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Are solar panels worth it in Surrey's climate?

TLDR; Yes: Surrey has some of the UK's highest solar yields with 3,500 to 4,500 kWh on average, of clean electricity available to each household annually. Payback on your solar investment can be in as little as 6 years, after which you get many years of free electricity! Orchid Energy is MCS certified, so you benefit with cash back on your energy bills when you export excess electricity to the grid.

1. Why a solar system with a battery makes sense in Surrey

Because of your location in towns like Farnham, Woking and Guildford in Surrey, you benefit from being in the South East of England. Being further south means they is naturally more of the suns energy available to you. A standard 4kWp or 5kWp solar panel installation can generate on average between 3,500 and 4,500 kWh per annum. That is because Surrey has 10-15% more solar irradiance than northern parts of the UK. In effect, your solar panels are working harder for every pound you spend on your system. 

References:  

  • Use the Photovoltaic Geographical Information System (PVGIS) tool to see how much electricity photovoltaics can produce where you live. 
  • The Energy Savings Trust notes the higher annual savings for residents I the South of England, including Surrey. 
  • The Met Office provides a comparison of “sunshine hours” for locations around the UK. See the “Location-specific long-term averages” tool and compare Wisley in Guildford, Surrey (1,584.04 total yearly sunshine hours) with Springburn in Glasgow (1,233.96 yearly sunshine hours) from 1991 to 2020. Wisley has 350.1 more annual sunshine hours (25~%) compared to Glasgow. 
Solar battery system maximise savings

2. Rapid payback

When you utilise the energy you make, you are saving against the high cost of electricity in the UK. If we make a rough calculation based on using only 50% of your generated energy, with Surrey energy prices at 30p per kWh and solar generation at 4,500 kwh, that would be: 

  • 50% of 4,500 kWh = 2,225 kWh
  • 2,225 kWh times £0.30 = £667.50 per annum saved


This does not include the income from selling excess energy to the grid. 

3. Maximising Income via Energy Export (Smart Export Guarantee, SEG)

Even if you are not at home to use all the power you generate, your solar panels are making you money. Suppliers such as Octopus Energy and OVO offer energy export rates in the range of 15p to 24p per kWh. This can be even higher for Orchid Energy customers who choose a solar package with home battery storage. This is great, because the surplus energy you produce in the summer offsets the any winter energy consumption. 

References: