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Postcode solar briefing

Solar panel cost in Dorset (BH19)

See realistic solar installation costs, savings and payback for BH19 (Dorset) using official UK data. Start with the local verdict, then adjust the calculator for your roof, usage and export assumptions.

Local model Calculator unchanged Quote assumptions checked
Local solar briefing

Solar in BH19: a strong local candidate on the model, but quote assumptions still matter.

This is a modelled local view, not a promise of savings. Use it as a quick sense-check before comparing installer quotes for BH19.

Typical system
6.0 kW
starting point
Annual benefit
£1,089
before battery costs
Payback estimate
9.0 years
panel-only baseline
Postcode verdict
Strong candidate
local model
Local context

Why BH19 differs

South-facing yield is about 9.4% above the Southern median.

The starting system size is 6.0 kW, which is larger than the regional typical size of 5.0 kW.

Local housing mix looks suitable for a postcode-level estimate, but your actual roof still matters more than the area average.

Battery payback depends heavily on evening use, export tariff and whether the installer has assumed optimistic self-consumption.

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
9.0 years
After this, it's pure profit
Upfront Cost
£9,767
What you pay to get started
Annual Benefit
£1,089
What you save every year
Profit Over 25 Years
£17,460
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.

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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: The official cost per kW is lower above 4 kW, so a 5–6 kW system can pay back a little faster than a 3–4 kW system on otherwise identical assumptions.
  • 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

Panel costs: Uses March 2026 TIC mean installation costs: £1,827/kW up to 4 kW and £1,628/kW above 4 kW.

Other costs: Battery prices are modelled at £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.

Before you sign

What to challenge in solar quotes for BH19

Use the calculator above as a baseline, then ask installers to explain where their quote differs from the local assumptions.

If the proposed system is much larger than 6.0 kW, ask why it fits your roof and usage.

Compare payback with and without a battery before accepting a bundled quote.

Check which Smart Export Guarantee tariff is assumed. The calculator baseline uses 10p/kWh.

Confirm who handles MCS certification and DNO/G98/G99 paperwork before comparing finance or warranties.

Compare quotes Check MCS DNO, G98 and G99
New quote check

Want a quote sanity check for BH19?

Share the first part of your postcode and a few basics. We’ll help you check whether system size, battery, export and paperwork assumptions look sensible before you commit to installer conversations.

This is a practical sanity-check request, not an instant quote promise. The Blue Ape quote route above remains available if you already want installer introductions.

Request a quote sanity check →

Insights for BH19

Figures below are tailored to BH19 — click through for full league tables.

Big-Roof Britain Rank #992 of 2182
5.1 kWp (UK avg 5.1 kWp)
~11 panels (≈430 W)
Solar Payback Index Rank #82 of 2996
9.0 years (UK avg 10.8 years)
~£1,090 /yr • £9,767 upfront
Standing-Charge Drag Rank #42 of 2996
16.6% (UK avg 26.6%) drag on savings
£181 fixed • ~£1,090 /yr value
Aspect Penalty View ranking →
East −20.7% West −22.0%
Typical output loss versus a south-facing roof (lower is better)
Compare areas

Compare BH19 with nearby and similar areas

Nearby postcode areas in Southern

BH13 (Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole)
≈11.8 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,075 kWh/kWp · -2% vs BH19
BH15 (Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole)
≈12.2 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,073 kWh/kWp · -2% vs BH19
BH14 (Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole)
≈12.9 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,075 kWh/kWp · -2% vs BH19
BH4 (Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole)
≈13.2 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,075 kWh/kWp · -2% vs BH19
BH2 (Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole)
≈13.6 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,087 kWh/kWp · -1% vs BH19
BH20 (Dorset)
≈13.9 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,103 kWh/kWp · +1% vs BH19

Similar solar-yield areas

TR24 (Isles of Scilly)
~1,096 kWh/kWp · +0% vs BH19
CT12 (Thanet)
~1,094 kWh/kWp · -0% vs BH19
CO7 (Tendring)
~1,094 kWh/kWp · -0% vs BH19

Your area in context

In Southern, the current unit rate is 26.42p/kWh with a 49.70p/day standing charge. Your postcode’s south-facing sunshine yield is 1096 kWh/kW — 94 above the regional median (1001).

