A south-facing roof in London generates about 1,025 kWh per kWp a year on the EU's PVGIS model, and every unit you use yourself saves 26.60p at the London price cap rate. A typical 4.5kWp system would make about 4,612 kWh a year.
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Get a Solar Quote →How much electricity solar panels make in London
A south-facing 1kWp system at 35 degrees in central London generates about 1,025 kWh a year, according to the EU's PVGIS model. That ranks 9 of the 20 areas we cover, which run from 850 kWh in Glasgow to 1,119 kWh in Dorset. East and west roofs still work, at roughly a fifth less.
| Roof direction (35° pitch) | Per kWp a year | June | December |
|---|---|---|---|
| South-facing | 1,025 kWh | 123 kWh | 37 kWh |
| East-facing | 823 kWh | 118 kWh | 16 kWh |
| West-facing | 796 kWh | 114 kWh | 16 kWh |
PVGIS is a modelled figure for an unshaded roof with 14% system losses, and it runs higher than the MCS method installers must use for your written estimate, which gives roughly 800 to 950 kWh per kWp for a well-oriented UK roof. Use PVGIS to compare places and the installer's MCS estimate to plan your budget. Our guides to which direction panels should face and how much electricity solar panels produce go further.
What that electricity is worth in London
Every unit you use yourself saves 26.60p, the Ofgem price cap rate for direct debit customers in the London region from 1 October to 31 December 2026. The Great Britain average is 26.32p. Every unit you export earns whatever your Smart Export Guarantee tariff pays, which the Energy Saving Trust puts at around 12p typically.
Take the Energy Saving Trust's typical 4.5kWp home system. On the PVGIS figure for London it would generate about 4,612 kWh a year. If you used all of it, that would be worth about £1,227. If you exported all of it, about £553. Real homes sit between the two, and a battery or daytime use pushes you towards the higher figure. The Energy Saving Trust prices that typical system at around £7,600. See our solar panel cost guide and current export rates.
Why London has so little rooftop solar
Because most Londoners live in flats. The 2021 Census found 54.0% of London households live in a flat, maisonette or apartment, against 21.7% across England and Wales. A flat usually means no roof of your own, or a roof shared with neighbours and controlled by a freeholder.
The result shows in the government's own figures. At the end of 2025 London's 33 local authorities had 75,255 solar installations between them, about 22 per 1,000 households by our count from the government's local authority table, against about 69 across the UK. Inside London the gap is wide: Barking and Dagenham and Havering are at about 39 per 1,000 households and Croydon has the most installations of any borough (5,161), while Kensington and Chelsea sits at about 6.
If you live in a flat, a plug-in solar kit on a balcony or in a garden is the realistic option, with your landlord's or freeholder's permission. If you own a house with its own roof, London's sunshine and prices make it one of the better places in the UK to install. Our guide to solar panels for flats covers freeholder consent and shared roofs.
The Warm Homes grant in London, and the scam to avoid
London's Warm Homes: Local Grant can fund solar panels for lower-income households, and it is run across 31 boroughs by a consortium led by the Greater London Authority. According to the GLA, you need a privately owned home with an EPC rating of D to G, savings under £25,000 and, usually, a household income of £36,000 or less. Applications are queued first come, first served per borough, and the GLA warns of high demand and longer waits.
The GLA also warns that people have been asking London residents for fees of £300 to £1,500 to secure a grant application or a solar installation. The grant is free to eligible applicants. Nobody should charge you to apply. Our guide to solar panel grants in the UK covers what else exists.
Planning: conservation areas and listed buildings
Rooftop solar on a London house is usually permitted development, but conservation areas and listed buildings change that. Westminster City Council's retrofit guidance is a good example of how London boroughs apply the national rules: in a conservation area, panels on a wall facing a highway need planning permission, panels on a flat roof need a prior approval application, and a listed building needs listed building consent. Westminster publishes a 46-page solar retrofit guide for householders.
Check your own borough's planning pages before you sign anything, and ask installers whether they have worked in your conservation area before. Our guide to permitted development for solar panels sets out the national rules.
Your network operator in London
London's electricity network is run by UK Power Networks, and your installer notifies it within 28 days of fitting your system. UK Power Networks says systems with a maximum export under 5kW are approved automatically, and there is no charge from it unless your supply needs upgrading. Our G98 and G99 guide explains the rules.
Before you call installers, the GLA's London Solar Opportunity Map, built with UCL from Environment Agency laser survey data, gives a first estimate of your roof's solar potential. Neighbouring counties are covered in our guides to solar panels in Kent and solar panels in Essex.
Getting solar quotes in London
Get at least three written quotes from MCS-certified installers, each with a performance estimate for your roof and a full breakdown of what is supplied. That is the Renewable Energy Consumer Code's advice. Never pay more than 25% up front, and walk away from anyone offering a discount to sign on the day. Our guide to choosing a solar installer covers what to check.
Tell us about your home once and get quotes from MCS-certified installers covering London.
Get a Solar Quote →Solar panels in London: frequently asked questions
Are solar panels worth it in London?
For a house with its own south-facing roof, usually yes. London roofs generate about 1,025 kWh per kWp a year on the PVGIS model, and every unit you use saves 26.60p at the London price cap rate for October to December 2026. The Energy Saving Trust estimates a payback of about 9 years in London, including export payments.
Can I get a grant for solar panels in London?
Possibly. London's Warm Homes: Local Grant, run by 31 boroughs with the GLA, funds solar panels for privately owned homes rated EPC D to G with savings under £25,000 and usually a household income of £36,000 or less. Demand is high and applications are queued by borough. The grant is free, so never pay anyone to apply.
Do I need planning permission for solar panels in London?
Usually not on a house, because rooftop solar is normally permitted development in England. In a conservation area you need permission for panels on a wall facing a highway and a prior approval application for a flat roof, and listed buildings need listed building consent. Check with your borough.
Can I have solar panels if I live in a flat in London?
Rooftop panels on a block of flats need the freeholder's agreement and are usually a building-wide project. A plug-in solar kit on a balcony or in a garden is the simpler option, with permission from your landlord or freeholder.
Who do I notify about solar panels in London?
Your installer notifies UK Power Networks, London's distribution network operator, within 28 days of installation. UK Power Networks says systems exporting under 5kW are approved automatically.
Sources for this page
Local sources checked on 10 October 2026. Solar yields: PVGIS 5.2, EU Joint Research Centre, modelled 10 October 2026. Electricity prices: Ofgem price cap by region. System cost and export rate: Energy Saving Trust. Local sources:
- ONS: Housing, England and Wales, Census 2021
- DESNZ: Renewable electricity by local authority, 2014 to 2025
- Greater London Authority: Warm Homes Local Grant
- Westminster City Council: solar panels retrofit guidance
- UK Power Networks: solar and storage, cost, time and what's involved
- Greater London Authority: London Solar Opportunity Map