What solar actually costs in 2026, and where every pound goes
Solar quotes vary far more than the kit does. Once you know that roughly a quarter of the price is scaffolding and logistics, most of the variation between two quotes stops being mysterious.
Updated 25 September 2026 · written by the Clearline guidance team · 5 min read
The benchmark numbers
MCS-registered installation data from early 2026 puts the average domestic system at around £8,677 installed, which works out at roughly £1,686 per kW. Different cuts of the same dataset show about £1,590 per kW nationally and a 2025/26 median of £1,780 per kW, which is a real-terms record low.
Treat £1,550 to £1,800 per kW as the honest working band for a standard domestic installation. A quote materially outside it in either direction deserves a question, and a quote well below it deserves two.
Cost per kW is the only number that compares two quotes fairly
Total price tells you nothing without system size. Divide the quoted price by the installed kWp and you have a figure you can hold against a national benchmark, against a second quote, and against the same installation team's own pricing on a different size of job.
- Rated power
- 530 W
- Area per panel
- 2.26 square metres
- Product warranty
- 15 years under the signed LONGi Limited Warranty; LONGi's UK and Ireland datasheet shows 25 years for this market
Where the money goes
A typical installation breaks down roughly as 45% hardware, 30% labour, and 25% logistics including scaffolding and transport. That last quarter is the part homeowners never anticipate, and it is the part that explains almost everything about how quotes behave.
| Component | Share of total | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
Hardware | Around 45% | Panels, inverter, mounting, cabling, isolators, any module-level electronics or battery |
Labour | Around 30% | Survey, design, installation crew, electrical work, commissioning, certification |
Logistics | Around 25% | Scaffolding, transport, delivery, site access |
Typical UK domestic installation cost structure, accessed August 2026. Proportions shift with system size and site complexity.
Scaffolding, the line nobody budgets for
Scaffolding on a solar job typically runs £300 to £1,000 or more, which averages out at around 13% of the total installation cost. General domestic scaffold hire in 2026 runs £800 to £1,500 for comparison. The scaffold usually stays up for around two weeks around a two to three day installation, because erecting, inspecting and striking it are separate visits.
That timing detail matters. You are not paying for two or three days of scaffold, you are paying for a two week hire with two crew visits either side. It is a fixed cost of getting anyone safely onto your roof, and it does not shrink because you asked for fewer panels.
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Why small systems cost more per panel
Scaffolding, labour, the van, the admin and the network paperwork are largely fixed per job. Spread those costs across a small array and the cost per kW is high. Spread the identical costs across a larger array and it falls sharply, while the generation rises in proportion to the panels.
This is the single most useful thing to understand before comparing quotes, and it is why a phased approach usually costs more overall than doing the roof once. We work through the arithmetic in why half filling your roof costs more.
What actually moves your number
- System size. The dominant variable, and the one that improves your cost per kW as it rises.
- Region. South East installations run 10% to 15% above the North East on like-for-like systems, per March 2026 MCS data. Labour and access costs, not kit costs.
- Roof complexity. Multiple aspects, difficult access, awkward tiles and limited scaffold footing all add labour hours.
- Panel choice. TOPCon and back-contact cells trade cost for a small efficiency gain, which is worth more on a tight roof than a large one.
- Module-level electronics. Optimisers or microinverters add real cost, and are worth it on some roofs and not others. Our comparison guide covers when.
- Battery storage. A separate decision with separate economics, covered in our battery storage guide.
Zero rated VAT is doing real work in these figures
Supply and installation of solar panels in residential accommodation is zero rated for VAT until 31 March 2027, after which the reduced 5% rate returns. When the whole job is supplied under a single installation contract, scaffolding, cables and labour are all covered. Our VAT guide covers what qualifies and what the change adds to a quote.
Why two quotes for the same house differ
Most of the gap is explained by four things: different system sizes presented as comparable, different panel tiers, whether module-level electronics are included, and how much scaffolding the site actually needs. Very little of it is margin, and almost none of it is quality of installation, which is governed by MCS certification rather than price.
Normalise the size
Convert both quotes to price per kWp. Panel wattage multiplied by count, divided by 1,000, then divide the price by that.
Separate the battery
If one quote includes storage and the other does not, you are not comparing solar prices. Strip it out and compare the solar alone.
