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Solar panel cost in Gateshead (NE16)

See realistic solar installation costs, savings and payback for NE16 (Gateshead) 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
11.0 years
After this, it's pure profit
Upfront Cost
£8,139
What you pay to get started
Annual Benefit
£739
What you save every year
Profit Over 25 Years
£10,333
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 Northern, the current unit rate is 25.22p/kWh with a 64.29p/day standing charge. Your postcode’s south-facing sunshine yield is 919 kWh/kW — 7 below the regional median (926).

Read the full story

A typical roof here lands around 5.0 kW, with most eligible homes comfortably fitting within 3–6 kW. Each kilowatt of panels produces roughly 919 kWh per year on a south-facing roof. We value self-used electricity at 25.2p and exported surplus at a baseline 10p via SEG. Use the calculator above for your exact tariff.

Unit rate
25.2p/kWh
Standing charge
64.3p/day
Sunshine yield (south)
919 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: £739, Upfront: £8,139, Break-even: 11.0 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1837 kWh 735 kWh 1102 kWh £185 £110 £296 £3,256 11.0 yrs £2,656
3 kW 2756 kWh 1102 kWh 1653 kWh £278 £165 £443 £4,883 11.0 yrs £3,983
4 kW 3674 kWh 1470 kWh 2205 kWh £371 £220 £591 £6,511 11.0 yrs £5,311
5 kW 4593 kWh 1837 kWh 2756 kWh £463 £276 £739 £8,139 11.0 yrs £6,639
6 kW 5511 kWh 2205 kWh 3307 kWh £556 £331 £887 £9,767 11.0 yrs £7,967
7 kW 6430 kWh 2572 kWh 3858 kWh £649 £386 £1,034 £11,394 11.0 yrs £9,295
8 kW 7348 kWh 2939 kWh 4409 kWh £741 £441 £1,182 £13,022 11.0 yrs £10,622

Assumptions: south-facing, sensible tilt; self-use shares from site rules; export at 10p baseline. Costs: panels £/kW = 1,628, battery £/kWh = 700.

3 kWh battery 5 kW example → Annual benefit: £879, Upfront: £10,239, Break-even: 11.7 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1837 kWh 1102 kWh 735 kWh £278 £73 £351 £5,356 15.2 yrs £1,674
3 kW 2756 kWh 1653 kWh 1102 kWh £417 £110 £527 £6,983 13.2 yrs £3,561
4 kW 3674 kWh 2205 kWh 1470 kWh £556 £147 £703 £8,611 12.2 yrs £5,448
5 kW 4593 kWh 2756 kWh 1837 kWh £695 £184 £879 £10,239 11.7 yrs £7,335
6 kW 5511 kWh 3307 kWh 2205 kWh £834 £220 £1,054 £11,867 11.3 yrs £9,222
7 kW 6430 kWh 3858 kWh 2572 kWh £973 £257 £1,230 £13,494 11.0 yrs £11,109
8 kW 7348 kWh 4409 kWh 2939 kWh £1,112 £294 £1,406 £15,122 10.8 yrs £12,996

Assumptions: south-facing, sensible tilt; self-use shares from site rules; export at 10p baseline. Costs: panels £/kW = 1,628, battery £/kWh = 700.

5 kWh battery 5 kW example → Annual benefit: £949, Upfront: £11,639, Break-even: 12.3 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1837 kWh 1286 kWh 551 kWh £324 £55 £379 £6,756 17.8 yrs £833
3 kW 2756 kWh 1929 kWh 827 kWh £486 £83 £569 £8,383 14.7 yrs £3,000
4 kW 3674 kWh 2572 kWh 1102 kWh £649 £110 £759 £10,011 13.2 yrs £5,167
5 kW 4593 kWh 3215 kWh 1378 kWh £811 £138 £949 £11,639 12.3 yrs £7,333
6 kW 5511 kWh 3858 kWh 1653 kWh £973 £165 £1,138 £13,267 11.7 yrs £9,500
7 kW 6430 kWh 4501 kWh 1929 kWh £1,135 £193 £1,328 £14,894 11.2 yrs £11,666
8 kW 7348 kWh 5144 kWh 2205 kWh £1,297 £220 £1,518 £16,522 10.9 yrs £13,833

Assumptions: south-facing, sensible tilt; self-use shares from site rules; export at 10p baseline. Costs: panels £/kW = 1,628, battery £/kWh = 700.

7.5 kWh battery 5 kW example → Annual benefit: £970, Upfront: £13,389, 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 1837 kWh 1341 kWh 496 kWh £338 £50 £388 £8,506 21.9 yrs £-749
3 kW 2756 kWh 2012 kWh 744 kWh £507 £74 £582 £10,133 17.4 yrs £1,502
4 kW 3674 kWh 2682 kWh 992 kWh £676 £99 £776 £11,761 15.2 yrs £3,752
5 kW 4593 kWh 3353 kWh 1240 kWh £846 £124 £970 £13,389 13.8 yrs £6,003
6 kW 5511 kWh 4023 kWh 1488 kWh £1,015 £149 £1,163 £15,017 12.9 yrs £8,253
7 kW 6430 kWh 4694 kWh 1736 kWh £1,184 £174 £1,357 £16,644 12.3 yrs £10,504
8 kW 7348 kWh 5364 kWh 1984 kWh £1,353 £198 £1,551 £18,272 11.8 yrs £12,754

Assumptions: south-facing, sensible tilt; self-use shares from site rules; export at 10p baseline. Costs: panels £/kW = 1,628, battery £/kWh = 700.

