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Solar panel cost in Sunderland (NE37)

See realistic solar installation costs, savings and payback for NE37 (Sunderland) 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
10.8 years
After this, it's pure profit
Upfront Cost
£8,139
What you pay to get started
Annual Benefit
£756
What you save every year
Profit Over 25 Years
£10,770
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 940 kWh/kW — 15 above 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 940 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)
940 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: £756, Upfront: £8,139, Break-even: 10.8 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1881 kWh 752 kWh 1128 kWh £190 £113 £303 £3,256 10.8 yrs £2,795
3 kW 2821 kWh 1128 kWh 1692 kWh £285 £169 £454 £4,883 10.8 yrs £4,193
4 kW 3761 kWh 1504 kWh 2257 kWh £379 £226 £605 £6,511 10.8 yrs £5,591
5 kW 4701 kWh 1881 kWh 2821 kWh £474 £282 £756 £8,139 10.8 yrs £6,988
6 kW 5642 kWh 2257 kWh 3385 kWh £569 £338 £908 £9,767 10.8 yrs £8,386
7 kW 6582 kWh 2633 kWh 3949 kWh £664 £395 £1,059 £11,394 10.8 yrs £9,784
8 kW 7522 kWh 3009 kWh 4513 kWh £759 £451 £1,210 £13,022 10.8 yrs £11,181

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: £899, Upfront: £10,239, Break-even: 11.4 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1881 kWh 1128 kWh 752 kWh £285 £75 £360 £5,356 14.9 yrs £1,840
3 kW 2821 kWh 1692 kWh 1128 kWh £427 £113 £540 £6,983 12.9 yrs £3,810
4 kW 3761 kWh 2257 kWh 1504 kWh £569 £150 £720 £8,611 12.0 yrs £5,780
5 kW 4701 kWh 2821 kWh 1881 kWh £711 £188 £899 £10,239 11.4 yrs £7,750
6 kW 5642 kWh 3385 kWh 2257 kWh £854 £226 £1,079 £11,867 11.0 yrs £9,721
7 kW 6582 kWh 3949 kWh 2633 kWh £996 £263 £1,259 £13,494 10.7 yrs £11,691
8 kW 7522 kWh 4513 kWh 3009 kWh £1,138 £301 £1,439 £15,122 10.5 yrs £13,661

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: £971, Upfront: £11,639, Break-even: 12.0 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1881 kWh 1316 kWh 564 kWh £332 £56 £388 £6,756 17.4 yrs £1,013
3 kW 2821 kWh 1975 kWh 846 kWh £498 £85 £583 £8,383 14.4 yrs £3,269
4 kW 3761 kWh 2633 kWh 1128 kWh £664 £113 £777 £10,011 12.9 yrs £5,525
5 kW 4701 kWh 3291 kWh 1410 kWh £830 £141 £971 £11,639 12.0 yrs £7,782
6 kW 5642 kWh 3949 kWh 1692 kWh £996 £169 £1,165 £13,267 11.4 yrs £10,038
7 kW 6582 kWh 4607 kWh 1975 kWh £1,162 £197 £1,359 £14,894 11.0 yrs £12,294
8 kW 7522 kWh 5266 kWh 2257 kWh £1,328 £226 £1,554 £16,522 10.6 yrs £14,550

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: £992, Upfront: £13,389, 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 1881 kWh 1373 kWh 508 kWh £346 £51 £397 £8,506 21.4 yrs £-566
3 kW 2821 kWh 2059 kWh 762 kWh £519 £76 £595 £10,133 17.0 yrs £1,777
4 kW 3761 kWh 2746 kWh 1015 kWh £692 £102 £794 £11,761 14.8 yrs £4,119
5 kW 4701 kWh 3432 kWh 1269 kWh £866 £127 £992 £13,389 13.5 yrs £6,461
6 kW 5642 kWh 4118 kWh 1523 kWh £1,039 £152 £1,191 £15,017 12.6 yrs £8,803
7 kW 6582 kWh 4805 kWh 1777 kWh £1,212 £178 £1,389 £16,644 12.0 yrs £11,145
8 kW 7522 kWh 5491 kWh 2031 kWh £1,385 £203 £1,588 £18,272 11.5 yrs £13,487

