Solar explained to clever people by people who are not trying to be clever
Home Regions
Insights
Big Roof Britain Solar Payback Index Standing Charge Drag

Solar Panels in N5 (Islington)

See if solar pays off for you in Islington — 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
12.7 years
After this, it's pure profit
Upfront Cost
£6,104
What you pay to get started
Annual Benefit
£482
What you save every year
Profit Over 25 Years
£5,945
After paying itself off, you're this much ahead

Ready to Get Started?

Get your free quote from Blue Ape Renewables. They'll connect you with MCS-certified installers in your area and handle all the paperwork.

Get Solar Quote →
4.8★ Trustpilot • Octopus Energy trusted partner • MCS certified • No obligation
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 London, the current unit rate is 25.63p/kWh with a 46.06p/day standing charge. Your postcode’s south-facing sunshine yield is 988 kWh/kW — 2 below the regional median (991).

Read the full story

A typical roof here lands around 3.0 kW, with most eligible homes comfortably fitting within 3–6 kW. Each kilowatt of panels produces roughly 988 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
46.1p/day
Sunshine yield (south)
988 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: £803, Upfront: £10,173, Break-even: 12.7 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1977 kWh 791 kWh 1186 kWh £203 £119 £321 £4,069 12.7 yrs £2,357
3 kW 2965 kWh 1186 kWh 1779 kWh £304 £178 £482 £6,104 12.7 yrs £3,535
4 kW 3954 kWh 1582 kWh 2372 kWh £405 £237 £643 £8,138 12.7 yrs £4,713
5 kW 4942 kWh 1977 kWh 2965 kWh £507 £297 £803 £10,173 12.7 yrs £5,892
6 kW 5931 kWh 2372 kWh 3558 kWh £608 £356 £964 £12,207 12.7 yrs £7,070
7 kW 6919 kWh 2768 kWh 4151 kWh £709 £415 £1,124 £14,242 12.7 yrs £8,248
8 kW 7908 kWh 3163 kWh 4745 kWh £811 £474 £1,285 £16,276 12.7 yrs £9,427

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: £958, Upfront: £12,273, 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 1977 kWh 1186 kWh 791 kWh £304 £79 £383 £6,169 16.1 yrs £1,493
3 kW 2965 kWh 1779 kWh 1186 kWh £456 £119 £575 £8,204 14.3 yrs £3,289
4 kW 3954 kWh 2372 kWh 1582 kWh £608 £158 £766 £10,238 13.4 yrs £5,085
5 kW 4942 kWh 2965 kWh 1977 kWh £760 £198 £958 £12,273 12.8 yrs £6,881
6 kW 5931 kWh 3558 kWh 2372 kWh £912 £237 £1,149 £14,307 12.4 yrs £8,678
7 kW 6919 kWh 4151 kWh 2768 kWh £1,064 £277 £1,341 £16,342 12.2 yrs £10,474
8 kW 7908 kWh 4745 kWh 3163 kWh £1,216 £316 £1,532 £18,376 12.0 yrs £12,270

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: £1,035, Upfront: £13,673, 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 1977 kWh 1384 kWh 593 kWh £355 £59 £414 £7,569 18.3 yrs £711
3 kW 2965 kWh 2076 kWh 890 kWh £532 £89 £621 £9,604 15.5 yrs £2,816
4 kW 3954 kWh 2768 kWh 1186 kWh £709 £119 £828 £11,638 14.1 yrs £4,921
5 kW 4942 kWh 3460 kWh 1483 kWh £887 £148 £1,035 £13,673 13.2 yrs £7,026
6 kW 5931 kWh 4151 kWh 1779 kWh £1,064 £178 £1,242 £15,707 12.6 yrs £9,132
7 kW 6919 kWh 4843 kWh 2076 kWh £1,241 £208 £1,449 £17,742 12.2 yrs £11,237
8 kW 7908 kWh 5535 kWh 2372 kWh £1,419 £237 £1,656 £19,776 11.9 yrs £13,342

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: £1,058, Upfront: £15,423, Break-even: 14.6 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1977 kWh 1443 kWh 534 kWh £370 £53 £423 £9,319 22.0 yrs £-854
3 kW 2965 kWh 2165 kWh 801 kWh £555 £80 £635 £11,354 17.9 yrs £1,344
4 kW 3954 kWh 2886 kWh 1068 kWh £740 £107 £846 £13,388 15.8 yrs £3,542
5 kW 4942 kWh 3608 kWh 1334 kWh £925 £133 £1,058 £15,423 14.6 yrs £5,740
6 kW 5931 kWh 4329 kWh 1601 kWh £1,110 £160 £1,270 £17,457 13.7 yrs £7,938
7 kW 6919 kWh 5051 kWh 1868 kWh £1,295 £187 £1,481 £19,492 13.2 yrs £10,136
8 kW 7908 kWh 5772 kWh 2135 kWh £1,479 £214 £1,693 £21,526 12.7 yrs £12,334

