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Solar panel cost in Bury (M26)

See realistic solar installation costs, savings and payback for M26 (Bury) 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
12.8 years
After this, it's pure profit
Upfront Cost
£7,307
What you pay to get started
Annual Benefit
£570
What you save every year
Profit Over 25 Years
£6,931
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 865 kWh/kW — 5 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 865 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)
865 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: £712, Upfront: £9,134, Break-even: 12.8 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1731 kWh 692 kWh 1039 kWh £181 £104 £285 £3,654 12.8 yrs £2,042
3 kW 2596 kWh 1039 kWh 1558 kWh £271 £156 £427 £5,481 12.8 yrs £3,063
4 kW 3462 kWh 1385 kWh 2077 kWh £362 £208 £570 £7,307 12.8 yrs £4,083
5 kW 4327 kWh 1731 kWh 2596 kWh £452 £260 £712 £9,134 12.8 yrs £5,104
6 kW 5193 kWh 2077 kWh 3116 kWh £543 £312 £854 £10,961 12.8 yrs £6,125
7 kW 6058 kWh 2423 kWh 3635 kWh £633 £363 £997 £12,788 12.8 yrs £7,146
8 kW 6924 kWh 2769 kWh 4154 kWh £724 £415 £1,139 £14,615 12.8 yrs £8,167

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: £852, Upfront: £11,234, 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 1731 kWh 1039 kWh 692 kWh £271 £69 £341 £5,754 16.9 yrs £1,058
3 kW 2596 kWh 1558 kWh 1039 kWh £407 £104 £511 £7,581 14.8 yrs £2,638
4 kW 3462 kWh 2077 kWh 1385 kWh £543 £138 £681 £9,407 13.8 yrs £4,217
5 kW 4327 kWh 2596 kWh 1731 kWh £678 £173 £852 £11,234 13.2 yrs £5,796
6 kW 5193 kWh 3116 kWh 2077 kWh £814 £208 £1,022 £13,061 12.8 yrs £7,375
7 kW 6058 kWh 3635 kWh 2423 kWh £950 £242 £1,192 £14,888 12.5 yrs £8,955
8 kW 6924 kWh 4154 kWh 2769 kWh £1,085 £277 £1,362 £16,715 12.3 yrs £10,534

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: £921, Upfront: £12,634, Break-even: 13.7 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1731 kWh 1212 kWh 519 kWh £317 £52 £369 £7,154 19.4 yrs £217
3 kW 2596 kWh 1817 kWh 779 kWh £475 £78 £553 £8,981 16.2 yrs £2,075
4 kW 3462 kWh 2423 kWh 1039 kWh £633 £104 £737 £10,807 14.7 yrs £3,934
5 kW 4327 kWh 3029 kWh 1298 kWh £791 £130 £921 £12,634 13.7 yrs £5,792
6 kW 5193 kWh 3635 kWh 1558 kWh £950 £156 £1,106 £14,461 13.1 yrs £7,651
7 kW 6058 kWh 4241 kWh 1817 kWh £1,108 £182 £1,290 £16,288 12.6 yrs £9,509
8 kW 6924 kWh 4847 kWh 2077 kWh £1,266 £208 £1,474 £18,115 12.3 yrs £11,367

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: £942, Upfront: £14,384, Break-even: 15.3 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1731 kWh 1264 kWh 467 kWh £330 £47 £377 £8,904 23.6 yrs £-1,366
3 kW 2596 kWh 1895 kWh 701 kWh £495 £70 £565 £10,731 19.0 yrs £577
4 kW 3462 kWh 2527 kWh 935 kWh £660 £93 £754 £12,557 16.7 yrs £2,519
5 kW 4327 kWh 3159 kWh 1168 kWh £825 £117 £942 £14,384 15.3 yrs £4,461
6 kW 5193 kWh 3791 kWh 1402 kWh £991 £140 £1,131 £16,211 14.3 yrs £6,403
7 kW 6058 kWh 4422 kWh 1636 kWh £1,156 £164 £1,319 £18,038 13.7 yrs £8,345
8 kW 6924 kWh 5054 kWh 1869 kWh £1,321 £187 £1,508 £19,865 13.2 yrs £10,287

