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Solar panel cost in Plymouth (PL2)

See realistic solar installation costs, savings and payback for PL2 (Plymouth) 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
9.1 years
After this, it's pure profit
Upfront Cost
£8,139
What you pay to get started
Annual Benefit
£890
What you save every year
Profit Over 25 Years
£14,120
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 Southern Western, the current unit rate is 26.39p/kWh with a 57.89p/day standing charge. Your postcode’s south-facing sunshine yield is 1076 kWh/kW — 62 above the regional median (1013).

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 1076 kWh per year on a south-facing roof. We value self-used electricity at 26.4p and exported surplus at a baseline 10p via SEG. Use the calculator above for your exact tariff.

Unit rate
26.4p/kWh
Standing charge
57.9p/day
Sunshine yield (south)
1076 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: £890, Upfront: £8,139, Break-even: 9.1 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2151 kWh 860 kWh 1291 kWh £227 £129 £356 £3,256 9.1 yrs £3,867
3 kW 3227 kWh 1291 kWh 1936 kWh £341 £194 £534 £4,883 9.1 yrs £5,801
4 kW 4302 kWh 1721 kWh 2581 kWh £454 £258 £712 £6,511 9.1 yrs £7,735
5 kW 5378 kWh 2151 kWh 3227 kWh £568 £323 £890 £8,139 9.1 yrs £9,668
6 kW 6453 kWh 2581 kWh 3872 kWh £681 £387 £1,068 £9,767 9.1 yrs £11,602
7 kW 7529 kWh 3012 kWh 4517 kWh £795 £452 £1,246 £11,394 9.1 yrs £13,535
8 kW 8604 kWh 3442 kWh 5163 kWh £908 £516 £1,425 £13,022 9.1 yrs £15,469

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: £1,067, Upfront: £10,239, Break-even: 9.6 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2151 kWh 1291 kWh 860 kWh £341 £86 £427 £5,356 12.6 yrs £3,178
3 kW 3227 kWh 1936 kWh 1291 kWh £511 £129 £640 £6,983 10.9 yrs £5,816
4 kW 4302 kWh 2581 kWh 1721 kWh £681 £172 £853 £8,611 10.1 yrs £8,455
5 kW 5378 kWh 3227 kWh 2151 kWh £852 £215 £1,067 £10,239 9.6 yrs £11,094
6 kW 6453 kWh 3872 kWh 2581 kWh £1,022 £258 £1,280 £11,867 9.3 yrs £13,733
7 kW 7529 kWh 4517 kWh 3012 kWh £1,192 £301 £1,493 £13,494 9.0 yrs £16,371
8 kW 8604 kWh 5163 kWh 3442 kWh £1,362 £344 £1,707 £15,122 8.9 yrs £19,010

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: £1,155, Upfront: £11,639, Break-even: 10.1 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2151 kWh 1506 kWh 645 kWh £397 £65 £462 £6,756 14.6 yrs £2,483
3 kW 3227 kWh 2259 kWh 968 kWh £596 £97 £693 £8,383 12.1 yrs £5,474
4 kW 4302 kWh 3012 kWh 1291 kWh £795 £129 £924 £10,011 10.8 yrs £8,465
5 kW 5378 kWh 3764 kWh 1613 kWh £993 £161 £1,155 £11,639 10.1 yrs £11,457
6 kW 6453 kWh 4517 kWh 1936 kWh £1,192 £194 £1,386 £13,267 9.6 yrs £14,448
7 kW 7529 kWh 5270 kWh 2259 kWh £1,391 £226 £1,617 £14,894 9.2 yrs £17,439
8 kW 8604 kWh 6023 kWh 2581 kWh £1,590 £258 £1,848 £16,522 8.9 yrs £20,431

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: £1,181, Upfront: £13,389, Break-even: 11.3 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2151 kWh 1570 kWh 581 kWh £414 £58 £472 £8,506 18.0 yrs £944
3 kW 3227 kWh 2355 kWh 871 kWh £622 £87 £709 £10,133 14.3 yrs £4,041
4 kW 4302 kWh 3141 kWh 1162 kWh £829 £116 £945 £11,761 12.4 yrs £7,138
5 kW 5378 kWh 3926 kWh 1452 kWh £1,036 £145 £1,181 £13,389 11.3 yrs £10,236
6 kW 6453 kWh 4711 kWh 1742 kWh £1,243 £174 £1,417 £15,017 10.6 yrs £13,333
7 kW 7529 kWh 5496 kWh 2033 kWh £1,450 £203 £1,654 £16,644 10.1 yrs £16,430
8 kW 8604 kWh 6281 kWh 2323 kWh £1,658 £232 £1,890 £18,272 9.7 yrs £19,527

