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Solar panel cost in Southampton (SO2)

See realistic solar installation costs, savings and payback for SO2 (Southampton) 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
9.5 years
After this, it's pure profit
Upfront Cost
£8,139
What you pay to get started
Annual Benefit
£854
What you save every year
Profit Over 25 Years
£13,207
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 1031 kWh/kW — 29 above 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 1031 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)
1031 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: £854, Upfront: £8,139, Break-even: 9.5 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2061 kWh 825 kWh 1237 kWh £218 £124 £342 £3,256 9.5 yrs £3,575
3 kW 3092 kWh 1237 kWh 1855 kWh £327 £186 £512 £4,883 9.5 yrs £5,363
4 kW 4123 kWh 1649 kWh 2474 kWh £436 £247 £683 £6,511 9.5 yrs £7,150
5 kW 5153 kWh 2061 kWh 3092 kWh £545 £309 £854 £8,139 9.5 yrs £8,938
6 kW 6184 kWh 2474 kWh 3710 kWh £654 £371 £1,025 £9,767 9.5 yrs £10,725
7 kW 7215 kWh 2886 kWh 4329 kWh £762 £433 £1,195 £11,394 9.5 yrs £12,513
8 kW 8246 kWh 3298 kWh 4947 kWh £871 £495 £1,366 £13,022 9.5 yrs £14,300

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: £1,023, Upfront: £10,239, 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 2061 kWh 1237 kWh 825 kWh £327 £82 £409 £5,356 13.1 yrs £2,829
3 kW 3092 kWh 1855 kWh 1237 kWh £490 £124 £614 £6,983 11.4 yrs £5,293
4 kW 4123 kWh 2474 kWh 1649 kWh £654 £165 £818 £8,611 10.5 yrs £7,758
5 kW 5153 kWh 3092 kWh 2061 kWh £817 £206 £1,023 £10,239 10.0 yrs £10,222
6 kW 6184 kWh 3710 kWh 2474 kWh £980 £247 £1,228 £11,867 9.7 yrs £12,687
7 kW 7215 kWh 4329 kWh 2886 kWh £1,144 £289 £1,432 £13,494 9.4 yrs £15,151
8 kW 8246 kWh 4947 kWh 3298 kWh £1,307 £330 £1,637 £15,122 9.2 yrs £17,616

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: £1,108, Upfront: £11,639, Break-even: 10.5 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2061 kWh 1443 kWh 618 kWh £381 £62 £443 £6,756 15.2 yrs £2,106
3 kW 3092 kWh 2164 kWh 928 kWh £572 £93 £665 £8,383 12.6 yrs £4,909
4 kW 4123 kWh 2886 kWh 1237 kWh £762 £124 £886 £10,011 11.3 yrs £7,712
5 kW 5153 kWh 3607 kWh 1546 kWh £953 £155 £1,108 £11,639 10.5 yrs £10,515
6 kW 6184 kWh 4329 kWh 1855 kWh £1,144 £186 £1,329 £13,267 10.0 yrs £13,318
7 kW 7215 kWh 5050 kWh 2164 kWh £1,334 £216 £1,551 £14,894 9.6 yrs £16,121
8 kW 8246 kWh 5772 kWh 2474 kWh £1,525 £247 £1,772 £16,522 9.3 yrs £18,924

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: £1,133, Upfront: £13,389, Break-even: 11.8 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2061 kWh 1505 kWh 557 kWh £398 £56 £453 £8,506 18.8 yrs £559
3 kW 3092 kWh 2257 kWh 835 kWh £596 £83 £680 £10,133 14.9 yrs £3,464
4 kW 4123 kWh 3010 kWh 1113 kWh £795 £111 £906 £11,761 13.0 yrs £6,368
5 kW 5153 kWh 3762 kWh 1391 kWh £994 £139 £1,133 £13,389 11.8 yrs £9,273
6 kW 6184 kWh 4514 kWh 1670 kWh £1,193 £167 £1,360 £15,017 11.0 yrs £12,177
7 kW 7215 kWh 5267 kWh 1948 kWh £1,391 £195 £1,586 £16,644 10.5 yrs £15,082
8 kW 8246 kWh 6019 kWh 2226 kWh £1,590 £223 £1,813 £18,272 10.1 yrs £17,986

