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Solar panel cost in West Northamptonshire (NN1)

See realistic solar installation costs, savings and payback for NN1 (West Northamptonshire) 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
11.5 years
After this, it's pure profit
Upfront Cost
£5,481
What you pay to get started
Annual Benefit
£476
What you save every year
Profit Over 25 Years
£6,431
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 East Midlands, the current unit rate is 25.10p/kWh with a 53.60p/day standing charge. Your postcode’s south-facing sunshine yield is 990 kWh/kW — 22 above the regional median (968).

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 990 kWh per year on a south-facing roof. We value self-used electricity at 25.1p and exported surplus at a baseline 10p via SEG. Use the calculator above for your exact tariff.

Unit rate
25.1p/kWh
Standing charge
53.6p/day
Sunshine yield (south)
990 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: £794, Upfront: £9,134, Break-even: 11.5 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1980 kWh 792 kWh 1188 kWh £199 £119 £318 £3,654 11.5 yrs £2,699
3 kW 2971 kWh 1188 kWh 1782 kWh £298 £178 £476 £5,481 11.5 yrs £4,049
4 kW 3961 kWh 1584 kWh 2376 kWh £398 £238 £635 £7,307 11.5 yrs £5,399
5 kW 4951 kWh 1980 kWh 2971 kWh £497 £297 £794 £9,134 11.5 yrs £6,748
6 kW 5941 kWh 2376 kWh 3565 kWh £596 £356 £953 £10,961 11.5 yrs £8,098
7 kW 6931 kWh 2773 kWh 4159 kWh £696 £416 £1,112 £12,788 11.5 yrs £9,448
8 kW 7921 kWh 3169 kWh 4753 kWh £795 £475 £1,271 £14,615 11.5 yrs £10,797

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: £944, Upfront: £11,234, Break-even: 11.9 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1980 kWh 1188 kWh 792 kWh £298 £79 £377 £5,754 15.2 yrs £1,795
3 kW 2971 kWh 1782 kWh 1188 kWh £447 £119 £566 £7,581 13.4 yrs £3,743
4 kW 3961 kWh 2376 kWh 1584 kWh £596 £158 £755 £9,407 12.5 yrs £5,691
5 kW 4951 kWh 2971 kWh 1980 kWh £746 £198 £944 £11,234 11.9 yrs £7,639
6 kW 5941 kWh 3565 kWh 2376 kWh £895 £238 £1,132 £13,061 11.5 yrs £9,586
7 kW 6931 kWh 4159 kWh 2773 kWh £1,044 £277 £1,321 £14,888 11.3 yrs £11,534
8 kW 7921 kWh 4753 kWh 3169 kWh £1,193 £317 £1,510 £16,715 11.1 yrs £13,482

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: £1,018, Upfront: £12,634, Break-even: 12.4 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1980 kWh 1386 kWh 594 kWh £348 £59 £407 £7,154 17.6 yrs £994
3 kW 2971 kWh 2079 kWh 891 kWh £522 £89 £611 £8,981 14.7 yrs £3,240
4 kW 3961 kWh 2773 kWh 1188 kWh £696 £119 £815 £10,807 13.3 yrs £5,487
5 kW 4951 kWh 3466 kWh 1485 kWh £870 £149 £1,018 £12,634 12.4 yrs £7,734
6 kW 5941 kWh 4159 kWh 1782 kWh £1,044 £178 £1,222 £14,461 11.8 yrs £9,981
7 kW 6931 kWh 4852 kWh 2079 kWh £1,218 £208 £1,426 £16,288 11.4 yrs £12,227
8 kW 7921 kWh 5545 kWh 2376 kWh £1,392 £238 £1,629 £18,115 11.1 yrs £14,474

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: £1,041, Upfront: £14,384, 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 1980 kWh 1446 kWh 535 kWh £363 £53 £416 £8,904 21.4 yrs £-577
3 kW 2971 kWh 2168 kWh 802 kWh £544 £80 £624 £10,731 17.2 yrs £1,759
4 kW 3961 kWh 2891 kWh 1069 kWh £726 £107 £833 £12,557 15.1 yrs £4,096
5 kW 4951 kWh 3614 kWh 1337 kWh £907 £134 £1,041 £14,384 13.8 yrs £6,432
6 kW 5941 kWh 4337 kWh 1604 kWh £1,089 £160 £1,249 £16,211 13.0 yrs £8,769
7 kW 6931 kWh 5060 kWh 1871 kWh £1,270 £187 £1,457 £18,038 12.4 yrs £11,105
8 kW 7921 kWh 5783 kWh 2139 kWh £1,451 £214 £1,665 £19,865 11.9 yrs £13,442

