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Solar panel cost in Rotherham (S31)

See realistic solar installation costs, savings and payback for S31 (Rotherham) 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
10.7 years
After this, it's pure profit
Upfront Cost
£8,139
What you pay to get started
Annual Benefit
£762
What you save every year
Profit Over 25 Years
£10,922
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 Yorkshire, the current unit rate is 25.31p/kWh with a 64.38p/day standing charge. Your postcode’s south-facing sunshine yield is 946 kWh/kW — 17 above the regional median (929).

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 946 kWh per year on a south-facing roof. We value self-used electricity at 25.3p and exported surplus at a baseline 10p via SEG. Use the calculator above for your exact tariff.

Unit rate
25.3p/kWh
Standing charge
64.4p/day
Sunshine yield (south)
946 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: £762, Upfront: £8,139, Break-even: 10.7 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1891 kWh 757 kWh 1135 kWh £191 £113 £305 £3,256 10.7 yrs £2,844
3 kW 2837 kWh 1135 kWh 1702 kWh £287 £170 £457 £4,883 10.7 yrs £4,266
4 kW 3783 kWh 1513 kWh 2270 kWh £383 £227 £610 £6,511 10.7 yrs £5,688
5 kW 4729 kWh 1891 kWh 2837 kWh £479 £284 £762 £8,139 10.7 yrs £7,110
6 kW 5674 kWh 2270 kWh 3405 kWh £574 £340 £915 £9,767 10.7 yrs £8,532
7 kW 6620 kWh 2648 kWh 3972 kWh £670 £397 £1,067 £11,394 10.7 yrs £9,954
8 kW 7566 kWh 3026 kWh 4539 kWh £766 £454 £1,220 £13,022 10.7 yrs £11,376

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: £907, Upfront: £10,239, 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 1891 kWh 1135 kWh 757 kWh £287 £76 £363 £5,356 14.8 yrs £1,902
3 kW 2837 kWh 1702 kWh 1135 kWh £431 £113 £544 £6,983 12.8 yrs £3,903
4 kW 3783 kWh 2270 kWh 1513 kWh £574 £151 £726 £8,611 11.9 yrs £5,905
5 kW 4729 kWh 2837 kWh 1891 kWh £718 £189 £907 £10,239 11.3 yrs £7,906
6 kW 5674 kWh 3405 kWh 2270 kWh £862 £227 £1,089 £11,867 10.9 yrs £9,907
7 kW 6620 kWh 3972 kWh 2648 kWh £1,005 £265 £1,270 £13,494 10.6 yrs £11,908
8 kW 7566 kWh 4539 kWh 3026 kWh £1,149 £303 £1,452 £15,122 10.4 yrs £13,909

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: £980, Upfront: £11,639, Break-even: 11.9 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1891 kWh 1324 kWh 567 kWh £335 £57 £392 £6,756 17.2 yrs £1,081
3 kW 2837 kWh 1986 kWh 851 kWh £503 £85 £588 £8,383 14.3 yrs £3,372
4 kW 3783 kWh 2648 kWh 1135 kWh £670 £113 £784 £10,011 12.8 yrs £5,663
5 kW 4729 kWh 3310 kWh 1419 kWh £838 £142 £980 £11,639 11.9 yrs £7,954
6 kW 5674 kWh 3972 kWh 1702 kWh £1,005 £170 £1,176 £13,267 11.3 yrs £10,244
7 kW 6620 kWh 4634 kWh 1986 kWh £1,173 £199 £1,371 £14,894 10.9 yrs £12,535
8 kW 7566 kWh 5296 kWh 2270 kWh £1,340 £227 £1,567 £16,522 10.5 yrs £14,826

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: £1,001, Upfront: £13,389, Break-even: 13.4 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1891 kWh 1381 kWh 511 kWh £349 £51 £401 £8,506 21.2 yrs £-495
3 kW 2837 kWh 2071 kWh 766 kWh £524 £77 £601 £10,133 16.9 yrs £1,883
4 kW 3783 kWh 2762 kWh 1021 kWh £699 £102 £801 £11,761 14.7 yrs £4,260
5 kW 4729 kWh 3452 kWh 1277 kWh £874 £128 £1,001 £13,389 13.4 yrs £6,638
6 kW 5674 kWh 4142 kWh 1532 kWh £1,048 £153 £1,202 £15,017 12.5 yrs £9,016
7 kW 6620 kWh 4833 kWh 1787 kWh £1,223 £179 £1,402 £16,644 11.9 yrs £11,393
8 kW 7566 kWh 5523 kWh 2043 kWh £1,398 £204 £1,602 £18,272 11.4 yrs £13,771

