Cornwall has the best case for solar panels in England. Here is why.

Published 19 February 2026

We analysed 5,000 EPC records from Cornwall. The data tells a clear story: no county in England combines high solar output, a large off-gas-grid population, and the right kind of housing stock as well as Cornwall does.

Three things that set Cornwall apart

1. More sun than almost anywhere in England

A standard 4kWp solar system in Cornwall generates around 3,600 kWh per year. That is based on European Commission satellite data (PVGIS), not marketing claims.

South-facing, 30-40° pitch, 14% system losses. Source: European Commission PVGIS v5.3 satellite data.

That extra output matters. A Cornwall system generates roughly 630 kWh more per year than Manchester. At 27.69p/kWh, that is an extra £175 a year in value, every year, for 25 years.

2. Over half of Cornwall homes are off the gas grid

This is the big one. Nationally, about 80% of UK homes use mains gas. In Cornwall, it is just 42%.

Cornwall figures from our analysis of 5,000 EPC records (MHCLG EPC Open Data Register). England averages from 2021 Census and House of Commons Library research briefing CBP-9838.

Why does this matter? Because electrically heated homes pay 27.69p/kWh for all their energy. Every kWh a solar panel generates saves them 27.69p. For a gas-heated home, solar only offsets the electricity portion of the bill (lighting, appliances), while heating runs on gas at 5.93p/kWh. Solar is roughly five times more valuable per panel for an electrically heated home.

40% of Cornwall homes use electric heating. That is over four times the national rate. Add in oil and LPG homes, and more than half the county would benefit disproportionately from solar panels.

3. The right kind of housing

Solar panels need a roof you control. That usually means a house or bungalow, not a flat. Cornwall has exactly that.

• 66% houses, 16% bungalows, 15% flats
• 30% detached, 26% semi-detached, 29% terraced
• 82% of Cornwall properties are houses or bungalows with their own roof

Bungalows are particularly good for solar because the roof area relative to floor area is larger. Cornwall has an unusually high proportion of them.

What the numbers look like for a Cornwall home

Take a typical electrically heated detached house in Cornwall. EPC rating D, storage heaters, 100m². Current energy costs around £2,500 to £3,000 per year at today's electricity prices.

A 4kWp solar system generating 3,600 kWh per year would save roughly:

• Self-consumption (50%): 1,800 kWh at 27.69p = £498/yr saved
• Export income (50%): 1,800 kWh at ~12p SEG = £216/yr earned
• Immersion diverter bonus: surplus heats hot water tank = ~£100/yr saved on hot water
• Total year one: roughly £814/yr

At £7,000 installed, that is a payback of under 9 years. With electricity prices likely to rise (they have risen every year for the past decade), it could be faster.

Over 25 years, even conservatively, the net gain is £12,000 to £15,000. If you later add a heat pump, the combined system saves £1,500 to £2,000 a year compared to storage heaters, with the £7,500 BUS grant covering most of the heat pump cost.

The EPC picture

47% of Cornwall properties in our sample are rated D or worse. Among electrically heated homes specifically, 45% are D or worse. These are the homes with the most to gain from improvements, and the most to save.

Many of these EPCs are old. Assessment methods have changed significantly: modern EPCs include heat pumps and solar in their recommendations. A home assessed in 2010 might show a potential rating of D. Assessed today, with solar and a heat pump factored in, that same home could reach B or even A.

How Cornwall compares to the rest of the south west

Solar score = off-gas percentage × detached/semi percentage. Higher means more homes that are both off the gas grid and have a roof they control. Based on 5,000 EPC records per area from the MHCLG EPC Open Data Register.

Cornwall leads by a clear margin. The combination of high off-gas percentage and decent housing stock gives it the highest solar opportunity score of any area we analysed.

The bigger picture: £141 million and 102,000 tonnes

Cornwall has around 260,000 households. 82% are houses or bungalows with their own roof. 55% are off the gas grid. Excluding the roughly 5% that already have solar, that leaves over 200,000 homes where solar panels would make a meaningful difference.

Off-gas homes save roughly £800 to £1,000 per year from a 4kWp system. Gas homes save around £400 to £500. Across all 200,000 suitable properties, that adds up to £141 million a year in reduced energy bills. The carbon reduction of 102,000 tonnes is equivalent to taking roughly 50,000 cars off the road.

Based on 260,000 Cornwall households (2021 Census), our fuel-type analysis of 5,000 EPC records, PVGIS output of 3,610 kWh/yr for a 4kWp system, current Ofgem rates (27.69p/kWh electricity, 5.93p/kWh gas), and DESNZ grid carbon intensity of 0.136 kg CO₂/kWh.

What this means if you live in Cornwall

If you own a house or bungalow in Cornwall with a south-facing roof, the case for solar panels is about as strong as it gets in England. You get more sun than most of the country, and if you heat with electricity, oil, or LPG, every panel works harder for you than it would for a gas-heated home in Manchester.

The staged approach works well here: install solar now (saves £700 to £800 a year on electricity), then switch to a heat pump when your current system needs replacing (£7,500 BUS grant, combined saving of £1,500+/yr). Both steps improve your EPC rating, and both increase your property value.

Check your own property

We calculate property-specific solar estimates for every home in England and Wales, using your EPC data and satellite irradiance for your exact location.

Want the full picture on solar economics? Read are solar panels worth it? The real numbers. If you heat with oil, see why oil-heated homes are the best candidates for solar panels.