24,065 15.9 yrs £6,286

Assumptions: south-facing, sensible tilt; self-use shares from site rules; export at 10p baseline. Costs: panels £/kW = 1,827, 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 Rochdale

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 M24

Figures below are tailored to M24 — click through for full league tables.

Big-Roof Britain Rank #1772 of 2182
4.4 kWp (UK avg 5.1 kWp)
~9 panels (≈430 W)
Solar Payback Index Rank #2812 of 2996
13.1 years (UK avg 10.8 years)
~£557 /yr • £7,307 upfront
Standing-Charge Drag Rank #2270 of 2996
31.2% (UK avg 26.6%) drag on savings
£174 fixed • ~£557 /yr value
Aspect Penalty View ranking →
East −19.7% West −18.5%
Typical output loss versus a south-facing roof (lower is better)

Seasonal solar output in M24

Monthly generation per kilowatt of solar panels

kWh 25 Jan 43 Feb 75 Mar 101 Apr 109 May 106 Jun 104 Jul 93 Aug 77 Sep 53 Oct 35 Nov 25 Dec
Best month Worst month Winter (Dec–Feb) Other months

Winter output: 43.5% 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 31 kWh per month; the average month produces around 71 kWh. So a typical 4 kW home system would generate roughly 123 kWh in winter, or 282 kWh in an average month.

Your Area at a Glance

Your Electricity Rate
26.13p/kWh
Daily Fixed Charge
47.61p/day
Local Sunshine
846kWh/kW
A 1 kW system generates ~846 kWh per year. A typical home uses ~2,700 kWh per year.
Typical System Size
4.0kW
For houses & bungalows in this area

Local Property Data

Property Types

Houses: 74% • Flats: 19% • Bungalows: 6% Based on 13,676 properties

Coverage

Rochdale (96%)|Oldham (3%)|Bury (1%)

Areas Covered

South Middleton, North Middleton, West Middleton, East Middleton, Hopwood Hall, Chadderton South, Holyrood, Castleton + 3 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

M9 (Manchester)
≈3.4 km away
Local sunshine: ~856 kWh/kWp · +1% vs M24
OL9 (Oldham)
≈4.0 km away
Local sunshine: ~831 kWh/kWp · -2% vs M24
OL10 (Rochdale)
≈4.6 km away
Local sunshine: ~851 kWh/kWp · +1% vs M24
M8 (Manchester)
≈5.8 km away
Local sunshine: ~853 kWh/kWp · +1% vs M24
M25 (Bury)
≈5.8 km away
Local sunshine: ~862 kWh/kWp · +2% vs M24
M10 (Manchester)
≈5.8 km away
Local sunshine: ~848 kWh/kWp · +0% vs M24

Similar sunshine across the UK

PA81 (Na h-Eileanan Siar)
~846 kWh/kWp · -0% vs M24
BT49 (Causeway Coast and Glens)
~846 kWh/kWp · -0% vs M24
LL38 (Gwynedd)
~846 kWh/kWp · -0% vs M24