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Solar panel cost in Trafford (M31)

See realistic solar installation costs, savings and payback for M31 (Trafford) 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
£8,138
What you pay to get started
Annual Benefit
£619
What you save every year
Profit Over 25 Years
£7,344
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 North West, the current unit rate is 28.45p/kWh with a 52.22p/day standing charge. Your postcode’s south-facing sunshine yield is 891 kWh/kW — 21 above 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 891 kWh per year on a south-facing roof. We value self-used electricity at 28.4p and exported surplus at a baseline 10p via SEG. Use the calculator above for your exact tariff.

Unit rate
28.4p/kWh
Standing charge
52.2p/day
Sunshine yield (south)
891 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: £774, Upfront: £10,173, 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 1782 kWh 713 kWh 1069 kWh £203 £107 £310 £4,069 13.1 yrs £2,124
3 kW 2672 kWh 1069 kWh 1603 kWh £304 £160 £464 £6,104 13.1 yrs £3,186
4 kW 3563 kWh 1425 kWh 2138 kWh £406 £214 £619 £8,138 13.1 yrs £4,248
5 kW 4454 kWh 1782 kWh 2672 kWh £507 £267 £774 £10,173 13.1 yrs £5,310
6 kW 5345 kWh 2138 kWh 3207 kWh £608 £321 £929 £12,207 13.1 yrs £6,372
7 kW 6236 kWh 2494 kWh 3741 kWh £710 £374 £1,084 £14,242 13.1 yrs £7,434
8 kW 7127 kWh 2851 kWh 4276 kWh £811 £428 £1,239 £16,276 13.1 yrs £8,496

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: £938, Upfront: £12,273, 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 1782 kWh 1069 kWh 713 kWh £304 £71 £375 £6,169 16.4 yrs £1,339
3 kW 2672 kWh 1603 kWh 1069 kWh £456 £107 £563 £8,204 14.6 yrs £3,058
4 kW 3563 kWh 2138 kWh 1425 kWh £608 £143 £751 £10,238 13.6 yrs £4,778
5 kW 4454 kWh 2672 kWh 1782 kWh £760 £178 £938 £12,273 13.1 yrs £6,497
6 kW 5345 kWh 3207 kWh 2138 kWh £912 £214 £1,126 £14,307 12.7 yrs £8,216
7 kW 6236 kWh 3741 kWh 2494 kWh £1,064 £249 £1,314 £16,342 12.4 yrs £9,936
8 kW 7127 kWh 4276 kWh 2851 kWh £1,217 £285 £1,502 £18,376 12.2 yrs £11,655

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: £1,021, Upfront: £13,673, 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 1782 kWh 1247 kWh 534 kWh £355 £53 £408 £7,569 18.5 yrs £596
3 kW 2672 kWh 1871 kWh 802 kWh £532 £80 £612 £9,604 15.7 yrs £2,644
4 kW 3563 kWh 2494 kWh 1069 kWh £710 £107 £817 £11,638 14.3 yrs £4,692
5 kW 4454 kWh 3118 kWh 1336 kWh £887 £134 £1,021 £13,673 13.4 yrs £6,741
6 kW 5345 kWh 3741 kWh 1603 kWh £1,064 £160 £1,225 £15,707 12.8 yrs £8,789
7 kW 6236 kWh 4365 kWh 1871 kWh £1,242 £187 £1,429 £17,742 12.4 yrs £10,837
8 kW 7127 kWh 4989 kWh 2138 kWh £1,419 £214 £1,633 £19,776 12.1 yrs £12,885

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: £1,045, Upfront: £15,423, 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 1782 kWh 1301 kWh 481 kWh £370 £48 £418 £9,319 22.3 yrs £-957
3 kW 2672 kWh 1951 kWh 722 kWh £555 £72 £627 £11,354 18.1 yrs £1,190
4 kW 3563 kWh 2601 kWh 962 kWh £740 £96 £836 £13,388 16.0 yrs £3,337
5 kW 4454 kWh 3251 kWh 1203 kWh £925 £120 £1,045 £15,423 14.8 yrs £5,484
6 kW 5345 kWh 3902 kWh 1443 kWh £1,110 £144 £1,254 £17,457 13.9 yrs £7,630
7 kW 6236 kWh 4552 kWh 1684 kWh £1,295 £168 £1,463 £19,492 13.3 yrs £9,777
8 kW 7127 kWh 5202 kWh 1924 kWh £1,480 £192 £1,672 £21,526 12.9 yrs £11,924

