What PVGIS says about Leicester
PVGIS, the European Commission’s solar model, puts Leicester at 981 kWh per kWp a year. That assumes a south-facing roof at a 35 degree tilt. The figure sits close to the middle of the UK range.
Multiply it by system size for a household estimate. A 4 kWp system comes to about 3,924 kWh a year. London would give about 4,076 kWh for the same system, while Aberdeen would give about 3,572 kWh.
Leicester therefore sits roughly 4% below London and 10% above Aberdeen. The nearby city of Nottingham scores 970, so the two East Midlands cities are only 11 kWh per kWp apart. Our page on solar output in Nottingham shows how close the two profiles are.
The monthly split
May is the best month in Leicester at 119.4 kWh per kWp, with July close behind at 118.9. December is the weakest at 34.2. The best month is therefore about 3.5 times the worst.
The four months from May to August supply about 47% of the year. November, December and January supply only about 12%. Because winter output is so low, expect the grid to supply most of your midwinter demand.
That pattern shapes how you use the power. Daytime generation peaks when many households are out, so you export a share of it. Under the Smart Export Guarantee, suppliers pay for those exported units. Ofgem does not set the rate, which means each supplier chooses its own.
What export pays and what a battery adds
Energy Saving Trust says you typically get around 12p per kWh for exported electricity. Ofgem’s price cap currently puts the unit rate at 26.32p per kWh, at the time of writing. Using a unit yourself is therefore worth more than exporting it.
A battery stores the midday surplus for the evening. DESNZ data shows retrofit batteries of 6 to 11kWh have a median cost of about £890 per kWh. Our post on whether a solar battery is worth it weighs that cost against savings. You can also read about solar battery storage before you ask for prices.
Heat pumps change the picture too, because they raise your electricity use. A planned post on solar panels and heat pumps covers how the two fit together.
Best tilt and roof direction
The optimal tilt for Leicester in PVGIS is 41 degrees. At that angle the modelled output rises to 984 kWh per kWp, only 3 kWh above the baseline. A normal pitched roof is close enough, so tilt rarely decides whether to proceed.
Direction matters more. Energy Saving Trust says east or west-facing roofs tend to get 15% to 20% less than south-facing ones. Run the estimate for each roof face before you rule one out.
Planning in Leicester
Leicester is in England, so the national permitted development rules apply. The Planning Portal says roof panels must not project more than 200mm. They must also stay below the highest part of the roof.
Those rights do not cover listed buildings. In a conservation area, you cannot fit panels to a wall, balcony or roof enclosure that fronts a highway. Leicester City Council is the local planning authority, so ask it about Article 4 directions before you order.
The grid connection
Your postcode fixes your network operator. For Leicester that is usually National Grid Electricity Distribution, and the Energy Networks Association offers a lookup tool. Your installer normally files the notification for you.
Under G98, a type-tested system up to 16A per phase, about 3.68kW on a single phase, connects first. The installer then notifies the operator within 28 days. Above that limit, G99 applies, so the operator must approve the system before installation and may restrict export.
Costs
DESNZ puts the median installed cost for systems up to 4kW at £1,595 per kW for 2025 to 2026. A 4 kWp system therefore costs about £6,400 without a battery. Solar installs are currently zero-rated for VAT until 31 March 2027.
Getting quotes for Leicester
Solar Yield is an independent estimator and referral service. We do not install anything. We pass enquiries to MCS-certified installers, and our page on solar panel installation explains the process.
Ask each installer to show the kWh per kWp behind their estimate. For a second reference point, the data for solar panels in Birmingham lets you compare a second city. Check the installer on the MCS register as well.
Next steps
Open the Solar Yield calculator to test your own roof, size and direction. Then send one enquiry through the get quotes page. Compare every estimate you receive against the PVGIS figures above.