The short answer for Derby: a 4kW south-facing system in Derby generates about 3,900 kWh a year on the EU's PVGIS model — about 4% less than London. Installed prices for that size run roughly £6,600–£7,800 on the UK government's 2025/26 cost data, and at October–December 2026 East Midlands electricity prices (25.36p/kWh) it is worth roughly £700 a year without a battery, or £800 if a battery lets you use most of it yourself.
Derby is a city of semis and detached houses, and almost six in ten households own their home, so the typical enquiry is a 3.5–4kW system on a suburban roof. The exceptions are the older streets: ten of the city's conservation areas have extra roof controls, and Darley Abbey sits inside a World Heritage Site.
How much a solar panel system generates in Derby
The table uses the European Commission's PVGIS tool for Derby: 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 | 974 kWh | 2,920 kWh | 3,900 kWh | 5,840 kWh |
| East | 779 kWh | 2,340 kWh | 3,120 kWh | 4,670 kWh |
| West | 760 kWh | 2,280 kWh | 3,040 kWh | 4,560 kWh |
Annual output, PVGIS 5.3 (SARAH3 satellite data, 2005–2023) for Derby, fetched 30 October 2026. Actual output varies year to year.
Of the 25 areas we cover, Derby ranks 14th for south-facing yield (Dorset is highest at 1,126 kWh per kW, Glasgow lowest at 853). The seasons matter as much as the location: in December a 4kW system here makes about 133 kWh for the whole month, against 464 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.
Derby's output per kW is almost identical to Nottingham's and Leicester's, about 4% below London. East- and west-facing roofs make roughly four-fifths of a south-facing one. On the tree-lined roads of the north side of the city, around Darley Abbey and Allestree, mature trees are the usual shading risk; the surveyor's shading assessment is the figure to trust for your roof.
What solar costs and saves in Derby
There is no separate "Derby 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 Derby | Typical installed price | Year-one value, no battery | Simple payback |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3kW | 2,920 kWh | £4,900–£5,900 | £500 | 10–12 years |
| 4kW | 3,900 kWh | £6,600–£7,800 | £700 | 10–12 years |
| 6kW | 5,840 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 East Midlands price-cap unit rate of 25.36p/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 Derby itself. First, how much you use yourself: every unit you use saves 25.36p, 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.
Derby homes and what they mean for your roof
Census 2021 counted 105,652 households in Derby: 39.1% semi-detached, 21.8% terraced, 24.1% detached and 14.7% flats or maisonettes, with 59.0% owner-occupied and 21.3% privately rented (England and Wales: 61.6% owned).
Semi-detached houses are the biggest group in Derby, and almost a quarter of homes are detached, above the England and Wales average. Many of those roofs can take 4kW or more if the main slope faces anywhere from east through south to west and your use justifies it. Derby's Victorian terraces, such as those around the Railway, Arboretum and Little Chester conservation areas, have smaller roofs that usually suit about 3kW, and the rear outrigger is often shaded by its neighbour.
About one in seven Derby households lives in a flat and around one in five rents privately. Flats need the freeholder's agreement, and renters need the landlord to commission the work.
Planning permission in Derby
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.
Derby City Council has designated 16 conservation areas, including the City Centre, Friar Gate, the Railway, Arboretum, Little Chester and Strutt's Park, and the old village centres of Darley Abbey, Mickleover, Spondon, Allestree and Markeaton (council list). In ten of them (Allestree, Arboretum, Darley Abbey, Hartington Street, Highfield Cottages, Little Chester, Markeaton, Mickleover, Spondon and Strutt's Park) Article 4 directions mean "planning permission is required for alterations to doors, windows or roof coverings facing a highway" (council conservation area FAQs). Solar panels aren't named, so if you want panels on a front roof slope in one of those areas, ask the council first.
Darley Abbey and the Silk Mill are part of the Derwent Valley Mills World Heritage Site (Derwent Valley Mills), where, as in a conservation area, panels on a wall facing a road need permission. The Peak District National Park is outside the city, so Derby City Council is the planning authority for every home in Derby. Some DE postcodes further north, such as Bakewell's, are inside the Park, where the Peak District National Park Authority handles planning (Peak District National Park Authority).
Connecting to the grid: National Grid Electricity Distribution (East Midlands)
Derby's local electricity network is run by National Grid Electricity Distribution in its East Midlands licence area. Your installer notifies or applies to it for the connection; 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 Derby
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 Derby
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 Derby homeowners
Is Derby a good place for solar panels?
Yes, for most unshaded roofs. On PVGIS data a south-facing roof in Derby makes about 4% less per kW than one in London, level with Nottingham. The payback table above uses Derby's own output and East Midlands prices.
Do I need planning permission for solar panels in Derby?
Not usually for roof panels on a house. Check first if the house is listed, or in one of the ten conservation areas where Article 4 directions cover roof coverings facing a highway, such as Darley Abbey, Allestree or Mickleover.
Is Derby in the Peak District National Park?
No. The National Park is well north of the city, and Derby City Council is the planning authority for every home in Derby. If your DE postcode is further north in Derbyshire, check whether your home is inside the Park, where the Peak District National Park Authority handles planning.
What size solar system suits a Derby semi?
Commonly 3.5–4kW, about 8–10 modern panels, if the main slope faces anywhere from east through south to west. A hipped roof fits less. The roof layout drawing with your quote should show exactly what fits.
Who connects solar panels to the grid in Derby?
National Grid Electricity Distribution, which runs the East Midlands network. Your installer notifies it, or applies for approval first for a bigger system. You do not need to contact it yourself.
Other areas
- Solar in Birmingham
- Solar in Newcastle
- Solar in Manchester
- Solar in Bristol
- Solar in Sheffield
- Solar in Doncaster
- Solar in Nottingham
- Solar in Cornwall
- Solar in Aberdeen
- Solar in Cambridge
- Solar in Cardiff
- Solar in Devon
- Solar in Dorset
- Solar in Edinburgh
- Solar in Essex
- Solar in Glasgow
- Solar in Hull
- Solar in Kent
- Solar in Leeds
- Solar in Leicester
- Solar in Liverpool
- Solar in London
- Solar in Norfolk
- Solar in Telford & Shropshire
Heat pump pages: Birmingham, Bristol, Newcastle, Nottingham, Sheffield, Doncaster, Norfolk, Suffolk, West Wales, and all heat pump quotes.
Solar for a shop, office, farm or factory instead? See commercial solar panels and the business energy audit guide.
Sources
- European Commission JRC, PVGIS 5.3 — grid-connected PV, Derby, 1kWp crystalline silicon, 35° slope, 14% system loss, south/east/west, SARAH3 2005–2023; queried 30 October 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.
- Derby City Council, conservation areas and conservation area FAQs (August 2016, still published; checked 30 October 2026).
- Derwent Valley Mills World Heritage Site, Darley Abbey and Derby; Peak District National Park Authority, planning (checked 30 October 2026).