Independent solar numbers for your postcode using official UK data
Home Regions Guides Compare quotes Solar assistant
Insights
Big Roof Britain Solar Payback Index Standing Charge Drag Roof Direction Penalty Winter Solar Reality Seasonal Solar Output

Solar panel cost in Torbay (TQ4)

See realistic solar installation costs, savings and payback for TQ4 (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
9.3 years
After this, it's pure profit
Upfront Cost
£9,767
What you pay to get started
Annual Benefit
£1,051
What you save every year
Profit Over 25 Years
£16,504
After paying itself off, you're this much ahead

Ready to Get Started?

Get your free quote from Blue Ape Renewables. They'll connect you with MCS-certified installers in your area and handle all the paperwork.

Get Solar Quote →
4.8★ Trustpilot • Octopus Energy trusted partner • MCS certified • No obligation
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 1058 kWh/kW — 44 above the regional median (1013).

Read the full story

A typical roof here lands around 6.0 kW, with most eligible homes comfortably fitting within 3–6 kW. Each kilowatt of panels produces roughly 1058 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)
1058 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: £876, Upfront: £8,139, Break-even: 9.3 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2116 kWh 846 kWh 1269 kWh £223 £127 £350 £3,256 9.3 yrs £3,750
3 kW 3174 kWh 1269 kWh 1904 kWh £335 £190 £525 £4,883 9.3 yrs £5,625
4 kW 4231 kWh 1693 kWh 2539 kWh £447 £254 £701 £6,511 9.3 yrs £7,500
5 kW 5289 kWh 2116 kWh 3174 kWh £558 £317 £876 £8,139 9.3 yrs £9,375
6 kW 6347 kWh 2539 kWh 3808 kWh £670 £381 £1,051 £9,767 9.3 yrs £11,250
7 kW 7405 kWh 2962 kWh 4443 kWh £782 £444 £1,226 £11,394 9.3 yrs £13,125
8 kW 8463 kWh 3385 kWh 5078 kWh £893 £508 £1,401 £13,022 9.3 yrs £15,000

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: £1,049, Upfront: £10,239, Break-even: 9.8 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2116 kWh 1269 kWh 846 kWh £335 £85 £420 £5,356 12.8 yrs £3,037
3 kW 3174 kWh 1904 kWh 1269 kWh £502 £127 £629 £6,983 11.1 yrs £5,606
4 kW 4231 kWh 2539 kWh 1693 kWh £670 £169 £839 £8,611 10.3 yrs £8,174
5 kW 5289 kWh 3174 kWh 2116 kWh £837 £212 £1,049 £10,239 9.8 yrs £10,743
6 kW 6347 kWh 3808 kWh 2539 kWh £1,005 £254 £1,259 £11,867 9.4 yrs £13,311
7 kW 7405 kWh 4443 kWh 2962 kWh £1,172 £296 £1,469 £13,494 9.2 yrs £15,880
8 kW 8463 kWh 5078 kWh 3385 kWh £1,340 £339 £1,679 £15,122 9.0 yrs £18,448

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: £1,136, Upfront: £11,639, Break-even: 10.2 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2116 kWh 1481 kWh 635 kWh £391 £63 £454 £6,756 14.9 yrs £2,331
3 kW 3174 kWh 2221 kWh 952 kWh £586 £95 £681 £8,383 12.3 yrs £5,246
4 kW 4231 kWh 2962 kWh 1269 kWh £782 £127 £909 £10,011 11.0 yrs £8,161
5 kW 5289 kWh 3702 kWh 1587 kWh £977 £159 £1,136 £11,639 10.2 yrs £11,076
6 kW 6347 kWh 4443 kWh 1904 kWh £1,172 £190 £1,363 £13,267 9.7 yrs £13,992
7 kW 7405 kWh 5183 kWh 2221 kWh £1,368 £222 £1,590 £14,894 9.4 yrs £16,907
8 kW 8463 kWh 5924 kWh 2539 kWh £1,563 £254 £1,817 £16,522 9.1 yrs £19,822

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: £1,162, Upfront: £13,389, Break-even: 11.5 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2116 kWh 1544 kWh 571 kWh £408 £57 £465 £8,506 18.3 yrs £789
3 kW 3174 kWh 2317 kWh 857 kWh £611 £86 £697 £10,133 14.5 yrs £3,808
4 kW 4231 kWh 3089 kWh 1142 kWh £815 £114 £929 £11,761 12.7 yrs £6,827
5 kW 5289 kWh 3861 kWh 1428 kWh £1,019 £143 £1,162 £13,389 11.5 yrs £9,847
6 kW 6347 kWh 4633 kWh 1714 kWh £1,223 £171 £1,394 £15,017 10.8 yrs £12,866
7 kW 7405 kWh 5406 kWh 1999 kWh £1,427 £200 £1,626 £16,644 10.2 yrs £15,885
8 kW 8463 kWh 6178 kWh 2285 kWh £1,630 £228 £1,859 £18,272 9.8 yrs £18,904

