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Solar panel cost in Torbay (TQ2)

See realistic solar installation costs, savings and payback for TQ2 (Torbay) 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
9.4 years
After this, it's pure profit
Upfront Cost
£8,139
What you pay to get started
Annual Benefit
£863
What you save every year
Profit Over 25 Years
£13,438
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 Western, the current unit rate is 26.39p/kWh with a 57.89p/day standing charge. Your postcode’s south-facing sunshine yield is 1043 kWh/kW — 29 above the regional median (1013).

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 1043 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
57.9p/day
Sunshine yield (south)
1043 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: £863, Upfront: £8,139, Break-even: 9.4 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2085 kWh 834 kWh 1251 kWh £220 £125 £345 £3,256 9.4 yrs £3,649
3 kW 3128 kWh 1251 kWh 1877 kWh £330 £188 £518 £4,883 9.4 yrs £5,474
4 kW 4170 kWh 1668 kWh 2502 kWh £440 £250 £690 £6,511 9.4 yrs £7,298
5 kW 5213 kWh 2085 kWh 3128 kWh £550 £313 £863 £8,139 9.4 yrs £9,123
6 kW 6256 kWh 2502 kWh 3753 kWh £660 £375 £1,036 £9,767 9.4 yrs £10,947
7 kW 7298 kWh 2919 kWh 4379 kWh £770 £438 £1,208 £11,394 9.4 yrs £12,772
8 kW 8341 kWh 3336 kWh 5005 kWh £880 £500 £1,381 £13,022 9.4 yrs £14,597

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: £1,034, Upfront: £10,239, Break-even: 9.9 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2085 kWh 1251 kWh 834 kWh £330 £83 £414 £5,356 12.9 yrs £2,916
3 kW 3128 kWh 1877 kWh 1251 kWh £495 £125 £620 £6,983 11.3 yrs £5,424
4 kW 4170 kWh 2502 kWh 1668 kWh £660 £167 £827 £8,611 10.4 yrs £7,932
5 kW 5213 kWh 3128 kWh 2085 kWh £825 £209 £1,034 £10,239 9.9 yrs £10,441
6 kW 6256 kWh 3753 kWh 2502 kWh £991 £250 £1,241 £11,867 9.6 yrs £12,949
7 kW 7298 kWh 4379 kWh 2919 kWh £1,156 £292 £1,448 £13,494 9.3 yrs £15,457
8 kW 8341 kWh 5005 kWh 3336 kWh £1,321 £334 £1,654 £15,122 9.1 yrs £17,965

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: £1,119, Upfront: £11,639, Break-even: 10.4 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2085 kWh 1460 kWh 626 kWh £385 £63 £448 £6,756 15.1 yrs £2,200
3 kW 3128 kWh 2190 kWh 938 kWh £578 £94 £672 £8,383 12.5 yrs £5,050
4 kW 4170 kWh 2919 kWh 1251 kWh £770 £125 £896 £10,011 11.2 yrs £7,900
5 kW 5213 kWh 3649 kWh 1564 kWh £963 £156 £1,119 £11,639 10.4 yrs £10,749
6 kW 6256 kWh 4379 kWh 1877 kWh £1,156 £188 £1,343 £13,267 9.9 yrs £13,599
7 kW 7298 kWh 5109 kWh 2190 kWh £1,348 £219 £1,567 £14,894 9.5 yrs £16,449
8 kW 8341 kWh 5839 kWh 2502 kWh £1,541 £250 £1,791 £16,522 9.2 yrs £19,299

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: £1,145, Upfront: £13,389, Break-even: 11.7 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2085 kWh 1522 kWh 563 kWh £402 £56 £458 £8,506 18.6 yrs £655
3 kW 3128 kWh 2283 kWh 845 kWh £603 £84 £687 £10,133 14.7 yrs £3,607
4 kW 4170 kWh 3044 kWh 1126 kWh £803 £113 £916 £11,761 12.8 yrs £6,560
5 kW 5213 kWh 3806 kWh 1408 kWh £1,004 £141 £1,145 £13,389 11.7 yrs £9,512
6 kW 6256 kWh 4567 kWh 1689 kWh £1,205 £169 £1,374 £15,017 10.9 yrs £12,464
7 kW 7298 kWh 5328 kWh 1971 kWh £1,406 £197 £1,603 £16,644 10.4 yrs £15,417
8 kW 8341 kWh 6089 kWh 2252 kWh £1,607 £225 £1,832 £18,272 10.0 yrs £18,369

