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Solar panel cost in Dorset (BH20)

See realistic solar installation costs, savings and payback for BH20 (Dorset) in under a minute using official UK data. Start with the calculator, then get a no-obligation quote from an MCS-certified installer. You can also ask the SolarByPostcode assistant to sanity-check your roof, bills and plans.

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
8.9 years
After this, it's pure profit
Upfront Cost
£9,767
What you pay to get started
Annual Benefit
£1,097
What you save every year
Profit Over 25 Years
£17,648
After paying itself off, you're this much ahead

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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.

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 1103 kWh/kW — 102 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 1103 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)
1103 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: £914, Upfront: £8,139, Break-even: 8.9 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2206 kWh 882 kWh 1324 kWh £233 £132 £366 £3,256 8.9 yrs £4,055
3 kW 3309 kWh 1324 kWh 1986 kWh £350 £199 £548 £4,883 8.9 yrs £6,082
4 kW 4412 kWh 1765 kWh 2647 kWh £466 £265 £731 £6,511 8.9 yrs £8,110
5 kW 5516 kWh 2206 kWh 3309 kWh £583 £331 £914 £8,139 8.9 yrs £10,137
6 kW 6619 kWh 2647 kWh 3971 kWh £699 £397 £1,097 £9,767 8.9 yrs £12,165
7 kW 7722 kWh 3089 kWh 4633 kWh £816 £463 £1,279 £11,394 8.9 yrs £14,192
8 kW 8825 kWh 3530 kWh 5295 kWh £933 £529 £1,462 £13,022 8.9 yrs £16,220

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: £1,095, 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 2206 kWh 1324 kWh 882 kWh £350 £88 £438 £5,356 12.2 yrs £3,404
3 kW 3309 kWh 1986 kWh 1324 kWh £525 £132 £657 £6,983 10.6 yrs £6,156
4 kW 4412 kWh 2647 kWh 1765 kWh £699 £176 £876 £8,611 9.8 yrs £8,908
5 kW 5516 kWh 3309 kWh 2206 kWh £874 £221 £1,095 £10,239 9.4 yrs £11,660
6 kW 6619 kWh 3971 kWh 2647 kWh £1,049 £265 £1,314 £11,867 9.0 yrs £14,412
7 kW 7722 kWh 4633 kWh 3089 kWh £1,224 £309 £1,533 £13,494 8.8 yrs £17,164
8 kW 8825 kWh 5295 kWh 3530 kWh £1,399 £353 £1,752 £15,122 8.6 yrs £19,916

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: £1,186, Upfront: £11,639, Break-even: 9.8 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2206 kWh 1544 kWh 662 kWh £408 £66 £474 £6,756 14.2 yrs £2,728
3 kW 3309 kWh 2317 kWh 993 kWh £612 £99 £711 £8,383 11.8 yrs £5,843
4 kW 4412 kWh 3089 kWh 1324 kWh £816 £132 £948 £10,011 10.6 yrs £8,957
5 kW 5516 kWh 3861 kWh 1655 kWh £1,020 £165 £1,186 £11,639 9.8 yrs £12,071
6 kW 6619 kWh 4633 kWh 1986 kWh £1,224 £199 £1,423 £13,267 9.3 yrs £15,185
7 kW 7722 kWh 5405 kWh 2317 kWh £1,428 £232 £1,660 £14,894 9.0 yrs £18,300
8 kW 8825 kWh 6177 kWh 2647 kWh £1,632 £265 £1,897 £16,522 8.7 yrs £21,414

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: £1,213, Upfront: £13,389, Break-even: 11.0 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2206 kWh 1611 kWh 596 kWh £426 £60 £485 £8,506 17.5 yrs £1,196
3 kW 3309 kWh 2416 kWh 894 kWh £638 £89 £728 £10,133 13.9 yrs £4,419
4 kW 4412 kWh 3221 kWh 1191 kWh £851 £119 £970 £11,761 12.1 yrs £7,642
5 kW 5516 kWh 4026 kWh 1489 kWh £1,064 £149 £1,213 £13,389 11.0 yrs £10,865
6 kW 6619 kWh 4832 kWh 1787 kWh £1,277 £179 £1,455 £15,017 10.3 yrs £14,088
7 kW 7722 kWh 5637 kWh 2085 kWh £1,489 £208 £1,698 £16,644 9.8 yrs £17,310
8 kW 8825 kWh 6442 kWh 2383 kWh £1,702 £238 £1,940 £18,272 9.4 yrs £20,533