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: £1,016, Upfront: £15,139, Break-even: 14.9 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1891 kWh 1419 kWh 473 kWh £359 £47 £406 £10,256 25.2 yrs £-2,129
3 kW 2837 kWh 2128 kWh 709 kWh £539 £71 £609 £11,883 19.5 yrs £307
4 kW 3783 kWh 2837 kWh 946 kWh £718 £95 £813 £13,511 16.6 yrs £2,742
5 kW 4729 kWh 3546 kWh 1182 kWh £898 £118 £1,016 £15,139 14.9 yrs £5,178
6 kW 5674 kWh 4256 kWh 1419 kWh £1,077 £142 £1,219 £16,767 13.8 yrs £7,613
7 kW 6620 kWh 4965 kWh 1655 kWh £1,257 £166 £1,422 £18,394 12.9 yrs £10,049
8 kW 7566 kWh 5674 kWh 1891 kWh £1,436 £189 £1,625 £20,022 12.3 yrs £12,484

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: £1,030, Upfront: £17,589, Break-even: 17.1 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1891 kWh 1456 kWh 435 kWh £369 £44 £412 £12,706 30.8 yrs £-4,463
3 kW 2837 kWh 2185 kWh 653 kWh £553 £65 £618 £14,333 23.2 yrs £-1,970
4 kW 3783 kWh 2913 kWh 870 kWh £737 £87 £824 £15,961 19.4 yrs £524
5 kW 4729 kWh 3641 kWh 1088 kWh £922 £109 £1,030 £17,589 17.1 yrs £3,017
6 kW 5674 kWh 4369 kWh 1305 kWh £1,106 £131 £1,236 £19,217 15.5 yrs £5,511
7 kW 6620 kWh 5097 kWh 1523 kWh £1,290 £152 £1,442 £20,844 14.5 yrs £8,004
8 kW 7566 kWh 5826 kWh 1740 kWh £1,474 £174 £1,648 £22,472 13.6 yrs £10,498

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 Rotherham

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 S31

Figures below are tailored to S31 — click through for full league tables.

Solar Payback Index Rank #1720 of 2996
10.7 years (UK avg 10.8 years)
~£763 /yr • £8,139 upfront
Standing-Charge Drag Rank #2222 of 2996
30.8% (UK avg 26.6%) drag on savings
£235 fixed • ~£763 /yr value
Aspect Penalty View ranking →
East −21.5% West −20.3%
Typical output loss versus a south-facing roof (lower is better)

Seasonal solar output in S31

Monthly generation per kilowatt of solar panels

kWh 34 Jan 50 Feb 82 Mar 106 Apr 118 May 112 Jun 115 Jul 108 Aug 88 Sep 61 Oct 41 Nov 31 Dec
Best month Worst month Winter (Dec–Feb) Other months

Winter output: 48.7% 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 38 kWh per month; the average month produces around 79 kWh. So a typical 4 kW home system would generate roughly 154 kWh in winter, or 315 kWh in an average month.

Your Area at a Glance

Your Electricity Rate
25.31p/kWh
Daily Fixed Charge
64.38p/day
Local Sunshine
946kWh/kW
A 1 kW system generates ~946 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

No EPC data available for this outcode

Coverage

Rotherham (67%)|North East Derbyshire (32%)|Bolsover (1%)

Areas Covered

Dinnington, Wales, Anston & Woodsetts, Aston & Todwick, Eckington South & Renishaw, Aughton & Swallownest, Killamarsh West, Eckington North + 4 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 Yorkshire

S26 (Rotherham)
≈1.3 km away
Local sunshine: ~953 kWh/kWp · +1% vs S31
S20 (Sheffield)
≈3.5 km away
Local sunshine: ~942 kWh/kWp · -0% vs S31
S19 (Sheffield)
≈3.6 km away
Local sunshine: ~935 kWh/kWp · -1% vs S31
S25 (Rotherham)
≈5.8 km away
Local sunshine: ~951 kWh/kWp · +1% vs S31
S13 (Sheffield)
≈5.8 km away
Local sunshine: ~932 kWh/kWp · -1% vs S31
S12 (Sheffield)
≈7.6 km away
Local sunshine: ~929 kWh/kWp · -2% vs S31

Similar sunshine across the UK

CH6 (Flintshire)
~946 kWh/kWp · +0% vs S31
B27 (Birmingham)
~946 kWh/kWp · -0% vs S31
SY7 (Shropshire)
~946 kWh/kWp · +0% vs S31