- Solar advice hub
- Cities-and-regions
- Solar panels in Cornwall: are they worth it?
Solar panels in Cornwall: are they worth it?
Here's how much you can save by getting solar panels in Cornwall, as well as costs, grants, and how well solar works in this weather.
Written byJosh Jackman
🏡 More than 25,000 homes in Cornwall have installed solar panels
🌞 Cornwall receives significantly more sunlight than most counties
📈 The county’s solar panel adoption rate is double the UK average
If you live in Cornwall, with its gorgeous wildlife, castles, and sandy beaches, and you’re looking to cut your electricity bills, solar panels are the best way to achieve that goal.
From Land's End to Saltash, Cornwall receives more sunlight than the vast majority of the UK, so you have a big advantage over other counties when it comes to using solar panels.
In this guide, we’ll go through how much solar panels cost in Cornwall, how well they work in the county’s weather, and which government grants can help you lower the upfront cost.
And if you’re interested in how much you could save with a solar & battery system, answer a few quick questions below and we’ll generate an estimate for you.
How many homes in Cornwall have solar panels?
25,124 homes in Cornwall have installed solar panels that are certified by the Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS), as of February 2024.
In total, 10.03% of households have bought a solar panel system in the county, one of the biggest in England.
That’s more than double the UK average of 4.5%, which is only logical, since Cornwall is one of the sunniest places in the country.
Also, these Cornwall-wide figures only include installations certified by the MCS, so the actual number of Cornish homes with solar panel systems could be a bit higher.
How much sunlight does Cornwall get?
Cornwall gets considerably more sunlight than most of the UK, with Truro receiving 1,298 kilowatt-hours per square metre (kWh/m²) on average per year – 19% above the national average. This number will vary slightly across Cornwall, but it’s a great indicator.
Truro’s figure is based on the European Commission's Photovoltaic Geographical Information System, which provides regularly updated levels of solar irradiance.
In the solar panel industry, amounts of sunlight are tracked via ‘solar irradiance,’ which assesses the sun’s average intensity over a specific area.
It’s measured in kilowatt-hours per square metre – that is, how much energy makes it from the sun, across 93 million miles of space, to a given square metre on Earth.
As you might expect, the more intense the sunlight that hits your panels, the higher the kilowatt-hours per square metre, and the more solar electricity your installation will produce – leading to higher savings.
How much power can a solar panel system generate in Cornwall?
A solar panel system in Cornwall can generate enough energy to power the majority of your electrical needs, which means you can cut your electricity bills in half.
We created the design below for a property in Launceston that uses around 5,000 kilowatt-hours (kWh) of electricity per year.
| Location | System size (kWp) | Battery size (kWh) | Average output per year (kWh) | Consumption (kWh) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Launceston | 4.73 | 5.8 | 4,391 | 5,000 |
The design includes 11 solar panels which each have a power rating of 430 watts (W), creating a 4.73 kWp (kilowatt-peak) system – that is, an installation that produces 4,730 kWh per year in ‘standard test conditions’ (which use a solar irradiance of 1,000 W per m²).
Because Launceston is a relatively sunny town, the system would generate 4,391 kWh per year – a massive 93% of the amount it’d produce under standard test conditions.
As our design includes a 5.8 kWh battery, this household would be able to use 2,415 kWh of the electricity their solar panels produce, which is 55% of their overall consumption.
This would cut their electricity bills by £626, based on February 2024 prices.
The other 1,976 kWh generated by their system would be sent to the grid on a smart export tariff called Octopus Flux – one of the best export tariffs on the market – which would earn them another £566 per year.
In total, this household could cut its annual electricity bills from £1,626 to £434, according to our calculations – which is a 73% saving.
One of the factors behind this household’s ability to achieve an enormous £1,192 per year saving is the relative absence of shading at the property.
The solar panel system would be under shade just 5% of the time, according to our calculations, enabling it to use 95% of the daylight available at its location in Launceston.
Please note: you won’t necessarily generate as much solar electricity with your system, as this design is for a specific property that may be different to yours – but it should give you a rough idea of what’s possible in Cornwall.
If you would like to see the savings you could get from a solar & battery system, click the button below. Just answer a few quick questions, and we’ll provide an estimate.
How much do solar panels cost in Cornwall?
| Property size | System size | Number of panels (430W) | Estimated cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2-3 bedrooms | 3.01 kWp | 7 | £9,000 |
| 4-5 bedrooms | 5.16 kWp | 12 | £10,500 |
| 6+ bedrooms | 8.17 kWp | 19 | £13,500 |
A 3 kWp solar panel system costs £9,000 to buy and install in Cornwall, on average.
To get a 5 kWh battery with this installation, you’ll generally need to pay another £2,000, for a total cost of £11,000.
The price of your specific solar panel system will change depending on multiple factors including its size, the installation’s complexity, and which installer you choose.
To learn everything else you need to know, check out our guide to solar panel costs.
Are there any grants for solar panels in Cornwall?
