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Solar panel cost in West Berkshire (RG31)

See realistic solar installation costs, savings and payback for RG31 (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
9.8 years
After this, it's pure profit
Upfront Cost
£8,139
What you pay to get started
Annual Benefit
£827
What you save every year
Profit Over 25 Years
£12,541
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 999 kWh/kW — 3 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 999 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)
999 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: £827, Upfront: £8,139, Break-even: 9.8 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1997 kWh 799 kWh 1198 kWh £211 £120 £331 £3,256 9.8 yrs £3,362
3 kW 2996 kWh 1198 kWh 1797 kWh £317 £180 £496 £4,883 9.8 yrs £5,043
4 kW 3994 kWh 1598 kWh 2396 kWh £422 £240 £662 £6,511 9.8 yrs £6,724
5 kW 4993 kWh 1997 kWh 2996 kWh £528 £300 £827 £8,139 9.8 yrs £8,405
6 kW 5991 kWh 2396 kWh 3595 kWh £633 £359 £993 £9,767 9.8 yrs £10,086
7 kW 6990 kWh 2796 kWh 4194 kWh £739 £419 £1,158 £11,394 9.8 yrs £11,767
8 kW 7988 kWh 3195 kWh 4793 kWh £844 £479 £1,323 £13,022 9.8 yrs £13,448

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: £991, Upfront: £10,239, Break-even: 10.3 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1997 kWh 1198 kWh 799 kWh £317 £80 £396 £5,356 13.5 yrs £2,574
3 kW 2996 kWh 1797 kWh 1198 kWh £475 £120 £595 £6,983 11.7 yrs £4,910
4 kW 3994 kWh 2396 kWh 1598 kWh £633 £160 £793 £8,611 10.9 yrs £7,247
5 kW 4993 kWh 2996 kWh 1997 kWh £791 £200 £991 £10,239 10.3 yrs £9,584
6 kW 5991 kWh 3595 kWh 2396 kWh £950 £240 £1,189 £11,867 10.0 yrs £11,921
7 kW 6990 kWh 4194 kWh 2796 kWh £1,108 £280 £1,388 £13,494 9.7 yrs £14,258
8 kW 7988 kWh 4793 kWh 3195 kWh £1,266 £320 £1,586 £15,122 9.5 yrs £16,594

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: £1,073, Upfront: £11,639, Break-even: 10.8 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1997 kWh 1398 kWh 599 kWh £369 £60 £429 £6,756 15.7 yrs £1,829
3 kW 2996 kWh 2097 kWh 899 kWh £554 £90 £644 £8,383 13.0 yrs £4,494
4 kW 3994 kWh 2796 kWh 1198 kWh £739 £120 £858 £10,011 11.7 yrs £7,159
5 kW 4993 kWh 3495 kWh 1498 kWh £923 £150 £1,073 £11,639 10.8 yrs £9,824
6 kW 5991 kWh 4194 kWh 1797 kWh £1,108 £180 £1,288 £13,267 10.3 yrs £12,488
7 kW 6990 kWh 4893 kWh 2097 kWh £1,293 £210 £1,502 £14,894 9.9 yrs £15,153
8 kW 7988 kWh 5592 kWh 2396 kWh £1,477 £240 £1,717 £16,522 9.6 yrs £17,818

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: £1,098, Upfront: £13,389, Break-even: 12.2 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1997 kWh 1458 kWh 539 kWh £385 £54 £439 £8,506 19.4 yrs £276
3 kW 2996 kWh 2187 kWh 809 kWh £578 £81 £659 £10,133 15.4 yrs £3,039
4 kW 3994 kWh 2916 kWh 1078 kWh £770 £108 £878 £11,761 13.4 yrs £5,802
5 kW 4993 kWh 3645 kWh 1348 kWh £963 £135 £1,098 £13,389 12.2 yrs £8,565
6 kW 5991 kWh 4374 kWh 1618 kWh £1,155 £162 £1,317 £15,017 11.4 yrs £11,329
7 kW 6990 kWh 5102 kWh 1887 kWh £1,348 £189 £1,537 £16,644 10.8 yrs £14,092
8 kW 7988 kWh 5831 kWh 2157 kWh £1,541 £216 £1,756 £18,272 10.4 yrs £16,855