List the hardware differences
Panel model, inverter model, and whether optimisers or microinverters are specified. These are the legitimate reasons for a gap.
Ask what the scaffold assumption is
A quote that has not seen the access constraints may be carrying an optimistic logistics figure that will not survive the survey.
Bring two quotes to a free design call and we will normalise them for you, line by line, and tell you which one is actually cheaper.
Get my free quote →The number that matters more than the price
Cost is only half the calculation. What the system saves depends on how much of the generation you use yourself, because a unit you use replaces one you would have bought at the capped rate of 26.32p per kWh for 1 October to 31 December 2026, while a unit you export earns your export tariff. On 3 August 2026 the widely available flat export rates ranged from 3p for open-to-anyone tariffs to 15p for the best rates that only require you to buy your electricity from the same supplier.
That is why two identical systems on two identical roofs can have very different paybacks. Every county page on this site carries a calculator built for that area which models the whole picture, not just the capital cost. Start at your county page, or read the full solar panels guide. Every system is installed and commissioned by our own MCS-certified, fully insured installation teams.
Solar costs, answered
How much do solar panels cost in the UK in 2026?
MCS-registered installation data from early 2026 puts the average domestic system at around £8,677 installed, roughly £1,686 per kW. Other cuts of the same data show about £1,590 per kW nationally and a 2025/26 median of £1,780 per kW. A working band of £1,550 to £1,800 per kW is the fair way to sanity-check a quote.
How much is scaffolding for solar panels?
Typically £300 to £1,000 or more for a solar job, which averages around 13% of the total installation cost. It usually stays up for about two weeks around a two to three day installation, because erection, inspection and dismantling are separate visits. General domestic scaffold hire in 2026 runs £800 to £1,500.
Why do solar quotes vary so much between installation teams?
Four things explain most of it: different system sizes presented as comparable, different panel tiers, whether optimisers or microinverters are included, and how much scaffolding the site needs. Convert every quote to a price per kWp before comparing, and strip out any battery so you are comparing the solar alone.
Does solar cost more in the South East?
Yes, modestly. March 2026 MCS data shows South East installations running 10% to 15% above the North East on like-for-like systems. The difference is labour and access cost rather than hardware, since panels and inverters cost the same everywhere.
Is a cheaper panel a false economy?
Not necessarily. Lower cost TOPCon panels and pricier back-contact panels both carry long performance warranties at similar output. The premium on the pricier tier buys efficiency, which matters when roof space limits your system size and matters much less when it does not.
Is there VAT on solar panels?
Not until 31 March 2027. Supply and installation of solar panels in residential accommodation is zero rated across Great Britain and Northern Ireland, after which the reduced 5% rate returns. Where the whole job is supplied under a single installation contract, scaffolding, cables and labour are zero rated too.
See the numbers next: LONGi 530 W panels, installed, or the solar panels guide.
Figures and specifications in this guide are sourced below and were checked on the date shown. Rates and product specifications change; we confirm the current picture on your free design call.
Sources
- MCS installation cost data, early 2026: around £8,677 average install, roughly £1,686 per kW thehomeenergyhub.co.uk
- Government solar PV cost dataset, about £1,590 per kW nationally solar4good.co.uk
- 2025/26 median of £1,780 per kW, a real-terms record low heatable.co.uk
- Official solar PV cost data statistics gov.uk
- Regional spread: South East 10 to 15% above North East, March 2026 MCS data thecostofsolar.co.uk
- Scaffolding £300 to £1,000 plus, around 13% of install cost, roughly two weeks on site spartek.co.uk
- General domestic scaffold hire 2026, £800 to £1,500 njwscaffolding.co.uk
- Cost structure: roughly 45% hardware, 30% labour, 25% logistics myjobquote.co.uk
- TOPCon versus back-contact cell efficiency trade-off smartsolarhomes.co.uk, spectrumenergysystems.co.uk
- VAT on energy-saving materials: zero rate until 31 March 2027, then 5% gov.uk
- Ofgem energy price cap, 1 October to 31 December 2026: 26.32p per kWh electricity average ofgem.gov.uk
- Export tariff rates checked against supplier pages on 3 August 2026 octopus.energy, edfenergy.com, eonnext.com, britishgas.co.uk, ovoenergy.com
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