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Solar panel cost in West Berkshire (RG18)

See realistic solar installation costs, savings and payback for RG18 (West Berkshire) 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
9.9 years
After this, it's pure profit
Upfront Cost
£8,139
What you pay to get started
Annual Benefit
£823
What you save every year
Profit Over 25 Years
£12,439
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, the current unit rate is 26.42p/kWh with a 49.70p/day standing charge. Your postcode’s south-facing sunshine yield is 994 kWh/kW — 8 below the regional median (1001).

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 994 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
49.7p/day
Sunshine yield (south)
994 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: £823, Upfront: £8,139, Break-even: 9.9 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1987 kWh 795 kWh 1192 kWh £210 £119 £329 £3,256 9.9 yrs £3,329
3 kW 2981 kWh 1192 kWh 1789 kWh £315 £179 £494 £4,883 9.9 yrs £4,994
4 kW 3975 kWh 1590 kWh 2385 kWh £420 £238 £658 £6,511 9.9 yrs £6,659
5 kW 4968 kWh 1987 kWh 2981 kWh £525 £298 £823 £8,139 9.9 yrs £8,324
6 kW 5962 kWh 2385 kWh 3577 kWh £630 £358 £988 £9,767 9.9 yrs £9,988
7 kW 6955 kWh 2782 kWh 4173 kWh £735 £417 £1,152 £11,394 9.9 yrs £11,653
8 kW 7949 kWh 3180 kWh 4769 kWh £840 £477 £1,317 £13,022 9.9 yrs £13,318

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: £986, Upfront: £10,239, Break-even: 10.4 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1987 kWh 1192 kWh 795 kWh £315 £79 £395 £5,356 13.6 yrs £2,535
3 kW 2981 kWh 1789 kWh 1192 kWh £473 £119 £592 £6,983 11.8 yrs £4,852
4 kW 3975 kWh 2385 kWh 1590 kWh £630 £159 £789 £8,611 10.9 yrs £7,169
5 kW 4968 kWh 2981 kWh 1987 kWh £788 £199 £986 £10,239 10.4 yrs £9,487
6 kW 5962 kWh 3577 kWh 2385 kWh £945 £238 £1,184 £11,867 10.0 yrs £11,804
7 kW 6955 kWh 4173 kWh 2782 kWh £1,103 £278 £1,381 £13,494 9.8 yrs £14,121
8 kW 7949 kWh 4769 kWh 3180 kWh £1,260 £318 £1,578 £15,122 9.6 yrs £16,439

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: £1,068, Upfront: £11,639, 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 1987 kWh 1391 kWh 596 kWh £368 £60 £427 £6,756 15.8 yrs £1,787
3 kW 2981 kWh 2087 kWh 894 kWh £551 £89 £641 £8,383 13.1 yrs £4,431
4 kW 3975 kWh 2782 kWh 1192 kWh £735 £119 £854 £10,011 11.7 yrs £7,075
5 kW 4968 kWh 3478 kWh 1490 kWh £919 £149 £1,068 £11,639 10.9 yrs £9,718
6 kW 5962 kWh 4173 kWh 1789 kWh £1,103 £179 £1,281 £13,267 10.4 yrs £12,362
7 kW 6955 kWh 4869 kWh 2087 kWh £1,286 £209 £1,495 £14,894 10.0 yrs £15,006
8 kW 7949 kWh 5564 kWh 2385 kWh £1,470 £238 £1,709 £16,522 9.7 yrs £17,649

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: £1,092, Upfront: £13,389, Break-even: 12.3 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1987 kWh 1451 kWh 537 kWh £383 £54 £437 £8,506 19.5 yrs £233
3 kW 2981 kWh 2176 kWh 805 kWh £575 £80 £655 £10,133 15.5 yrs £2,975
4 kW 3975 kWh 2901 kWh 1073 kWh £767 £107 £874 £11,761 13.5 yrs £5,716
5 kW 4968 kWh 3627 kWh 1341 kWh £958 £134 £1,092 £13,389 12.3 yrs £8,458
6 kW 5962 kWh 4352 kWh 1610 kWh £1,150 £161 £1,311 £15,017 11.5 yrs £11,199
7 kW 6955 kWh 5077 kWh 1878 kWh £1,341 £188 £1,529 £16,644 10.9 yrs £13,941
8 kW 7949 kWh 5803 kWh 2146 kWh £1,533 £215 £1,748 £18,272 10.5 yrs £16,682

