Solar panels in Yorkshire and the Humber
Roofs across Yorkshire and the Humber get about 950 hours of usable sunlight a year, and electricity costs 26.1p/kWh. That combination puts a typical system's payback at 12.5 years. Here's the detail, from real rooftop data across 9 Yorkshire and the Humber cities.
Check your own roof in Yorkshire and the Humber → These are regional figures; your roof's size, pitch and shading move them a lot.
How Yorkshire and the Humber compares
Yorkshire and the Humber gets more sunlight than 5% of the cities we measure, and its electricity costs more than 77% of states and provinces. Both matter, but not equally: the electricity rate usually matters more, because solar saves money by replacing power you would otherwise buy. A sunny state with cheap power often pays back slower than a cloudy state with expensive power. Why that happens →
Solar by city in Yorkshire and the Humber
| City | Sun hrs/yr | Panels | Net cost | Payback |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Doncaster | 986 | 8 | £5,440 | 12.2 yrs |
| York | 961 | 8 | £5,440 | 12.4 yrs |
| Scarborough | 958 | 8 | £5,440 | 12.5 yrs |
| Kingston upon Hull | 958 | 8 | £5,440 | 12.5 yrs |
| Sheffield | 950 | 8 | £5,440 | 12.5 yrs |
| Leeds | 927 | 8 | £5,440 | 12.8 yrs |
| Harrogate | 909 | 9 | £6,120 | 13.4 yrs |
| Barnsley | 908 | 9 | £6,120 | 13.4 yrs |
| Huddersfield | 897 | 9 | £6,120 | 13.5 yrs |
What a system costs in Yorkshire and the Humber
| System | Size | kWh/yr | Net cost | Saves/yr | Payback |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 panels | 3.2 kW | 2,584 | £9,120 | £675 | 13.5 yrs |
| 12 panels | 4.8 kW | 3,876 | £13,680 | £1,012 | 13.5 yrs |
| 16 panels | 6.4 kW | 5,168 | £18,240 | £1,349 | 13.5 yrs |
| 20 panels | 8 kW | 6,460 | £22,800 | £1,687 | 13.5 yrs |
| 26 panels | 10.4 kW | 8,398 | £29,640 | £2,193 | 13.5 yrs |
Payback stops improving as systems grow, then gets worse. You can only save on electricity you were going to buy, so once a system covers your usage the extra panels mostly export at a lower rate.
Yorkshire and the Humber solar incentives
The 30% US federal tax credit does not apply in Canada, and the figures on this page exclude it. Canadian support comes through federal programmes such as the Canada Greener Homes Loan plus provincial and utility schemes, which vary and change — check current Yorkshire and the Humber programmes directly rather than trusting a figure on a website.
Yorkshire and the Humber solar questions
Is solar worth it in Yorkshire and the Humber?
At 26.1p/kWh and 950 usable sun hours, a typical Yorkshire and the Humber system pays back in about 12.5 years and returns roughly £5,399 across a 25-year panel life. That is slower than average, so compare at least three quotes before committing. Individual cities in Yorkshire and the Humber vary widely around this average.
How many solar panels do I need in Yorkshire and the Humber?
About 8 panels for a home using 2,500 kWh a year. Each 400W panel produces roughly 323 kWh annually at Yorkshire and the Humber sunlight levels. Your own figure depends on actual usage — pull a year of bills rather than assuming average consumption, since heating and EV charging change it a lot.
How much do solar panels cost in Yorkshire and the Humber?
A 3.2 kW system runs about £5,440 before incentives, or roughly £1.70 per watt installed. Quotes vary widely by installer, roof complexity and whether your electrical panel needs upgrading — get three before deciding.
Worth reading before you buy
Regional estimates generated 2026-08-22 from Google Solar API rooftop samples across 9 Yorkshire and the Humber cities, and average Yorkshire and the Humber electricity rates. Not a quote and not financial or tax advice.