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Solar panel cost in Oldham (OL3)

See realistic solar installation costs, savings and payback for OL3 (Oldham) 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
12.1 years
After this, it's pure profit
Upfront Cost
£9,767
What you pay to get started
Annual Benefit
£804
What you save every year
Profit Over 25 Years
£10,341
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 North West, the current unit rate is 26.13p/kWh with a 47.61p/day standing charge. Your postcode’s south-facing sunshine yield is 815 kWh/kW — 55 below the regional median (870).

Read the full story

A typical roof here lands around 6.0 kW, with most eligible homes comfortably fitting within 3–6 kW. Each kilowatt of panels produces roughly 815 kWh per year on a south-facing roof. We value self-used electricity at 26.1p and exported surplus at a baseline 10p via SEG. Use the calculator above for your exact tariff.

Unit rate
26.1p/kWh
Standing charge
47.6p/day
Sunshine yield (south)
815 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: £670, Upfront: £8,139, Break-even: 12.1 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1630 kWh 652 kWh 978 kWh £170 £98 £268 £3,256 12.1 yrs £2,106
3 kW 2444 kWh 978 kWh 1467 kWh £255 £147 £402 £4,883 12.1 yrs £3,160
4 kW 3259 kWh 1304 kWh 1955 kWh £341 £196 £536 £6,511 12.1 yrs £4,213
5 kW 4074 kWh 1630 kWh 2444 kWh £426 £244 £670 £8,139 12.1 yrs £5,266
6 kW 4889 kWh 1955 kWh 2933 kWh £511 £293 £804 £9,767 12.1 yrs £6,319
7 kW 5703 kWh 2281 kWh 3422 kWh £596 £342 £938 £11,394 12.1 yrs £7,372
8 kW 6518 kWh 2607 kWh 3911 kWh £681 £391 £1,072 £13,022 12.1 yrs £8,426

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: £802, Upfront: £10,239, 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 1630 kWh 978 kWh 652 kWh £255 £65 £321 £5,356 16.7 yrs £1,058
3 kW 2444 kWh 1467 kWh 978 kWh £383 £98 £481 £6,983 14.5 yrs £2,637
4 kW 3259 kWh 1955 kWh 1304 kWh £511 £130 £641 £8,611 13.4 yrs £4,216
5 kW 4074 kWh 2444 kWh 1630 kWh £639 £163 £802 £10,239 12.8 yrs £5,794
6 kW 4889 kWh 2933 kWh 1955 kWh £766 £196 £962 £11,867 12.3 yrs £7,373
7 kW 5703 kWh 3422 kWh 2281 kWh £894 £228 £1,122 £13,494 12.0 yrs £8,952
8 kW 6518 kWh 3911 kWh 2607 kWh £1,022 £261 £1,283 £15,122 11.8 yrs £10,531

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: £867, Upfront: £11,639, Break-even: 13.4 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1630 kWh 1141 kWh 489 kWh £298 £49 £347 £6,756 19.5 yrs £183
3 kW 2444 kWh 1711 kWh 733 kWh £447 £73 £520 £8,383 16.1 yrs £2,025
4 kW 3259 kWh 2281 kWh 978 kWh £596 £98 £694 £10,011 14.4 yrs £3,867
5 kW 4074 kWh 2852 kWh 1222 kWh £745 £122 £867 £11,639 13.4 yrs £5,709
6 kW 4889 kWh 3422 kWh 1467 kWh £894 £147 £1,041 £13,267 12.7 yrs £7,550
7 kW 5703 kWh 3992 kWh 1711 kWh £1,043 £171 £1,214 £14,894 12.3 yrs £9,392
8 kW 6518 kWh 4563 kWh 1955 kWh £1,192 £196 £1,388 £16,522 11.9 yrs £11,234

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: £887, Upfront: £13,389, Break-even: 15.1 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1630 kWh 1190 kWh 440 kWh £311 £44 £355 £8,506 24.0 yrs £-1,409
3 kW 2444 kWh 1784 kWh 660 kWh £466 £66 £532 £10,133 19.0 yrs £512
4 kW 3259 kWh 2379 kWh 880 kWh £622 £88 £710 £11,761 16.6 yrs £2,432
5 kW 4074 kWh 2974 kWh 1100 kWh £777 £110 £887 £13,389 15.1 yrs £4,353
6 kW 4889 kWh 3569 kWh 1320 kWh £933 £132 £1,065 £15,017 14.1 yrs £6,274
7 kW 5703 kWh 4164 kWh 1540 kWh £1,088 £154 £1,242 £16,644 13.4 yrs £8,194
8 kW 6518 kWh 4758 kWh 1760 kWh £1,243 £176 £1,419 £18,272 12.9 yrs £10,115

