Solar explained to clever people by people who are not trying to be clever
Home Regions
Insights
Big Roof Britain Solar Payback Index Standing Charge Drag

Solar Panels in BH12 (Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole)

See if solar pays off for you in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole — price, savings and payback in under a minute (official UK data).

Solar Calculator

Change the settings below to see how costs and savings work for your situation.

System Size

Roof Direction

Battery Storage

Export Value

Your Numbers

Break-even
11.4 years
After this, it's pure profit
Upfront Cost
£10,173
What you pay to get started
Annual Benefit
£892
What you save every year
Profit Over 25 Years
£12,117
After paying itself off, you're this much ahead

Ready to Get Started?

Get your free quote from Blue Ape Renewables. They'll connect you with MCS-certified installers in your area and handle all the paperwork.

Get Solar Quote →
4.8★ Trustpilot • Octopus Energy trusted partner • MCS certified • No obligation
How we calculate this

Solar generation: Based on typical south-facing roof at 35° angle. We account for weather, dirt, and system losses (14%).

How much you'll use directly:

  • Without battery: You'll use about 40% of what you generate. The rest gets sold back to the grid.
  • With 5 kWh battery: You'll use about 70% (battery stores extra for evening use).
  • With 10 kWh battery: You'll use about 75% (more storage means less exported).
  • Panel-only payback: Bigger systems don’t shorten payback—cost and savings rise together per kW.
  • Battery & payback: Batteries raise self-use and cut bills, but added hardware cost often lengthens break-even at typical UK rates.
  • When a battery can still make sense:
    • Evening-heavy usage patterns
    • Time-of-use tariffs / cheap night rates
    • Low export rate vs. high unit rate
    • Heat pump or EV charging synergy
    • Optional backup/resilience (system-dependent)
    • Lower evening-hour CO₂ vs. grid

Costs: Battery prices are typically £700 per kWh. Export tariffs vary by supplier (usually 5–15p per kWh).

Grid connection: Systems up to about 3.7 kW typically need just a notification (G98). Larger systems may need permission (G99).

These are typical values based on average usage patterns. Your actual results will vary based on your roof, shading, and how you use electricity.

Your area in context

In Southern, the current unit rate is 26.48p/kWh with a 44.62p/day standing charge. Your postcode’s south-facing sunshine yield is 1075 kWh/kW — 73 above the regional median (1001).

Read the full story

A typical roof here lands around 5.0 kW, with most eligible homes comfortably fitting within 3–6 kW. Each kilowatt of panels produces roughly 1075 kWh per year on a south-facing roof. We value self-used electricity at 26.5p and exported surplus at a baseline 10p via SEG. Use the calculator above for your exact tariff.

Unit rate
26.5p/kWh
Standing charge
44.6p/day
Sunshine yield (south)
1075 kWh/kW
Export price (baseline)
10p/kWh

Browse the scenarios below. Each battery size has its own expand — open the one that matches your plan (or just explore). For each system size (2–8 kW) we show annual output, how much you use directly, what gets exported, annual benefit, upfront cost, break-even, and a 20-year net. Negative numbers are possible — that’s the honest trade-off when adding more battery than your usage profile justifies.

No battery 5 kW example → Annual benefit: £892, Upfront: £10,173, Break-even: 11.4 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2149 kWh 860 kWh 1290 kWh £228 £129 £357 £4,069 11.4 yrs £3,063
3 kW 3224 kWh 1290 kWh 1934 kWh £341 £193 £535 £6,104 11.4 yrs £4,595
4 kW 4299 kWh 1720 kWh 2579 kWh £455 £258 £713 £8,138 11.4 yrs £6,127
5 kW 5373 kWh 2149 kWh 3224 kWh £569 £322 £892 £10,173 11.4 yrs £7,659
6 kW 6448 kWh 2579 kWh 3869 kWh £683 £387 £1,070 £12,207 11.4 yrs £9,190
7 kW 7523 kWh 3009 kWh 4514 kWh £797 £451 £1,248 £14,242 11.4 yrs £10,722
8 kW 8598 kWh 3439 kWh 5159 kWh £911 £516 £1,427 £16,276 11.4 yrs £12,254

Assumptions: south-facing, sensible tilt; self-use shares from site rules; export at 10p baseline. Costs: panels £/kW = 2,035, battery £/kWh = 700.

