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Solar panel cost in Plymouth (PL6)

See realistic solar installation costs, savings and payback for PL6 (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
10.6 years
After this, it's pure profit
Upfront Cost
£7,307
What you pay to get started
Annual Benefit
£690
What you save every year
Profit Over 25 Years
£9,940
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 1042 kWh/kW — 28 above the regional median (1013).

Read the full story

A typical roof here lands around 4.0 kW, with most eligible homes comfortably fitting within 3–6 kW. Each kilowatt of panels produces roughly 1042 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)
1042 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: £862, Upfront: £9,134, Break-even: 10.6 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2084 kWh 833 kWh 1250 kWh £220 £125 £345 £3,654 10.6 yrs £3,245
3 kW 3125 kWh 1250 kWh 1875 kWh £330 £188 £517 £5,481 10.6 yrs £4,868
4 kW 4167 kWh 1667 kWh 2500 kWh £440 £250 £690 £7,307 10.6 yrs £6,491
5 kW 5209 kWh 2084 kWh 3125 kWh £550 £313 £862 £9,134 10.6 yrs £8,114
6 kW 6251 kWh 2500 kWh 3750 kWh £660 £375 £1,035 £10,961 10.6 yrs £9,736
7 kW 7292 kWh 2917 kWh 4375 kWh £770 £438 £1,207 £12,788 10.6 yrs £11,359
8 kW 8334 kWh 3334 kWh 5001 kWh £880 £500 £1,380 £14,615 10.6 yrs £12,982

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: £1,033, Upfront: £11,234, Break-even: 10.9 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2084 kWh 1250 kWh 833 kWh £330 £83 £413 £5,754 13.9 yrs £2,511
3 kW 3125 kWh 1875 kWh 1250 kWh £495 £125 £620 £7,581 12.2 yrs £4,817
4 kW 4167 kWh 2500 kWh 1667 kWh £660 £167 £827 £9,407 11.4 yrs £7,123
5 kW 5209 kWh 3125 kWh 2084 kWh £825 £208 £1,033 £11,234 10.9 yrs £9,428
6 kW 6251 kWh 3750 kWh 2500 kWh £990 £250 £1,240 £13,061 10.5 yrs £11,734
7 kW 7292 kWh 4375 kWh 2917 kWh £1,155 £292 £1,446 £14,888 10.3 yrs £14,040
8 kW 8334 kWh 5001 kWh 3334 kWh £1,320 £333 £1,653 £16,715 10.1 yrs £16,346

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: £1,119, Upfront: £12,634, 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 2084 kWh 1458 kWh 625 kWh £385 £63 £447 £7,154 16.0 yrs £1,794
3 kW 3125 kWh 2188 kWh 938 kWh £577 £94 £671 £8,981 13.4 yrs £4,442
4 kW 4167 kWh 2917 kWh 1250 kWh £770 £125 £895 £10,807 12.1 yrs £7,089
5 kW 5209 kWh 3646 kWh 1563 kWh £962 £156 £1,119 £12,634 11.3 yrs £9,736
6 kW 6251 kWh 4375 kWh 1875 kWh £1,155 £188 £1,342 £14,461 10.8 yrs £12,383
7 kW 7292 kWh 5105 kWh 2188 kWh £1,347 £219 £1,566 £16,288 10.4 yrs £15,030
8 kW 8334 kWh 5834 kWh 2500 kWh £1,540 £250 £1,790 £18,115 10.1 yrs £17,678

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: £1,144, Upfront: £14,384, 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 2084 kWh 1521 kWh 563 kWh £401 £56 £458 £8,904 19.5 yrs £249
3 kW 3125 kWh 2281 kWh 844 kWh £602 £84 £686 £10,731 15.6 yrs £2,999
4 kW 4167 kWh 3042 kWh 1125 kWh £803 £113 £915 £12,557 13.7 yrs £5,749
5 kW 5209 kWh 3802 kWh 1406 kWh £1,003 £141 £1,144 £14,384 12.6 yrs £8,498
6 kW 6251 kWh 4563 kWh 1688 kWh £1,204 £169 £1,373 £16,211 11.8 yrs £11,248
7 kW 7292 kWh 5323 kWh 1969 kWh £1,405 £197 £1,602 £18,038 11.3 yrs £13,997
8 kW 8334 kWh 6084 kWh 2250 kWh £1,606 £225 £1,831 £19,865 10.9 yrs £16,747

