Solar Panels in Manchester

A south-facing roof in Manchester generates about 886 kWh per kWp a year on the EU's PVGIS model, and every unit you use saves 26.49p at the North West England price cap rate. A typical 4.5kWp system would make about 3,987 kWh a year.

How much electricity solar panels make in Manchester

A south-facing 1kWp system at 35 degrees in central Manchester generates about 886 kWh a year, according to the EU's PVGIS model. That ranks 19 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.

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 Manchester

Every unit you use yourself saves 26.49p, the Ofgem price cap rate for direct debit customers in the North Western England 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 Manchester it would generate about 3,987 kWh a year. If you used all of it, that would be worth about £1,056. If you exported all of it, about £478. 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.

Terraced roofs and what they mean for a quote

At the 2021 Census, 28.0% of Manchester households lived in terraced houses against 23.0% across England, and only 5.4% lived in detached houses. Another 28.1% lived in purpose-built flats. A terraced roof is usually smaller, and you share party walls, chimneys and sometimes a valley with neighbours, so the system will often be smaller than the national typical 4.5kWp.

Ask installers how many panels your roof takes and what it would generate, rather than comparing headline system sizes. On a two-up two-down, a well-designed 3kWp system can make more sense than squeezing in 4.5kWp. Our guide to how many solar panels you need helps you size it.

Grants and loans in Manchester

Greater Manchester's Warm Homes: Local Grant area-based scheme lists solar panels and battery storage as eligible measures, covering 100% of costs up to £15,000, or up to £30,000 including low-carbon heating. It is for owner-occupiers in selected low-income areas whose homes are rated EPC D to G. Measures follow a retrofit assessment, so solar is not guaranteed, and the scheme does not take open applications: eligible households are contacted. When we checked on 10 October 2026, the delivery organisation for Manchester itself was listed as “To be appointed”.

Manchester City Council also runs the Home Energy Loan Plan (HELP) with Care and Repair, offering homeowners interest-free loans of up to £10,000 for energy efficiency and heating upgrades, typically repaid within seven years. The council's page does not say whether solar panels qualify, so ask before you apply. For independent advice the council points residents to the GM Retrofit Portal. See also our guide to solar panel grants in the UK.

How much solar Manchester has

The government counted 11,177 solar installations in Manchester at the end of 2025, up from 10,268 a year earlier, about 52 per 1,000 households by our count. That is below the UK average of about 69, and the government warns its 2025 council figures undercount. Manchester Withington has the most domestic installations of the constituencies wholly inside the city on the government's August 2026 figures.

The wider North West added 15,927 installations in 2026 up to July, taking it to 186,253, up 16% in a year, according to the government's first regional solar breakdown.

Planning and your network operator in Manchester

Rooftop solar on a Manchester house is usually permitted development, with the normal exceptions for listed buildings and for walls facing a road in a conservation area. Check the council's planning pages if you live in one of its conservation areas. Our guide to permitted development for solar panels has the national rules.

Manchester's network is run by SP Electricity North West, formerly Electricity North West, now part of the Iberdrola group. G98 covers systems up to 3.68kW single-phase, and anything larger needs a G99 application. See our G98 and G99 guide, and compare with solar panels in Sheffield or solar panels in Glasgow.

Getting solar quotes in Manchester

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.

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:

• Greater Manchester Combined Authority: Warm Homes Local Grant area-based scheme
• Manchester City Council: support for your energy improvements
• Manchester City Council: homes and energy
• Nomis: Census 2021 accommodation type (TS044)
• DESNZ: Renewable electricity by local authority, 2014 to 2025
• DESNZ: first regional solar breakdown, 27 August 2026
• SP Electricity North West: micro-generation and storage connections