How Much Does A Solar PV Installation Cost?
One of the first questions you might ask and research when looking around for Solar PV, Battery and Charger options is cost, for good reason.
Price matters. We know that it’s not the only consideration, but it is important.
It is never easy to answer this question, as over 10 years worth of installing solar none of the installations have been the same. The variation in the design is personalised depending on lots of factors (roof tiles, angles, efficiency, space, technology and manufacturing availability at the point of installation) and options that you might want to consider, like in-roof mounting and all-black panels.
Please keep in mind, that prices that we share throughout this or anywhere else on the website are all estimates. You might find prices a lot lower, like on comparison sites or if you were to search ‘how much is solar PV’ online. In our experience, anything under £9,000 for a system isn’t including all the intricacies of a project.
How much does Solar Installation cost?
For most solar installations, you are looking at around £9,000 to £13,000, which would include the materials and labour, adding in Solar Batteries can increase this by £1,000 to £4,000. As with any other project you might undertake at home, the price range can increase as you add more options. We’ve installed systems on homes that have reached the £30,000 mark, although these tend to be a lot more complicated and have high generation targets.
In its basic form, every installation that we carry out includes the
- materials for generation from panels through to cable
- scaffolding and safety equipment
- Labour, and
- providing you with warranties and certificates.
Perhaps a few real-world examples would also help to understand the cost. Here you can see what two very different systems look like, what they could generate and payback.
| £9,000 System | £22,000 System | |
|---|---|---|
| System Size | 5.16kWp | 8.6kWp |
| Estimated Annual Generation | 4,055kWh | 8,316kWh |
| Solar Panels | 12 x 430W | 20 x 420W |
| Inverter | 5kW Solis Hybrid (allowing for batters at a later date) | 5kW Myenergi Libbi with 3.5kW Solis Single Phase |
| Batteries | None (but could be added) | 2 x 5kW Myenergi Solar Batteries |
| Car Charger | Not included. | 7kW Tethered Myenergi Zappi |
| Blackout Protection | Not included (battery installation required) | Dedicated circuit wired. |
| Cost per kWp | £1,744 | £2,558 |
| Estimated Payback Term | 9.8 Years | 11.7 Years* |
*This is based on annual generation and does NOT include savings made from the battery.
Other differences that affected the cost …
In these particular cases, the higher installation costs were incurred not only because of the larger system, with the more expensive Myenergi products (see our Article : Myenergi and Why We Use Them) but also:
- The scaffolding costs were higher as the installation was over two separate roof areas.
- The chimney overshadowed an area where two of the panels would sit, so additional optimisers were needed to ensure that the system was as efficient as possible.
- The property wiring was outdated and needed some upgrades, to include new circuits for the Solar Array and the Car Charger.
Payback Periods are interesting ….
What is interesting, is payback terms tend to be in a similar range regardless of what is installed, somewhere between 10 and 12 years* and this is based on todays unit costs, when in reality unit prices are fluctuating all the time, and will never be as low as they were again.
The larger system design would also likely payback much quicker than the estimated 11.7 years. Because of the Solar Batteries and Car Chargers, which can benefit from further savings, when the system is managed right, such as:
- Savings from the energy stored in the Solar Battery, OR
- Reduced off-peak tariffs available when you have a Car Charger, and even more so when you fill the Solar Batteries from Grid at this low rate in the Winter.
To understand a bit more you can read our Case Study of our own property, to see how we use the generated electricity to make the most saving – Case Study : How We Are Reducing Our Payback Term.
In conclusion, there is a lot of importance to be put on price for a Solar Installation, but we believe there is a lot to also be gained by understanding that decisions aren’t always best made on price.