10 kWh battery 5 kW example → Annual benefit: £984, Upfront: £15,139, Break-even: 15.4 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1837 kWh 1378 kWh 459 kWh £347 £46 £393 £10,256 26.1 yrs £-2,387
3 kW 2756 kWh 2067 kWh 689 kWh £521 £69 £590 £11,883 20.1 yrs £-81
4 kW 3674 kWh 2756 kWh 919 kWh £695 £92 £787 £13,511 17.2 yrs £2,226
5 kW 4593 kWh 3445 kWh 1148 kWh £869 £115 £984 £15,139 15.4 yrs £4,532
6 kW 5511 kWh 4134 kWh 1378 kWh £1,042 £138 £1,180 £16,767 14.2 yrs £6,839
7 kW 6430 kWh 4822 kWh 1607 kWh £1,216 £161 £1,377 £18,394 13.4 yrs £9,145
8 kW 7348 kWh 5511 kWh 1837 kWh £1,390 £184 £1,574 £20,022 12.7 yrs £11,451

Assumptions: south-facing, sensible tilt; self-use shares from site rules; export at 10p baseline. Costs: panels £/kW = 1,628, battery £/kWh = 700.

13.5 kWh battery 5 kW example → Annual benefit: £998, Upfront: £17,589, Break-even: 17.6 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1837 kWh 1415 kWh 423 kWh £357 £42 £399 £12,706 31.8 yrs £-4,725
3 kW 2756 kWh 2122 kWh 634 kWh £535 £63 £599 £14,333 23.9 yrs £-2,363
4 kW 3674 kWh 2829 kWh 845 kWh £714 £85 £798 £15,961 20.0 yrs £-1
5 kW 4593 kWh 3536 kWh 1056 kWh £892 £106 £998 £17,589 17.6 yrs £2,362
6 kW 5511 kWh 4244 kWh 1268 kWh £1,070 £127 £1,197 £19,217 16.1 yrs £4,724
7 kW 6430 kWh 4951 kWh 1479 kWh £1,249 £148 £1,397 £20,844 14.9 yrs £7,086
8 kW 7348 kWh 5658 kWh 1690 kWh £1,427 £169 £1,596 £22,472 14.1 yrs £9,449

Assumptions: south-facing, sensible tilt; self-use shares from site rules; export at 10p baseline. Costs: panels £/kW = 1,628, 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 Gateshead

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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Understand DNO, G98 and G99 export limits

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Insights for NE16

Figures below are tailored to NE16 — click through for full league tables.

Big-Roof Britain Rank #919 of 2182
5.1 kWp (UK avg 5.1 kWp)
~11 panels (≈430 W)
Solar Payback Index Rank #1995 of 2996
11.0 years (UK avg 10.8 years)
~£739 /yr • £8,139 upfront
Standing-Charge Drag Rank #2383 of 2996
31.8% (UK avg 26.6%) drag on savings
£235 fixed • ~£739 /yr value
Aspect Penalty View ranking →
East −22.4% West −21.9%
Typical output loss versus a south-facing roof (lower is better)

Seasonal solar output in NE16

Monthly generation per kilowatt of solar panels

kWh 33 Jan 50 Feb 82 Mar 105 Apr 118 May 109 Jun 112 Jul 103 Aug 84 Sep 57 Oct 39 Nov 27 Dec
Best month Worst month Winter (Dec–Feb) Other months

Winter output: 47.8% 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 37 kWh per month; the average month produces around 77 kWh. So a typical 4 kW home system would generate roughly 146 kWh in winter, or 306 kWh in an average month.

Your Area at a Glance

Your Electricity Rate
25.22p/kWh
Daily Fixed Charge
64.29p/day
Local Sunshine
919kWh/kW
A 1 kW system generates ~919 kWh per year. A typical home uses ~2,700 kWh per year.
Typical System Size
5.0kW
For houses & bungalows in this area

Local Property Data

Property Types

Houses: 70% • Flats: 16% • Bungalows: 14% Based on 5,043 properties

Coverage

Gateshead (81%)|County Durham (19%)

Areas Covered

Whickham North, Whickham South and Sunniside, Derwent & Pont Valley, Dunston Hill and Whickham East, Blaydon, Lamesley, Stanley, Annfield Plain & Tanfield

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 Northern

NE21 (Gateshead)
≈3.0 km away
Local sunshine: ~925 kWh/kWp · +1% vs NE16
NE11 (Gateshead)
≈3.4 km away
Local sunshine: ~919 kWh/kWp · +0% vs NE16
NE85 (Gateshead)
≈4.0 km away
Local sunshine: ~957 kWh/kWp · +4% vs NE16
NE82 (Gateshead)
≈4.5 km away
Local sunshine: ~920 kWh/kWp · +0% vs NE16
NE92 (Gateshead)
≈4.5 km away
Local sunshine: ~920 kWh/kWp · +0% vs NE16
DH98 (Gateshead)
≈4.5 km away
Local sunshine: ~920 kWh/kWp · +0% vs NE16

Similar sunshine across the UK

L36 (Knowsley)
~919 kWh/kWp · -0% vs NE16
LL19 (Denbighshire)
~918 kWh/kWp · -0% vs NE16
HD5 (Kirklees)
~918 kWh/kWp · -0% vs NE16