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: £956, Upfront: £16,134, Break-even: 16.9 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1731 kWh 1298 kWh 433 kWh £339 £43 £382 £10,654 27.9 yrs £-3,004
3 kW 2596 kWh 1947 kWh 649 kWh £509 £65 £574 £12,481 21.8 yrs £-1,006
4 kW 3462 kWh 2596 kWh 865 kWh £678 £87 £765 £14,307 18.7 yrs £992
5 kW 4327 kWh 3245 kWh 1082 kWh £848 £108 £956 £16,134 16.9 yrs £2,990
6 kW 5193 kWh 3895 kWh 1298 kWh £1,018 £130 £1,147 £17,961 15.7 yrs £4,988
7 kW 6058 kWh 4544 kWh 1515 kWh £1,187 £151 £1,339 £19,788 14.8 yrs £6,986
8 kW 6924 kWh 5193 kWh 1731 kWh £1,357 £173 £1,530 £21,615 14.1 yrs £8,984

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: £970, Upfront: £18,584, Break-even: 19.2 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1731 kWh 1333 kWh 398 kWh £348 £40 £388 £13,104 33.8 yrs £-5,342
3 kW 2596 kWh 1999 kWh 597 kWh £522 £60 £582 £14,931 25.6 yrs £-3,288
4 kW 3462 kWh 2666 kWh 796 kWh £697 £80 £776 £16,757 21.6 yrs £-1,235
5 kW 4327 kWh 3332 kWh 995 kWh £871 £100 £970 £18,584 19.2 yrs £819
6 kW 5193 kWh 3998 kWh 1194 kWh £1,045 £119 £1,164 £20,411 17.5 yrs £2,873
7 kW 6058 kWh 4665 kWh 1393 kWh £1,219 £139 £1,358 £22,238 16.4 yrs £4,927
8 kW 6924 kWh 5331 kWh 1592 kWh £1,393 £159 £1,552 £24,065 15.5 yrs £6,981

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 Bury

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 M26

Figures below are tailored to M26 — click through for full league tables.

Big-Roof Britain Rank #1793 of 2182
4.4 kWp (UK avg 5.1 kWp)
~9 panels (≈430 W)
Solar Payback Index Rank #2771 of 2996
12.8 years (UK avg 10.8 years)
~£569 /yr • £7,307 upfront
Standing-Charge Drag Rank #2191 of 2996
30.6% (UK avg 26.6%) drag on savings
£174 fixed • ~£569 /yr value
Aspect Penalty View ranking →
East −19.3% West −19.2%
Typical output loss versus a south-facing roof (lower is better)

Seasonal solar output in M26

Monthly generation per kilowatt of solar panels

kWh 26 Jan 43 Feb 76 Mar 103 Apr 112 May 108 Jun 107 Jul 96 Aug 79 Sep 54 Oct 36 Nov 25 Dec
Best month Worst month Winter (Dec–Feb) Other months

Winter output: 43.8% 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 32 kWh per month; the average month produces around 72 kWh. So a typical 4 kW home system would generate roughly 126 kWh in winter, or 288 kWh in an average month.

Your Area at a Glance

Your Electricity Rate
26.13p/kWh
Daily Fixed Charge
47.61p/day
Local Sunshine
865kWh/kW
A 1 kW system generates ~865 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: 70% • Flats: 20% • Bungalows: 9% Based on 9,695 properties

Coverage

Bury (91%)|Bolton (9%)

Areas Covered

Radcliffe East, Radcliffe West, Radcliffe North & Ainsworth, Kearsley, Bury West, Pilkington Park, Little Lever & Darcy Lever, Besses + 1 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

M45 (Bury)
≈3.6 km away
Local sunshine: ~862 kWh/kWp · -0% vs M26
BL8 (Bury)
≈3.8 km away
Local sunshine: ~866 kWh/kWp · +0% vs M26
BL9 (Bury)
≈4.3 km away
Local sunshine: ~861 kWh/kWp · -1% vs M26
M25 (Bury)
≈4.8 km away
Local sunshine: ~862 kWh/kWp · -0% vs M26
BL78 (Bolton)
≈4.8 km away
Local sunshine: ~871 kWh/kWp · +1% vs M26
BL4 (Bolton)
≈4.9 km away
Local sunshine: ~881 kWh/kWp · +2% vs M26

Similar sunshine across the UK

KA1 (East Ayrshire)
~866 kWh/kWp · +0% vs M26
BT41 (Antrim and Newtownabbey)
~866 kWh/kWp · +0% vs M26
KA21 (North Ayrshire)
~866 kWh/kWp · +0% vs M26