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: £1,114, Upfront: £15,139, Break-even: 13.6 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1997 kWh 1498 kWh 499 kWh £396 £50 £446 £10,256 23.0 yrs £-1,343
3 kW 2996 kWh 2247 kWh 749 kWh £594 £75 £668 £11,883 17.8 yrs £1,486
4 kW 3994 kWh 2996 kWh 999 kWh £791 £100 £891 £13,511 15.2 yrs £4,315
5 kW 4993 kWh 3744 kWh 1248 kWh £989 £125 £1,114 £15,139 13.6 yrs £7,143
6 kW 5991 kWh 4493 kWh 1498 kWh £1,187 £150 £1,337 £16,767 12.5 yrs £9,972
7 kW 6990 kWh 5242 kWh 1747 kWh £1,385 £175 £1,560 £18,394 11.8 yrs £12,801
8 kW 7988 kWh 5991 kWh 1997 kWh £1,583 £200 £1,783 £20,022 11.2 yrs £15,629

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: £1,131, 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 1997 kWh 1538 kWh 459 kWh £406 £46 £452 £12,706 28.1 yrs £-3,661
3 kW 2996 kWh 2307 kWh 689 kWh £609 £69 £678 £14,333 21.1 yrs £-767
4 kW 3994 kWh 3075 kWh 919 kWh £813 £92 £904 £15,961 17.6 yrs £2,127
5 kW 4993 kWh 3844 kWh 1148 kWh £1,016 £115 £1,131 £17,589 15.6 yrs £5,021
6 kW 5991 kWh 4613 kWh 1378 kWh £1,219 £138 £1,357 £19,217 14.2 yrs £7,916
7 kW 6990 kWh 5382 kWh 1608 kWh £1,422 £161 £1,583 £20,844 13.2 yrs £10,810
8 kW 7988 kWh 6151 kWh 1837 kWh £1,625 £184 £1,809 £22,472 12.4 yrs £13,704

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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Check what MCS certification means

Understand DNO, G98 and G99 export limits

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Insights for RG31

Figures below are tailored to RG31 — click through for full league tables.

Big-Roof Britain Rank #1034 of 2182
5.0 kWp (UK avg 5.1 kWp)
~10 panels (≈430 W)
Solar Payback Index Rank #696 of 2996
9.8 years (UK avg 10.8 years)
~£828 /yr • £8,139 upfront
Standing-Charge Drag Rank #858 of 2996
21.9% (UK avg 26.6%) drag on savings
£181 fixed • ~£828 /yr value
Aspect Penalty View ranking →
East −21.4% West −19.6%
Typical output loss versus a south-facing roof (lower is better)

Seasonal solar output in RG31

Monthly generation per kilowatt of solar panels

kWh 41 Jan 52 Feb 85 Mar 112 Apr 119 May 121 Jun 122 Jul 109 Aug 92 Sep 67 Oct 46 Nov 35 Dec
Best month Worst month Winter (Dec–Feb) Other months

Winter output: 50.9% 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 333 kWh in an average month.

Your Area at a Glance

Your Electricity Rate
26.42p/kWh
Daily Fixed Charge
49.70p/day
Local Sunshine
999kWh/kW
A 1 kW system generates ~999 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: 74% • Flats: 16% • Bungalows: 6% Based on 5,523 properties

Coverage

West Berkshire (65%)|Reading (35%)

Areas Covered

Tilehurst Birch Copse, Tilehurst South & Holybrook, Tilehurst & Purley, Tilehurst, Kentwood, Battle

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

RG3 (Reading)
≈1.3 km away
Local sunshine: ~990 kWh/kWp · -1% vs RG31
RG30 (Reading)
≈2.8 km away
Local sunshine: ~990 kWh/kWp · -1% vs RG31
RG1 (Reading)
≈5.2 km away
Local sunshine: ~990 kWh/kWp · -1% vs RG31
RG4 (Reading)
≈5.7 km away
Local sunshine: ~990 kWh/kWp · -1% vs RG31
RG8 (West Berkshire)
≈6.2 km away
Local sunshine: ~983 kWh/kWp · -2% vs RG31
RG2 (Reading)
≈6.8 km away
Local sunshine: ~995 kWh/kWp · -0% vs RG31

Similar sunshine across the UK

PE33 (King's Lynn and West Norfolk)
~999 kWh/kWp · +0% vs RG31
SM4 (Merton)
~999 kWh/kWp · +0% vs RG31
NP26 (Monmouthshire)
~998 kWh/kWp · -0% vs RG31