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: £1,007, Upfront: £15,139, Break-even: 15.0 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1881 kWh 1410 kWh 470 kWh £356 £47 £403 £10,256 25.5 yrs £-2,201
3 kW 2821 kWh 2116 kWh 705 kWh £534 £71 £604 £11,883 19.7 yrs £198
4 kW 3761 kWh 2821 kWh 940 kWh £711 £94 £805 £13,511 16.8 yrs £2,598
5 kW 4701 kWh 3526 kWh 1175 kWh £889 £118 £1,007 £15,139 15.0 yrs £4,997
6 kW 5642 kWh 4231 kWh 1410 kWh £1,067 £141 £1,208 £16,767 13.9 yrs £7,396
7 kW 6582 kWh 4936 kWh 1645 kWh £1,245 £165 £1,410 £18,394 13.1 yrs £9,796
8 kW 7522 kWh 5642 kWh 1881 kWh £1,423 £188 £1,611 £20,022 12.4 yrs £12,195

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: £1,021, Upfront: £17,589, Break-even: 17.2 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1881 kWh 1448 kWh 433 kWh £365 £43 £408 £12,706 31.1 yrs £-4,537
3 kW 2821 kWh 2172 kWh 649 kWh £548 £65 £613 £14,333 23.4 yrs £-2,080
4 kW 3761 kWh 2896 kWh 865 kWh £730 £87 £817 £15,961 19.5 yrs £377
5 kW 4701 kWh 3620 kWh 1081 kWh £913 £108 £1,021 £17,589 17.2 yrs £2,833
6 kW 5642 kWh 4344 kWh 1298 kWh £1,096 £130 £1,225 £19,217 15.7 yrs £5,290
7 kW 6582 kWh 5068 kWh 1514 kWh £1,278 £151 £1,430 £20,844 14.6 yrs £7,747
8 kW 7522 kWh 5792 kWh 1730 kWh £1,461 £173 £1,634 £22,472 13.8 yrs £10,203

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 Sunderland

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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Insights for NE37

Figures below are tailored to NE37 — click through for full league tables.

Big-Roof Britain Rank #1529 of 2182
4.7 kWp (UK avg 5.1 kWp)
~10 panels (≈430 W)
Solar Payback Index Rank #1801 of 2996
10.8 years (UK avg 10.8 years)
~£756 /yr • £8,139 upfront
Standing-Charge Drag Rank #2260 of 2996
31.1% (UK avg 26.6%) drag on savings
£235 fixed • ~£756 /yr value
Aspect Penalty View ranking →
East −22.6% West −21.8%
Typical output loss versus a south-facing roof (lower is better)

Seasonal solar output in NE37

Monthly generation per kilowatt of solar panels

kWh 34 Jan 50 Feb 82 Mar 108 Apr 120 May 113 Jun 115 Jul 105 Aug 87 Sep 59 Oct 39 Nov 28 Dec
Best month Worst month Winter (Dec–Feb) Other months

Winter output: 47.3% 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 78 kWh. So a typical 4 kW home system would generate roughly 148 kWh in winter, or 313 kWh in an average month.

Your Area at a Glance

Your Electricity Rate
25.22p/kWh
Daily Fixed Charge
64.29p/day
Local Sunshine
940kWh/kW
A 1 kW system generates ~940 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: 66% • Flats: 19% • Bungalows: 13% Based on 7,616 properties

Coverage

Sunderland (100%)

Areas Covered

Washington West, Washington North, Washington Central, Washington South, Washington East, Fellgate and Hedworth

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

NE89 (Sunderland)
≈1.3 km away
Local sunshine: ~940 kWh/kWp · -0% vs NE37
NE38 (Sunderland)
≈1.8 km away
Local sunshine: ~929 kWh/kWp · -1% vs NE37
NE10 (Gateshead)
≈4.4 km away
Local sunshine: ~925 kWh/kWp · -2% vs NE37
NE9 (Gateshead)
≈4.5 km away
Local sunshine: ~927 kWh/kWp · -1% vs NE37
DH98 (Gateshead)
≈5.9 km away
Local sunshine: ~920 kWh/kWp · -2% vs NE37
NE83 (Gateshead)
≈5.9 km away
Local sunshine: ~920 kWh/kWp · -2% vs NE37

Similar sunshine across the UK

CH7 (Flintshire)
~940 kWh/kWp · -0% vs NE37
LL36 (Gwynedd)
~940 kWh/kWp · +0% vs NE37
WF10 (Wakefield)
~940 kWh/kWp · -0% vs NE37