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Solar panel cost in South Hams (PL8)

See realistic solar installation costs, savings and payback for PL8 (South Hams) 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
£9,767
What you pay to get started
Annual Benefit
£1,073
What you save every year
Profit Over 25 Years
£17,067
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 1081 kWh/kW — 67 above the regional median (1013).

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 1081 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)
1081 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: £894, 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 2161 kWh 864 kWh 1297 kWh £228 £130 £358 £3,256 9.1 yrs £3,900
3 kW 3242 kWh 1297 kWh 1945 kWh £342 £194 £537 £4,883 9.1 yrs £5,850
4 kW 4322 kWh 1729 kWh 2593 kWh £456 £259 £716 £6,511 9.1 yrs £7,800
5 kW 5403 kWh 2161 kWh 3242 kWh £570 £324 £894 £8,139 9.1 yrs £9,750
6 kW 6483 kWh 2593 kWh 3890 kWh £684 £389 £1,073 £9,767 9.1 yrs £11,700
7 kW 7564 kWh 3025 kWh 4538 kWh £798 £454 £1,252 £11,394 9.1 yrs £13,650
8 kW 8644 kWh 3458 kWh 5186 kWh £912 £519 £1,431 £13,022 9.1 yrs £15,600

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: £1,072, 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 2161 kWh 1297 kWh 864 kWh £342 £86 £429 £5,356 12.5 yrs £3,217
3 kW 3242 kWh 1945 kWh 1297 kWh £513 £130 £643 £6,983 10.9 yrs £5,875
4 kW 4322 kWh 2593 kWh 1729 kWh £684 £173 £857 £8,611 10.0 yrs £8,534
5 kW 5403 kWh 3242 kWh 2161 kWh £855 £216 £1,072 £10,239 9.6 yrs £11,192
6 kW 6483 kWh 3890 kWh 2593 kWh £1,027 £259 £1,286 £11,867 9.2 yrs £13,850
7 kW 7564 kWh 4538 kWh 3025 kWh £1,198 £303 £1,500 £13,494 9.0 yrs £16,509
8 kW 8644 kWh 5186 kWh 3458 kWh £1,369 £346 £1,714 £15,122 8.8 yrs £19,167

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: £1,160, Upfront: £11,639, Break-even: 10.0 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2161 kWh 1513 kWh 648 kWh £399 £65 £464 £6,756 14.6 yrs £2,525
3 kW 3242 kWh 2269 kWh 972 kWh £599 £97 £696 £8,383 12.0 yrs £5,538
4 kW 4322 kWh 3025 kWh 1297 kWh £798 £130 £928 £10,011 10.8 yrs £8,550
5 kW 5403 kWh 3782 kWh 1621 kWh £998 £162 £1,160 £11,639 10.0 yrs £11,563
6 kW 6483 kWh 4538 kWh 1945 kWh £1,198 £194 £1,392 £13,267 9.5 yrs £14,576
7 kW 7564 kWh 5294 kWh 2269 kWh £1,397 £227 £1,624 £14,894 9.2 yrs £17,588
8 kW 8644 kWh 6051 kWh 2593 kWh £1,597 £259 £1,856 £16,522 8.9 yrs £20,601

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: £1,187, 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 2161 kWh 1578 kWh 583 kWh £416 £58 £475 £8,506 17.9 yrs £988
3 kW 3242 kWh 2366 kWh 875 kWh £624 £88 £712 £10,133 14.2 yrs £4,107
4 kW 4322 kWh 3155 kWh 1167 kWh £833 £117 £949 £11,761 12.4 yrs £7,225
5 kW 5403 kWh 3944 kWh 1459 kWh £1,041 £146 £1,187 £13,389 11.3 yrs £10,344
6 kW 6483 kWh 4733 kWh 1750 kWh £1,249 £175 £1,424 £15,017 10.5 yrs £13,463
7 kW 7564 kWh 5521 kWh 2042 kWh £1,457 £204 £1,661 £16,644 10.0 yrs £16,582
8 kW 8644 kWh 6310 kWh 2334 kWh £1,665 £233 £1,899 £18,272 9.6 yrs £19,701

