The short answer for Birmingham: a 4kW south-facing system in Birmingham generates about 3,870 kWh a year on the EU's PVGIS model — about 5% less than London. Installed prices for that size run roughly £6,600–£7,800 on the government's 2025/26 cost data, and at October–December 2026 West Midlands electricity prices (25.60p/kWh) it is worth roughly £700 a year without a battery, or £800 if a battery lets you use most of it yourself.
Birmingham is a city of semis and terraces with more owner-occupiers than most big cities, so most enquiries here are for a 3–4kW system on a hipped or terraced roof. The sections below show what that roof is likely to produce and cost.
How much a solar panel system generates in Birmingham
The table uses the European Commission's PVGIS tool for Birmingham: crystalline panels at a 35° pitch, with PVGIS's standard 14% allowance for system losses and the local horizon. Your installer's MCS estimate will differ a little because MCS uses its own irradiance tables and your actual pitch and shading, but the gap between places and orientations is what matters here.
| Roof faces | Per kW | 3kW system | 4kW system | 6kW system |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| South | 968 kWh | 2,900 kWh | 3,870 kWh | 5,810 kWh |
| East | 775 kWh | 2,330 kWh | 3,100 kWh | 4,650 kWh |
| West | 757 kWh | 2,270 kWh | 3,030 kWh | 4,540 kWh |
Annual output, PVGIS 5.3 (SARAH3 satellite data, 2005–2023) for Birmingham, fetched 23 September 2026. Actual output varies year to year.
Of the 8 areas we cover, Birmingham ranks fifth for south-facing yield (Cornwall is highest at 1,066 kWh per kW, Manchester lowest at 886). The seasons matter as much as the location: in December a 4kW system here makes about 132 kWh for the whole month, against 468 kWh in June — which is why a battery is mostly a summer and shoulder-season tool, and why nobody should promise you winter bills near zero.
Birmingham sits in the middle of the pack: slightly less sun than the south coast, noticeably more than the North West. East- and west-facing roofs still produce about four-fifths of a south-facing one here, which matters because many of the city's terraces run east–west, leaving one slope facing each way. Splitting panels across both slopes (with optimisers or two inverter inputs) is common and perfectly workable.
What solar costs and saves in Birmingham
There is no separate "Birmingham price" for solar — installers price by system size, roof and access — so the fairest benchmark is the government's own cost series. Across domestic installations registered with MCS between April 2025 and March 2026, the average installed cost was £1,955 per kW for systems up to 4kW and £1,645 per kW for 4–10kW, VAT included and batteries excluded.
| System | Output in Birmingham | Typical installed price | Year-one value, no battery | Simple payback |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3kW | 2,900 kWh | £4,900–£5,900 | £500 | 10–12 years |
| 4kW | 3,870 kWh | £6,600–£7,800 | £700 | 10–12 years |
| 6kW | 5,810 kWh | £9,900–£11,700 | £1,000 | 10–12 years |
Price range: DESNZ Solar PV cost data (published 28 May 2026), each size priced between the 4–10kW average (£1,645/kW) and the up-to-4kW average (£1,955/kW); bigger systems tend towards the lower figure per kW. Value: south-facing PVGIS output, 40% used in the home at the West Midlands price-cap unit rate of 25.60p/kWh (1 October to 31 December 2026), the rest exported at 12p/kWh (the 12p rate several large suppliers pay their own import customers in September 2026). Payback ignores panel degradation, future price changes and inverter replacement.
Two things move those numbers more than anything about Birmingham itself. First, how much you use yourself: every unit you use saves 25.60p, every unit you export earns only what your export tariff pays — 12p in this illustration. Our illustration assumes you use 40% without a battery; with a battery taking that to around 70%, the same 4kW system is worth about £800 a year — but the battery adds several thousand pounds, so price it as its own line and judge it on its own payback (battery storage guide). Second, the export tariff: rates are set by suppliers, not Ofgem, and range widely — see the solar payback guide for current examples.
VAT on solar panels and batteries installed in homes is 0% until 31 March 2027 (how the relief works), so a quote that adds 20% VAT to a domestic install is wrong.
Local group-buying: Birmingham City Council has run a Switch Together Birmingham group-buying scheme for solar panels and batteries in 2026, with installations "planned to be completed by the end of December 2026" (council page). Check the council page for whether registration is still open; a group-buy price is a useful benchmark for any quote.
Birmingham homes and what they mean for your roof
Census 2021 counted 423,455 households in Birmingham: 35.6% semi-detached, 27.8% terraced, 11.2% detached and 25.4% flats or maisonettes, with 52.7% owner-occupied and 22.6% privately rented (England and Wales: 61.6% owned).
Semi-detached houses are the single biggest group in Birmingham. Many of the city's interwar semis have hipped roofs, where the sloping ends cut the rectangular space available on the main slope; that usually limits the system to around 8–10 panels unless the rear slope or a dormer is also used, so expect quotes in the 3–4kW range rather than 6kW. On Victorian and Edwardian terraces the rear outrigger roof is often shaded by its neighbours for part of the day — ask the surveyor to show you the shading assessment for it rather than assuming it adds output.
A quarter of Birmingham households live in flats. Panels on a block need the freeholder's or management company's agreement and usually a shared arrangement for the output, so an individual leaseholder is rarely able to go ahead alone. Private renters need the landlord to commission the work.
Planning permission in Birmingham
For houses in England, roof-mounted solar is permitted development — no planning application — as long as the panels stand no more than 20cm proud of the roof slope and don't rise above the highest part of the roof. The main exceptions are listed buildings (which need listed building consent), panels mounted on a wall that faces a road in a conservation area, and properties where the council has removed permitted development rights with an Article 4 direction. Blocks of flats have their own, similar permitted development rules, but panels on a shared roof still need the freeholder's consent. The rules were last amended on 27 August 2026.
