The short answer for Nottingham: a 4kW south-facing system in Nottingham generates about 3,880 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 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.
Nottingham's city boundary is tight — West Bridgford, Beeston, Arnold and Carlton are in neighbouring districts — so the city council area is dominated by terraces, flats and rented homes. The advice below applies across NG postcodes, but the housing figures describe the city council area.
How much a solar panel system generates in Nottingham
The table uses the European Commission's PVGIS tool for Nottingham: 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 | 970 kWh | 2,910 kWh | 3,880 kWh | 5,820 kWh |
| East | 774 kWh | 2,320 kWh | 3,100 kWh | 4,640 kWh |
| West | 753 kWh | 2,260 kWh | 3,010 kWh | 4,520 kWh |
Annual output, PVGIS 5.3 (SARAH3 satellite data, 2005–2023) for Nottingham, fetched 23 September 2026. Actual output varies year to year.
Of the 8 areas we cover, Nottingham ranks fourth 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 452 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.
Nottingham's yield is almost identical to Birmingham's and Doncaster's. East Midlands electricity unit rates are used in the payback figures, so the savings here are specific to the region rather than a national average.
What solar costs and saves in Nottingham
There is no separate "Nottingham 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 Nottingham | Typical installed price | Year-one value, no battery | Simple payback |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3kW | 2,910 kWh | £4,900–£5,900 | £500 | 10–12 years |
| 4kW | 3,880 kWh | £6,600–£7,800 | £700 | 10–12 years |
| 6kW | 5,820 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 Nottingham 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.
Nottingham homes and what they mean for your roof
Census 2021 counted 124,745 households in Nottingham: 33.3% semi-detached, 27.4% terraced, 15.6% detached and 23.6% flats or maisonettes, with 45.1% owner-occupied and 28.6% privately rented (England and Wales: 61.6% owned).
Fewer than half of households in the city council area own their home, and nearly three in ten rent privately — reflecting the city's large student and young-professional population. For those homes the landlord has to commission panels, and the bill savings go to whoever pays the electricity bill.
Among owner-occupied houses, terraces and semis dominate. Terraced roofs often suit 3kW; semis 3.5–4kW. About 2.6% of city households are on a district or communal heat network — the highest share of the areas we cover — which is worth knowing if you are planning solar around a future change to your heating.
Planning permission in Nottingham
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.
Nottingham City Council lists 33 conservation areas (council page). Its conservation area guidance goes further than the national rules: it says permission is "required for buildings of high significance and roof slopes of high visibility" (Conservation Areas Guidance Notes, section 15). If you're in a conservation area in the city, check the guidance note before paying for a survey. Outside the city boundary, Rushcliffe, Broxtowe and Gedling councils set their own guidance.
Connecting to the grid: National Grid Electricity Distribution (East Midlands)
Nottingham's local 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 Nottingham
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 Nottingham
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 Nottingham homeowners
I live in West Bridgford or Beeston — does this page apply?
Yes for output, prices and the grid (same PVGIS results and the same East Midlands network and price-cap region). Planning is handled by Rushcliffe or Broxtowe rather than Nottingham City Council, so check their conservation-area maps.
Is solar worth it on a Nottingham terrace?
Often, if the roof isn't heavily shaded. A 3kW system is typical; the payback table above uses Nottingham's own output and East Midlands prices.
I'm a landlord. Does solar make sense on a rented house?
The tenant usually benefits from the lower bills, so the case rests on the property's EPC and appeal to tenants rather than on your own savings. Our form records landlord enquiries separately.
Do I need planning permission?
Not usually for roof panels on a house. Check first if the house is listed, or in a conservation area with an Article 4 direction.
Other areas
- Solar in Birmingham
- Solar in Newcastle
- Solar in Manchester
- Solar in Bristol
- Solar in Sheffield
- Solar in Doncaster
- 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, Nottingham, 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.
- Nottingham City Council, conservation areas, Conservation Areas Guidance Notes and district heating (checked 23 September 2026).