The short answer for London: a 4kW south-facing system in London generates about 4,080 kWh a year on the EU's PVGIS model — the benchmark our other local pages compare against. 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 London electricity prices (26.60p/kWh) it is worth roughly £700 a year without a battery, or £900 if a battery lets you use most of it yourself.
In London the hurdles for solar are rarely the weather. More than half of households live in flats, under half own their home, and every borough runs its own planning rules. If you own a house, though, the roof often works: a terrace or semi typically takes a 3–4kW system.
How much a solar panel system generates in London
The table uses the European Commission's PVGIS tool for London: 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 | 1,019 kWh | 3,060 kWh | 4,080 kWh | 6,110 kWh |
| East | 817 kWh | 2,450 kWh | 3,270 kWh | 4,900 kWh |
| West | 787 kWh | 2,360 kWh | 3,150 kWh | 4,720 kWh |
Annual output, PVGIS 5.3 (SARAH3 satellite data, 2005–2023) for London, fetched 30 October 2026. Actual output varies year to year.
Of the 25 areas we cover, London ranks 10th 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 145 kWh for the whole month, against 490 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.
PVGIS models the land around central London, not the buildings. In a dense street the real limit is shade from taller neighbours, chimneys, trees and dormers, which can cost more output than any difference in sunshine between boroughs. Ask the surveyor for a shading assessment of your actual roof. East- and west-facing slopes still make about four-fifths of a south-facing one here, so a terrace with one slope each way can take panels on both.
What solar costs and saves in London
There is no separate "London 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 London | Typical installed price | Year-one value, no battery | Simple payback |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3kW | 3,060 kWh | £4,900–£5,900 | £500 | 9–11 years |
| 4kW | 4,080 kWh | £6,600–£7,800 | £700 | 9–11 years |
| 6kW | 6,110 kWh | £9,900–£11,700 | £1,100 | 9–11 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 London price-cap unit rate of 26.60p/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 London itself. First, how much you use yourself: every unit you use saves 26.60p, 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 £900 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.
Solar Together London
The Mayor's group-buying scheme, Solar Together London, has run five phases since 2018. In a disclosure dated 1 September 2026 the Greater London Authority gave 72,330 registrations and 3,231 installations across those phases, with householders getting "20-30 per cent reductions" in phases 3 to 5 (GLA disclosure). It does not say a sixth phase is planned. On 30 October 2026 the scheme operator's partner list showed no open London scheme; Ealing, Harrow and Barnet were listed as recently closed (Switch Together partners). So for now a London homeowner gets quotes the ordinary way.
London homes and what they mean for your roof
Census 2021 counted 3,423,890 households in London: 18.6% semi-detached, 21.3% terraced, 6.1% detached and 54.0% flats or maisonettes, with 45.2% owner-occupied and 30.0% privately rented (England and Wales: 61.6% owned).
Over half of London households live in flats. A leaseholder usually needs the freeholder's consent and often a licence for alterations under the lease, because the roof is normally part of the building the freeholder owns. Private renters, three in ten households here, need the landlord to commission the work. For houses, the classic Victorian terrace often has a "London" or butterfly roof: two small slopes falling to a central valley behind a front parapet. These hold fewer panels than a pitched roof of the same footprint, so the rear outrigger and any flat roof sections usually decide the system size.
Scaffolding is a London cost to plan for. Scaffolding on the pavement needs a licence from the borough, and on a red route from Transport for London; Wandsworth, for example, says the minimum licence period is 28 days, and taking up a controlled parking space needs a bay suspension as well (Wandsworth scaffold licence). Ask whether the quote includes the licence, any parking suspension, and access through a neighbour's garden on a mid-terrace.
Planning permission in London
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.
In London each of the 32 boroughs and the City of London is its own planning authority (Town and Country Planning Act 1990, section 1), so conservation areas, Article 4 directions and solar guidance differ from one borough to the next. In the Old Oak and Park Royal area the Mayor's development corporation, OPDC, is the planning authority instead (OPDC). Conservation areas are common: Westminster alone has 56 (Westminster City Council). Look your address up on your borough's conservation area and Article 4 map before you pay for a survey, and check whether the house is listed.
Connecting to the grid: UK Power Networks (London)
Most of inner London's electricity network is run by UK Power Networks in its London licence area, but Greater London's boundary and the network areas don't match. On Ofgem's postcode map many outer districts sit in other price-cap regions: much of north and north-east London (for example HA, EN, N9, NW9 and most RM postcodes) in Eastern England, and Kingston, Croydon, Sutton, Richmond and parts of Bromley in South Eastern England, both also run by UK Power Networks; and much of west London (UB, Hounslow's TW postcodes, and W3, W4, W5, W7 and W13) in Southern England, where the network operator is SSEN (Ofgem; SSEN). Enter your postcode on Ofgem's page to see your region; if it isn't London, your unit rate differs a little from the London figures on this page. Either way your installer notifies or applies to the operator for the 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 London
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 London
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 London homeowners
How much do solar panels cost in London?
A typical 4kW system costs roughly £6,600–£7,800 on the government's 2025/26 installation cost data. London prices can sit higher once scaffolding licences, parking suspensions and awkward access are added, so ask for those as separate lines on the quote.
Do I need planning permission for solar panels in London?
Usually not for a house: roof panels are normally permitted development. Your borough decides the exceptions, so check whether the house is listed, is in a conservation area with an Article 4 direction, or whether you want panels on a wall facing the road.
Can I put solar panels on my London flat?
Only with the freeholder's consent, and usually a licence for alterations under your lease, because the roof is normally not part of your flat. Top-floor flats with their own roof section are the most likely to work. Shared panels for a whole block need the freeholder or management company to run the project.
Is London sunny enough for solar?
Yes. A south-facing roof in London makes about 4,080 kWh a year from 4kW on PVGIS data, and east or west roofs about four-fifths of that. In tight streets, shade from neighbouring buildings matters more than the weather.
Is Solar Together London open in 2026?
Not on 30 October 2026. The Mayor's scheme has run five phases since 2018, but no new London round was open to join, and the GLA has not said a sixth phase is planned.
Who connects solar panels to the grid in London?
UK Power Networks for most of London, or SSEN in much of west London (Ealing, Hounslow and Hillingdon postcodes such as W5, TW3 and UB8 among them). Your MCS installer notifies the operator, or applies for approval first for a bigger system. Ofgem's postcode checker shows which region and operator cover your home.
Who installs solar panels in London?
Use an MCS-certified installer: MCS certification is what you need for a Smart Export Guarantee tariff. Our form introduces you to one MCS-certified installer who covers your London postcode.
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 Derby
- 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 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, London, 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.
- Town and Country Planning Act 1990, section 1 (London boroughs and the City as local planning authorities); Old Oak and Park Royal Development Corporation, about OPDC (checked 30 October 2026).
- Westminster City Council, conservation areas (checked 30 October 2026).
- Greater London Authority, EIR disclosure: Solar Together (response dated 1 September 2026); Switch Together, council and community partners (checked 30 October 2026).
- Wandsworth Council, apply for a scaffold licence (checked 30 October 2026).
- Ofgem, energy price cap unit rates and standing charges (postcode-to-region map); SSEN, who we are (checked 30 October 2026).