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: £1,179, Upfront: £15,139, Break-even: 12.8 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2116 kWh 1587 kWh 529 kWh £419 £53 £472 £10,256 21.7 yrs £-823
3 kW 3174 kWh 2380 kWh 793 kWh £628 £79 £707 £11,883 16.8 yrs £2,266
4 kW 4231 kWh 3174 kWh 1058 kWh £837 £106 £943 £13,511 14.3 yrs £5,355
5 kW 5289 kWh 3967 kWh 1322 kWh £1,047 £132 £1,179 £15,139 12.8 yrs £8,443
6 kW 6347 kWh 4760 kWh 1587 kWh £1,256 £159 £1,415 £16,767 11.8 yrs £11,532
7 kW 7405 kWh 5554 kWh 1851 kWh £1,466 £185 £1,651 £18,394 11.1 yrs £14,621
8 kW 8463 kWh 6347 kWh 2116 kWh £1,675 £212 £1,887 £20,022 10.6 yrs £17,709

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: £1,196, Upfront: £17,589, Break-even: 14.7 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2116 kWh 1629 kWh 487 kWh £430 £49 £479 £12,706 26.5 yrs £-3,134
3 kW 3174 kWh 2444 kWh 730 kWh £645 £73 £718 £14,333 20.0 yrs £24
4 kW 4231 kWh 3258 kWh 973 kWh £860 £97 £957 £15,961 16.7 yrs £3,182
5 kW 5289 kWh 4073 kWh 1217 kWh £1,075 £122 £1,196 £17,589 14.7 yrs £6,340
6 kW 6347 kWh 4887 kWh 1460 kWh £1,290 £146 £1,436 £19,217 13.4 yrs £9,498
7 kW 7405 kWh 5702 kWh 1703 kWh £1,505 £170 £1,675 £20,844 12.4 yrs £12,656
8 kW 8463 kWh 6516 kWh 1946 kWh £1,720 £195 £1,914 £22,472 11.7 yrs £15,814

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

New quote check

Want a quote sanity check for TQ4?

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.

Request a quote sanity check →

Insights for TQ4

Figures below are tailored to TQ4 — click through for full league tables.

Big-Roof Britain Rank #1071 of 2182
5.0 kWp (UK avg 5.1 kWp)
~10 panels (≈430 W)
Solar Payback Index Rank #217 of 2996
9.3 years (UK avg 10.8 years)
~£1,051 /yr • £9,767 upfront
Standing-Charge Drag Rank #602 of 2996
20.1% (UK avg 26.6%) drag on savings
£211 fixed • ~£1,051 /yr value
Aspect Penalty View ranking →
East −19.4% West −21.0%
Typical output loss versus a south-facing roof (lower is better)

Seasonal solar output in TQ4

Monthly generation per kilowatt of solar panels

kWh 39 Jan 53 Feb 89 Mar 121 Apr 130 May 131 Jun 129 Jul 118 Aug 98 Sep 67 Oct 46 Nov 35 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 88 kWh. So a typical 4 kW home system would generate roughly 170 kWh in winter, or 353 kWh in an average month.

Your Area at a Glance

Your Electricity Rate
26.39p/kWh
Daily Fixed Charge
57.89p/day
Local Sunshine
1058kWh/kW
A 1 kW system generates ~1058 kWh per year. A typical home uses ~2,700 kWh per year.
Typical System Size
6.0kW
For houses & bungalows in this area

Local Property Data

Property Types

Houses: 47% • Flats: 35% • Bungalows: 15% Based on 6,370 properties

Coverage

Torbay (100%)

Areas Covered

Roundham with Hyde, Goodrington with Roselands, Churston with Galmpton, Collaton St Mary, Clifton with Maidenway

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

TQ3 (Torbay)
≈1.6 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,044 kWh/kWp · -1% vs TQ4
TQ5 (Torbay)
≈5.2 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,075 kWh/kWp · +2% vs TQ4
TQ2 (Torbay)
≈5.3 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,043 kWh/kWp · -1% vs TQ4
TQ1 (Torbay)
≈5.9 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,016 kWh/kWp · -4% vs TQ4
TQ9 (South Hams)
≈8.4 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,058 kWh/kWp · -0% vs TQ4
TQ6 (South Hams)
≈8.7 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,062 kWh/kWp · +0% vs TQ4

Similar sunshine across the UK

ME3 (Medway)
~1,058 kWh/kWp · +0% vs TQ4
PO8 (East Hampshire)
~1,058 kWh/kWp · -0% vs TQ4
NR14 (South Norfolk)
~1,057 kWh/kWp · -0% vs TQ4