Read the full story

A typical roof here lands around 6.0 kW, with most eligible homes comfortably fitting within 3–6 kW. Each kilowatt of panels produces roughly 1096 kWh per year on a south-facing roof. We value self-used electricity at 26.4p and exported surplus at a baseline 10p via SEG. Use the calculator above for your exact tariff.

Unit rate
26.4p/kWh
Standing charge
49.7p/day
Sunshine yield (south)
1096 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: £908, Upfront: £8,139, Break-even: 9.0 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2191 kWh 876 kWh 1315 kWh £232 £131 £363 £3,256 9.0 yrs £4,005
3 kW 3287 kWh 1315 kWh 1972 kWh £347 £197 £545 £4,883 9.0 yrs £6,007
4 kW 4382 kWh 1753 kWh 2629 kWh £463 £263 £726 £6,511 9.0 yrs £8,010
5 kW 5478 kWh 2191 kWh 3287 kWh £579 £329 £908 £8,139 9.0 yrs £10,012
6 kW 6573 kWh 2629 kWh 3944 kWh £695 £394 £1,089 £9,767 9.0 yrs £12,015
7 kW 7669 kWh 3068 kWh 4601 kWh £810 £460 £1,271 £11,394 9.0 yrs £14,017
8 kW 8764 kWh 3506 kWh 5259 kWh £926 £526 £1,452 £13,022 9.0 yrs £16,020

Assumptions: south-facing, sensible tilt; self-use shares from site rules; export at 10p baseline. Costs: panels £/kW = 1,628, battery £/kWh = 700.

3 kWh battery 5 kW example → Annual benefit: £1,087, Upfront: £10,239, Break-even: 9.4 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2191 kWh 1315 kWh 876 kWh £347 £88 £435 £5,356 12.3 yrs £3,344
3 kW 3287 kWh 1972 kWh 1315 kWh £521 £131 £652 £6,983 10.7 yrs £6,066
4 kW 4382 kWh 2629 kWh 1753 kWh £695 £175 £870 £8,611 9.9 yrs £8,788
5 kW 5478 kWh 3287 kWh 2191 kWh £868 £219 £1,087 £10,239 9.4 yrs £11,510
6 kW 6573 kWh 3944 kWh 2629 kWh £1,042 £263 £1,305 £11,867 9.1 yrs £14,232
7 kW 7669 kWh 4601 kWh 3068 kWh £1,216 £307 £1,522 £13,494 8.9 yrs £16,954
8 kW 8764 kWh 5259 kWh 3506 kWh £1,389 £351 £1,740 £15,122 8.7 yrs £19,676

Assumptions: south-facing, sensible tilt; self-use shares from site rules; export at 10p baseline. Costs: panels £/kW = 1,628, battery £/kWh = 700.

5 kWh battery 5 kW example → Annual benefit: £1,177, Upfront: £11,639, Break-even: 9.9 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2191 kWh 1534 kWh 657 kWh £405 £66 £471 £6,756 14.3 yrs £2,664
3 kW 3287 kWh 2301 kWh 986 kWh £608 £99 £706 £8,383 11.9 yrs £5,745
4 kW 4382 kWh 3068 kWh 1315 kWh £810 £131 £942 £10,011 10.6 yrs £8,827
5 kW 5478 kWh 3834 kWh 1643 kWh £1,013 £164 £1,177 £11,639 9.9 yrs £11,909
6 kW 6573 kWh 4601 kWh 1972 kWh £1,216 £197 £1,413 £13,267 9.4 yrs £14,991
7 kW 7669 kWh 5368 kWh 2301 kWh £1,418 £230 £1,648 £14,894 9.0 yrs £18,073
8 kW 8764 kWh 6135 kWh 2629 kWh £1,621 £263 £1,884 £16,522 8.8 yrs £21,155

Assumptions: south-facing, sensible tilt; self-use shares from site rules; export at 10p baseline. Costs: panels £/kW = 1,628, battery £/kWh = 700.