Solar panel grants are available for many and varied households in Cornwall – and you can also access initiatives to help you drastically reduce the upfront cost.
If you’re not eligible for these programmes but still can’t afford the price of solar panels, take a look at Sunsave Plus, which is available at no upfront cost.
For fixed monthly payments over 20 years, you’ll receive the best-in-class kit, full monitoring and maintenance support, and a system that’ll save you money from day one.
Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund
This government scheme gives funding to local councils that they can use to improve the energy efficiency of social homes in their area, including measures like solar panels and insulation.
Since 2021, the government has repeatedly awarded funding to Cornwall Council, and that was also the case in March 2023, when the council received £1.76 million.
As of January 2024, this scheme has delivered 182 energy-efficient measures to 58 households in Cornwall, according to the government.
It’s not clear how many of these measures in Cornwall were solar panels, but they make up about 10% of all installations across the country.
You can’t apply to the scheme, but you can contact Cornwall Council to advocate for your social housing to be included in any measures.
National grants
If you think you may be eligible for either of the following national grants, you should absolutely consider applying.
Solar panels are an excellent addition to your home. They can reduce your electricity bills by hundreds of pounds per year, slash your carbon footprint, and increase your home’s value.
Home Upgrade Grant
The government-backed Home Upgrade Grant gives funding to local authorities so they can pay for the installation of energy-efficient measures in low-income properties that aren’t on the gas grid.
To qualify, your home must also have an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) of D, E, F, or G.
If your household is eligible, you could receive free or substantially discounted solar panels.
In the most recent funding round, Cornwall Council secured £20.7 million – one of the largest grant amounts – to be shared with the roughly 2,000 people on the Isles of Scilly.
Cornwall Council has said the funding will enable OVO Energy to install free or subsidised energy-efficient measures in “up to 1,000 homes” by March 2025.
If you think you may be eligible, contact Cornwall Council to start your application.
Energy Company Obligation (ECO4)
If you live in a vulnerable or low-income home with residents who receive at least one qualifying benefit, you may be able to take advantage of the government’s main scheme for cutting domestic emissions.
ECO4 isn’t a grant, but is instead a way the government compels large energy companies to install energy-efficient measures in at-risk households, without the government or residents having to pay.
You can get a free solar panel system through the scheme, but only if your home is heated with electricity, like 9% of households in England and Wales.
Is it worth getting solar panels in Cornwall?
It’s definitely worth getting solar panels in Cornwall, in the massive majority of situations.
There are excellent levels of solar irradiance across the county, which usually allows residents to save hundreds of pounds on their electricity bills.
This is likely why a huge 10.03% of households in Cornwall have installed solar panels – one of the highest rates in the UK.
If the upfront cost is too high, you could look into applying for ECO4 or the Home Upgrade Grant, both of which can cut the price.
If you’re not eligible for a grant, you should consider Sunsave Plus, our all-in-one residential solar and battery solution that’s tailored to your home, and delivered as a monthly subscription at no upfront cost.
It also comes with ongoing monitoring and maintenance – including insurance cover – and gives you priority access to the best export tariffs around, through our partnership with Octopus.
If you’re wondering how much a solar & battery system could save you, just click the button below, answer a few questions, and we’ll provide you with an estimate.
Solar panels in Cornwall: FAQs
How much do solar panels cost in Cornwall?
In Cornwall, the average 3 kWp solar panel system costs £9,000 to buy and install.
Larger households will typically need a roughly 5.2 kWp system, which costs £10,500, on average.
If you want to add a 5 kWh solar battery to the setup, it’ll usually cost another £2,000, for an overall price tag of £11,000.
However, how much your bespoke solar panel system costs will depend on factors including its size, the installation’s complexity, and your installer.
Do I need planning permission for solar panels in Cornwall?
Most households don’t need planning permission to install solar panels on their property in Cornwall.
Solar installations are almost always covered by permitted development rights, which allow you to carry out reasonably sized measures without getting planning permission.
The main exceptions to look out for are flats, listed buildings, homes in conservation areas, and ground-mounted installations.
How many solar panels do I need for a four-bedroom house?
You’ll typically need 10 solar panels for a four-bedroom house, assuming the panels each have a 430-watt power rating.
The average four-bedroom household uses 4,100 kWh per year, so this system would usually be large enough to cover at least half of its output, with the rest of the solar electricity going to the grid.
You can also get a solar battery alongside your solar panels, so you can use more of the electricity your system generates.
Ideally, you’d install as many solar panels as possible, because you can just keep boosting your savings on one of the best export tariffs.
Written byJosh Jackman
Josh has written about the rapid rise of home solar for the past five years. His data-driven work has been featured in United Nations and World Health Organisation documents, as well as publications including The Eco Experts, Financial Times, The Independent, The Telegraph, The Times, and The Sun. Josh has also been interviewed as a renewables expert on BBC One’s Rip-Off Britain, ITV1’s Tonight show, and BBC Radio 4 and 5.