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Solar panel cost in Kensington and Chelsea (SW5)

See realistic solar installation costs, savings and payback for SW5 (Kensington and Chelsea) 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
£492
What you save every year
Profit Over 25 Years
£6,823
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 992 kWh/kW — 1 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 992 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)
992 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: £820, 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 1984 kWh 793 kWh 1190 kWh £209 £119 £328 £3,654 11.1 yrs £2,908
3 kW 2975 kWh 1190 kWh 1785 kWh £314 £179 £492 £5,481 11.1 yrs £4,362
4 kW 3967 kWh 1587 kWh 2380 kWh £418 £238 £656 £7,307 11.1 yrs £5,816
5 kW 4959 kWh 1984 kWh 2975 kWh £523 £298 £820 £9,134 11.1 yrs £7,270
6 kW 5951 kWh 2380 kWh 3570 kWh £627 £357 £984 £10,961 11.1 yrs £8,724
7 kW 6942 kWh 2777 kWh 4165 kWh £732 £417 £1,148 £12,788 11.1 yrs £10,178
8 kW 7934 kWh 3174 kWh 4761 kWh £836 £476 £1,312 £14,615 11.1 yrs £11,632

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: £982, 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 1984 kWh 1190 kWh 793 kWh £314 £79 £393 £5,754 14.6 yrs £2,105
3 kW 2975 kWh 1785 kWh 1190 kWh £470 £119 £589 £7,581 12.9 yrs £4,208
4 kW 3967 kWh 2380 kWh 1587 kWh £627 £159 £786 £9,407 12.0 yrs £6,310
5 kW 4959 kWh 2975 kWh 1984 kWh £784 £198 £982 £11,234 11.4 yrs £8,413
6 kW 5951 kWh 3570 kWh 2380 kWh £941 £238 £1,179 £13,061 11.1 yrs £10,516
7 kW 6942 kWh 4165 kWh 2777 kWh £1,098 £278 £1,375 £14,888 10.8 yrs £12,618
8 kW 7934 kWh 4761 kWh 3174 kWh £1,254 £317 £1,572 £16,715 10.6 yrs £14,721

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: £1,063, 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 1984 kWh 1388 kWh 595 kWh £366 £60 £425 £7,154 16.8 yrs £1,354
3 kW 2975 kWh 2083 kWh 893 kWh £549 £89 £638 £8,981 14.1 yrs £3,781
4 kW 3967 kWh 2777 kWh 1190 kWh £732 £119 £851 £10,807 12.7 yrs £6,208
5 kW 4959 kWh 3471 kWh 1488 kWh £915 £149 £1,063 £12,634 11.9 yrs £8,635
6 kW 5951 kWh 4165 kWh 1785 kWh £1,098 £179 £1,276 £14,461 11.3 yrs £11,061
7 kW 6942 kWh 4860 kWh 2083 kWh £1,281 £208 £1,489 £16,288 10.9 yrs £13,488
8 kW 7934 kWh 5554 kWh 2380 kWh £1,463 £238 £1,701 £18,115 10.6 yrs £15,915

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: £1,088, 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 1984 kWh 1448 kWh 536 kWh £382 £54 £435 £8,904 20.5 yrs £-202
3 kW 2975 kWh 2172 kWh 803 kWh £572 £80 £653 £10,731 16.4 yrs £2,323
4 kW 3967 kWh 2896 kWh 1071 kWh £763 £107 £870 £12,557 14.4 yrs £4,847
5 kW 4959 kWh 3620 kWh 1339 kWh £954 £134 £1,088 £14,384 13.2 yrs £7,371
6 kW 5951 kWh 4344 kWh 1607 kWh £1,145 £161 £1,305 £16,211 12.4 yrs £9,895
7 kW 6942 kWh 5068 kWh 1874 kWh £1,335 £187 £1,523 £18,038 11.8 yrs £12,419
8 kW 7934 kWh 5792 kWh 2142 kWh £1,526 £214 £1,740 £19,865 11.4 yrs £14,944

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: £1,104, 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 1984 kWh 1488 kWh 496 kWh £392 £50 £442 £10,654 24.1 yrs £-1,822
3 kW 2975 kWh 2232 kWh 744 kWh £588 £74 £662 £12,481 18.8 yrs £767
4 kW 3967 kWh 2975 kWh 992 kWh £784 £99 £883 £14,307 16.2 yrs £3,356
5 kW 4959 kWh 3719 kWh 1240 kWh £980 £124 £1,104 £16,134 14.6 yrs £5,945
6 kW 5951 kWh 4463 kWh 1488 kWh £1,176 £149 £1,325 £17,961 13.6 yrs £8,534
7 kW 6942 kWh 5207 kWh 1736 kWh £1,372 £174 £1,546 £19,788 12.8 yrs £11,123
8 kW 7934 kWh 5951 kWh 1984 kWh £1,568 £198 £1,766 £21,615 12.2 yrs £13,712

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: £1,120, 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 1984 kWh 1527 kWh 456 kWh £402 £46 £448 £13,104 29.2 yrs £-4,142
3 kW 2975 kWh 2291 kWh 684 kWh £604 £68 £672 £14,931 22.2 yrs £-1,488
4 kW 3967 kWh 3055 kWh 912 kWh £805 £91 £896 £16,757 18.7 yrs £1,166
5 kW 4959 kWh 3818 kWh 1141 kWh £1,006 £114 £1,120 £18,584 16.6 yrs £3,820
6 kW 5951 kWh 4582 kWh 1369 kWh £1,207 £137 £1,344 £20,411 15.2 yrs £6,474
7 kW 6942 kWh 5346 kWh 1597 kWh £1,409 £160 £1,568 £22,238 14.2 yrs £9,127
8 kW 7934 kWh 6109 kWh 1825 kWh £1,610 £182 £1,792 £24,065 13.4 yrs £11,781

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 Kensington and Chelsea

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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Insights for SW5

Figures below are tailored to SW5 — click through for full league tables.

Solar Payback Index Rank #993 of 2996
9.9 years (UK avg 10.8 years)
~£984 /yr • £9,767 upfront
Standing-Charge Drag Rank #106 of 2996
16.6% (UK avg 26.6%) drag on savings
£163 fixed • ~£984 /yr value
Aspect Penalty View ranking →
East −22.1% West −19.6%
Typical output loss versus a south-facing roof (lower is better)

Seasonal solar output in SW5

Monthly generation per kilowatt of solar panels

kWh 40 Jan 52 Feb 84 Mar 111 Apr 117 May 119 Jun 120 Jul 107 Aug 93 Sep 67 Oct 46 Nov 35 Dec
Best month Worst month Winter (Dec–Feb) Other months

Winter output: 51.1% 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
992kWh/kW
A 1 kW system generates ~992 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: 3% • Flats: 94% • Bungalows: 0% Based on 7,800 properties

Coverage

Kensington and Chelsea (100%)

Areas Covered

Earl's Court, Redcliffe, Courtfield, Abingdon

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

SW10 (Kensington and Chelsea)
≈0.8 km away
Local sunshine: ~992 kWh/kWp · +0% vs SW5
W8 (Kensington and Chelsea)
≈1.0 km away
Local sunshine: ~989 kWh/kWp · -0% vs SW5
SW7 (Kensington and Chelsea)
≈1.3 km away
Local sunshine: ~992 kWh/kWp · +0% vs SW5
SW6 (Hammersmith and Fulham)
≈1.4 km away
Local sunshine: ~992 kWh/kWp · +0% vs SW5
SW3 (Kensington and Chelsea)
≈1.6 km away
Local sunshine: ~989 kWh/kWp · -0% vs SW5
W14 (Hammersmith and Fulham)
≈1.7 km away
Local sunshine: ~996 kWh/kWp · +0% vs SW5

Similar sunshine across the UK

BS99 (Bristol, City of)
~992 kWh/kWp · +0% vs SW5
MK19 (Milton Keynes)
~992 kWh/kWp · +0% vs SW5
BS5 (Bristol, City of)
~992 kWh/kWp · -0% vs SW5