How much do solar panels cost in the UK?
Priced June 2026
A typical UK home solar system costs £5,000 (3kW) to £17,000 (10kW). The most common 4kW system is £6,000–£8,000 installed — at 0% VAT.
Below: the full price by size, what each component costs, and how region changes the maths. Every figure is sourced and refreshed monthly.
Solar pricing in the UK is unusually opaque because most "cost" pages are published by companies selling installations or selling your details to ones that do. We sell neither. The figures here come from public datasets (DESNZ, MCS) and aggregated installer pricing, and 0% VAT applies on residential solar and batteries until 31 March 2027.
Solar panel cost by system size
System size — measured in kilowatts (kW) — is the biggest single price driver. Larger systems cost more in total but less per kW, because fixed costs (scaffolding, inverter, certification) are spread across more panels.
| System | Low | Typical | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3kW | £5,000 | £5,500 | £6,500 |
| 4kW | £6,000 | £7,000 | £8,000 |
| 5kW | £7,500 | £8,500 | £9,800 |
| 6kW | £9,000 | £10,000 | £11,500 |
| 8kW | £11,000 | £12,500 | £14,500 |
| 10kW | £13,000 | £15,000 | £17,000 |
| System | Panels | Typical cost | Annual output | Payback |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3kW | 7 | £5,000–£6,500 | 2,550 kWh | 8–12 yrs |
| 4kW | 10 | £6,000–£8,000 | 3,400 kWh | 8–12 yrs |
| 5kW | 12 | £7,500–£9,800 | 4,250 kWh | 8–12 yrs |
| 6kW | 14 | £9,000–£11,500 | 5,100 kWh | 9–13 yrs |
| 8kW | 18 | £11,000–£14,500 | 6,800 kWh | 9–13 yrs |
| 10kW | 23 | £13,000–£17,000 | 8,500 kWh | 9–14 yrs |
The 4kW system is the UK benchmark: around 10 panels, ~3,400 kWh a year, suitable for an average 2–3 bedroom home. Households with an EV or heat pump typically size up to 6–10kW. See cost by property type →
Detailed cost guide for each size: 3kW system cost · 4kW system cost · 5kW system cost · 6kW system cost · 8kW system cost · 10kW system cost.
What's actually in the price?
On a typical 4kW install the panels are under half the total. The rest is the inverter, mounting and scaffolding, certified labour, and the MCS paperwork that makes your system eligible for the Smart Export Guarantee.
| Component | Cost | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Panels | £3,200 | 46% |
| Inverter | £900 | 13% |
| Mounting & scaffolding | £800 | 11% |
| Installation labour | £1,300 | 19% |
| Certification & admin | £800 | 11% |
Solar panel cost by number of bedrooms
Most people search by house size, so here is the size-to-price translation (typical usage assumed; your bill matters more than your bedroom count):
| House | Typical system | Installed cost | Annual output |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2-bed house | 3kW (7 panels) | £5,000–£6,500 | ~2,550 kWh |
| 3-bed house | 4kW (10 panels) | £6,000–£8,000 | ~3,400 kWh |
| 4-bed house | 5–6kW (12–14 panels) | £7,500–£11,500 | ~4,250–5,100 kWh |
| 5-bed house | 8kW+ (18+ panels) | £11,000–£14,500 | ~6,800+ kWh |
Why published average costs disagree
You will see credible sources quote very different averages — the Energy Saving Trust around £6,100, comparison sites near £8,000, and installer guides at £8,300+. None are wrong: they assume different system sizes, some include a battery or scaffolding and some do not, and some data is a year older than it looks. That is why every figure on this page carries a priced-at date, and why the fairest comparison is always price per kW on an itemised quote — not a headline average.
Does where you live change the cost?
Yes — but less than you'd think. Install costs run a little higher in London and the South East (access, scaffolding, labour) and lower in the North and Scotland. But the sunnier south also generates more, so payback nets out broadly similar nationwide.
| Region | Annual yield (kWh/kWp) | Install cost | Typical payback |
|---|---|---|---|
| South East | 1000 | Higher | 8–11 yrs |
| South West | 990 | Average | 8–11 yrs |
| London | 980 | Highest | 9–12 yrs |
| East of England | 970 | Average | 8–11 yrs |
| Midlands | 920 | Average | 9–12 yrs |
| Wales | 900 | Average | 9–12 yrs |
| North West | 870 | Lower | 9–13 yrs |
| North East & Yorkshire | 860 | Lower | 9–13 yrs |
| Scotland | 800 | Lower | 10–14 yrs |
Does a battery change the cost?
A home battery adds roughly £4,000–£8,000 depending on capacity. It doesn't generate anything — it stores your own solar so you import less in the evening — so it raises self-consumption from ~35% to ~70% but lengthens payback slightly. See battery storage costs →
Work out your own number
Averages only get you so far. Our free, no-email solar cost calculator uses your system size, electricity use and tariff to estimate your upfront cost, annual saving and payback period. And if you need the benchmark figures themselves — for a story, a report or a sanity-check — the UK Solar Price Index publishes this page's data as a dated, citable, downloadable dataset.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a 4kW solar system cost in the UK?
A 4kW system (about 10 panels) typically costs £6,000–£8,000 installed in 2026, with 0% VAT until 31 March 2027. It is the most common size for a 2–3 bedroom home.
How much does one solar panel cost?
A single ~440W panel costs roughly £150–£250 for the panel itself, but you cannot install just one economically — the inverter, scaffolding and certification are largely fixed costs, so price per panel falls sharply as the system grows.
Why do solar quotes vary so much?
Roof complexity, scaffolding access, panel and inverter brand, whether a battery is included, and installer overheads all move the price. Always get at least three MCS-certified quotes and compare like-for-like kW and equipment.
How much do solar panels cost for a 3-bedroom house?
A 3-bedroom house typically needs a 4kW system costing £6,000–£8,000 installed at 0% VAT (June 2026) — about 10 panels producing ~3,400 kWh a year.
Is the cost cheaper in some parts of the UK?
Install costs are a little higher in London and the South East and lower in the North and Scotland, but sunnier regions generate more, so payback nets out broadly similar across the country.