A south-facing roof in Norfolk generates about 1,033 kWh per kWp a year on the EU's PVGIS model, modelled at Norwich, and every unit you use saves 26.61p at the Eastern England price cap rate. A typical 4.5kWp system would make about 4,648 kWh a year.
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Get a Solar Quote →How much electricity solar panels make in Norfolk
A south-facing 1kWp system at 35 degrees in Norwich generates about 1,033 kWh a year, according to the EU's PVGIS model. That ranks 7 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 | 1,033 kWh | 123 kWh | 36 kWh |
| East-facing | 820 kWh | 117 kWh | 14 kWh |
| West-facing | 798 kWh | 116 kWh | 14 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 Norfolk
Every unit you use yourself saves 26.61p, the Ofgem price cap rate for direct debit customers in the Eastern 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 Norfolk it would generate about 4,648 kWh a year. If you used all of it, that would be worth about £1,237. If you exported all of it, about £558. 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.
Two different markets: rural Norfolk and Norwich
The government counted 42,911 solar installations across Norfolk's seven districts at the end of 2025, about 106 per 1,000 households, against a UK average of about 69, but Norwich had only about 52 per 1,000. South Norfolk had the most installations (9,370), and at about 153 per 1,000 households ranks 12th of 361 UK councils. The government warns its 2025 council figures undercount.
The housing explains the gap. At the 2021 Census, 38.7% of Norfolk households lived in detached houses, against 22.9% across England, while in Norwich only 10.3% did and 30.2% lived in purpose-built flats. If you are in a Norwich flat, see our guide to solar panels for flats.
Oil-heated homes
At the 2021 Census, 17.3% of Norfolk households heated their homes with oil only, against 3.2% across England, and just 56.8% used mains gas only, against 74.0%. In Norwich the picture is the reverse: 0.2% oil and 75.7% mains gas.
If you heat with oil, solar on its own will not cut your heating bill, but it can run a heat pump during the day if you switch. Ask installers to size the system for the electricity you will use after the switch, not before. See our guide to heat pump costs.
Grants in Norfolk and Norwich
Norfolk Warm Homes, a partnership of Norfolk councils led by Broadland District Council, funds upgrades including solar panels and battery storage at no cost to eligible households, and its website showed no closure notice when we checked on 10 October 2026. You need an EPC rated D to G plus a listed means-tested benefit, a gross household income of £36,000 or less, an eligible postcode, or a low income after housing costs. Application to installation takes 6 to 9 months on average. Solar comes after insulation: the scheme says it looks at clean heating and solar panels once a home is suitably insulated.
Norwich City Council runs its own Warm Homes: Local Grant: £4.7m to improve 330 homes between 2025 and 2028, with solar panels among the upgrades and up to £30,000 of work per home. Separately, the council plans to fit 1,400 solar systems to its own council homes. See our guide to solar panel grants in the UK.
Planning: Norwich, the Broads and the coast
Norwich has 17 conservation areas and seven Article 4 direction areas where permitted development rights are reduced, and in the most significant parts of the City Centre Conservation Area the council says panels will only be permitted on rear roof slopes that cannot be seen from public areas. The Article 4 areas are the Bracondale 19th-century terraces, Bracondale 20th-century housing, Bishopgate, Calvert Street and three parts of Heigham Grove.
Homes in the Broads come under the Broads Authority for planning, where permitted development rights are more restricted, and the Authority asks homeowners to seek its advice before any alteration. The Norfolk Coast National Landscape covers 453 square kilometres of the coast. See solar panels in a conservation area and solar panels on a listed building.
Your network operator in Norfolk
Norfolk's network is run by UK Power Networks, and your installer notifies it within 28 days through its Smart Connect portal; if the maximum export is under 5kW the application is approved automatically. Larger systems need a G99 application.
The East of England added 18,109 installations in 2026 up to July, the third-highest English region, according to the government's first regional solar breakdown. See our G98 and G99 guide, and compare with solar panels in Essex or solar panels in Kent.
Getting solar quotes in Norfolk
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 Norfolk.
Get a Solar Quote →Solar panels in Norfolk: frequently asked questions
Are solar panels worth it in Norfolk?
For most houses, yes. Norfolk generates about 1,033 kWh per kWp a year on the PVGIS model, and every unit you use saves 26.61p at the Eastern England price cap rate for October to December 2026.
Is there a solar panel grant in Norfolk?
Norfolk Warm Homes, led by Broadland District Council, funds solar panels and battery storage at no cost for eligible households in homes rated EPC D to G. Norwich City Council runs its own Warm Homes: Local Grant with up to £30,000 of work per home.
Is there a solar panel grant in Norwich?
Yes. Norwich City Council's Warm Homes: Local Grant has £4.7m to improve 330 homes between 2025 and 2028, with solar panels among the upgrades and up to £30,000 of work per eligible home.
Do I need planning permission for solar panels in Norwich?
Usually not on a house roof, but Norwich has 17 conservation areas and seven Article 4 areas, and in the most significant parts of the City Centre Conservation Area panels are only permitted on rear roof slopes hidden from public view. Listed buildings always need consent.
Who is the network operator for solar in Norfolk?
UK Power Networks. Your installer notifies it within 28 days through Smart Connect, and 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:
- Norfolk Warm Homes: homeowners
- Norwich City Council: smart ways to save energy (Warm Homes: Local Grant)
- Norwich City Council: millions secured to boost home energy efficiency (August 2025)
- Norwich City Council: conservation areas
- Norwich City Centre Conservation Area Appraisal
- Broads Authority: do I need permission?
- Nomis: Census 2021 accommodation type and central heating
- DESNZ: Renewable electricity by local authority, 2014 to 2025
- UK Power Networks: solar and storage, cost, time and what's involved