Solar panels in Devon: are they worth it?

If you’re lucky enough to live among Devon’s rolling hills and Jurassic Coast and you’re looking to cut your electricity bills, solar panels could be the best way forward.

From Welcombe in the west to All Saints in the east, this county receives more sunlight than almost any other in the UK, which gives residents with solar panels a massive advantage.

In this guide, we’ll explain how much solar panels cost in Devon, how the area’s excellent weather affects savings, and which grants can help you cut the upfront cost.

At Sunsave we install across the whole of Devon – so if you’re wondering how much you could save with a solar & battery system, enter a few details below and we’ll generate a quick estimate.

What are the best solar panel installers in Devon?

1. Sunsave

At Sunsave, our mission is to make solar accessible to all UK households, which is why we’re offering the UK’s first solar subscription service to households all over Devon.

Sunsave Plus allows you to start saving on your energy bills immediately, without having to pay anything upfront.

You’ll get the best-in-class kit installed on your roof, access to the best export tariffs, and the 20-year Sunsave Guarantee, which includes 24/7 monitoring & maintenance, a free replacement battery and inverter, and downtime cover – all for a fixed monthly fee.

Your system will also be insured by Aviva against damage, fire, and theft.

2. BD Electrical Services

Since 2022, this Bideford-based business has grown through word of mouth into one of the best, most popular installers in the area.

This wasn't luck, either – co-owner Dwayne Bowden has put in the time. The born-and-bred Devon boy worked as an electrician and project engineer in the county for just under a decade before launching his own company with Richard Davis – hence the 'BD' in their firm's name.

Bowden told Sunsave that being ranked as one of the best solar panel installers in Devon was "bloody good."

He put his company's success down to its trustworthiness, saying: "We get the job done to a good standard, and we're reliable, unlike other installers."

3. Earth Inspired Solar

Not many solar panel installers have a shop where you can come and discuss your plans with trained engineers – but Earth Inspired Solar isn't like most companies.

Just a few minutes outside Barnstaple in North Devon, surrounded by greenery, equestrian stores, and dog grooming centres, you can meet the firm's installers, who reviewers agree are professional, friendly, and tidy.

As well as solar installations, this team can also fit boilers, underfloor heating, and heat pumps.

That means you can trust the company to take a holistic view of improving your home.

How much do solar panels cost in Devon?

How many homes in Devon have solar panels?

48,255 households in Devon have had solar panels installed with a Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS) certificate, as of May 2024.

That means 10% of homes in the county have had a solar panel system installed.

This is more than double the UK average of 4.6% – as it should be, since Devon is one of the brightest, sunniest counties in the UK.

And these Devon numbers only include installations the MCS has certified, so the real number of households with solar panels is likely to be slightly higher.

Are there any grants for solar panels in Devon?

There are grants for solar panels available in Devon, thanks to local initiatives and national government schemes.

If you’re not eligible for any of these programmes, but still can’t afford the price of solar panels, have 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 can save you money from day one.

Solar Together Devon

Solar Together is an initiative that helps residents in a specific area secure a sizable discount on their solar installations through collective buying.

So far, more than 290 Devon households have signed up to take part in the 2024 edition of the scheme, which is supported by councils including East Devon, Exeter, Mid Devon, Plymouth, South Hams, Teignbridge, Torridge, and West Devon.

535 homes joined the scheme the last time it ran in Devon, in 2020.

You can take part in Solar Together if you’re a homeowner, small or medium-sized business owner, or tenant – as long as you have your landlord's permission.

It only runs for a limited amount of time in each area, so if you’re interested, sign up for free before it ends.

To learn more, check out our guide to Solar Together.

Warm Up Grant

This local scheme offers top-up payments worth as much as £3,000 to households that have received funding through the government’s Energy Company Obligation (ECO4) scheme (more on that below).

So if you get an ECO4 grant that doesn’t cover the entire cost of a home improvement – like solar panels – you may be able to fund the rest with a Warm Up Grant.

The scheme is available to residents throughout the county, including in Exeter, Mid Devon, North Devon, South Hams, and West Devon.

Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund

This government initiative hands 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.

In 2024, the government awarded £1.87 million of funding to East Devon District Council, in addition to the £600,000 the council received in 2023.

And other Devon residents have benefited from Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund grants. Plymouth City Council collected a total of £8,100,000 in 2022 and 2023, while Exeter City Council received £1.5 million in 2023.

East Devon has so far used its grants to carry out 210 measures across 50 households, and Plymouth has funded 226 improvements in 58 homes, according to the government.

