Devon
Solar panels in Plymouth, with the numbers shown.
A 12-panel roof in Plymouth makes about 6,980 kWh a year and costs £6,360 installed; a free 30-minute video call sizes it to yours.
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What a roof in Plymouth can generate
PVGIS puts Plymouth at 1,097 kWh per kWp a year, 12% 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 | 40.4 |
| February | 58.7 |
| March | 94.3 |
| April | 126 |
| May | 135 |
| June | 133 |
| July | 133 |
| August | 122 |
| September | 102 |
| October | 69 |
| November | 47.5 |
| December | 36.5 |
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 1,097, Plymouth is 19% above it.
How Plymouth compares
Plymouth is classed as a city in the House of Commons Library settlement data, home to 274,607 people. It is one of 23 Devon towns we track, and it ranks 3rd of 23 for solar yield. Its 1,097 kWh per kWp a year works out at 3.00 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 £725 of export income at 12p, with about 6,040 kWh a year going to the grid.
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 Plymouth's own yield.
Planning applications in Plymouth 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 Plymouth (50.39282, -4.12143), a 26.32p/kWh import price and £1,000 per kWp installed; see the help page for the full method.
Connecting solar to the Plymouth network
The distribution network operator (DNO) for Plymouth is National Grid Electricity Distribution (NGED), which runs the South West England licence area.
For a typical home the paperwork is light: a system of up to 3.68kW per phase goes through G98, which means NGED is notified within 28 days of switch-on rather than asked beforehand.
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 Plymouth
A heat pump in Plymouth
Solar and a heat pump pull in opposite directions through the year: Plymouth's roofs make 1,160 kWh from November to February on a 12-panel system, and 3,330 kWh from May to August. The heating season leans on the grid, so off-peak rates do the heavy lifting.
Grant support in England comes from the Boiler Upgrade Scheme: £7,500 for an air source or ground source heat pump, £2,500 for air-to-air, and an extra £1,500 until March 2027 where the home is heated by oil or LPG off the gas grid (gov.uk, checked 28 September 2026).
Charging an EV in Plymouth
From April to September, 68% of a Plymouth roof's yearly output arrives, peaking at about 860 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.
The calculator above includes a 7.4kW smart charger from £1,100 installed. Renters and flat owners with off-street parking can claim 75% of a chargepoint's cost, up to £500 per socket, until 31 March 2027 (gov.uk, checked 28 September 2026).
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 Plymouth
Guidance is nationwide, so the benchmarks hold in Plymouth: repair costs, service scope, and when the inverter is the real fault.
Solar in Plymouth: your questions answered
What could a roof in Plymouth generate?
PVGIS puts a roof in Plymouth at 1,097 kWh per kWp a year, 3.00 peak sun hours a day averaged across the seasons. A 12-panel, 6.36 kWp system makes about 6,980 kWh a year, most of it between April and September.
What would 12 solar panels cost in Plymouth?
£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 Plymouth differs is output: about 6,980 kWh a year from that system.
Do I need permission from the DNO for solar in Plymouth?
Usually not in advance. NGED, the network operator for Plymouth, only needs a G98 notification within 28 days of commissioning for systems up to 3.68kW per phase. Bigger inverter or battery outputs need G99 approval first. NGED's guaranteed standards give 45 working days for a low voltage generation quotation, with £80 paid for each working day late. "See our DNO explainer.
How much would export pay on a system in Plymouth?
It is exported. With typical use and no battery, about 6,040 kWh of the 6,980 kWh a 12-panel system makes in Plymouth goes to the grid, around £725 a year at 12p. A battery keeps more of it for the evening; the export rates table shows what suppliers pay.
Do solar panels work in winter in Plymouth?
Yes, at a lower level. PVGIS gives Plymouth 36.5 kWh per kWp in December and 40.4 in January, so a 12-panel system makes about 230 kWh and 260 kWh in those months, against 860 kWh in May. Winter output mostly covers daytime use rather than exporting.
How Plymouth compares with its neighbours
The six closest towns we publish, run through the identical PVGIS query as Plymouth.
| Town | kWh per kWp a year | vs Plymouth |
|---|---|---|
| Plymouth | 1,097 | this town |
| Saltash | 1,065 | −32 kWh |
| Ivybridge | 1,109 | +12 kWh |
| Tavistock | 987 | −110 kWh |
| Liskeard | 1,042 | −55 kWh |
| Totnes | 1,067 | −30 kWh |
| Launceston | 995 | −102 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 Plymouth: Solar panels in Plymouth from OVO Solar & Battery
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Guides worth reading before your call
Sourced, dated and written by us. The same ground we cover on your free call.
Best solar panels UK 2026: what the datasheets actually say
One pick per job, the specs behind each, and what moves payback more than the badge.
Read the guide →Which battery size band does your home fall into?
Where UK homes actually land, why oversizing costs you, and what shifts the band.
Read the guide →Charging an EV from your own solar
Every surplus kWh is 3.6 to 5 miles. Whether that beats a 7p overnight rate is arithmetic.
Read the guide →How an air source heat pump actually works
It moves heat rather than making it. The cycle, the efficiency numbers and the trade-offs.
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 →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.