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: £900, Upfront: £15,139, Break-even: 16.8 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1630 kWh 1222 kWh 407 kWh £319 £41 £360 £10,256 28.5 yrs £-3,054
3 kW 2444 kWh 1833 kWh 611 kWh £479 £61 £540 £11,883 22.0 yrs £-1,081
4 kW 3259 kWh 2444 kWh 815 kWh £639 £81 £720 £13,511 18.8 yrs £893
5 kW 4074 kWh 3055 kWh 1018 kWh £798 £102 £900 £15,139 16.8 yrs £2,866
6 kW 4889 kWh 3667 kWh 1222 kWh £958 £122 £1,080 £16,767 15.5 yrs £4,839
7 kW 5703 kWh 4278 kWh 1426 kWh £1,118 £143 £1,260 £18,394 14.6 yrs £6,812
8 kW 6518 kWh 4889 kWh 1630 kWh £1,277 £163 £1,440 £20,022 13.9 yrs £8,785

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: £913, Upfront: £17,589, Break-even: 19.3 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1630 kWh 1255 kWh 375 kWh £328 £37 £365 £12,706 34.8 yrs £-5,399
3 kW 2444 kWh 1882 kWh 562 kWh £492 £56 £548 £14,333 26.2 yrs £-3,373
4 kW 3259 kWh 2510 kWh 750 kWh £656 £75 £731 £15,961 21.8 yrs £-1,347
5 kW 4074 kWh 3137 kWh 937 kWh £820 £94 £913 £17,589 19.3 yrs £679
6 kW 4889 kWh 3764 kWh 1124 kWh £984 £112 £1,096 £19,217 17.5 yrs £2,704
7 kW 5703 kWh 4392 kWh 1312 kWh £1,148 £131 £1,279 £20,844 16.3 yrs £4,730
8 kW 6518 kWh 5019 kWh 1499 kWh £1,311 £150 £1,461 £22,472 15.4 yrs £6,756

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 Oldham

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 OL3

Figures below are tailored to OL3 — click through for full league tables.

Big-Roof Britain Rank #653 of 2182
5.4 kWp (UK avg 5.1 kWp)
~11 panels (≈430 W)
Solar Payback Index Rank #2576 of 2996
12.1 years (UK avg 10.8 years)
~£805 /yr • £9,767 upfront
Standing-Charge Drag Rank #812 of 2996
21.6% (UK avg 26.6%) drag on savings
£174 fixed • ~£805 /yr value
Aspect Penalty View ranking →
East −17.6% West −18.3%
Typical output loss versus a south-facing roof (lower is better)

Seasonal solar output in OL3

Monthly generation per kilowatt of solar panels

kWh 22 Jan 39 Feb 71 Mar 99 Apr 107 May 105 Jun 103 Jul 91 Aug 75 Sep 50 Oct 32 Nov 21 Dec
Best month Worst month Winter (Dec–Feb) Other months

Winter output: 39.9% 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 27 kWh per month; the average month produces around 68 kWh. So a typical 4 kW home system would generate roughly 108 kWh in winter, or 272 kWh in an average month.

Your Area at a Glance

Your Electricity Rate
26.13p/kWh
Daily Fixed Charge
47.61p/day
Local Sunshine
815kWh/kW
A 1 kW system generates ~815 kWh per year. A typical home uses ~2,700 kWh per year.
Typical System Size
6.0kW
For houses & bungalows in this area

Local Property Data

Property Types

Houses: 74% • Flats: 17% • Bungalows: 7% Based on 3,335 properties

Coverage

Oldham (100%)

Areas Covered

Saddleworth South, Saddleworth North, Failsworth East, Royton North

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 North West

OL5 (Tameside)
≈4.2 km away
Local sunshine: ~803 kWh/kWp · -1% vs OL3
OL4 (Oldham)
≈4.5 km away
Local sunshine: ~837 kWh/kWp · +3% vs OL3
OL1 (Oldham)
≈6.2 km away
Local sunshine: ~829 kWh/kWp · +2% vs OL3
OL95 (Oldham)
≈6.3 km away
Local sunshine: ~830 kWh/kWp · +2% vs OL3
OL2 (Oldham)
≈7.0 km away
Local sunshine: ~832 kWh/kWp · +2% vs OL3
OL8 (Oldham)
≈7.6 km away
Local sunshine: ~837 kWh/kWp · +3% vs OL3

Similar sunshine across the UK

IV10 (Highland)
~815 kWh/kWp · +0% vs OL3
KW1 (Highland)
~815 kWh/kWp · +0% vs OL3
KA4 (East Ayrshire)
~814 kWh/kWp · -0% vs OL3