3 kWh battery 5 kW example → Annual benefit: £1,069, Upfront: £12,273, Break-even: 11.5 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2149 kWh 1290 kWh 860 kWh £341 £86 £427 £6,169 14.4 yrs £2,380
3 kW 3224 kWh 1934 kWh 1290 kWh £512 £129 £641 £8,204 12.8 yrs £4,621
4 kW 4299 kWh 2579 kWh 1720 kWh £683 £172 £855 £10,238 12.0 yrs £6,861
5 kW 5373 kWh 3224 kWh 2149 kWh £854 £215 £1,069 £12,273 11.5 yrs £9,101
6 kW 6448 kWh 3869 kWh 2579 kWh £1,024 £258 £1,282 £14,307 11.2 yrs £11,341
7 kW 7523 kWh 4514 kWh 3009 kWh £1,195 £301 £1,496 £16,342 10.9 yrs £13,581
8 kW 8598 kWh 5159 kWh 3439 kWh £1,366 £344 £1,710 £18,376 10.7 yrs £15,821

Assumptions: south-facing, sensible tilt; self-use shares from site rules; export at 10p baseline. Costs: panels £/kW = 2,035, battery £/kWh = 700.

5 kWh battery 5 kW example → Annual benefit: £1,157, Upfront: £13,673, Break-even: 11.8 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2149 kWh 1505 kWh 645 kWh £398 £64 £463 £7,569 16.4 yrs £1,689
3 kW 3224 kWh 2257 kWh 967 kWh £598 £97 £694 £9,604 13.8 yrs £4,283
4 kW 4299 kWh 3009 kWh 1290 kWh £797 £129 £926 £11,638 12.6 yrs £6,878
5 kW 5373 kWh 3761 kWh 1612 kWh £996 £161 £1,157 £13,673 11.8 yrs £9,472
6 kW 6448 kWh 4514 kWh 1934 kWh £1,195 £193 £1,389 £15,707 11.3 yrs £12,066
7 kW 7523 kWh 5266 kWh 2257 kWh £1,394 £226 £1,620 £17,742 11.0 yrs £14,661
8 kW 8598 kWh 6018 kWh 2579 kWh £1,594 £258 £1,852 £19,776 10.7 yrs £17,255

Assumptions: south-facing, sensible tilt; self-use shares from site rules; export at 10p baseline. Costs: panels £/kW = 2,035, battery £/kWh = 700.

7.5 kWh battery 5 kW example → Annual benefit: £1,184, Upfront: £15,423, Break-even: 13.0 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2149 kWh 1569 kWh 580 kWh £415 £58 £474 £9,319 19.7 yrs £151
3 kW 3224 kWh 2354 kWh 870 kWh £623 £87 £710 £11,354 16.0 yrs £2,852
4 kW 4299 kWh 3138 kWh 1161 kWh £831 £116 £947 £13,388 14.1 yrs £5,553
5 kW 5373 kWh 3923 kWh 1451 kWh £1,039 £145 £1,184 £15,423 13.0 yrs £8,253
6 kW 6448 kWh 4707 kWh 1741 kWh £1,246 £174 £1,421 £17,457 12.3 yrs £10,954
7 kW 7523 kWh 5492 kWh 2031 kWh £1,454 £203 £1,657 £19,492 11.8 yrs £13,655
8 kW 8598 kWh 6276 kWh 2321 kWh £1,662 £232 £1,894 £21,526 11.4 yrs £16,355

Assumptions: south-facing, sensible tilt; self-use shares from site rules; export at 10p baseline. Costs: panels £/kW = 2,035, battery £/kWh = 700.

10 kWh battery 5 kW example → Annual benefit: £1,202, Upfront: £17,173, Break-even: 14.3 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2149 kWh 1612 kWh 537 kWh £427 £54 £481 £11,069 23.0 yrs £-1,457
3 kW 3224 kWh 2418 kWh 806 kWh £640 £81 £721 £13,104 18.2 yrs £1,315
4 kW 4299 kWh 3224 kWh 1075 kWh £854 £107 £961 £15,138 15.7 yrs £4,086
5 kW 5373 kWh 4030 kWh 1343 kWh £1,067 £134 £1,202 £17,173 14.3 yrs £6,858
6 kW 6448 kWh 4836 kWh 1612 kWh £1,281 £161 £1,442 £19,207 13.3 yrs £9,629
7 kW 7523 kWh 5642 kWh 1881 kWh £1,494 £188 £1,682 £21,242 12.6 yrs £12,401
8 kW 8598 kWh 6448 kWh 2149 kWh £1,707 £215 £1,922 £23,276 12.1 yrs £15,172

Assumptions: south-facing, sensible tilt; self-use shares from site rules; export at 10p baseline. Costs: panels £/kW = 2,035, battery £/kWh = 700.

