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Solar panel cost in North Northamptonshire (NN18)

See realistic solar installation costs, savings and payback for NN18 (North 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
10.2 years
After this, it's pure profit
Upfront Cost
£8,139
What you pay to get started
Annual Benefit
£796
What you save every year
Profit Over 25 Years
£11,755
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 992 kWh/kW — 24 above the regional median (968).

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 992 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)
992 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: £796, Upfront: £8,139, Break-even: 10.2 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1984 kWh 794 kWh 1191 kWh £199 £119 £318 £3,256 10.2 yrs £3,110
3 kW 2977 kWh 1191 kWh 1786 kWh £299 £179 £477 £4,883 10.2 yrs £4,666
4 kW 3969 kWh 1588 kWh 2381 kWh £398 £238 £637 £6,511 10.2 yrs £6,221
5 kW 4961 kWh 1984 kWh 2977 kWh £498 £298 £796 £8,139 10.2 yrs £7,776
6 kW 5953 kWh 2381 kWh 3572 kWh £598 £357 £955 £9,767 10.2 yrs £9,331
7 kW 6945 kWh 2778 kWh 4167 kWh £697 £417 £1,114 £11,394 10.2 yrs £10,886
8 kW 7938 kWh 3175 kWh 4763 kWh £797 £476 £1,273 £13,022 10.2 yrs £12,441

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: £946, Upfront: £10,239, 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 1984 kWh 1191 kWh 794 kWh £299 £79 £378 £5,356 14.2 yrs £2,209
3 kW 2977 kWh 1786 kWh 1191 kWh £448 £119 £567 £6,983 12.3 yrs £4,363
4 kW 3969 kWh 2381 kWh 1588 kWh £598 £159 £756 £8,611 11.4 yrs £6,518
5 kW 4961 kWh 2977 kWh 1984 kWh £747 £198 £946 £10,239 10.8 yrs £8,672
6 kW 5953 kWh 3572 kWh 2381 kWh £897 £238 £1,135 £11,867 10.5 yrs £10,827
7 kW 6945 kWh 4167 kWh 2778 kWh £1,046 £278 £1,324 £13,494 10.2 yrs £12,981
8 kW 7938 kWh 4763 kWh 3175 kWh £1,195 £318 £1,513 £15,122 10.0 yrs £15,136

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: £1,020, Upfront: £11,639, 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 1984 kWh 1389 kWh 595 kWh £349 £60 £408 £6,756 16.6 yrs £1,408
3 kW 2977 kWh 2084 kWh 893 kWh £523 £89 £612 £8,383 13.7 yrs £3,862
4 kW 3969 kWh 2778 kWh 1191 kWh £697 £119 £816 £10,011 12.3 yrs £6,316
5 kW 4961 kWh 3473 kWh 1488 kWh £872 £149 £1,020 £11,639 11.4 yrs £8,771
6 kW 5953 kWh 4167 kWh 1786 kWh £1,046 £179 £1,225 £13,267 10.8 yrs £11,225
7 kW 6945 kWh 4862 kWh 2084 kWh £1,220 £208 £1,429 £14,894 10.4 yrs £13,679
8 kW 7938 kWh 5556 kWh 2381 kWh £1,395 £238 £1,633 £16,522 10.1 yrs £16,133

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: £1,043, Upfront: £13,389, 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 1984 kWh 1449 kWh 536 kWh £364 £54 £417 £8,506 20.4 yrs £-162
3 kW 2977 kWh 2173 kWh 804 kWh £545 £80 £626 £10,133 16.2 yrs £2,382
4 kW 3969 kWh 2897 kWh 1072 kWh £727 £107 £834 £11,761 14.1 yrs £4,926
5 kW 4961 kWh 3621 kWh 1339 kWh £909 £134 £1,043 £13,389 12.8 yrs £7,470
6 kW 5953 kWh 4346 kWh 1607 kWh £1,091 £161 £1,252 £15,017 12.0 yrs £10,014
7 kW 6945 kWh 5070 kWh 1875 kWh £1,273 £188 £1,460 £16,644 11.4 yrs £12,558
8 kW 7938 kWh 5794 kWh 2143 kWh £1,454 £214 £1,669 £18,272 10.9 yrs £15,102