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: £1,056, Upfront: £16,134, 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 1980 kWh 1485 kWh 495 kWh £373 £50 £422 £10,654 25.2 yrs £-2,207
3 kW 2971 kWh 2228 kWh 743 kWh £559 £74 £633 £12,481 19.7 yrs £189
4 kW 3961 kWh 2971 kWh 990 kWh £746 £99 £845 £14,307 16.9 yrs £2,585
5 kW 4951 kWh 3713 kWh 1238 kWh £932 £124 £1,056 £16,134 15.3 yrs £4,981
6 kW 5941 kWh 4456 kWh 1485 kWh £1,118 £149 £1,267 £17,961 14.2 yrs £7,378
7 kW 6931 kWh 5198 kWh 1733 kWh £1,305 £173 £1,478 £19,788 13.4 yrs £9,774
8 kW 7921 kWh 5941 kWh 1980 kWh £1,491 £198 £1,689 £21,615 12.8 yrs £12,170

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: £1,071, Upfront: £18,584, Break-even: 17.4 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1980 kWh 1525 kWh 455 kWh £383 £46 £428 £13,104 30.6 yrs £-4,538
3 kW 2971 kWh 2287 kWh 683 kWh £574 £68 £642 £14,931 23.2 yrs £-2,082
4 kW 3961 kWh 3050 kWh 911 kWh £765 £91 £857 £16,757 19.6 yrs £374
5 kW 4951 kWh 3812 kWh 1139 kWh £957 £114 £1,071 £18,584 17.4 yrs £2,830
6 kW 5941 kWh 4575 kWh 1366 kWh £1,148 £137 £1,285 £20,411 15.9 yrs £5,287
7 kW 6931 kWh 5337 kWh 1594 kWh £1,340 £159 £1,499 £22,238 14.8 yrs £7,743
8 kW 7921 kWh 6100 kWh 1822 kWh £1,531 £182 £1,713 £24,065 14.0 yrs £10,199

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 West Northamptonshire

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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Share the first part of your postcode and a few basics. We’ll help you check whether system size, battery, export and paperwork assumptions look sensible before you commit to installer conversations.

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 NN1

Figures below are tailored to NN1 — click through for full league tables.

Big-Roof Britain Rank #2096 of 2182
3.9 kWp (UK avg 5.1 kWp)
~8 panels (≈430 W)
Solar Payback Index Rank #1411 of 2996
10.3 years (UK avg 10.8 years)
~£794 /yr • £8,139 upfront
Standing-Charge Drag Rank #1363 of 2996
24.7% (UK avg 26.6%) drag on savings
£196 fixed • ~£794 /yr value
Aspect Penalty View ranking →
East −21.9% West −20.1%
Typical output loss versus a south-facing roof (lower is better)

Seasonal solar output in NN1

Monthly generation per kilowatt of solar panels

kWh 39 Jan 53 Feb 85 Mar 110 Apr 118 May 117 Jun 120 Jul 109 Aug 92 Sep 66 Oct 46 Nov 34 Dec
Best month Worst month Winter (Dec–Feb) Other months

Winter output: 50.9% of an average month (Dec–Feb)

Best / worst month: Jul / Dec

These figures show output per kilowatt (kW) of panels installed. In winter, a 1 kW system here produces about 42 kWh per month; the average month produces around 83 kWh. So a typical 4 kW home system would generate roughly 168 kWh in winter, or 330 kWh in an average month.

Your Area at a Glance

Your Electricity Rate
25.10p/kWh
Daily Fixed Charge
53.60p/day
Local Sunshine
990kWh/kW
A 1 kW system generates ~990 kWh per year. A typical home uses ~2,700 kWh per year.
Typical System Size
3.0kW
For houses & bungalows 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: 42% • Flats: 54% • Bungalows: 1% Based on 13,196 properties

Coverage

West Northamptonshire (100%)

Areas Covered

Castle, Kingsley & Semilong, Abington & Phippsville, Dallington Spencer, Weston Favell & Abington Vale, Far Cotton, Delapre & Briar Hill, Headlands

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 East Midlands

NN99 (West Northamptonshire)
≈0.8 km away
Local sunshine: ~987 kWh/kWp · -0% vs NN1
NN2 (West Northamptonshire)
≈1.7 km away
Local sunshine: ~994 kWh/kWp · +0% vs NN1
NN7 (West Northamptonshire)
≈1.9 km away
Local sunshine: ~993 kWh/kWp · +0% vs NN1
NN4 (West Northamptonshire)
≈2.3 km away
Local sunshine: ~993 kWh/kWp · +0% vs NN1
NN5 (West Northamptonshire)
≈2.7 km away
Local sunshine: ~990 kWh/kWp · -0% vs NN1
NN3 (West Northamptonshire)
≈4.2 km away
Local sunshine: ~994 kWh/kWp · +0% vs NN1

Similar sunshine across the UK

N11 (Enfield)
~990 kWh/kWp · +0% vs NN1
RG42 (Bracknell Forest)
~990 kWh/kWp · -0% vs NN1
HA6 (Hillingdon)
~990 kWh/kWp · +0% vs NN1