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: £1,150, Upfront: £15,139, 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 2061 kWh 1546 kWh 515 kWh £408 £52 £460 £10,256 22.3 yrs £-1,056
3 kW 3092 kWh 2319 kWh 773 kWh £613 £77 £690 £11,883 17.2 yrs £1,917
4 kW 4123 kWh 3092 kWh 1031 kWh £817 £103 £920 £13,511 14.7 yrs £4,889
5 kW 5153 kWh 3865 kWh 1288 kWh £1,021 £129 £1,150 £15,139 13.2 yrs £7,861
6 kW 6184 kWh 4638 kWh 1546 kWh £1,225 £155 £1,380 £16,767 12.1 yrs £10,833
7 kW 7215 kWh 5411 kWh 1804 kWh £1,430 £180 £1,610 £18,394 11.4 yrs £13,805
8 kW 8246 kWh 6184 kWh 2061 kWh £1,634 £206 £1,840 £20,022 10.9 yrs £16,778

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: £1,167, Upfront: £17,589, Break-even: 15.1 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2061 kWh 1587 kWh 474 kWh £419 £47 £467 £12,706 27.2 yrs £-3,370
3 kW 3092 kWh 2381 kWh 711 kWh £629 £71 £700 £14,333 20.5 yrs £-330
4 kW 4123 kWh 3175 kWh 948 kWh £839 £95 £934 £15,961 17.1 yrs £2,710
5 kW 5153 kWh 3968 kWh 1185 kWh £1,048 £119 £1,167 £17,589 15.1 yrs £5,750
6 kW 6184 kWh 4762 kWh 1422 kWh £1,258 £142 £1,400 £19,217 13.7 yrs £8,789
7 kW 7215 kWh 5555 kWh 1659 kWh £1,468 £166 £1,634 £20,844 12.8 yrs £11,829
8 kW 8246 kWh 6349 kWh 1896 kWh £1,677 £190 £1,867 £22,472 12.0 yrs £14,869

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 Southampton

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.

Compare solar quotes before you sign

Check what MCS certification means

Understand DNO, G98 and G99 export limits

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Want a quote sanity check for SO2?

Share the first part of your postcode and a few basics. We’ll help you check whether system size, battery, export and paperwork assumptions look sensible before you commit to installer conversations.

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 SO2

Figures below are tailored to SO2 — click through for full league tables.

Solar Payback Index Rank #314 of 2996
9.5 years (UK avg 10.8 years)
~£854 /yr • £8,139 upfront
Standing-Charge Drag Rank #746 of 2996
21.2% (UK avg 26.6%) drag on savings
£181 fixed • ~£854 /yr value
Aspect Penalty View ranking →
East −20.9% West −20.2%
Typical output loss versus a south-facing roof (lower is better)

Seasonal solar output in SO2

Monthly generation per kilowatt of solar panels

kWh 41 Jan 54 Feb 88 Mar 116 Apr 123 May 125 Jun 125 Jul 111 Aug 96 Sep 68 Oct 48 Nov 36 Dec
Best month Worst month Winter (Dec–Feb) Other months

Winter output: 50.6% of an average month (Dec–Feb)

Best / worst month: Jun / Dec

These figures show output per kilowatt (kW) of panels installed. In winter, a 1 kW system here produces about 43 kWh per month; the average month produces around 86 kWh. So a typical 4 kW home system would generate roughly 174 kWh in winter, or 344 kWh in an average month.

Your Area at a Glance

Your Electricity Rate
26.42p/kWh
Daily Fixed Charge
49.70p/day
Local Sunshine
1031kWh/kW
A 1 kW system generates ~1031 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

Southampton (99%)|Eastleigh (1%)

Areas Covered

Thornhill, Bitterne Park, Harefield, Bevois, Portswood, Peartree, Sholing, Swaythling + 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 Southern

SO18 (Southampton)
≈0.3 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,037 kWh/kWp · +1% vs SO2
SO19 (Southampton)
≈1.7 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,063 kWh/kWp · +3% vs SO2
SO17 (Southampton)
≈2.0 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,031 kWh/kWp · +0% vs SO2
SO14 (Southampton)
≈2.2 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,037 kWh/kWp · +1% vs SO2
SO9 (Southampton)
≈2.5 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,050 kWh/kWp · +2% vs SO2
SO97 (Eastleigh)
≈3.6 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,038 kWh/kWp · +1% vs SO2

Similar sunshine across the UK

ME20 (Tonbridge and Malling)
~1,030 kWh/kWp · -0% vs SO2
CF32 (Bridgend)
~1,031 kWh/kWp · +0% vs SO2
IP20 (South Norfolk)
~1,030 kWh/kWp · -0% vs SO2