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: £1,058, Upfront: £15,139, Break-even: 14.3 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1984 kWh 1488 kWh 496 kWh £374 £50 £423 £10,256 24.2 yrs £-1,792
3 kW 2977 kWh 2232 kWh 744 kWh £560 £74 £635 £11,883 18.7 yrs £812
4 kW 3969 kWh 2977 kWh 992 kWh £747 £99 £846 £13,511 16.0 yrs £3,416
5 kW 4961 kWh 3721 kWh 1240 kWh £934 £124 £1,058 £15,139 14.3 yrs £6,020
6 kW 5953 kWh 4465 kWh 1488 kWh £1,121 £149 £1,270 £16,767 13.2 yrs £8,624
7 kW 6945 kWh 5209 kWh 1736 kWh £1,307 £174 £1,481 £18,394 12.4 yrs £11,228
8 kW 7938 kWh 5953 kWh 1984 kWh £1,494 £198 £1,693 £20,022 11.8 yrs £13,831

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: £1,073, Upfront: £17,589, Break-even: 16.4 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1984 kWh 1528 kWh 456 kWh £384 £46 £429 £12,706 29.6 yrs £-4,122
3 kW 2977 kWh 2292 kWh 685 kWh £575 £68 £644 £14,333 22.3 yrs £-1,458
4 kW 3969 kWh 3056 kWh 913 kWh £767 £91 £858 £15,961 18.6 yrs £1,205
5 kW 4961 kWh 3820 kWh 1141 kWh £959 £114 £1,073 £17,589 16.4 yrs £3,869
6 kW 5953 kWh 4584 kWh 1369 kWh £1,151 £137 £1,287 £19,217 14.9 yrs £6,533
7 kW 6945 kWh 5348 kWh 1597 kWh £1,342 £160 £1,502 £20,844 13.9 yrs £9,197
8 kW 7938 kWh 6112 kWh 1826 kWh £1,534 £183 £1,717 £22,472 13.1 yrs £11,861

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 North 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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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 NN18

Figures below are tailored to NN18 — click through for full league tables.

Big-Roof Britain Rank #1181 of 2182
4.9 kWp (UK avg 5.1 kWp)
~10 panels (≈430 W)
Solar Payback Index Rank #1307 of 2996
10.2 years (UK avg 10.8 years)
~£796 /yr • £8,139 upfront
Standing-Charge Drag Rank #1343 of 2996
24.6% (UK avg 26.6%) drag on savings
£196 fixed • ~£796 /yr value
Aspect Penalty View ranking →
East −22.0% West −20.1%
Typical output loss versus a south-facing roof (lower is better)

Seasonal solar output in NN18

Monthly generation per kilowatt of solar panels

kWh 39 Jan 52 Feb 85 Mar 111 Apr 119 May 117 Jun 120 Jul 109 Aug 94 Sep 66 Oct 45 Nov 35 Dec
Best month Worst month Winter (Dec–Feb) Other months

Winter output: 50.7% 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 331 kWh in an average month.

Your Area at a Glance

Your Electricity Rate
25.10p/kWh
Daily Fixed Charge
53.60p/day
Local Sunshine
992kWh/kW
A 1 kW system generates ~992 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: 81% • Flats: 12% • Bungalows: 5% Based on 9,195 properties

Coverage

North Northamptonshire (100%)

Areas Covered

Kingswood, Oakley, Lloyds & Corby Village, Geddington & Stanion, Gretton & Weldon, Corby West

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

NN17 (North Northamptonshire)
≈2.9 km away
Local sunshine: ~995 kWh/kWp · +0% vs NN18
NN14 (North Northamptonshire)
≈7.3 km away
Local sunshine: ~997 kWh/kWp · +1% vs NN18
NN16 (North Northamptonshire)
≈8.8 km away
Local sunshine: ~995 kWh/kWp · +0% vs NN18
NN15 (North Northamptonshire)
≈10.2 km away
Local sunshine: ~997 kWh/kWp · +0% vs NN18
LE94 (Harborough)
≈12.8 km away
Local sunshine: ~990 kWh/kWp · -0% vs NN18
LE16 (Harborough)
≈13.1 km away
Local sunshine: ~990 kWh/kWp · -0% vs NN18

Similar sunshine across the UK

E17 (Waltham Forest)
~992 kWh/kWp · +0% vs NN18
BS10 (Bristol, City of)
~992 kWh/kWp · +0% vs NN18
GU19 (Surrey Heath)
~992 kWh/kWp · -0% vs NN18