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: £1,062, Upfront: £17,173, Break-even: 16.2 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1782 kWh 1336 kWh 445 kWh £380 £45 £425 £11,069 26.1 yrs £-2,575
3 kW 2672 kWh 2004 kWh 668 kWh £570 £67 £637 £13,104 20.6 yrs £-363
4 kW 3563 kWh 2672 kWh 891 kWh £760 £89 £849 £15,138 17.8 yrs £1,850
5 kW 4454 kWh 3341 kWh 1114 kWh £950 £111 £1,062 £17,173 16.2 yrs £4,062
6 kW 5345 kWh 4009 kWh 1336 kWh £1,140 £134 £1,274 £19,207 15.1 yrs £6,275
7 kW 6236 kWh 4677 kWh 1559 kWh £1,331 £156 £1,486 £21,242 14.3 yrs £8,487
8 kW 7127 kWh 5345 kWh 1782 kWh £1,521 £178 £1,699 £23,276 13.7 yrs £10,700

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: £1,078, Upfront: £19,623, Break-even: 18.2 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1782 kWh 1372 kWh 410 kWh £390 £41 £431 £13,519 31.3 yrs £-4,894
3 kW 2672 kWh 2058 kWh 615 kWh £585 £61 £647 £15,554 24.0 yrs £-2,615
4 kW 3563 kWh 2744 kWh 820 kWh £781 £82 £863 £17,588 20.4 yrs £-337
5 kW 4454 kWh 3430 kWh 1024 kWh £976 £102 £1,078 £19,623 18.2 yrs £1,941
6 kW 5345 kWh 4116 kWh 1229 kWh £1,171 £123 £1,294 £21,657 16.7 yrs £4,219
7 kW 6236 kWh 4802 kWh 1434 kWh £1,366 £143 £1,509 £23,692 15.7 yrs £6,498
8 kW 7127 kWh 5487 kWh 1639 kWh £1,561 £164 £1,725 £25,726 14.9 yrs £8,776

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 M31

Figures below are tailored to M31 — click through for full league tables.

Big-Roof Britain Rank #1487 of 2182
4.7 kWp (UK avg 5.1 kWp)
~10 panels (≈430 W)
Solar Payback Index Rank #2122 of 2997
13.1 years (UK avg 12.6 years)
~£619 /yr • £8,138 upfront
Standing-Charge Drag Rank #2420 of 2997
30.8% (UK avg 24.6%) drag on savings
£191 fixed • ~£619 /yr value
Aspect Penalty View ranking →
East −20.3% West −19.3%
Typical output loss versus a south-facing roof (lower is better)

Your Area at a Glance

Your Electricity Rate
28.45p/kWh
Daily Fixed Charge
52.22p/day
Local Sunshine
891kWh/kW
A 1 kW system generates ~891 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: 76% • Flats: 15% • Bungalows: 8% Based on 3,279 properties

Coverage

Trafford (100%)

Areas Covered

Bucklow-St Martins, Urmston, Davyhulme, Flixton, Lostock & Barton, Stretford & Humphrey Park

Data Sources & Assumptions

Solar yield: PVGIS (EU Joint Research Centre), January 2025 data

Electricity rates: Ofgem price cap, Q1 2026

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 North West

M41 (Trafford)
≈1.2 km away
Local sunshine: ~882 kWh/kWp · -1% vs M31
M44 (Salford)
≈3.6 km away
Local sunshine: ~894 kWh/kWp · +0% vs M31
M30 (Salford)
≈4.0 km away
Local sunshine: ~875 kWh/kWp · -2% vs M31
M33 (Trafford)
≈4.3 km away
Local sunshine: ~884 kWh/kWp · -1% vs M31
M17 (Trafford)
≈4.5 km away
Local sunshine: ~868 kWh/kWp · -3% vs M31
M32 (Trafford)
≈4.6 km away
Local sunshine: ~884 kWh/kWp · -1% vs M31

Similar sunshine across the UK

AB43 (Aberdeenshire)
~891 kWh/kWp · +0% vs M31
ST8 (Staffordshire Moorlands)
~891 kWh/kWp · -0% vs M31
BT8 (Lisburn and Castlereagh)
~891 kWh/kWp · +0% vs M31