How much do solar panels cost?

Solar panels could reduce your bills and even earn money by generating electricity you can sell back to your energy company.

But the average solar panel system of 3.5kWp will cost around £7,000 to install, according to estimates from the Energy Saving Trust.

The exact cost will vary, depending on the size of your home and how much electricity you want to produce. See how much you can expect to pay.

Find out: are solar panels worth it? 

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Solar panels cost

Solar panel systems on homes are typically up to 4kWp. A system of this size can generate more than 3,000kWh per year. 

For comparison, a home using a 'medium' amount of electricity gets through 2,700kWh a year on average, according to energy regulator Ofgem. A 'high' user takes 4,100kWh a year.  

The cost of a solar PV system depends on:

• size, including how many panels
• solar panel type
• type of building they'll be fitted on
• quality of the inverter and other components
• installation and labour
• additional costs such as necessary upgrades to your home's electrics and solar monitoring systems.

We’ve worked with the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) to find out the average prices for various sizes of solar PV systems. 

The tables below reveal how much you should expect to pay for the supply and installation of a new, typical standard design solar PV system, including all fixings, inverter and control system. These prices don't include solar panel battery storage.

Only logged-in Which? members can view the prices. If you’re not a member, join Which? to get instant access to this, plus our solar panel brand reviews.

Solar panel cost by system size

Solar panel costs by electricity generation

The more electricity the system can generate, the greater the savings on your electricity bill can be – but the bigger the initial cost.

It’s important your system is sized correctly for your household’s electricity use, so you don’t overpay. 

If you're not sure what size system is appropriate for your home, we’ve also listed prices you should expect to pay based on your annual electricity use. You can find this on your annual energy statement or in your online account.

Solar panel cost by electricity use

Solar panels generate most of their electricity during the day, so you may not be around to use it (unless you fit a home storage battery too). So you'll still need to buy electricity from the grid, especially on dark winter evenings. 

Battery storage lets you bank electricity generated by your solar panels until you need it. But batteries are expensive so it will take longer for your system to pay for itself. Find out more about solar panels and battery storage. The cost of a battery is not included in the prices above.

The solar energy you don't use is sent to the National Grid. You can sign up for a tariff called the Smart Export Guarantee (SEG) to be paid for your excess electricity. You won't get paid for it automatically. To qualify you'll need to:

• sign up with an energy company to receive its Smart Export Guarantee tariff
• have a solar PV system installed by a registered MCS (Microgeneration Certification Scheme) installer.

SEG rates are often less than what you pay for electricity, so it's worth shopping around.

Find out more: the Smart Export Guarantee explained.

Solar panel installation costs

Quotes for solar panel installation typically include the cost of labour. More complex installations are costlier as they take longer and require more work and potentially more specialist hardware.

Examples of more complicated installations include:

• where structural upgrades are necessary so the roof can support the panels
• challenging roof layout, including if it's difficult to access
• where the roof materials (e.g. tiles or slates) need replacing.

You can expect to pay between £300-£500 per person per day for labour to install your solar panel system, according to the Federation of Master Builders. Rates vary depending on where you live.

How to get a quote for solar panels

All the prices above are averages. You'll need to get quotes from solar panel companies to find out what it would cost to meet your specific requirements. 

We'd suggest you get at least three quotes, to allow you to compare prices for your specific system and home.

Use our Which? Trusted Traders search tool below to find local solar panel experts near you for quotes and installation.

Are solar panels getting cheaper?

Solar panel prices have increased over the past few years. The cost of a small scale solar installation (0-4kW) increased 26% from 2021/22 to 2022/23, according to data from the government department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) published in May 2023. 

This was driven by inflation impacting on material and labour costs, as well as increased demand for solar installations, DESNZ explained. 

The mean average cost per kilowatt of a small solar PV installation (0-4kW) is above £2,000 for the first time since these records began in 2013/14.

Prices for larger solar installations (4-10kW) increased even more dramatically - by 31% since 2021/22.

When are solar panels cheapest?

Prices vary during the year. For example, between April 2022 and March 2023, prices per kW were highest in January, February and March 2023 and lowest in April, May and June 2022, according to DESNZ data. 

This doesn't mean solar panels are always cheaper in spring however, as factors beyond seasonality can impact prices.

We recommend you get three quotes before you buy, so you have a good idea of the going rate for your installation.

Solar panel cost calculations

To calculate average purchase and installation costs by system size and electricity needs, the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) analyses costs from sources including surveys, online quotes and retailer pricing information. It combines these with quotes from specialist subcontractors to give the most accurate average prices.

The prices include everything necessary to carry out the installation, including materials, labour, preliminary work, contractor costs, VAT and profit. 

Materials costs are based on national average best trade prices and represent typical prices in autumn 2023. Labour rates are based on current industry wage agreements and allowances. Both are affected by the current economic climate and industry pressures. 

 Data copyright RICS 2023 and reproduced with permission. Prices were correct in December 2023.