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: £1,231, Upfront: £15,139, Break-even: 12.3 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2206 kWh 1655 kWh 552 kWh £437 £55 £492 £10,256 20.8 yrs £-409
3 kW 3309 kWh 2482 kWh 827 kWh £656 £83 £738 £11,883 16.1 yrs £2,886
4 kW 4412 kWh 3309 kWh 1103 kWh £874 £110 £985 £13,511 13.7 yrs £6,182
5 kW 5516 kWh 4137 kWh 1379 kWh £1,093 £138 £1,231 £15,139 12.3 yrs £9,477
6 kW 6619 kWh 4964 kWh 1655 kWh £1,311 £165 £1,477 £16,767 11.4 yrs £12,772
7 kW 7722 kWh 5791 kWh 1930 kWh £1,530 £193 £1,723 £18,394 10.7 yrs £16,068
8 kW 8825 kWh 6619 kWh 2206 kWh £1,749 £221 £1,969 £20,022 10.2 yrs £19,363

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: £1,249, Upfront: £17,589, Break-even: 14.1 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2206 kWh 1699 kWh 507 kWh £449 £51 £500 £12,706 25.4 yrs £-2,714
3 kW 3309 kWh 2548 kWh 761 kWh £673 £76 £749 £14,333 19.1 yrs £653
4 kW 4412 kWh 3398 kWh 1015 kWh £898 £101 £999 £15,961 16.0 yrs £4,021
5 kW 5516 kWh 4247 kWh 1269 kWh £1,122 £127 £1,249 £17,589 14.1 yrs £7,389
6 kW 6619 kWh 5096 kWh 1522 kWh £1,346 £152 £1,499 £19,217 12.8 yrs £10,757
7 kW 7722 kWh 5946 kWh 1776 kWh £1,571 £178 £1,748 £20,844 11.9 yrs £14,125
8 kW 8825 kWh 6795 kWh 2030 kWh £1,795 £203 £1,998 £22,472 11.2 yrs £17,493

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.

Before you request quotes in Dorset

Use the numbers above to sanity-check installer quotes. The main things to compare are system size, battery assumptions, payback claims, MCS certification, DNO paperwork and export assumptions.

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Check what MCS certification means

Understand DNO, G98 and G99 export limits

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Insights for BH20

Figures below are tailored to BH20 — click through for full league tables.

Big-Roof Britain Rank #468 of 2182
5.6 kWp (UK avg 5.1 kWp)
~12 panels (≈430 W)
Solar Payback Index Rank #60 of 2996
8.9 years (UK avg 10.8 years)
~£1,096 /yr • £9,767 upfront
Standing-Charge Drag Rank #21 of 2996
16.5% (UK avg 26.6%) drag on savings
£181 fixed • ~£1,096 /yr value
Aspect Penalty View ranking →
East −20.6% West −21.7%
Typical output loss versus a south-facing roof (lower is better)

Seasonal solar output in BH20

Monthly generation per kilowatt of solar panels

kWh 42 Jan 58 Feb 95 Mar 125 Apr 134 May 135 Jun 135 Jul 121 Aug 101 Sep 70 Oct 50 Nov 36 Dec
Best month Worst month Winter (Dec–Feb) Other months

Winter output: 49.4% 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 45 kWh per month; the average month produces around 92 kWh. So a typical 4 kW home system would generate roughly 182 kWh in winter, or 368 kWh in an average month.

Your Area at a Glance

Your Electricity Rate
26.42p/kWh
Daily Fixed Charge
49.70p/day
Local Sunshine
1103kWh/kW
A 1 kW system generates ~1103 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: 67% • Flats: 11% • Bungalows: 20% Based on 5,129 properties

Coverage

Dorset (100%)

Areas Covered

Wareham, West Purbeck, South East Purbeck, Lytchett Matravers & Upton, Puddletown & Lower Winterborne

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.

Compare nearby areas

Nearby in Southern

BH16 (Dorset)
≈7.9 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,071 kWh/kWp · -3% vs BH20
BH15 (Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole)
≈9.7 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,073 kWh/kWp · -3% vs BH20
BH18 (Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole)
≈11.4 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,074 kWh/kWp · -3% vs BH20
BH17 (Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole)
≈11.8 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,074 kWh/kWp · -3% vs BH20
BH14 (Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole)
≈12.4 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,075 kWh/kWp · -3% vs BH20
BH19 (Dorset)
≈13.9 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,096 kWh/kWp · -1% vs BH20

Similar sunshine across the UK

TN36 (Rother)
~1,103 kWh/kWp · +0% vs BH20
TN31 (Rother)
~1,104 kWh/kWp · +0% vs BH20
CO16 (Tendring)
~1,101 kWh/kWp · -0% vs BH20