Solar panels in Kingston upon Hull, Yorkshire and the Humber
Roofs in Kingston upon Hull get about 958 hours of usable sunlight a year — less than 95% 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 Kingston upon Hull → City averages are a starting point; your own roof's size, pitch and shading change the answer a lot.
What a typical Kingston upon Hull solar system costs
A 8-panel system (3.2 kW) is about right for an average Kingston upon Hull home using 2,500 kWh a year. It would produce roughly 2,606 kWh annually and offset 100% of that usage.
| System | Size | kWh/yr | Net cost | Saves/yr | Payback |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 panels | 3.2 kW | 2,606 | £5,440 | £436 | 12.5 yrs |
| 12 panels | 4.8 kW | 3,909 | £8,160 | £592 | 13.8 yrs |
| 16 panels | 6.4 kW | 5,212 | £10,880 | £749 | 14.5 yrs |
| 20 panels | 8 kW | 6,514 | £13,600 | £905 | 15 yrs |
| 26 panels | 10.4 kW | 8,469 | £17,680 | £1,140 | 15.5 yrs |
How we worked this out for Kingston upon Hull
Every number on this page comes from these seven steps. Nothing is a national average — the sunlight figure is measured from Kingston upon Hull rooftops.
| # | Step | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | What one panel makes here 400W ÷ 1000 × 958 sun hrs × 0.85 system losses |
326 kWh/yr |
| 2 | Panels needed to cover typical usage 2,500 kWh ÷ 326 kWh per panel |
8 panels |
| 3 | System size 8 panels × 400W |
3.20 kW |
| 4 | Annual production 3.20 kW × 958 hrs × 0.85 |
2,606 kWh/yr |
| 5 | Installed cost 3,200 W × £1.70 per watt (VAT is 0% on UK installs) |
£5,440 |
| 6 | Annual saving 875 kWh used as generated × 26.1p + 1,731 kWh exported × 12p |
£436/yr |
| 7 | Payback £5,440 ÷ £436 per year |
12.5 years |
Step 6 is where most calculators quietly overstate things. Only 34% of what a system this size produces in Kingston upon Hull is used the moment it is generated; the other 1,731 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 8.0 years instead of the 12.5 we show. That 4.5-year difference is the single biggest reason our figures look worse than other sites' for Kingston upon Hull.
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 Kingston upon Hull gets 958 sun hours
That figure comes from Google's analysis of real rooftops across Kingston upon Hull — 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 Kingston upon Hull reaches about 1,053 hours, roughly 10% better than typical.
The numbers behind this page
| Typical usable sunlight | 958 hrs/yr |
|---|---|
| Unshaded roof | 1,053 hrs/yr |
| Electricity rate (Yorkshire and the Humber 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 | 8 |
| Google imagery from | 2025 |
When Kingston upon Hull actually produces
Annual totals hide the thing that catches people out: 43% of Kingston upon Hull's yearly sunlight arrives in May–July, and just 7% across November–January.
| Month | Sun hrs | Share of year |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 24 | |
| Feb | 43 | |
| Mar | 71 | |
| Apr | 105 | |
| May | 132 | |
| Jun | 145 | |
| Jul | 139 | |
| Aug | 116 | |
| Sep | 84 | |
| Oct | 51 | |
| Nov | 28 | |
| Dec | 19 |
That is a severe seasonal swing — Kingston upon Hull produces roughly 7.5× 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 Kingston upon Hull's latitude, not separately measured, so treat the monthly figures as the shape of a typical year rather than a forecast.
How Kingston upon Hull compares to the other 788 cities
| Measure | Kingston upon Hull | Rank of 788 |
|---|---|---|
| Usable sunlight | 958 hrs | 746th |
| Sunlight lost to shade | 9% | 103rd most |
| Median roof size | 197 m² | 380th largest |
| Electricity rate | 26.1p | 189th highest |
| Payback | 12.5 yrs | 606th fastest |
| Grid carbon | 479 kg/MWh | 589th dirtiest |
What actually stands out about Kingston upon Hull:
- Plenty of roof to work with. Typical roofs here fit around 62 panels — roughly 7× what an average home needs. Roof size will not be what limits your system in Kingston upon Hull.
Cities with almost the same sunlight
The closest matches to Kingston upon Hull's 958 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Birmingham, West Midlands | 959 | 26.1p | 12.5 yrs |
| Shrewsbury, West Midlands | 959 | 26.1p | 12.5 yrs |
| Telford, West Midlands | 960 | 26.1p | 12.5 yrs |
| Grimsby, East Midlands | 956 | 26.1p | 12.5 yrs |
Nearby cities
See all of Yorkshire and the Humber → statewide sunlight, rates, incentives and every city we've measured.
Kingston upon Hull solar questions
How many solar panels do I need in Kingston upon Hull?
About 8 panels for an average home using 2,500 kWh a year. Kingston upon Hull roofs get 958 usable sun hours, so each 400W panel produces roughly 326 kWh annually. A typical Kingston upon Hull roof fits about 62 panels, so roof space is unlikely to be your limit.
Is solar worth it in Kingston upon Hull?
At 26.1p/kWh and 958 sun hours, a typical system pays for itself in about 12.5 years and returns roughly £5,464 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 Kingston upon Hull?
A 3.2 kW system costs about £5,440 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 Yorkshire and the Humber 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.