Derbyshire
Solar panels in Derby, sized to your roof.
A 12-panel roof in Derby makes about 6,230 kWh a year and costs £6,360 installed; a free 30-minute video call sizes it to yours.
Get my free quote
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.
or call 07782 219224
- Free 30-minute video design call
- Priced before anyone visits
- Installed by our MCS-certified, fully insured teams
Derby's solar year
Derby's best month is May, at 121.3 kWh per kWp; December manages 34.4. Over the year that comes to 980 kWh per kWp, 4% above our Derbyshire county estimate.
Generation per kWp, month by month
Show the monthly figures
| Month | kWh/kWp |
|---|---|
| January | 35.2 |
| February | 50.6 |
| March | 86 |
| April | 110 |
| May | 121 |
| June | 116 |
| July | 121 |
| August | 109 |
| September | 92.2 |
| October | 62.2 |
| November | 43.3 |
| December | 34.4 |
Source: PVGIS v5.2 (European Commission JRC), SARAH3 database, 1 kWp, 14% system loss, 35 degree pitch, due south, checked September 2026.
For scale: 980 kWh per kWp in Derby against 925, our GB average (the mean of our 85 county PVGIS estimates), which puts Derby 6% above it.
How Derby compares
Derby is classed as a city in the House of Commons Library settlement data, home to 291,538 people. It is one of 28 Derbyshire towns we track, and it ranks 3rd of 28 for solar yield. Its 980 kWh per kWp a year works out at 2.69 peak sun hours a day, and running the standard 12 panel model here splits the return into £247 of savings from generation you use yourself and £636 of export income at 12p, with about 5,296 kWh a year going to the grid.
These are starting numbers, not a quote. The calculator below opens on Derby's own PVGIS figure; change the panels, the battery or the export rate and it reruns. The design call replaces every assumption with your roof and your bills.
Planning applications in Derby go to its own council, and the House of Commons Library classes it as a city.
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.
Price this for your roof
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.
The figures use PVGIS for the centre of Derby (52.91173, -1.47124), a 26.32p/kWh import price and £1,000 per kWp installed; see the help page for the full method.
Who runs the grid in Derby
The distribution network operator (DNO) for Derby is National Grid Electricity Distribution (NGED), which runs the East Midlands 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.
Adding a heat pump or an EV charger in Derby
A heat pump in Derby
A heat pump does most of its work from November to February. Over those four months, 12 panels in Derby make about 1,040 kWh, against 2,970 kWh from May to August, so winter heating runs mostly on grid electricity and the tariff matters more than the roof.
The Boiler Upgrade Scheme, open in England and Wales, takes £7,500 off an air source or ground source heat pump, or £2,500 off an air-to-air unit. Homes on oil or LPG with no mains gas get £1,500 more until March 2027 (gov.uk, checked 28 September 2026).
Charging an EV in Derby
A 12-panel roof in Derby makes about 770 kWh in May. A typical home uses around 70 kWh of that in daylight (the calculator's typical-use settings), which leaves most of the month's output for an EV or for export.
If you rent, or own a flat, and have private off-street parking, the government chargepoint grant covers 75% of the cost, capped at £500 a socket, until 31 March 2027 (gov.uk, checked 28 September 2026). The calculator above prices a 7.4kW smart charger from £1,100 installed.
The packages, priced before anyone visits
Every system is designed around your roof on the free call before anything is fitted.
Solar panel servicing and repair in Derby
Faults, servicing and ageing inverters follow the same economics in Derby as anywhere else, and the guides below price them plainly.
Derby solar questions
What does a solar panel system produce in Derby?
Each kWp of panels in Derby makes 980 kWh a year on PVGIS figures, so a typical 12-panel system produces around 6,230 kWh, from about 220 kWh in December up to 770 kWh in May.
What would 12 solar panels cost in Derby?
£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 Derby differs is output: about 6,230 kWh a year from that system.
Would a system in Derby need approval from the network operator?
Derby is on National Grid Electricity Distribution's network (East Midlands 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 Derby?
It is exported. With typical use and no battery, about 5,296 kWh of the 6,230 kWh a 12-panel system makes in Derby goes to the grid, around £636 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 Derby in winter?
It works, but the year is lopsided. 68% of a Derby roof's output lands between April and September; the four months from November to February give about 1,040 kWh on a 12-panel system. Payback is worked out on the whole year, not the winter.
How Derby compares with its neighbours
How the towns nearest Derby compare on the same PVGIS settings, closest first.
| Town | kWh per kWp a year | vs Derby |
|---|---|---|
| Derby | 980 | this town |
| Castle Donington | 991 | +11 kWh |
| Hilton | 967 | −13 kWh |
| Sandiacre | 981 | +1 kWh |
| Long Eaton | 986 | +6 kWh |
| Ilkeston | 973 | −7 kWh |
| Belper | 964 | −16 kWh |
PVGIS v5.2 for each town centroid, identical assumptions throughout. A few kWh either way is weather-year noise; a spread beyond about 30 kWh per kWp is real geography.
Also for Derby: Solar panels in Derby from OVO Solar & Battery
See a number before you speak to anyone
Answer a few questions about your roof and usage and see an instant solar and battery estimate. No email needed to see the result.
Reading for Derby homeowners
Sourced, dated and written by us. The same ground we cover on your free call.
Solar panel grants and funding in 2026: what actually exists, and what is a sales pitch
No blanket grant exists, and the four supports that do exist are better than most of the adverts.
Read the guide →Tesla Powerwall 3 vs Duracell Dura16: which fits your home?
The two packages we actually price, compared on the numbers that decide it.
Read the guide →Three phase and EV charging: what actually changes
Three phase buys 22kW charging. Most cars cannot use it, and load balancing usually solves the real problem.
Read the guide →Are heat pumps noisy? The 37 dB(A) answer, in plain terms
The 1 metre boundary rule is gone. A 37 dB(A) sound test replaced it.
Read the guide →Will energy prices keep rising, and by how much
The January forecasts jumped fast. What is confirmed, what is guessed, and whether solar is a real hedge.
Read the guide →How to check an MCS certificate is genuine, before the deposit leaves your account
A logo proves nothing. Certification is business specific, technology specific and checkable.
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.