The average solar & battery system in the UK covers about 89% of annual electricity needs. The output varies with the design of the system and the location, but a setup with 430W panels and a 5.8kWh battery is typical. How efficient are solar electric panels?
One way to overcome this problem is to combine a solar panel system with a storage battery, which can store the excess energy that the panels produce. But even with a battery, the homeowner can only use up to 80% of their solar-generated electricity, because batteries have limited storage capacity.
Solar panels produce different amounts of electricity depending on the season. This is because the amount of sunlight that reaches the solar panels changes throughout the year. Solar panel output is lower in the winter in the UK – by about 83%, on average.
Solar panels are usually around 2m², which means the typical 430-watt model will produce 372kWh across a year. A solar panel system will need space on either side, so finding out your roof's area is only one part of working out how much solar electricity you can generate, but it's a great first step.
Whether they'll generate enough electricity for your home year-round will depend on: if your solar panel system works in a power cut. It may be more realistic to think about whether you can be self-sufficient for the brighter parts of the year, and then top up your energy use from the grid at other times.
On average, solar panels produce 0.4 kWh per hour, but peak production occurs around solar noon, not necessarily at 12pm. A typical 4.3kWp solar panel system in the UK can generate about 3,500kWh annually, with one 430W panel producing roughly 350kWh.