Devon
Solar panels in Barnstaple, with the numbers shown.
Twelve panels (6.36 kWp) here make about 6,500 kWh a year for £6,360 installed, designed around your roof on a free 30-minute video call.
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Barnstaple's solar year
PVGIS puts Barnstaple at 1,022 kWh per kWp a year, 4% above our Devon county estimate. 68% of it arrives between April and September, peaking in May.
Generation per kWp, month by month
Show the monthly figures
| Month | kWh/kWp |
|---|---|
| January | 35.6 |
| February | 56.1 |
| March | 92.4 |
| April | 120 |
| May | 129 |
| June | 122 |
| July | 123 |
| August | 108 |
| September | 93.4 |
| October | 65.9 |
| November | 42.8 |
| December | 32.8 |
Source: PVGIS v5.2 (European Commission JRC), SARAH3 database, 1 kWp, 14% system loss, 35 degree pitch, due south, checked September 2026.
Our GB average is 925 kWh per kWp a year, the mean of the 85 county PVGIS estimates we publish; at 1,022, Barnstaple is 10% above it.
How Barnstaple compares
Among the places we publish figures for, Barnstaple is one of 23 Devon towns we track, and it ranks 19th of 23 for solar yield. It is a medium town in the House of Commons Library classification, with 32,646 residents, and its roofs see 2.80 peak sun hours a day across the year. That drives the standard 12 panel model to 6,500 kWh of generation, of which around 5,563 kWh is exported at 12p for £668 a year, with £247 saved on electricity you would otherwise buy at 26.32p.
Every figure here assumes a clear, south-facing roof at 35 degrees. Yours will differ, which is what the free design call is for; until then, the calculator below tests panels, batteries and export rates on Barnstaple's own yield.
North Devon is the planning authority covering Barnstaple, which the House of Commons Library classes as a medium town.
The charger is in the installed price but left out of payback: charging savings depend on your mileage and tariff, which the design call models properly.
Your real roof and usage, worked through on a free 30-minute video call. Use the full form or leave three details below.
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Three details. We call or text within one working day to book your free 30-minute design call, on video or by phone if you prefer.
Generation is modelled from PVGIS satellite data for Barnstaple's own coordinates (51.07674, -4.06111), using the same 26.32p/kWh import value and £1,000 per kWp installed pricing as every Clearline estimate; the methodology is on our help page.
Who runs the grid in Barnstaple
The distribution network operator (DNO) for Barnstaple is National Grid Electricity Distribution (NGED), which runs the South West England licence area.
G98 is the simple route. If the inverter, plus any battery, stays at or under 3.68kW per phase, NGED only has to be told within 28 days after the system is commissioned.
A bigger inverter or battery output needs a G99 application in advance. NGED's guaranteed standards give 45 working days for a low voltage generation quotation, with £80 paid for each working day late.
Sources: NESO DNO licence areas (3 May 2024); NGED, guaranteed standards of performance table, checked 25 September 2026. G98 vs G99, explained.
Beyond the panels: heating and car charging in Barnstaple
A heat pump in Barnstaple
A heat pump does most of its work from November to February. Over those four months, 12 panels in Barnstaple make about 1,060 kWh, against 3,070 kWh from May to August, so winter heating runs mostly on grid electricity and the tariff matters more than the roof.
In England, the Boiler Upgrade Scheme pays £7,500 towards an air source or ground source heat pump and £2,500 towards an air-to-air one, with £1,500 more until March 2027 for homes heated by oil or LPG with no mains gas (gov.uk, checked 28 September 2026).
Charging an EV in Barnstaple
From April to September, 68% of a Barnstaple roof's yearly output arrives, peaking at about 820 kWh in May on 12 panels. A car parked at home in daylight can soak up what the house, at around 70 kWh of daytime use that month, cannot.
