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Solar panel cost in Southwark (SE5)

See realistic solar installation costs, savings and payback for SE5 (Southwark) 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
11.1 years
After this, it's pure profit
Upfront Cost
£5,481
What you pay to get started
Annual Benefit
£493
What you save every year
Profit Over 25 Years
£6,840
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 London, the current unit rate is 26.35p/kWh with a 44.78p/day standing charge. Your postcode’s south-facing sunshine yield is 993 kWh/kW — 3 above the regional median (991).

Read the full story

A typical roof here lands around 3.0 kW, with most eligible homes comfortably fitting within 3–6 kW. Each kilowatt of panels produces roughly 993 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
44.8p/day
Sunshine yield (south)
993 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: £821, Upfront: £9,134, Break-even: 11.1 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1986 kWh 795 kWh 1192 kWh £209 £119 £329 £3,654 11.1 yrs £2,917
3 kW 2980 kWh 1192 kWh 1788 kWh £314 £179 £493 £5,481 11.1 yrs £4,376
4 kW 3973 kWh 1589 kWh 2384 kWh £419 £238 £657 £7,307 11.1 yrs £5,835
5 kW 4966 kWh 1986 kWh 2980 kWh £523 £298 £821 £9,134 11.1 yrs £7,294
6 kW 5959 kWh 2384 kWh 3576 kWh £628 £358 £986 £10,961 11.1 yrs £8,752
7 kW 6953 kWh 2781 kWh 4172 kWh £733 £417 £1,150 £12,788 11.1 yrs £10,211
8 kW 7946 kWh 3178 kWh 4767 kWh £837 £477 £1,314 £14,615 11.1 yrs £11,670

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: £984, Upfront: £11,234, Break-even: 11.4 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1986 kWh 1192 kWh 795 kWh £314 £79 £394 £5,754 14.6 yrs £2,117
3 kW 2980 kWh 1788 kWh 1192 kWh £471 £119 £590 £7,581 12.8 yrs £4,225
4 kW 3973 kWh 2384 kWh 1589 kWh £628 £159 £787 £9,407 12.0 yrs £6,333
5 kW 4966 kWh 2980 kWh 1986 kWh £785 £199 £984 £11,234 11.4 yrs £8,441
6 kW 5959 kWh 3576 kWh 2384 kWh £942 £238 £1,181 £13,061 11.1 yrs £10,550
7 kW 6953 kWh 4172 kWh 2781 kWh £1,099 £278 £1,377 £14,888 10.8 yrs £12,658
8 kW 7946 kWh 4767 kWh 3178 kWh £1,256 £318 £1,574 £16,715 10.6 yrs £14,766

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: £1,065, Upfront: £12,634, 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 1986 kWh 1391 kWh 596 kWh £366 £60 £426 £7,154 16.8 yrs £1,366
3 kW 2980 kWh 2086 kWh 894 kWh £550 £89 £639 £8,981 14.1 yrs £3,799
4 kW 3973 kWh 2781 kWh 1192 kWh £733 £119 £852 £10,807 12.7 yrs £6,232
5 kW 4966 kWh 3476 kWh 1490 kWh £916 £149 £1,065 £12,634 11.9 yrs £8,665
6 kW 5959 kWh 4172 kWh 1788 kWh £1,099 £179 £1,278 £14,461 11.3 yrs £11,098
7 kW 6953 kWh 4867 kWh 2086 kWh £1,282 £209 £1,491 £16,288 10.9 yrs £13,532
8 kW 7946 kWh 5562 kWh 2384 kWh £1,466 £238 £1,704 £18,115 10.6 yrs £15,965

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: £1,089, Upfront: £14,384, Break-even: 13.2 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1986 kWh 1450 kWh 536 kWh £382 £54 £436 £8,904 20.4 yrs £-189
3 kW 2980 kWh 2175 kWh 805 kWh £573 £80 £654 £10,731 16.4 yrs £2,342
4 kW 3973 kWh 2900 kWh 1073 kWh £764 £107 £871 £12,557 14.4 yrs £4,872
5 kW 4966 kWh 3625 kWh 1341 kWh £955 £134 £1,089 £14,384 13.2 yrs £7,403
6 kW 5959 kWh 4350 kWh 1609 kWh £1,146 £161 £1,307 £16,211 12.4 yrs £9,933
7 kW 6953 kWh 5075 kWh 1877 kWh £1,337 £188 £1,525 £18,038 11.8 yrs £12,464
8 kW 7946 kWh 5800 kWh 2145 kWh £1,528 £215 £1,743 £19,865 11.4 yrs £14,994

