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Solar panel cost in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole (BH5)

See realistic solar installation costs, savings and payback for BH5 (Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole) 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
10.1 years
After this, it's pure profit
Upfront Cost
£5,481
What you pay to get started
Annual Benefit
£542
What you save every year
Profit Over 25 Years
£8,059
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 1090 kWh/kW — 88 above the regional median (1001).

Read the full story

A typical roof here lands around 3.0 kW, with most eligible homes comfortably fitting within 3–6 kW. Each kilowatt of panels produces roughly 1090 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)
1090 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: £903, Upfront: £9,134, Break-even: 10.1 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2179 kWh 872 kWh 1308 kWh £230 £131 £361 £3,654 10.1 yrs £3,567
3 kW 3269 kWh 1308 kWh 1961 kWh £345 £196 £542 £5,481 10.1 yrs £5,351
4 kW 4358 kWh 1743 kWh 2615 kWh £461 £262 £722 £7,307 10.1 yrs £7,135
5 kW 5448 kWh 2179 kWh 3269 kWh £576 £327 £903 £9,134 10.1 yrs £8,919
6 kW 6538 kWh 2615 kWh 3923 kWh £691 £392 £1,083 £10,961 10.1 yrs £10,702
7 kW 7627 kWh 3051 kWh 4576 kWh £806 £458 £1,264 £12,788 10.1 yrs £12,486
8 kW 8717 kWh 3487 kWh 5230 kWh £921 £523 £1,444 £14,615 10.1 yrs £14,270

Assumptions: south-facing, sensible tilt; self-use shares from site rules; export at 10p baseline. Costs: panels £/kW = 1,827, battery £/kWh = 700.

3 kWh battery 5 kW example → Annual benefit: £1,082, Upfront: £11,234, Break-even: 10.4 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2179 kWh 1308 kWh 872 kWh £345 £87 £433 £5,754 13.3 yrs £2,899
3 kW 3269 kWh 1961 kWh 1308 kWh £518 £131 £649 £7,581 11.7 yrs £5,398
4 kW 4358 kWh 2615 kWh 1743 kWh £691 £174 £865 £9,407 10.9 yrs £7,898
5 kW 5448 kWh 3269 kWh 2179 kWh £864 £218 £1,082 £11,234 10.4 yrs £10,397
6 kW 6538 kWh 3923 kWh 2615 kWh £1,036 £262 £1,298 £13,061 10.1 yrs £12,896
7 kW 7627 kWh 4576 kWh 3051 kWh £1,209 £305 £1,514 £14,888 9.8 yrs £15,396
8 kW 8717 kWh 5230 kWh 3487 kWh £1,382 £349 £1,730 £16,715 9.7 yrs £17,895

Assumptions: south-facing, sensible tilt; self-use shares from site rules; export at 10p baseline. Costs: panels £/kW = 1,827, battery £/kWh = 700.

5 kWh battery 5 kW example → Annual benefit: £1,171, Upfront: £12,634, Break-even: 10.8 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2179 kWh 1525 kWh 654 kWh £403 £65 £468 £7,154 15.3 yrs £2,214
3 kW 3269 kWh 2288 kWh 981 kWh £605 £98 £703 £8,981 12.8 yrs £5,072
4 kW 4358 kWh 3051 kWh 1308 kWh £806 £131 £937 £10,807 11.5 yrs £7,929
5 kW 5448 kWh 3814 kWh 1634 kWh £1,008 £163 £1,171 £12,634 10.8 yrs £10,786
6 kW 6538 kWh 4576 kWh 1961 kWh £1,209 £196 £1,405 £14,461 10.3 yrs £13,643
7 kW 7627 kWh 5339 kWh 2288 kWh £1,411 £229 £1,639 £16,288 9.9 yrs £16,501
8 kW 8717 kWh 6102 kWh 2615 kWh £1,612 £262 £1,874 £18,115 9.7 yrs £19,358

Assumptions: south-facing, sensible tilt; self-use shares from site rules; export at 10p baseline. Costs: panels £/kW = 1,827, battery £/kWh = 700.

7.5 kWh battery 5 kW example → Annual benefit: £1,198, Upfront: £14,384, Break-even: 12.0 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2179 kWh 1591 kWh 588 kWh £420 £59 £479 £8,904 18.6 yrs £679
3 kW 3269 kWh 2386 kWh 883 kWh £630 £88 £719 £10,731 14.9 yrs £3,644
4 kW 4358 kWh 3182 kWh 1177 kWh £841 £118 £958 £12,557 13.1 yrs £6,608
5 kW 5448 kWh 3977 kWh 1471 kWh £1,051 £147 £1,198 £14,384 12.0 yrs £9,573
6 kW 6538 kWh 4773 kWh 1765 kWh £1,261 £177 £1,437 £16,211 11.3 yrs £12,537
7 kW 7627 kWh 5568 kWh 2059 kWh £1,471 £206 £1,677 £18,038 10.8 yrs £15,502
8 kW 8717 kWh 6363 kWh 2354 kWh £1,681 £235 £1,917 £19,865 10.4 yrs £18,467

Assumptions: south-facing, sensible tilt; self-use shares from site rules; export at 10p baseline. Costs: panels £/kW = 1,827, battery £/kWh = 700.