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: £1,074, Upfront: £17,173, Break-even: 16.0 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1977 kWh 1483 kWh 494 kWh £380 £49 £429 £11,069 25.8 yrs £-2,480
3 kW 2965 kWh 2224 kWh 741 kWh £570 £74 £644 £13,104 20.3 yrs £-221
4 kW 3954 kWh 2965 kWh 988 kWh £760 £99 £859 £15,138 17.6 yrs £2,039
5 kW 4942 kWh 3707 kWh 1236 kWh £950 £124 £1,074 £17,173 16.0 yrs £4,299
6 kW 5931 kWh 4448 kWh 1483 kWh £1,140 £148 £1,288 £19,207 14.9 yrs £6,559
7 kW 6919 kWh 5189 kWh 1730 kWh £1,330 £173 £1,503 £21,242 14.1 yrs £8,818
8 kW 7908 kWh 5931 kWh 1977 kWh £1,520 £198 £1,718 £23,276 13.6 yrs £11,078

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: £1,089, Upfront: £19,623, Break-even: 18.0 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1977 kWh 1522 kWh 455 kWh £390 £45 £436 £13,519 31.0 yrs £-4,807
3 kW 2965 kWh 2283 kWh 682 kWh £585 £68 £653 £15,554 23.8 yrs £-2,485
4 kW 3954 kWh 3044 kWh 909 kWh £780 £91 £871 £17,588 20.2 yrs £-164
5 kW 4942 kWh 3805 kWh 1137 kWh £975 £114 £1,089 £19,623 18.0 yrs £2,158
6 kW 5931 kWh 4567 kWh 1364 kWh £1,170 £136 £1,307 £21,657 16.6 yrs £4,479
7 kW 6919 kWh 5328 kWh 1591 kWh £1,365 £159 £1,525 £23,692 15.5 yrs £6,801
8 kW 7908 kWh 6089 kWh 1819 kWh £1,561 £182 £1,742 £25,726 14.8 yrs £9,123

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 N5

Figures below are tailored to N5 — click through for full league tables.

Big-Roof Britain Rank #2140 of 2182
3.7 kWp (UK avg 5.1 kWp)
~8 panels (≈430 W)
Solar Payback Index Rank #1432 of 2997
11.1 years (UK avg 11.3 years)
~£1,103 /yr • £12,207 upfront
Standing-Charge Drag Rank #362 of 2997
15.2% (UK avg 21.7%) drag on savings
£168 fixed • ~£1,103 /yr value

Your Area at a Glance

Your Electricity Rate
25.63p/kWh
Daily Fixed Charge
46.06p/day
Local Sunshine
988kWh/kW
A 1 kW system generates ~988 kWh per year. A typical home uses ~2,700 kWh per year.
Typical System Size
3.0kW
For eligible homes in this area

⚠️ This area is predominantly flats. Many residents require freeholder approval for solar installations. System size shown reflects houses and bungalows only.

Local Property Data

Property Types

Houses: 13% • Flats: 78% • Bungalows: 0% Based on 7,518 properties

Coverage

Islington (99%)|Hackney (1%)

Areas Covered

Highbury, Arsenal, Mildmay, Laycock, Brownswood, Clissold

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 London

N7 (Islington)
≈1.4 km away
Local sunshine: ~988 kWh/kWp · -0% vs N5
N1P (Islington)
≈1.7 km away
Local sunshine: ~988 kWh/kWp · -0% vs N5
N1 (Islington)
≈1.7 km away
Local sunshine: ~988 kWh/kWp · -0% vs N5
N16 (Hackney)
≈2.1 km away
Local sunshine: ~990 kWh/kWp · +0% vs N5
N19 (Islington)
≈2.3 km away
Local sunshine: ~989 kWh/kWp · +0% vs N5
N1C (Camden)
≈2.6 km away
Local sunshine: ~988 kWh/kWp · -0% vs N5

Similar sunshine across the UK

LL53 (Gwynedd)
~988 kWh/kWp · +0% vs N5
DN41 (North East Lincolnshire)
~988 kWh/kWp · +0% vs N5
GL55 (Cotswold)
~988 kWh/kWp · +0% vs N5