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Solar panel cost in Sunderland (SR4)

See realistic solar installation costs, savings and payback for SR4 (Sunderland) 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
10.8 years
After this, it's pure profit
Upfront Cost
£8,139
What you pay to get started
Annual Benefit
£757
What you save every year
Profit Over 25 Years
£10,779
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 Northern, the current unit rate is 25.22p/kWh with a 64.29p/day standing charge. Your postcode’s south-facing sunshine yield is 941 kWh/kW — 15 above the regional median (926).

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 941 kWh per year on a south-facing roof. We value self-used electricity at 25.2p and exported surplus at a baseline 10p via SEG. Use the calculator above for your exact tariff.

Unit rate
25.2p/kWh
Standing charge
64.3p/day
Sunshine yield (south)
941 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: £757, Upfront: £8,139, 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 1881 kWh 753 kWh 1129 kWh £190 £113 £303 £3,256 10.8 yrs £2,798
3 kW 2822 kWh 1129 kWh 1693 kWh £285 £169 £454 £4,883 10.8 yrs £4,197
4 kW 3763 kWh 1505 kWh 2258 kWh £380 £226 £605 £6,511 10.8 yrs £5,596
5 kW 4704 kWh 1881 kWh 2822 kWh £474 £282 £757 £8,139 10.8 yrs £6,996
6 kW 5644 kWh 2258 kWh 3387 kWh £569 £339 £908 £9,767 10.8 yrs £8,395
7 kW 6585 kWh 2634 kWh 3951 kWh £664 £395 £1,059 £11,394 10.8 yrs £9,794
8 kW 7526 kWh 3010 kWh 4515 kWh £759 £452 £1,211 £13,022 10.8 yrs £11,193

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: £900, Upfront: £10,239, 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 1881 kWh 1129 kWh 753 kWh £285 £75 £360 £5,356 14.9 yrs £1,844
3 kW 2822 kWh 1693 kWh 1129 kWh £427 £113 £540 £6,983 12.9 yrs £3,815
4 kW 3763 kWh 2258 kWh 1505 kWh £569 £151 £720 £8,611 12.0 yrs £5,787
5 kW 4704 kWh 2822 kWh 1881 kWh £712 £188 £900 £10,239 11.4 yrs £7,759
6 kW 5644 kWh 3387 kWh 2258 kWh £854 £226 £1,080 £11,867 11.0 yrs £9,731
7 kW 6585 kWh 3951 kWh 2634 kWh £996 £263 £1,260 £13,494 10.7 yrs £11,703
8 kW 7526 kWh 4515 kWh 3010 kWh £1,139 £301 £1,440 £15,122 10.5 yrs £13,674

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: £971, Upfront: £11,639, Break-even: 12.0 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1881 kWh 1317 kWh 564 kWh £332 £56 £389 £6,756 17.4 yrs £1,016
3 kW 2822 kWh 1976 kWh 847 kWh £498 £85 £583 £8,383 14.4 yrs £3,274
4 kW 3763 kWh 2634 kWh 1129 kWh £664 £113 £777 £10,011 12.9 yrs £5,533
5 kW 4704 kWh 3293 kWh 1411 kWh £830 £141 £971 £11,639 12.0 yrs £7,791
6 kW 5644 kWh 3951 kWh 1693 kWh £996 £169 £1,166 £13,267 11.4 yrs £10,049
7 kW 6585 kWh 4610 kWh 1976 kWh £1,163 £198 £1,360 £14,894 11.0 yrs £12,307
8 kW 7526 kWh 5268 kWh 2258 kWh £1,329 £226 £1,554 £16,522 10.6 yrs £14,565

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: £993, Upfront: £13,389, Break-even: 13.5 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1881 kWh 1373 kWh 508 kWh £346 £51 £397 £8,506 21.4 yrs £-562
3 kW 2822 kWh 2060 kWh 762 kWh £520 £76 £596 £10,133 17.0 yrs £1,782
4 kW 3763 kWh 2747 kWh 1016 kWh £693 £102 £794 £11,761 14.8 yrs £4,126
5 kW 4704 kWh 3434 kWh 1270 kWh £866 £127 £993 £13,389 13.5 yrs £6,470
6 kW 5644 kWh 4120 kWh 1524 kWh £1,039 £152 £1,192 £15,017 12.6 yrs £8,814
7 kW 6585 kWh 4807 kWh 1778 kWh £1,212 £178 £1,390 £16,644 12.0 yrs £11,159
8 kW 7526 kWh 5494 kWh 2032 kWh £1,386 £203 £1,589 £18,272 11.5 yrs £13,503

