Real-world price ranges for solar PV in 2026, by system size and region — and the five things that actually move the number.
A typical UK home installs a 4 kWp system: roughly ten to twelve panels on a south- or south-west-facing roof. In 2026, that install lands between £6,000 and £8,500 fully fitted, scaffolded, certified and switched on. Add a 5 kWh battery and you're looking at £9,500 to £12,500. Add an EV charger and you're at £10,500 to £13,500.
Those numbers assume a standard pitched tile roof, a single inverter location, no scaffolding awkwardness, and the consumer unit not needing to be replaced. They are post-VAT — the zero-rate on residential solar runs to March 2027 — and they include MCS certification and DNO notification.
Roof space and household consumption set the system size. Most three-bed semis end up with 4 kWp because that's roughly what fits on the larger roof slope without shading.
Five factors do most of the work. Roof access (single-storey vs three-storey townhouse changes scaffolding by a four-figure sum), inverter type (string vs hybrid vs micro-inverters), battery capacity, panel brand (LONGi and JA Solar sit below REC and SunPower), and region.
Region matters less than people think — about ±10% top to bottom — but it's real. Inner London installs sit roughly 15–20% above the national average; Scotland and Wales sit 5% below.
A 5 kWh battery costs £3,000 to £4,500 fitted. The honest answer on payback: it depends on whether you're home during the day. If you are (working from home, retired, family at home), batteries shorten payback by 1–2 years. If your house is empty 9-to-5, your panels already export at the SEG rate and a battery's payback stretches to 9–12 years — longer than the warranty on the cells.
VAT: zero-rated on residential solar until 31 March 2027. After that, it returns to 5%.
MCS: the Microgeneration Certification Scheme. You need an MCS-certified install to claim the Smart Export Guarantee — every reputable installer should be MCS-registered.
SEG: the Smart Export Guarantee. Your energy supplier pays you for the units you export. Rates in 2026 range from 4.1p/kWh (British Gas) to 27p/kWh (Octopus Outgoing Fixed). Switching SEG provider is a five-minute job after install.