Solar Panels UK: Cost, Savings & Best Panels for 2026

As a rough guide for a fully installed system with 0% VAT: a 3kW system costs around £5,700 to £7,000, a 4kW system £6,600 to £8,500, a 5kW system £8,300 to £10,200, and a 6kW system £10,000 to £12,460. Adding a battery typically costs a further £3,000 to £6,500. Prices vary by installer, roof complexity, and panel brand.

For most UK homeowners, yes. A typical 4kW system saves around £600 a year on electricity bills plus Smart Export Guarantee income, paying for itself in roughly 11 to 13 years against a 25-year-plus panel lifespan. Homes with high daytime usage, a south or east-west facing roof, and a battery see the strongest returns. Even north-facing and Scottish installs remain viable.

Get two or three quotes from MCS-certified installers, which is required to qualify for the Smart Export Guarantee. Compare the panel and inverter brands, the warranty length, and whether a battery is included. Sign a single supply-and-install contract so the whole job qualifies for 0% VAT. Select your county on this page to find local installers and request free quotes.

Cornwall leads with a solar yield of around 1,039 kWh/kWp per year, followed by the Isle of Wight, East Sussex, and West Sussex. However, even the lowest-ranked UK regions exceed 750 kWh/kWp, making solar panels a worthwhile investment everywhere in the UK.

A typical 3-4kWp residential system costs £6,600-£8,500 including 0% VAT. Prices are broadly similar across the UK, though installation costs may vary slightly by region. The system pays for itself in 11-13 years through electricity savings and Smart Export Guarantee income.

Yes. While southern England has higher solar yields, Scotland and northern England still achieve 750-900 kWh/kWp. Longer summer daylight hours at higher latitudes partially offset the lower sun angle. Cooler temperatures also improve panel efficiency.

Select your county from the list on this page to see local solar yield data, estimated savings, and a directory of MCS-certified installers serving your area. You can request free, no-obligation quotes from multiple installers to compare pricing and equipment.

Solar panels (also called solar PV or photovoltaic panels) are flat rectangular modules that convert sunlight into electricity. A typical residential panel produces 420 to 460 watts and measures 1.7m by 1.1m. They are installed on roofs and connected via an inverter to your home's electrical system.

Solar panels generate free electricity from sunlight during daylight hours. The electricity powers your home directly, charges a battery if you have one, or exports to the grid for an SEG payment of around 13p/kWh (up to 15p on the best tariffs). Over 25 years, a typical 4kW system saves £15,000 to £18,000.

There is no difference, solar PV is short for solar photovoltaic. PV stands for photovoltaic, meaning 'producing electricity from light'. Solar PV panels, solar photovoltaic panels, and solar electric panels all describe the same technology that generates electricity from sunlight (as distinct from solar thermal panels which heat water).

Residential solar panels are PV modules sized and certified for use on UK homes, typically 420 to 460W per panel, MCS-certified, and arranged in 8 to 16 panel arrays giving 3.5 to 7kW total. They qualify for 0% VAT until March 2027 and SEG export payments. The same technology is used for domestic, residential, and home solar, the terms are interchangeable.

The panels themselves are usually the same, same brands, same wattage, same warranties. The difference is install scale (domestic 3 to 7kW; commercial 50kW to 1MW), VAT (0% domestic, 20% commercial reclaimable), and tax treatment (commercial gets capital allowances). For UK homes, 'domestic' and 'residential' solar mean the same thing.