Solar panels in King's Lynn, East of England
Roofs in King's Lynn get about 1,071 hours of usable sunlight a year — less than 87% of the cities we've measured. Here's what that means in cost, savings and payback, using real rooftop data rather than a national average.
Check your specific roof in King's Lynn → City averages are a starting point; your own roof's size, pitch and shading change the answer a lot.
What a typical King's Lynn solar system costs
A 7-panel system (2.8 kW) is about right for an average King's Lynn home using 2,500 kWh a year. It would produce roughly 2,549 kWh annually and offset 100% of that usage.
| System | Size | kWh/yr | Net cost | Saves/yr | Payback |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 panels | 3.2 kW | 2,913 | £5,440 | £473 | 11.5 yrs |
| 12 panels | 4.8 kW | 4,370 | £8,160 | £648 | 12.6 yrs |
| 16 panels | 6.4 kW | 5,826 | £10,880 | £823 | 13.2 yrs |
| 20 panels | 8 kW | 7,283 | £13,600 | £997 | 13.6 yrs |
| 26 panels | 10.4 kW | 9,468 | £17,680 | £1,260 | 14 yrs |
How we worked this out for King's Lynn
Every number on this page comes from these seven steps. Nothing is a national average — the sunlight figure is measured from King's Lynn rooftops.
| # | Step | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | What one panel makes here 400W ÷ 1000 × 1,071 sun hrs × 0.85 system losses |
364 kWh/yr |
| 2 | Panels needed to cover typical usage 2,500 kWh ÷ 364 kWh per panel |
7 panels |
| 3 | System size 7 panels × 400W |
2.80 kW |
| 4 | Annual production 2.80 kW × 1,071 hrs × 0.85 |
2,549 kWh/yr |
| 5 | Installed cost 2,800 W × £1.70 per watt (VAT is 0% on UK installs) |
£4,760 |
| 6 | Annual saving 875 kWh used as generated × 26.1p + 1,674 kWh exported × 12p |
£429/yr |
| 7 | Payback £4,760 ÷ £429 per year |
11.1 years |
Step 6 is where most calculators quietly overstate things. Only 34% of what a system this size produces in King's Lynn is used the moment it is generated; the other 1,674 kWh is exported and paid at the Smart Export Guarantee rate, not your import price. Valuing every kWh at the full 26.1p retail rate — which many calculators do — would show a payback of 7.2 years instead of the 11.1 we show. That 3.9-year difference is the single biggest reason our figures look worse than other sites' for King's Lynn.
Assumptions: 400W panels, 15% system losses (inverter, wiring, heat, soiling), £1.70/W installed, 2,500 kWh typical annual household use, 26.1p/kWh electricity. Change any of those and every figure above moves — which is exactly why a single national "solar costs X" number is misleading.
Notice that payback barely improves as systems get bigger, and eventually gets worse. That's because you can only save money on electricity you were going to buy anyway. Once a system covers your usage, extra panels mostly generate exports at a much lower rate.
Why King's Lynn gets 1,071 sun hours
That figure comes from Google's analysis of real rooftops across King's Lynn — it already accounts for shading from trees, chimneys and neighbouring buildings, which is why it's lower than the raw "hours of daylight" figures you'll see elsewhere. An unusually open, unshaded roof in King's Lynn reaches about 1,082 hours, roughly 1% better than typical.
The numbers behind this page
| Typical usable sunlight | 1,071 hrs/yr |
|---|---|
| Unshaded roof | 1,082 hrs/yr |
| Electricity rate (East of England avg) | 26.1p/kWh |
| Installed cost assumed | £1.70/W |
| Panel size assumed | 400 W |
| Typical household usage | 2,500 kWh/yr |
| Power used as generated | 34% |
| Paid for exported power | 12p/kWh (SEG) |
| Rooftops sampled here | 5 |
| Google imagery from | 2018 |
When King's Lynn actually produces
Annual totals hide the thing that catches people out: 43% of King's Lynn's yearly sunlight arrives in May–July, and just 8% across November–January.
| Month | Sun hrs | Share of year |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 29 | |
| Feb | 50 | |
| Mar | 81 | |
| Apr | 117 | |
| May | 146 | |
| Jun | 159 | |
| Jul | 153 | |
| Aug | 128 | |
| Sep | 94 | |
| Oct | 59 | |
| Nov | 33 | |
| Dec | 23 |
That is a severe seasonal swing — King's Lynn produces roughly 6.8× as much in Jun as in Dec. A system sized to cover your annual usage will overproduce badly in summer and fall well short in winter, so how your utility credits exported power matters more here than in most places.
The annual total is measured from Google's rooftop imagery. Its split across months is calculated from solar geometry at King's Lynn's latitude, not separately measured, so treat the monthly figures as the shape of a typical year rather than a forecast.
How King's Lynn compares to the other 788 cities
| Measure | King's Lynn | Rank of 788 |
|---|---|---|
| Usable sunlight | 1,071 hrs | 687th |
| Sunlight lost to shade | 1% | 774th most |
| Median roof size | 66 m² | 765th largest |
| Electricity rate | 26.1p | 115th highest |
| Payback | 11.1 yrs | 449th fastest |
| Grid carbon | 479 kg/MWh | 515th dirtiest |
What actually stands out about King's Lynn:
- Unusually open roofs. Only 1% of available sunlight is lost to obstruction in King's Lynn — better than all but 14 of the 788 cities measured. Most roofs here get close to their theoretical maximum.
- Small roofs. The median King's Lynn roof is 66 m², smaller than 97% of cities measured — worth checking your own footprint before assuming a standard system fits.
- Older imagery. Google's aerial capture of King's Lynn dates from 2018. Tree growth and new construction since then are not reflected.
Cities with almost the same sunlight
The closest matches to King's Lynn's 1,071 usable sun hours elsewhere in the UK. Sunlight varies far more across Britain than electricity prices do, so these are the places where a system of the same size produces roughly the same amount.
| City | Sun hrs | Rate | Payback |
|---|---|---|---|
| Canterbury, South East | 1,076 | 26.1p | 11.1 yrs |
| Crawley, South East | 1,063 | 26.1p | 11.1 yrs |
| Portsmouth, South East | 1,081 | 26.1p | 11 yrs |
| Exeter, South West | 1,060 | 26.1p | 11.2 yrs |
Nearby cities
See all of East of England → statewide sunlight, rates, incentives and every city we've measured.
King's Lynn solar questions
How many solar panels do I need in King's Lynn?
About 7 panels for an average home using 2,500 kWh a year. King's Lynn roofs get 1,071 usable sun hours, so each 400W panel produces roughly 364 kWh annually. A typical King's Lynn roof fits about 18 panels, so roof space is unlikely to be your limit.
Is solar worth it in King's Lynn?
At 26.1p/kWh and 1,071 sun hours, a typical system pays for itself in about 11.1 years and returns roughly £5,974 over a 25-year panel life. That is slower than average, so compare several quotes before committing. Exported power earns 12p/kWh under the Smart Export Guarantee, well below the 26.1p you pay to import.
How much do solar panels cost in King's Lynn?
A 2.8 kW system costs about £4,760 before incentives. That works out near £1.70 per watt installed. Roof pitch, shading, electrical panel upgrades and equipment choice move the price most, which is why quotes for the same house can differ by thousands.
Worth reading before you buy
Estimates only, generated 2026-08-22 from Google Solar API rooftop samples and average East of England electricity rates. Not a quote and not financial advice. Your roof, usage, utility plan and local incentives will change these numbers — get real quotes before buying.