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: £1,162, Upfront: £15,139, Break-even: 13.0 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2085 kWh 1564 kWh 521 kWh £413 £52 £465 £10,256 22.1 yrs £-958
3 kW 3128 kWh 2346 kWh 782 kWh £619 £78 £697 £11,883 17.0 yrs £2,062
4 kW 4170 kWh 3128 kWh 1043 kWh £825 £104 £930 £13,511 14.5 yrs £5,083
5 kW 5213 kWh 3910 kWh 1303 kWh £1,032 £130 £1,162 £15,139 13.0 yrs £8,104
6 kW 6256 kWh 4692 kWh 1564 kWh £1,238 £156 £1,395 £16,767 12.0 yrs £11,125
7 kW 7298 kWh 5474 kWh 1825 kWh £1,445 £182 £1,627 £18,394 11.3 yrs £14,145
8 kW 8341 kWh 6256 kWh 2085 kWh £1,651 £209 £1,859 £20,022 10.8 yrs £17,166

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: £1,179, Upfront: £17,589, 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 2085 kWh 1606 kWh 480 kWh £424 £48 £472 £12,706 26.9 yrs £-3,272
3 kW 3128 kWh 2408 kWh 719 kWh £636 £72 £708 £14,333 20.3 yrs £-183
4 kW 4170 kWh 3211 kWh 959 kWh £847 £96 £943 £15,961 16.9 yrs £2,906
5 kW 5213 kWh 4014 kWh 1199 kWh £1,059 £120 £1,179 £17,589 14.9 yrs £5,996
6 kW 6256 kWh 4817 kWh 1439 kWh £1,271 £144 £1,415 £19,217 13.6 yrs £9,085
7 kW 7298 kWh 5620 kWh 1679 kWh £1,483 £168 £1,651 £20,844 12.6 yrs £12,174
8 kW 8341 kWh 6423 kWh 1918 kWh £1,695 £192 £1,887 £22,472 11.9 yrs £15,263

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 Torbay

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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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 TQ2

Figures below are tailored to TQ2 — click through for full league tables.

Big-Roof Britain Rank #1602 of 2182
4.6 kWp (UK avg 5.1 kWp)
~10 panels (≈430 W)
Solar Payback Index Rank #259 of 2996
9.4 years (UK avg 10.8 years)
~£863 /yr • £8,139 upfront
Standing-Charge Drag Rank #1306 of 2996
24.4% (UK avg 26.6%) drag on savings
£211 fixed • ~£863 /yr value
Aspect Penalty View ranking →
East −19.6% West −20.9%
Typical output loss versus a south-facing roof (lower is better)

Seasonal solar output in TQ2

Monthly generation per kilowatt of solar panels

kWh 39 Jan 53 Feb 88 Mar 120 Apr 128 May 129 Jun 127 Jul 116 Aug 97 Sep 67 Oct 46 Nov 34 Dec
Best month Worst month Winter (Dec–Feb) Other months

Winter output: 48.2% 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 42 kWh per month; the average month produces around 87 kWh. So a typical 4 kW home system would generate roughly 167 kWh in winter, or 348 kWh in an average month.

Your Area at a Glance

Your Electricity Rate
26.39p/kWh
Daily Fixed Charge
57.89p/day
Local Sunshine
1043kWh/kW
A 1 kW system generates ~1043 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: 51% • Flats: 37% • Bungalows: 9% Based on 9,876 properties

Coverage

Torbay (100%)

Areas Covered

Tormohun, Barton with Watcombe, Cockington with Chelston, Shiphay, St Marychurch, Kerswell-with-Combe, Ellacombe

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 Western

TQ1 (Torbay)
≈1.3 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,016 kWh/kWp · -3% vs TQ2
TQ3 (Torbay)
≈4.0 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,044 kWh/kWp · +0% vs TQ2
TQ4 (Torbay)
≈5.3 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,058 kWh/kWp · +1% vs TQ2
TQ12 (Teignbridge)
≈7.5 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,048 kWh/kWp · +1% vs TQ2
TQ14 (Teignbridge)
≈9.0 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,011 kWh/kWp · -3% vs TQ2
TQ5 (Torbay)
≈9.0 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,075 kWh/kWp · +3% vs TQ2

Similar sunshine across the UK

CF61 (Vale of Glamorgan)
~1,043 kWh/kWp · +0% vs TQ2
SO30 (Eastleigh)
~1,043 kWh/kWp · +0% vs TQ2
IP8 (Babergh)
~1,042 kWh/kWp · -0% vs TQ2