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: £1,106, Upfront: £16,134, Break-even: 14.6 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1986 kWh 1490 kWh 497 kWh £393 £50 £442 £10,654 24.1 yrs £-1,809
3 kW 2980 kWh 2235 kWh 745 kWh £589 £74 £663 £12,481 18.8 yrs £786
4 kW 3973 kWh 2980 kWh 993 kWh £785 £99 £884 £14,307 16.2 yrs £3,382
5 kW 4966 kWh 3725 kWh 1242 kWh £981 £124 £1,106 £16,134 14.6 yrs £5,977
6 kW 5959 kWh 4469 kWh 1490 kWh £1,178 £149 £1,327 £17,961 13.5 yrs £8,573
7 kW 6953 kWh 5214 kWh 1738 kWh £1,374 £174 £1,548 £19,788 12.8 yrs £11,168
8 kW 7946 kWh 5959 kWh 1986 kWh £1,570 £199 £1,769 £21,615 12.2 yrs £13,764

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: £1,122, Upfront: £18,584, Break-even: 16.6 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1986 kWh 1530 kWh 457 kWh £403 £46 £449 £13,104 29.2 yrs £-4,129
3 kW 2980 kWh 2294 kWh 685 kWh £605 £69 £673 £14,931 22.2 yrs £-1,469
4 kW 3973 kWh 3059 kWh 914 kWh £806 £91 £897 £16,757 18.7 yrs £1,192
5 kW 4966 kWh 3824 kWh 1142 kWh £1,008 £114 £1,122 £18,584 16.6 yrs £3,852
6 kW 5959 kWh 4589 kWh 1371 kWh £1,209 £137 £1,346 £20,411 15.2 yrs £6,513
7 kW 6953 kWh 5353 kWh 1599 kWh £1,411 £160 £1,571 £22,238 14.2 yrs £9,173
8 kW 7946 kWh 6118 kWh 1828 kWh £1,612 £183 £1,795 £24,065 13.4 yrs £11,833

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 Southwark

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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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 SE5

Figures below are tailored to SE5 — click through for full league tables.

Big-Roof Britain Rank #2144 of 2182
3.7 kWp (UK avg 5.1 kWp)
~8 panels (≈430 W)
Solar Payback Index Rank #942 of 2996
9.9 years (UK avg 10.8 years)
~£985 /yr • £9,767 upfront
Standing-Charge Drag Rank #30 of 2996
16.5% (UK avg 26.6%) drag on savings
£163 fixed • ~£985 /yr value
Aspect Penalty View ranking →
East −22.0% West −19.5%
Typical output loss versus a south-facing roof (lower is better)

Seasonal solar output in SE5

Monthly generation per kilowatt of solar panels

kWh 40 Jan 52 Feb 84 Mar 111 Apr 117 May 120 Jun 121 Jul 108 Aug 93 Sep 67 Oct 47 Nov 35 Dec
Best month Worst month Winter (Dec–Feb) Other months

Winter output: 51.0% 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
26.35p/kWh
Daily Fixed Charge
44.78p/day
Local Sunshine
993kWh/kW
A 1 kW system generates ~993 kWh per year. A typical home uses ~2,700 kWh per year.
Typical System Size
3.0kW
For eligible homes in this area

⚠️ This area is predominantly flats. Many residents require freeholder approval for solar installations. System size shown reflects houses and bungalows only.

Local Property Data

Property Types

Houses: 15% • Flats: 75% • Bungalows: 0% Based on 12,199 properties

Coverage

Southwark (87%)|Lambeth (13%)

Areas Covered

Camberwell Green, St Giles, Herne Hill & Loughborough Junction, Champion Hill, Faraday, Myatt's Fields, Newington, Brixton 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 London

SE99 (Southwark)
≈1.1 km away
Local sunshine: ~993 kWh/kWp · -0% vs SE5
SW9 (Lambeth)
≈1.3 km away
Local sunshine: ~991 kWh/kWp · -0% vs SE5
SW99 (Lambeth)
≈1.3 km away
Local sunshine: ~991 kWh/kWp · -0% vs SE5
SE17 (Southwark)
≈1.7 km away
Local sunshine: ~993 kWh/kWp · +0% vs SE5
SE15 (Southwark)
≈1.8 km away
Local sunshine: ~993 kWh/kWp · -0% vs SE5
SE11 (Lambeth)
≈2.0 km away
Local sunshine: ~991 kWh/kWp · -0% vs SE5

Similar sunshine across the UK

GU13 (Hart)
~993 kWh/kWp · +0% vs SE5
UB2 (Ealing)
~993 kWh/kWp · +0% vs SE5
UB1 (Ealing)
~993 kWh/kWp · +0% vs SE5