13.5 kWh battery 5 kW example → Annual benefit: £1,219, Upfront: £19,623, Break-even: 16.1 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2149 kWh 1655 kWh 494 kWh £438 £49 £488 £13,519 27.7 yrs £-3,765
3 kW 3224 kWh 2483 kWh 742 kWh £657 £74 £732 £15,554 21.3 yrs £-923
4 kW 4299 kWh 3310 kWh 989 kWh £876 £99 £975 £17,588 18.0 yrs £1,919
5 kW 5373 kWh 4138 kWh 1236 kWh £1,096 £124 £1,219 £19,623 16.1 yrs £4,762
6 kW 6448 kWh 4965 kWh 1483 kWh £1,315 £148 £1,463 £21,657 14.8 yrs £7,604
7 kW 7523 kWh 5793 kWh 1730 kWh £1,534 £173 £1,707 £23,692 13.9 yrs £10,446
8 kW 8598 kWh 6620 kWh 1977 kWh £1,753 £198 £1,951 £25,726 13.2 yrs £13,289

Assumptions: south-facing, sensible tilt; self-use shares from site rules; export at 10p baseline. Costs: panels £/kW = 2,035, battery £/kWh = 700.

Figures are illustrative and use the same method as the calculator above. For exact results, adjust your roof direction, tariff, and usage in the calculator.

Insights for BH12

Figures below are tailored to BH12 — click through for full league tables.

Big-Roof Britain Rank #1174 of 2182
4.9 kWp (UK avg 5.1 kWp)
~10 panels (≈430 W)
Solar Payback Index Rank #146 of 2997
9.9 years (UK avg 11.3 years)
~£1,024 /yr • £10,173 upfront
Standing-Charge Drag Rank #550 of 2997
15.9% (UK avg 21.7%) drag on savings
£163 fixed • ~£1,024 /yr value

Your Area at a Glance

Your Electricity Rate
26.48p/kWh
Daily Fixed Charge
44.62p/day
Local Sunshine
1075kWh/kW
A 1 kW system generates ~1075 kWh per year. A typical home uses ~2,700 kWh per year.
Typical System Size
5.0kW
For houses & bungalows in this area

Local Property Data

Property Types

Houses: 53% • Flats: 28% • Bungalows: 16% Based on 9,175 properties

Coverage

Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole (100%)

Areas Covered

Alderney & Bourne Valley, Newtown & Heatherlands, Talbot & Branksome Woods, Canford Heath, Canford Cliffs, Penn Hill, Westbourne & West Cliff

Data Sources & Assumptions

Solar yield: PVGIS (EU Joint Research Centre), January 2025 data

Electricity rates: Ofgem price cap, Q4 2025

Installation costs: MCS certified installer data, March 2025

Property data: EPC open data (Open Government Licence), aggregated

All estimates are typical values. Actual results vary based on your specific situation, roof characteristics, and usage patterns.

Compare nearby areas

Nearby in Southern

BH11 (Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole)
≈2.1 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,081 kWh/kWp · +1% vs BH12
BH4 (Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole)
≈2.4 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,075 kWh/kWp · -0% vs BH12
BH14 (Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole)
≈2.7 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,075 kWh/kWp · +0% vs BH12
BH3 (Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole)
≈2.8 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,087 kWh/kWp · +1% vs BH12
BH10 (Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole)
≈2.8 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,075 kWh/kWp · +0% vs BH12
BH13 (Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole)
≈3.2 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,075 kWh/kWp · -0% vs BH12

Similar sunshine across the UK

IP11 (East Suffolk)
~1,075 kWh/kWp · -0% vs BH12
PL11 (Cornwall)
~1,075 kWh/kWp · +0% vs BH12
TQ5 (Torbay)
~1,075 kWh/kWp · +0% vs BH12