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: £1,204, 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 2161 kWh 1621 kWh 540 kWh £428 £54 £482 £10,256 21.3 yrs £-621
3 kW 3242 kWh 2431 kWh 810 kWh £642 £81 £723 £11,883 16.4 yrs £2,569
4 kW 4322 kWh 3242 kWh 1081 kWh £855 £108 £963 £13,511 14.0 yrs £5,759
5 kW 5403 kWh 4052 kWh 1351 kWh £1,069 £135 £1,204 £15,139 12.6 yrs £8,948
6 kW 6483 kWh 4862 kWh 1621 kWh £1,283 £162 £1,445 £16,767 11.6 yrs £12,138
7 kW 7564 kWh 5673 kWh 1891 kWh £1,497 £189 £1,686 £18,394 10.9 yrs £15,328
8 kW 8644 kWh 6483 kWh 2161 kWh £1,711 £216 £1,927 £20,022 10.4 yrs £18,518

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: £1,222, Upfront: £17,589, Break-even: 14.4 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2161 kWh 1664 kWh 497 kWh £439 £50 £489 £12,706 26.0 yrs £-2,929
3 kW 3242 kWh 2496 kWh 746 kWh £659 £75 £733 £14,333 19.5 yrs £332
4 kW 4322 kWh 3328 kWh 994 kWh £878 £99 £978 £15,961 16.3 yrs £3,592
5 kW 5403 kWh 4160 kWh 1243 kWh £1,098 £124 £1,222 £17,589 14.4 yrs £6,853
6 kW 6483 kWh 4992 kWh 1491 kWh £1,317 £149 £1,466 £19,217 13.1 yrs £10,113
7 kW 7564 kWh 5824 kWh 1740 kWh £1,537 £174 £1,711 £20,844 12.2 yrs £13,374
8 kW 8644 kWh 6656 kWh 1988 kWh £1,757 £199 £1,955 £22,472 11.5 yrs £16,634

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 South Hams

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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Understand DNO, G98 and G99 export limits

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Insights for PL8

Figures below are tailored to PL8 — click through for full league tables.

Big-Roof Britain Rank #221 of 2182
6.1 kWp (UK avg 5.1 kWp)
~13 panels (≈430 W)
Solar Payback Index Rank #141 of 2996
9.1 years (UK avg 10.8 years)
~£1,074 /yr • £9,767 upfront
Standing-Charge Drag Rank #432 of 2996
19.6% (UK avg 26.6%) drag on savings
£211 fixed • ~£1,074 /yr value
Aspect Penalty View ranking →
East −19.5% West −21.6%
Typical output loss versus a south-facing roof (lower is better)

Seasonal solar output in PL8

Monthly generation per kilowatt of solar panels

kWh 36 Jan 55 Feb 92 Mar 125 Apr 136 May 136 Jun 134 Jul 123 Aug 102 Sep 68 Oct 44 Nov 31 Dec
Best month Worst month Winter (Dec–Feb) Other months

Winter output: 45.1% 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 41 kWh per month; the average month produces around 90 kWh. So a typical 4 kW home system would generate roughly 162 kWh in winter, or 360 kWh in an average month.

Your Area at a Glance

Your Electricity Rate
26.39p/kWh
Daily Fixed Charge
57.89p/day
Local Sunshine
1081kWh/kW
A 1 kW system generates ~1081 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: 73% • Flats: 8% • Bungalows: 18% Based on 1,848 properties

Coverage

South Hams (92%)|Plymouth (8%)

Areas Covered

Newton & Yealmpton, Wembury & Brixton, Plymstock Radford

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

PL9 (Plymouth)
≈5.2 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,073 kWh/kWp · -1% vs PL8
PL7 (Plymouth)
≈5.5 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,081 kWh/kWp · +0% vs PL8
PL95 (Plymouth)
≈6.4 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,043 kWh/kWp · -3% vs PL8
PL4 (Plymouth)
≈8.5 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,087 kWh/kWp · +1% vs PL8
PL21 (South Hams)
≈8.6 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,086 kWh/kWp · +0% vs PL8
PL3 (Plymouth)
≈9.0 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,075 kWh/kWp · -0% vs PL8

Similar sunshine across the UK

BH11 (Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole)
~1,081 kWh/kWp · +0% vs PL8
PO17 (Winchester)
~1,078 kWh/kWp · -0% vs PL8
BN5 (Horsham)
~1,083 kWh/kWp · +0% vs PL8