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: £1,199, Upfront: £15,139, Break-even: 12.6 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2151 kWh 1613 kWh 538 kWh £426 £54 £480 £10,256 21.4 yrs £-665
3 kW 3227 kWh 2420 kWh 807 kWh £639 £81 £719 £11,883 16.5 yrs £2,503
4 kW 4302 kWh 3227 kWh 1076 kWh £852 £108 £959 £13,511 14.1 yrs £5,670
5 kW 5378 kWh 4033 kWh 1344 kWh £1,064 £134 £1,199 £15,139 12.6 yrs £8,838
6 kW 6453 kWh 4840 kWh 1613 kWh £1,277 £161 £1,439 £16,767 11.7 yrs £12,006
7 kW 7529 kWh 5647 kWh 1882 kWh £1,490 £188 £1,678 £18,394 11.0 yrs £15,173
8 kW 8604 kWh 6453 kWh 2151 kWh £1,703 £215 £1,918 £20,022 10.4 yrs £18,341

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: £1,216, Upfront: £17,589, Break-even: 14.5 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2151 kWh 1656 kWh 495 kWh £437 £49 £487 £12,706 26.1 yrs £-2,974
3 kW 3227 kWh 2485 kWh 742 kWh £656 £74 £730 £14,333 19.6 yrs £264
4 kW 4302 kWh 3313 kWh 990 kWh £874 £99 £973 £15,961 16.4 yrs £3,503
5 kW 5378 kWh 4141 kWh 1237 kWh £1,093 £124 £1,216 £17,589 14.5 yrs £6,741
6 kW 6453 kWh 4969 kWh 1484 kWh £1,311 £148 £1,460 £19,217 13.2 yrs £9,979
7 kW 7529 kWh 5797 kWh 1732 kWh £1,530 £173 £1,703 £20,844 12.2 yrs £13,217
8 kW 8604 kWh 6625 kWh 1979 kWh £1,748 £198 £1,946 £22,472 11.5 yrs £16,455

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 Plymouth

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 PL2

Figures below are tailored to PL2 — click through for full league tables.

Big-Roof Britain Rank #1739 of 2182
4.5 kWp (UK avg 5.1 kWp)
~9 panels (≈430 W)
Solar Payback Index Rank #137 of 2996
9.1 years (UK avg 10.8 years)
~£891 /yr • £8,139 upfront
Standing-Charge Drag Rank #1140 of 2996
23.7% (UK avg 26.6%) drag on savings
£211 fixed • ~£891 /yr value
Aspect Penalty View ranking →
East −20.1% West −21.2%
Typical output loss versus a south-facing roof (lower is better)

Seasonal solar output in PL2

Monthly generation per kilowatt of solar panels

kWh 40 Jan 57 Feb 92 Mar 123 Apr 132 May 132 Jun 130 Jul 120 Aug 99 Sep 68 Oct 47 Nov 35 Dec
Best month Worst month Winter (Dec–Feb) Other months

Winter output: 49.0% 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 44 kWh per month; the average month produces around 90 kWh. So a typical 4 kW home system would generate roughly 176 kWh in winter, or 359 kWh in an average month.

Your Area at a Glance

Your Electricity Rate
26.39p/kWh
Daily Fixed Charge
57.89p/day
Local Sunshine
1076kWh/kW
A 1 kW system generates ~1076 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: 64% • Flats: 32% • Bungalows: 3% Based on 9,844 properties

Coverage

Plymouth (100%)

Areas Covered

Ham, Devonport, Stoke, Plymstock Radford, Peverell

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 Southern Western

PL1 (Plymouth)
≈2.4 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,087 kWh/kWp · +1% vs PL2
PL5 (Plymouth)
≈2.5 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,076 kWh/kWp · +0% vs PL2
PL3 (Plymouth)
≈2.7 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,075 kWh/kWp · -0% vs PL2
PL4 (Plymouth)
≈2.8 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,087 kWh/kWp · +1% vs PL2
PL11 (Cornwall)
≈4.3 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,075 kWh/kWp · -0% vs PL2
PL6 (Plymouth)
≈4.7 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,042 kWh/kWp · -3% vs PL2

Similar sunshine across the UK

SO31 (Fareham)
~1,076 kWh/kWp · +0% vs PL2
BH10 (Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole)
~1,075 kWh/kWp · -0% vs PL2
TN18 (Tunbridge Wells)
~1,076 kWh/kWp · +0% vs PL2