10 kWh battery 5 kW example → Annual benefit: £1,216, Upfront: £16,134, Break-even: 13.3 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2179 kWh 1634 kWh 545 kWh £432 £54 £486 £10,654 21.9 yrs £-928
3 kW 3269 kWh 2452 kWh 817 kWh £648 £82 £729 £12,481 17.1 yrs £2,108
4 kW 4358 kWh 3269 kWh 1090 kWh £864 £109 £973 £14,307 14.7 yrs £5,145
5 kW 5448 kWh 4086 kWh 1362 kWh £1,080 £136 £1,216 £16,134 13.3 yrs £8,181
6 kW 6538 kWh 4903 kWh 1634 kWh £1,295 £163 £1,459 £17,961 12.3 yrs £11,217
7 kW 7627 kWh 5721 kWh 1907 kWh £1,511 £191 £1,702 £19,788 11.6 yrs £14,253
8 kW 8717 kWh 6538 kWh 2179 kWh £1,727 £218 £1,945 £21,615 11.1 yrs £17,289

Assumptions: south-facing, sensible tilt; self-use shares from site rules; export at 10p baseline. Costs: panels £/kW = 1,827, battery £/kWh = 700.

13.5 kWh battery 5 kW example → Annual benefit: £1,234, Upfront: £18,584, Break-even: 15.1 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2179 kWh 1678 kWh 501 kWh £443 £50 £493 £13,104 26.6 yrs £-3,235
3 kW 3269 kWh 2517 kWh 752 kWh £665 £75 £740 £14,931 20.2 yrs £-127
4 kW 4358 kWh 3356 kWh 1002 kWh £887 £100 £987 £16,757 17.0 yrs £2,981
5 kW 5448 kWh 4195 kWh 1253 kWh £1,108 £125 £1,234 £18,584 15.1 yrs £6,089
6 kW 6538 kWh 5034 kWh 1504 kWh £1,330 £150 £1,480 £20,411 13.8 yrs £9,196
7 kW 7627 kWh 5873 kWh 1754 kWh £1,552 £175 £1,727 £22,238 12.9 yrs £12,304
8 kW 8717 kWh 6712 kWh 2005 kWh £1,773 £200 £1,974 £24,065 12.2 yrs £15,412

Assumptions: south-facing, sensible tilt; self-use shares from site rules; export at 10p baseline. Costs: panels £/kW = 1,827, 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 Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole

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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Understand DNO, G98 and G99 export limits

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Insights for BH5

Figures below are tailored to BH5 — click through for full league tables.

Solar Payback Index Rank #86 of 2996
9.0 years (UK avg 10.8 years)
~£1,084 /yr • £9,767 upfront
Standing-Charge Drag Rank #152 of 2996
16.7% (UK avg 26.6%) drag on savings
£181 fixed • ~£1,084 /yr value
Aspect Penalty View ranking →
East −21.1% West −21.7%
Typical output loss versus a south-facing roof (lower is better)

Seasonal solar output in BH5

Monthly generation per kilowatt of solar panels

kWh 40 Jan 57 Feb 94 Mar 123 Apr 133 May 134 Jun 135 Jul 119 Aug 100 Sep 69 Oct 48 Nov 36 Dec
Best month Worst month Winter (Dec–Feb) Other months

Winter output: 48.8% 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 44 kWh per month; the average month produces around 91 kWh. So a typical 4 kW home system would generate roughly 177 kWh in winter, or 363 kWh in an average month.

Your Area at a Glance

Your Electricity Rate
26.42p/kWh
Daily Fixed Charge
49.70p/day
Local Sunshine
1090kWh/kW
A 1 kW system generates ~1090 kWh per year. A typical home uses ~2,700 kWh per year.
Typical System Size
3.0kW
For eligible homes in this area

⚠️ This area is predominantly flats. Many residents require freeholder approval for solar installations. System size shown reflects houses and bungalows only.

Local Property Data

Property Types

Houses: 12% • Flats: 83% • Bungalows: 1% Based on 4,738 properties

Coverage

Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole (100%)

Areas Covered

Boscombe East & Pokesdown, Boscombe West, East Cliff & Springbourne, Hamworthy

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

BH7 (Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole)
≈1.0 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,090 kWh/kWp · +0% vs BH5
BH8 (Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole)
≈1.9 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,092 kWh/kWp · +0% vs BH5
BH1 (Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole)
≈2.0 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,087 kWh/kWp · -0% vs BH5
BH6 (Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole)
≈2.0 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,089 kWh/kWp · -0% vs BH5
BH2 (Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole)
≈3.4 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,087 kWh/kWp · -0% vs BH5
BH3 (Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole)
≈3.4 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,087 kWh/kWp · -0% vs BH5

Similar sunshine across the UK

CT21 (Folkestone and Hythe)
~1,090 kWh/kWp · -0% vs BH5
CT16 (Dover)
~1,089 kWh/kWp · -0% vs BH5
CT17 (Dover)
~1,089 kWh/kWp · -0% vs BH5