Birmingham City Council lists 29 conservation areas (council list). Eleven of them — including Moseley, Bournville Village, Moor Pool, part of Edgbaston, Old Yardley and Selly Park — also have Article 4 directions, under which the council says "even minor residential alterations, for example constructing a porch replacing windows or re-roofing, will require planning permission" (council guidance). Solar isn't named, so if your house is in one of those areas, ask the council before you commit.
Connecting to the grid: National Grid Electricity Distribution (West Midlands)
Birmingham's local electricity network is run by National Grid Electricity Distribution, which covers the West Midlands licence area. It is the organisation your installer notifies or applies to for the grid connection — you don't need to contact it yourself, and your electricity supplier is a separate company.
For a typical home system the installer handles this. A single-phase installation up to 3.68kW of inverter capacity (16 amps per phase) is connected under the G98 process and the network operator is notified within 28 days of commissioning. Anything larger — including a bigger system, or panels plus a battery whose combined inverter capacity passes that limit — goes through G99, which needs the network operator's approval before installation and can add weeks. Ask your installer which route your design needs and whether an export limit is being applied.
Getting a quote in Birmingham
Tell us about your home
Postcode, property type and how you'd pay. Two minutes.
We pass it to one installer
If an accredited (MCS-certified) installer covers your area, we'll pass your enquiry to them, and only them. They can arrange a roof survey and quote.
Judge the quote
Check it against the figures on this page. If it's out of range, you can say no. No obligation at any stage.
How your enquiry is handled
- One installer introduction, fulfilling your request. If an accredited (MCS-certified) installer covers your area, we'll pass your enquiry to them, and only them — not a list of companies.
- No obligation, at any stage. You can say no at any point, including after the survey or the quote, and owe nothing.
- It costs you nothing. An installer may pay Great British Energy a referral fee if you go ahead, and that fee does not change your price.
- We are an independent guide, not an installer. Great British Energy Guide doesn't install anything and isn't the government body of a similar name. Your consent is recorded with the enquiry, as set out in our privacy policy.
Get your solar quote in Birmingham
One MCS-certified installer who covers your postcode. Nothing is shared until you submit.
What the quote should show
- The installer's MCS certificate number — needed for a Smart Export Guarantee tariff — and their consumer code (RECC or HIES).
- Named panel and inverter make and model, with quantities, and the MCS performance estimate for your roof in kWh a year. Every saving quoted to you should come from that estimate.
- Scaffolding stated as included or excluded, and any battery priced as a separate line.
- No VAT added on a home installation (0% until 31 March 2027), warranty terms split out, and, if financed, the total repayable next to the cash price.
The full checklist is on the solar quotes page.
Questions from Birmingham homeowners
Is Birmingham sunny enough for solar panels?
Yes. On PVGIS data a south-facing roof in Birmingham produces about 95% of what the same roof would in London, and east- or west-facing roofs still make roughly 80% of that. The economics depend far more on how much of the output you use yourself than on the city.
How many panels fit on a Birmingham semi?
It depends on the roof shape. A gable-ended semi can often take 10–12 panels on one slope; a hipped roof, common on interwar semis, usually takes fewer because the sloping ends cut into the usable area. The surveyor should give you a roof layout drawing with the quote.
Do I need to tell the council?
Usually not — roof-mounted panels on a house are normally permitted development. Check first if the house is listed, is in a conservation area with an Article 4 direction, or if you want panels on a wall facing the road. The planning section above links to the council's guidance.
Can I get solar funded in Birmingham instead?
Only in narrow cases — lower-income households in less efficient homes, usually through council-run schemes. This page is for people paying or financing. For funded routes, see the Birmingham energy grants page.
Other areas
- Solar in Newcastle
- Solar in Manchester
- Solar in Bristol
- Solar in Sheffield
- Solar in Doncaster
- Solar in Nottingham
- Solar in Cornwall
Heat pump pages: Birmingham, Bristol, Newcastle, Nottingham, Sheffield, Doncaster, and all heat pump quotes.
Sources
- European Commission JRC, PVGIS 5.3 — grid-connected PV, Birmingham, 1kWp crystalline silicon, 35° slope, 14% system loss, south/east/west, SARAH3 2005–2023; queried 23 September 2026.
- Office for National Statistics, Census 2021 tables TS044 (accommodation type), TS046 (central heating), TS050 (bedrooms) and TS054 (tenure), local authority level, via Nomis.
- DESNZ, Solar PV cost data, updated 28 May 2026 — domestic, mean cost per kW, Total Installed Capacity basis, 2025/26 (Official Statistics in development).
- Ofgem, Changes to energy price cap between 1 October and 31 December 2026 (26 August 2026) and regional unit rates and standing charges; electricity at 0% VAT from 1 October 2026 to 31 March 2027 (HMRC).
- Ofgem, Smart Export Guarantee: tariffs must be above zero; suppliers with 150,000+ domestic customers must offer one. Supplier export rates checked on supplier websites, 23 September 2026.
- HMRC, VAT Notice 708/6: 0% on installing energy-saving materials in homes, 1 May 2023 to 31 March 2027.
- Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (England) Order 2015, Schedule 2 Part 14 Class A, as amended to 27 August 2026.
- Network connection thresholds (G98 up to 16A per phase — 3.68kW single-phase; larger systems G99): SP Electricity North West; find your operator via the Energy Networks Association.
- Birmingham City Council, conservation areas and Article 4 directions; Switch Together Birmingham (checked 23 September 2026).