Is the 24% difference significant?

Financially: a 4kW system in Cornwall saves ~£1,050/yr vs ~£800/yr in Derry. Both are strongly profitable. The difference affects payback by 2-3 years, not whether solar is worthwhile.

Why do some areas outperform their latitude?

Coastal areas (Brighton, Southampton) benefit from reduced fog and cloud compared to inland areas at the same latitude. Edinburgh outperforms Manchester despite being further north — altitude, coastal influence, and local weather patterns matter as much as latitude.

Output by UK Region: kWh Data

By Home Solar Guide Team|Updated 19 March 2026|educational

Independently written | Evidence-based | Sources cited

Solar output by UK region — PVGIS data: Cornwall 1,100 kWh/kWp. Aberdeen 880. Only 20% variation.

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How much do solar panels produce by UK region?

Annual solar panel output (kWh per kWp installed) by UK region — all data from PVGIS (European Commission, re.jrc.ec.europa.eu) at 35° tilt, south-facing: SOUTH WEST: Cornwall 1,100, Devon 1,080, Somerset 1,050, Dorset 1,060. SOUTH EAST: Brighton 1,050, Southampton 1,060, London 1,030, Kent 1,040. EAST: Norwich 1,000, Cambridge 1,010, Ipswich 1,010. MIDLANDS: Birmingham 940, Nottingham 950, Leicester 960. NORTH WEST: Manchester 900, Liverpool 910, Preston 890. YORKSHIRE: Leeds 910, Sheffield 920, York 930. NORTH EAST: Newcastle 870, Durham 870, Middlesbrough 880. SCOTLAND: Edinburgh 920, Glasgow 900, Aberdeen 880, Inverness 820. WALES: Cardiff 980, Swansea 970, Bangor 910. N. IRELAND: Belfast 870, Derry 840. KEY FINDING: The difference between the best (Cornwall 1,100) and worst (Derry 840) is only 24%. This is far smaller than most people assume. Solar works everywhere in the UK. Sources: PVGIS 5.2, European Commission Joint Research Centre (re.jrc.ec.europa.eu/pvg_tools/en/).