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: £1,007, Upfront: £15,139, Break-even: 15.0 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1881 kWh 1411 kWh 470 kWh £356 £47 £403 £10,256 25.5 yrs £-2,197
3 kW 2822 kWh 2117 kWh 706 kWh £534 £71 £604 £11,883 19.7 yrs £204
4 kW 3763 kWh 2822 kWh 941 kWh £712 £94 £806 £13,511 16.8 yrs £2,605
5 kW 4704 kWh 3528 kWh 1176 kWh £890 £118 £1,007 £15,139 15.0 yrs £5,007
6 kW 5644 kWh 4233 kWh 1411 kWh £1,068 £141 £1,209 £16,767 13.9 yrs £7,408
7 kW 6585 kWh 4939 kWh 1646 kWh £1,246 £165 £1,410 £18,394 13.0 yrs £9,809
8 kW 7526 kWh 5644 kWh 1881 kWh £1,423 £188 £1,612 £20,022 12.4 yrs £12,211

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: £1,022, Upfront: £17,589, Break-even: 17.2 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1881 kWh 1449 kWh 433 kWh £365 £43 £409 £12,706 31.1 yrs £-4,533
3 kW 2822 kWh 2173 kWh 649 kWh £548 £65 £613 £14,333 23.4 yrs £-2,074
4 kW 3763 kWh 2897 kWh 865 kWh £731 £87 £817 £15,961 19.5 yrs £384
5 kW 4704 kWh 3622 kWh 1082 kWh £913 £108 £1,022 £17,589 17.2 yrs £2,843
6 kW 5644 kWh 4346 kWh 1298 kWh £1,096 £130 £1,226 £19,217 15.7 yrs £5,302
7 kW 6585 kWh 5070 kWh 1515 kWh £1,279 £151 £1,430 £20,844 14.6 yrs £7,760
8 kW 7526 kWh 5795 kWh 1731 kWh £1,461 £173 £1,635 £22,472 13.7 yrs £10,219

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 Sunderland

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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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 SR4

Figures below are tailored to SR4 — click through for full league tables.

Big-Roof Britain Rank #1235 of 2182
4.9 kWp (UK avg 5.1 kWp)
~10 panels (≈430 W)
Solar Payback Index Rank #1815 of 2996
10.8 years (UK avg 10.8 years)
~£757 /yr • £8,139 upfront
Standing-Charge Drag Rank #2242 of 2996
31.0% (UK avg 26.6%) drag on savings
£235 fixed • ~£757 /yr value
Aspect Penalty View ranking →
East −23.1% West −22.0%
Typical output loss versus a south-facing roof (lower is better)

Seasonal solar output in SR4

Monthly generation per kilowatt of solar panels

kWh 35 Jan 49 Feb 83 Mar 109 Apr 120 May 113 Jun 114 Jul 104 Aug 87 Sep 59 Oct 39 Nov 29 Dec
Best month Worst month Winter (Dec–Feb) Other months

Winter output: 48.0% 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 78 kWh. So a typical 4 kW home system would generate roughly 151 kWh in winter, or 314 kWh in an average month.

Your Area at a Glance

Your Electricity Rate
25.22p/kWh
Daily Fixed Charge
64.29p/day
Local Sunshine
941kWh/kW
A 1 kW system generates ~941 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: 67% • Flats: 11% • Bungalows: 22% Based on 15,364 properties

Coverage

Sunderland (100%)

Areas Covered

St Anne's, Pallion, Millfield, Barnes, Sandhill, Southwick, Shiney Row

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 Northern

SR43 (Sunderland)
≈0.9 km away
Local sunshine: ~941 kWh/kWp · +0% vs SR4
SR9 (Sunderland)
≈1.8 km away
Local sunshine: ~904 kWh/kWp · -4% vs SR4
SR5 (Sunderland)
≈2.1 km away
Local sunshine: ~916 kWh/kWp · -3% vs SR4
SR1 (Sunderland)
≈2.8 km away
Local sunshine: ~916 kWh/kWp · -3% vs SR4
SR3 (Sunderland)
≈3.2 km away
Local sunshine: ~907 kWh/kWp · -4% vs SR4
SR2 (Sunderland)
≈3.3 km away
Local sunshine: ~917 kWh/kWp · -2% vs SR4

Similar sunshine across the UK

WF4 (Wakefield)
~941 kWh/kWp · +0% vs SR4
DN16 (North Lincolnshire)
~941 kWh/kWp · +0% vs SR4
DN17 (North Lincolnshire)
~941 kWh/kWp · +0% vs SR4