It’s not clear how many of these measures were solar panel installations, but they make up about 10% of all installations across the country.

You can’t apply to the scheme, but if you live in East Devon, you can contact your local council to advocate for your social housing to be included in any measures.

Lendology loans

Local authorities all over Devon, including East Devon, Exeter, Mid Devon, North Devon, South Hams, Teignbridge, Torridge, and West Devon, have partnered with not-for-profit lender Lendology to offer loans for home improvements, including solar panels.

Homeowners and private landlords can borrow up to £20,000, and pay that back over as many as 25 years. All you need is enough equity in your home to cover the agreed loan.

The current representative Annual Percentage Rate (APR) is 4.2%, and you’ll have to continue paying back the loan if you move home.

National grants

Two national grants are available to Devon homes – and if you’re eligible for either, you should absolutely consider applying.

Solar panels can cut your electricity bills by hundreds of pounds per year, reduce your carbon footprint, and increase your property’s value, but the upfront cost is often high. If you don’t have to pay it, you shouldn’t.

Home Upgrade Grant

The Home Upgrade Grant gives funding to local authorities so they can pay for energy-efficient improvements in low-income households which aren’t connected to the gas grid.

This government-backed scheme is only available to properties that have a valid Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) with a rating of D, E, F, or G.

If your home is eligible, you could get a largely discounted or free solar panel system, wherever you live in Devon.

In the most recent wave of funding, the government gave £13.3 million to a Devon City Council-led consortium of East Devon, Exeter, Mid Devon, North Devon, Teignbridge, Torridge, and Torbay’s councils.

Another consortium of West Devon and South Hams picked up £4.1 million in funding, and Plymouth City Council, operating on its own, was handed £3.4 million.

To see if you could qualify, apply through the government’s site or call your local council.

Energy Company Obligation (ECO4)

This government scheme compels large energy suppliers to install energy-saving improvements in low-income and vulnerable households that use electricity to power their heating systems.

If you think you could be eligible and receive at least one qualifying means-tested benefit – such as Income-based Jobseekers Allowance or Child Tax Credits – you could potentially get an energy supplier to install a free solar panel system at your property.

More than 21,700 solar panel systems have been installed in the UK through ECO4 since it began in July 2022, which is just over 5% of all measures taken through the programme.

Is Devon sunny enough for solar panels?

Devon receives substantially more sunlight than the great majority of UK counties, with Exeter getting 1,237 kilowatt-hours per square metre (kWh/m²) on average per year – 13% higher than the national average.

This number will differ depending on where you are in Devon, but it’s still an excellent indication.

Exeter’s figure is based on the European Commission's Photovoltaic Geographical Information System, which provides regularly updated solar irradiance data.

The solar panel industry measures sunlight by tracking the sun’s average intensity in a specific area, which it calls ‘solar irradiance.’

It’s assessed in kilowatt-hours per square metre – that is, how much energy makes it from the sun, through 93 million miles of space, to a specific square metre on Earth.

There are multiple factors that affect solar panel output, but solar irradiance is one of the most crucial.

As you may expect, the more intense the sunlight that hits your panels, the higher the kWh/m², and the more solar electricity your installation generates – which means higher savings for you.

How much power can a solar panel system generate in Devon?

A solar panel system in Devon can produce enough electricity to power the majority of your home’s electrical needs, allowing you to lower your electricity bills.

We designed the system below for a household in Exeter that uses around 4,750kWh of electricity per year.

Is it worth getting solar panels in Devon?

It’s definitely worth getting solar panels in Devon, more so than most places in the country.

Devon benefits from high levels of solar irradiance – particularly when compared to the UK average – which enables residents to save hundreds of pounds per year.

There’s a reason why an enormous 10% of households in the county have decided to get solar panels – and that percentage will likely rise over the coming years, as energy bills stay high and heat pumps and electric vehicles continue to become increasingly popular.

If you’d like to buy solar panels but the upfront cost puts you off, check if you’re eligible for help from initiatives like the Home Upgrade Grant or ECO4 scheme.

And if you don’t qualify for a government 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 comes with ongoing monitoring and maintenance, free replacement parts (including a battery and inverter), and downtime cover. Your system will also be insured by Aviva against damage, fire, and theft.

At Sunsave we install across the whole of Devon – so if you’re wondering how much you could save with a solar & battery system, enter a few details below and we’ll generate a quick estimate.

Solar panels in Devon: FAQs