7.5 kWh battery 5 kW example → Annual benefit: £1,204, Upfront: £13,389, Break-even: 11.1 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2191 kWh 1600 kWh 592 kWh £423 £59 £482 £8,506 17.7 yrs £1,130
3 kW 3287 kWh 2399 kWh 887 kWh £634 £89 £723 £10,133 14.0 yrs £4,319
4 kW 4382 kWh 3199 kWh 1183 kWh £845 £118 £964 £11,761 12.2 yrs £7,509
5 kW 5478 kWh 3999 kWh 1479 kWh £1,056 £148 £1,204 £13,389 11.1 yrs £10,699
6 kW 6573 kWh 4799 kWh 1775 kWh £1,268 £177 £1,445 £15,017 10.4 yrs £13,889
7 kW 7669 kWh 5598 kWh 2071 kWh £1,479 £207 £1,686 £16,644 9.9 yrs £17,078
8 kW 8764 kWh 6398 kWh 2366 kWh £1,690 £237 £1,927 £18,272 9.5 yrs £20,268

Assumptions: south-facing, sensible tilt; self-use shares from site rules; export at 10p baseline. Costs: panels £/kW = 1,628, battery £/kWh = 700.

10 kWh battery 5 kW example → Annual benefit: £1,222, Upfront: £15,139, Break-even: 12.4 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2191 kWh 1643 kWh 548 kWh £434 £55 £489 £10,256 21.0 yrs £-477
3 kW 3287 kWh 2465 kWh 822 kWh £651 £82 £733 £11,883 16.2 yrs £2,785
4 kW 4382 kWh 3287 kWh 1096 kWh £868 £110 £978 £13,511 13.8 yrs £6,047
5 kW 5478 kWh 4108 kWh 1369 kWh £1,085 £137 £1,222 £15,139 12.4 yrs £9,309
6 kW 6573 kWh 4930 kWh 1643 kWh £1,303 £164 £1,467 £16,767 11.4 yrs £12,570
7 kW 7669 kWh 5752 kWh 1917 kWh £1,520 £192 £1,711 £18,394 10.7 yrs £15,832
8 kW 8764 kWh 6573 kWh 2191 kWh £1,737 £219 £1,956 £20,022 10.2 yrs £19,094

Assumptions: south-facing, sensible tilt; self-use shares from site rules; export at 10p baseline. Costs: panels £/kW = 1,628, battery £/kWh = 700.

13.5 kWh battery 5 kW example → Annual benefit: £1,240, Upfront: £17,589, Break-even: 14.2 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2191 kWh 1687 kWh 504 kWh £446 £50 £496 £12,706 25.6 yrs £-2,783
3 kW 3287 kWh 2531 kWh 756 kWh £669 £76 £744 £14,333 19.3 yrs £551
4 kW 4382 kWh 3374 kWh 1008 kWh £891 £101 £992 £15,961 16.1 yrs £3,885
5 kW 5478 kWh 4218 kWh 1260 kWh £1,114 £126 £1,240 £17,589 14.2 yrs £7,218
6 kW 6573 kWh 5061 kWh 1512 kWh £1,337 £151 £1,488 £19,217 12.9 yrs £10,552
7 kW 7669 kWh 5905 kWh 1764 kWh £1,560 £176 £1,737 £20,844 12.0 yrs £13,886
8 kW 8764 kWh 6749 kWh 2016 kWh £1,783 £202 £1,985 £22,472 11.3 yrs £17,219

Assumptions: south-facing, sensible tilt; self-use shares from site rules; export at 10p baseline. Costs: panels £/kW = 1,628, 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.

Seasonal solar output in BH19

Monthly generation per kilowatt of solar panels

kWh 41 Jan 56 Feb 94 Mar 125 Apr 136 May 135 Jun 137 Jul 122 Aug 101 Sep 68 Oct 48 Nov 33 Dec
Best month Worst month Winter (Dec–Feb) Other months

Winter output: 47.4% of an average month (Dec–Feb)

Best / worst month: Jul / Dec

These figures show output per kilowatt (kW) of panels installed. In winter, a 1 kW system here produces about 43 kWh per month; the average month produces around 91 kWh. So a typical 4 kW home system would generate roughly 173 kWh in winter, or 365 kWh in an average month.

Your Area at a Glance

Your Electricity Rate
26.42p/kWh
Daily Fixed Charge
49.70p/day
Local Sunshine
1096kWh/kW
A 1 kW system generates ~1096 kWh per year. A typical home uses ~2,700 kWh per year.
Typical System Size
6.0kW
For houses & bungalows in this area

Local Property Data

Property Types

Houses: 50% • Flats: 36% • Bungalows: 12% Based on 3,726 properties

Coverage

Dorset (100%)

Areas Covered

Swanage, South East Purbeck

Data Sources & Assumptions

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

Electricity rates: Ofgem price cap, Q3 2026

Installation costs: DESNZ/MCS data, March 2026 (TIC)

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.