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: £1,109, Upfront: £15,139, Break-even: 13.7 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1987 kWh 1490 kWh 497 kWh £394 £50 £443 £10,256 23.1 yrs £-1,386
3 kW 2981 kWh 2236 kWh 745 kWh £591 £75 £665 £11,883 17.9 yrs £1,420
4 kW 3975 kWh 2981 kWh 994 kWh £788 £99 £887 £13,511 15.2 yrs £4,227
5 kW 4968 kWh 3726 kWh 1242 kWh £984 £124 £1,109 £15,139 13.7 yrs £7,034
6 kW 5962 kWh 4471 kWh 1490 kWh £1,181 £149 £1,330 £16,767 12.6 yrs £9,841
7 kW 6955 kWh 5217 kWh 1739 kWh £1,378 £174 £1,552 £18,394 11.9 yrs £12,648
8 kW 7949 kWh 5962 kWh 1987 kWh £1,575 £199 £1,774 £20,022 11.3 yrs £15,454

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: £1,125, Upfront: £17,589, Break-even: 15.6 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1987 kWh 1530 kWh 457 kWh £404 £46 £450 £12,706 28.2 yrs £-3,706
3 kW 2981 kWh 2295 kWh 686 kWh £606 £69 £675 £14,333 21.2 yrs £-834
4 kW 3975 kWh 3060 kWh 914 kWh £809 £91 £900 £15,961 17.7 yrs £2,038
5 kW 4968 kWh 3825 kWh 1143 kWh £1,011 £114 £1,125 £17,589 15.6 yrs £4,910
6 kW 5962 kWh 4591 kWh 1371 kWh £1,213 £137 £1,350 £19,217 14.2 yrs £7,782
7 kW 6955 kWh 5356 kWh 1600 kWh £1,415 £160 £1,575 £20,844 13.2 yrs £10,655
8 kW 7949 kWh 6121 kWh 1828 kWh £1,617 £183 £1,800 £22,472 12.5 yrs £13,527

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 West Berkshire

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 RG18

Figures below are tailored to RG18 — click through for full league tables.

Big-Roof Britain Rank #756 of 2182
5.3 kWp (UK avg 5.1 kWp)
~11 panels (≈430 W)
Solar Payback Index Rank #912 of 2996
9.9 years (UK avg 10.8 years)
~£823 /yr • £8,139 upfront
Standing-Charge Drag Rank #897 of 2996
22.0% (UK avg 26.6%) drag on savings
£181 fixed • ~£823 /yr value
Aspect Penalty View ranking →
East −20.9% West −19.8%
Typical output loss versus a south-facing roof (lower is better)

Seasonal solar output in RG18

Monthly generation per kilowatt of solar panels

kWh 40 Jan 52 Feb 84 Mar 111 Apr 119 May 119 Jun 121 Jul 108 Aug 93 Sep 66 Oct 44 Nov 34 Dec
Best month Worst month Winter (Dec–Feb) Other months

Winter output: 51.1% 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 169 kWh in winter, or 331 kWh in an average month.

Your Area at a Glance

Your Electricity Rate
26.42p/kWh
Daily Fixed Charge
49.70p/day
Local Sunshine
994kWh/kW
A 1 kW system generates ~994 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: 76% • Flats: 10% • Bungalows: 12% Based on 4,626 properties

Coverage

West Berkshire (96%)|Reading (4%)

Areas Covered

Chieveley & Cold Ash, Thatcham North East, Ridgeway, Thatcham West, Thatcham Central, Battle, Bucklebury, Newbury Clay Hill + 3 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

RG13 (West Berkshire)
≈2.9 km away
Local sunshine: ~991 kWh/kWp · -0% vs RG18
RG19 (West Berkshire)
≈3.2 km away
Local sunshine: ~991 kWh/kWp · -0% vs RG18
RG14 (West Berkshire)
≈4.9 km away
Local sunshine: ~991 kWh/kWp · -0% vs RG18
RG20 (West Berkshire)
≈6.7 km away
Local sunshine: ~989 kWh/kWp · -0% vs RG18
RG16 (West Berkshire)
≈7.5 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,009 kWh/kWp · +2% vs RG18
RG15 (Basingstoke and Deane)
≈9.7 km away
Local sunshine: ~994 kWh/kWp · +0% vs RG18

Similar sunshine across the UK

GU2 (Guildford)
~994 kWh/kWp · +0% vs RG18
SE4 (Lewisham)
~994 kWh/kWp · +0% vs RG18
NN2 (West Northamptonshire)
~994 kWh/kWp · -0% vs RG18