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Lowest Solar Generation Areas in the UK

Scotland, Northern England, and parts of Northern Ireland receive fewer annual sunshine hours than the south — but that does not mean solar panels are a bad investment. Even in the lowest-performing postcode districts, a typical 4kW system pays for itself within 8 to 13 years, leaving 12-17 years of pure profit over the panel's 25-year lifespan.

With 0% VAT on solar installations, the Smart Export Guarantee paying you for exported electricity, and electricity prices unlikely to fall, solar remains a financially sound decision across the entire UK. The table below shows the 50 lowest-ranked postcode districts — and why they are still worth considering.

# Postcode Town County Sun Hours Generation kWh Annual Savings Payback
1 FY3 Blackpool Lancashire 1150hrs 3,220 £576/yr 10.1 yrs
2 CA1 Carlisle Cumbria 1150hrs 3,220 £576/yr 10.1 yrs
3 BB9 Nelson Lancashire 1150hrs 3,220 £576/yr 10.1 yrs
4 FY4 Blackpool Lancashire 1151hrs 3,223 £577/yr 10.1 yrs
5 CA2 Carlisle Cumbria 1151hrs 3,223 £577/yr 10.1 yrs
6 FY6 Poulton Le Fylde Lancashire 1153hrs 3,228 £578/yr 10 yrs
7 FY5 Thornton Cleveleys Lancashire 1152hrs 3,226 £578/yr 10 yrs
8 CA4 Carlisle Cumbria 1153hrs 3,228 £578/yr 10 yrs
9 CA3 Carlisle Cumbria 1152hrs 3,226 £578/yr 10 yrs
10 WA11 St Helens Cheshire 1156hrs 3,237 £579/yr 10 yrs
11 WA10 St Helens Cheshire 1155hrs 3,234 £579/yr 10 yrs
12 L22 Liverpool Merseyside 1156hrs 3,237 £579/yr 10 yrs
13 L21 Liverpool Merseyside 1155hrs 3,234 £579/yr 10 yrs
14 L20 Bootle Merseyside 1154hrs 3,231 £579/yr 10 yrs
15 FY8 Lytham St Annes Lancashire 1155hrs 3,234 £579/yr 10 yrs
16 FY7 Fleetwood Lancashire 1154hrs 3,231 £579/yr 10 yrs
17 CA7 Wigton Cumbria 1156hrs 3,237 £579/yr 10 yrs
18 CA6 Carlisle Cumbria 1155hrs 3,234 £579/yr 10 yrs
19 CA5 Carlisle Cumbria 1154hrs 3,231 £579/yr 10 yrs
20 WA12 Newton Le Willows Cheshire 1157hrs 3,240 £580/yr 10 yrs
21 L23 Liverpool Merseyside 1157hrs 3,240 £580/yr 10 yrs
22 CA8 Brampton Cumbria 1157hrs 3,240 £580/yr 10 yrs
23 WA14 Altrincham Cheshire 1159hrs 3,245 £581/yr 10 yrs
24 WA13 Lymm Cheshire 1158hrs 3,242 £581/yr 10 yrs
25 L25 Liverpool Merseyside 1159hrs 3,245 £581/yr 10 yrs
26 L24 Liverpool Merseyside 1158hrs 3,242 £581/yr 10 yrs
27 CA9 Alston Cumbria 1158hrs 3,242 £581/yr 10 yrs
28 WA16 Knutsford Cheshire 1161hrs 3,251 £582/yr 10 yrs
29 WA15 Altrincham Cheshire 1160hrs 3,248 £582/yr 10 yrs
30 M50 Salford Greater Manchester 1163hrs 3,256 £582/yr 10 yrs
31 M11 Manchester Greater Manchester 1163hrs 3,256 £582/yr 10 yrs
32 L29 Liverpool Merseyside 1163hrs 3,256 £582/yr 10 yrs
33 L28 Liverpool Merseyside 1162hrs 3,254 £582/yr 10 yrs
34 L27 Liverpool Merseyside 1161hrs 3,251 £582/yr 10 yrs
35 L26 Liverpool Merseyside 1160hrs 3,248 £582/yr 10 yrs
36 M12 Manchester Greater Manchester 1164hrs 3,259 £583/yr 9.9 yrs
37 M13 Manchester Greater Manchester 1165hrs 3,262 £584/yr 9.9 yrs
38 SK23 High Peak Cheshire 1167hrs 3,268 £585/yr 9.9 yrs
39 SK22 High Peak Cheshire 1166hrs 3,265 £585/yr 9.9 yrs
40 M16 Manchester Greater Manchester 1168hrs 3,270 £585/yr 9.9 yrs
41 M15 Manchester Greater Manchester 1167hrs 3,268 £585/yr 9.9 yrs
42 M14 Manchester Greater Manchester 1166hrs 3,265 £585/yr 9.9 yrs
43 M17 Manchester Greater Manchester 1169hrs 3,273 £586/yr 9.9 yrs
44 TS1 Middlesbrough Teesside 1185hrs 3,318 £587/yr 9.9 yrs
45 M19 Manchester Greater Manchester 1171hrs 3,279 £587/yr 9.9 yrs
46 M18 Manchester Greater Manchester 1170hrs 3,276 £587/yr 9.9 yrs
47 DH1 Durham County Durham 1185hrs 3,318 £587/yr 9.9 yrs
48 TS3 Middlesbrough Teesside 1187hrs 3,324 £588/yr 9.9 yrs
49 TS2 Middlesbrough Teesside 1186hrs 3,321 £588/yr 9.9 yrs
50 DH3 Chester Le Street County Durham 1187hrs 3,324 £588/yr 9.9 yrs

Best areas for solar in the UK • Solar savings calculator • Solar panel costs

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