Renters and flat owners with private off-street parking can get 75% off a chargepoint and its installation, up to £500 per socket, until 31 March 2027 (gov.uk, checked 28 September 2026). The calculator above adds a 7.4kW smart charger from £1,100 installed.
Installed prices, the same in every town
Every system is designed around your roof on the free call before anything is fitted.
Solar panel servicing and repair in Barnstaple
Faults, servicing and ageing inverters follow the same economics in Barnstaple as anywhere else, and the guides below price them plainly.
Common questions about solar in Barnstaple
What does a solar panel system produce in Barnstaple?
Each kWp of panels in Barnstaple makes 1,022 kWh a year on PVGIS figures, so a typical 12-panel system produces around 6,500 kWh, from about 210 kWh in December up to 820 kWh in May.
What would 12 solar panels cost in Barnstaple?
£6,360 for 12 panels (6.36 kWp), the same as in every other place we cover, because solar is priced at £1,000 per kWp installed rather than by area. A battery adds its own installed price on top. Where Barnstaple differs is output: about 6,500 kWh a year from that system.
Would a system in Barnstaple need approval from the network operator?
Barnstaple is on National Grid Electricity Distribution's network (South West England licence area). Systems up to 3.68kW per phase of inverter output follow G98: NGED is notified within 28 days of commissioning, with no approval needed first. Anything larger needs a G99 application before installation. NGED's guaranteed standards give 45 working days for a low voltage generation quotation, with £80 paid for each working day late. Our G98 vs G99 guide explains both routes.
How much would export pay on a system in Barnstaple?
It is exported. With typical use and no battery, about 5,563 kWh of the 6,500 kWh a 12-panel system makes in Barnstaple goes to the grid, around £668 a year at 12p. A battery keeps more of it for the evening; the export rates table shows what suppliers pay.
Is solar worth it in Barnstaple in winter?
It works, but the year is lopsided. 68% of a Barnstaple roof's output lands between April and September; the four months from November to February give about 1,060 kWh on a 12-panel system. Payback is worked out on the whole year, not the winter.
How Barnstaple compares with its neighbours
Same satellite dataset, same assumptions, so the differences are real geography rather than modelling noise.
| Town | kWh per kWp a year | vs Barnstaple |
|---|---|---|
| Barnstaple | 1,022 | this town |
| Bideford | 1,037 | +15 kWh |
| Ilfracombe | 1,023 | +1 kWh |
| Okehampton | 976 | −46 kWh |
| Crediton | 1,020 | −2 kWh |
| Minehead | 1,026 | +4 kWh |
| Tiverton | 1,017 | −5 kWh |
Same PVGIS v5.2 query for every town. Small differences are within year-to-year weather; more than about 30 kWh per kWp apart is geography.
Also for Barnstaple: Solar panels in Barnstaple from OVO Solar & Battery
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Further reading for Barnstaple
Sourced, dated and written by us. The same ground we cover on your free call.
What a solar service costs, and how often you actually need one
MCS advises a contractor visit at year 10 on a privately owned home. Most plans sell one a year.
Read the guide →Inside a home battery: capacity, power and losses
Usable capacity, kW output, round trip losses and chemistry, in plain terms.
Read the guide →What an EV charger installation actually involves
Main fuse, DNO notification, load balancing and the paperwork. What really happens.
Read the guide →Are air source heat pumps any good? What owners actually report
The UK's largest survey found 80% of heat pump owners satisfied, against 70% for gas boilers.
Read the guide →Which tariffs are actually built for battery charging
A battery buys cheap and uses dear. The tariff decides how much that is worth.
Read the guide →NAPIT, NICEIC and competent person schemes: who tells building control about your solar
Solar work is notifiable. A competent person scheme means your installation team notifies, not you.
Read the guide →Get my free quote
Takes about two minutes. We call or text within one working day to book your free 30-minute video design call at a time that suits you. We design it around your roof and your numbers, and our MCS-certified, fully insured installation teams install it.