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: £1,161, Upfront: £16,134, Break-even: 13.9 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2084 kWh 1563 kWh 521 kWh £412 £52 £464 £10,654 22.9 yrs £-1,364
3 kW 3125 kWh 2344 kWh 781 kWh £619 £78 £697 £12,481 17.9 yrs £1,454
4 kW 4167 kWh 3125 kWh 1042 kWh £825 £104 £929 £14,307 15.4 yrs £4,272
5 kW 5209 kWh 3907 kWh 1302 kWh £1,031 £130 £1,161 £16,134 13.9 yrs £7,090
6 kW 6251 kWh 4688 kWh 1563 kWh £1,237 £156 £1,393 £17,961 12.9 yrs £9,908
7 kW 7292 kWh 5469 kWh 1823 kWh £1,443 £182 £1,626 £19,788 12.2 yrs £12,726
8 kW 8334 kWh 6251 kWh 2084 kWh £1,650 £208 £1,858 £21,615 11.6 yrs £15,543

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: £1,178, Upfront: £18,584, Break-even: 15.8 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2084 kWh 1604 kWh 479 kWh £423 £48 £471 £13,104 27.8 yrs £-3,678
3 kW 3125 kWh 2407 kWh 719 kWh £635 £72 £707 £14,931 21.1 yrs £-791
4 kW 4167 kWh 3209 kWh 958 kWh £847 £96 £943 £16,757 17.8 yrs £2,095
5 kW 5209 kWh 4011 kWh 1198 kWh £1,058 £120 £1,178 £18,584 15.8 yrs £4,981
6 kW 6251 kWh 4813 kWh 1438 kWh £1,270 £144 £1,414 £20,411 14.4 yrs £7,867
7 kW 7292 kWh 5615 kWh 1677 kWh £1,482 £168 £1,650 £22,238 13.5 yrs £10,754
8 kW 8334 kWh 6417 kWh 1917 kWh £1,694 £192 £1,885 £24,065 12.8 yrs £13,640

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 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 PL6

Figures below are tailored to PL6 — click through for full league tables.

Big-Roof Britain Rank #1339 of 2182
4.8 kWp (UK avg 5.1 kWp)
~10 panels (≈430 W)
Solar Payback Index Rank #1632 of 2996
10.6 years (UK avg 10.8 years)
~£690 /yr • £7,307 upfront
Standing-Charge Drag Rank #2192 of 2996
30.6% (UK avg 26.6%) drag on savings
£211 fixed • ~£690 /yr value
Aspect Penalty View ranking →
East −20.0% West −20.3%
Typical output loss versus a south-facing roof (lower is better)

Seasonal solar output in PL6

Monthly generation per kilowatt of solar panels

kWh 40 Jan 56 Feb 90 Mar 120 Apr 127 May 127 Jun 124 Jul 115 Aug 96 Sep 66 Oct 47 Nov 34 Dec
Best month Worst month Winter (Dec–Feb) Other months

Winter output: 50.3% 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 44 kWh per month; the average month produces around 87 kWh. So a typical 4 kW home system would generate roughly 175 kWh in winter, or 347 kWh in an average month.

Your Area at a Glance

Your Electricity Rate
26.39p/kWh
Daily Fixed Charge
57.89p/day
Local Sunshine
1042kWh/kW
A 1 kW system generates ~1042 kWh per year. A typical home uses ~2,700 kWh per year.
Typical System Size
4.0kW
For houses & bungalows in this area

Local Property Data

Property Types

Houses: 74% • Flats: 12% • Bungalows: 11% Based on 10,654 properties

Coverage

Plymouth (90%)|South Hams (10%)

Areas Covered

Moor View, Southway, Eggbuckland, Budshead, Honicknowle, Woolwell, Bickleigh & Cornwood, Buckland Monachorum + 1 more

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

PL3 (Plymouth)
≈3.5 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,075 kWh/kWp · +3% vs PL6
PL5 (Plymouth)
≈3.6 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,076 kWh/kWp · +3% vs PL6
PL2 (Plymouth)
≈4.7 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,076 kWh/kWp · +3% vs PL6
PL4 (Plymouth)
≈4.9 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,087 kWh/kWp · +4% vs PL6
PL7 (Plymouth)
≈5.8 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,081 kWh/kWp · +4% vs PL6
PL1 (Plymouth)
≈5.8 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,087 kWh/kWp · +4% vs PL6

Similar sunshine across the UK

SS11 (Basildon)
~1,042 kWh/kWp · +0% vs PL6
SS12 (Basildon)
~1,042 kWh/kWp · +0% vs PL6
IP1 (Ipswich)
~1,042 kWh/kWp · -0% vs PL6