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Solar panel cost in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole (BH8)

See realistic solar installation costs, savings and payback for BH8 (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
£543
What you save every year
Profit Over 25 Years
£8,085
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 1092 kWh/kW — 90 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 1092 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)
1092 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: £904, 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 2183 kWh 873 kWh 1310 kWh £231 £131 £362 £3,654 10.1 yrs £3,581
3 kW 3275 kWh 1310 kWh 1965 kWh £346 £197 £543 £5,481 10.1 yrs £5,372
4 kW 4367 kWh 1747 kWh 2620 kWh £461 £262 £723 £7,307 10.1 yrs £7,162
5 kW 5458 kWh 2183 kWh 3275 kWh £577 £328 £904 £9,134 10.1 yrs £8,953
6 kW 6550 kWh 2620 kWh 3930 kWh £692 £393 £1,085 £10,961 10.1 yrs £10,744
7 kW 7642 kWh 3057 kWh 4585 kWh £808 £459 £1,266 £12,788 10.1 yrs £12,534
8 kW 8734 kWh 3493 kWh 5240 kWh £923 £524 £1,447 £14,615 10.1 yrs £14,325

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: £1,084, 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 2183 kWh 1310 kWh 873 kWh £346 £87 £433 £5,754 13.3 yrs £2,915
3 kW 3275 kWh 1965 kWh 1310 kWh £519 £131 £650 £7,581 11.7 yrs £5,423
4 kW 4367 kWh 2620 kWh 1747 kWh £692 £175 £867 £9,407 10.9 yrs £7,930
5 kW 5458 kWh 3275 kWh 2183 kWh £865 £218 £1,084 £11,234 10.4 yrs £10,438
6 kW 6550 kWh 3930 kWh 2620 kWh £1,038 £262 £1,300 £13,061 10.0 yrs £12,946
7 kW 7642 kWh 4585 kWh 3057 kWh £1,211 £306 £1,517 £14,888 9.8 yrs £15,453
8 kW 8734 kWh 5240 kWh 3493 kWh £1,384 £349 £1,734 £16,715 9.6 yrs £17,961

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: £1,173, 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 2183 kWh 1528 kWh 655 kWh £404 £66 £469 £7,154 15.2 yrs £2,232
3 kW 3275 kWh 2293 kWh 983 kWh £606 £98 £704 £8,981 12.8 yrs £5,098
4 kW 4367 kWh 3057 kWh 1310 kWh £808 £131 £939 £10,807 11.5 yrs £7,964
5 kW 5458 kWh 3821 kWh 1638 kWh £1,009 £164 £1,173 £12,634 10.8 yrs £10,831
6 kW 6550 kWh 4585 kWh 1965 kWh £1,211 £197 £1,408 £14,461 10.3 yrs £13,697
7 kW 7642 kWh 5349 kWh 2293 kWh £1,413 £229 £1,643 £16,288 9.9 yrs £16,563
8 kW 8734 kWh 6113 kWh 2620 kWh £1,615 £262 £1,877 £18,115 9.6 yrs £19,429

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: £1,200, 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 2183 kWh 1594 kWh 590 kWh £421 £59 £480 £8,904 18.5 yrs £697
3 kW 3275 kWh 2391 kWh 884 kWh £632 £88 £720 £10,731 14.9 yrs £3,671
4 kW 4367 kWh 3188 kWh 1179 kWh £842 £118 £960 £12,557 13.1 yrs £6,645
5 kW 5458 kWh 3985 kWh 1474 kWh £1,053 £147 £1,200 £14,384 12.0 yrs £9,618
6 kW 6550 kWh 4782 kWh 1769 kWh £1,263 £177 £1,440 £16,211 11.3 yrs £12,592
7 kW 7642 kWh 5579 kWh 2063 kWh £1,474 £206 £1,680 £18,038 10.7 yrs £15,566
8 kW 8734 kWh 6375 kWh 2358 kWh £1,684 £236 £1,920 £19,865 10.3 yrs £18,539

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: £1,218, Upfront: £16,134, Break-even: 13.2 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2183 kWh 1638 kWh 546 kWh £433 £55 £487 £10,654 21.9 yrs £-909
3 kW 3275 kWh 2456 kWh 819 kWh £649 £82 £731 £12,481 17.1 yrs £2,136
4 kW 4367 kWh 3275 kWh 1092 kWh £865 £109 £974 £14,307 14.7 yrs £5,181
5 kW 5458 kWh 4094 kWh 1365 kWh £1,082 £136 £1,218 £16,134 13.2 yrs £8,227
6 kW 6550 kWh 4913 kWh 1638 kWh £1,298 £164 £1,462 £17,961 12.3 yrs £11,272
7 kW 7642 kWh 5731 kWh 1910 kWh £1,514 £191 £1,705 £19,788 11.6 yrs £14,318
8 kW 8734 kWh 6550 kWh 2183 kWh £1,731 £218 £1,949 £21,615 11.1 yrs £17,363

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: £1,236, Upfront: £18,584, Break-even: 15.0 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2183 kWh 1681 kWh 502 kWh £444 £50 £494 £13,104 26.5 yrs £-3,216
3 kW 3275 kWh 2522 kWh 753 kWh £666 £75 £742 £14,931 20.1 yrs £-99
4 kW 4367 kWh 3362 kWh 1004 kWh £888 £100 £989 £16,757 16.9 yrs £3,018
5 kW 5458 kWh 4203 kWh 1255 kWh £1,110 £126 £1,236 £18,584 15.0 yrs £6,135
6 kW 6550 kWh 5044 kWh 1507 kWh £1,333 £151 £1,483 £20,411 13.8 yrs £9,252
7 kW 7642 kWh 5884 kWh 1758 kWh £1,555 £176 £1,730 £22,238 12.9 yrs £12,370
8 kW 8734 kWh 6725 kWh 2009 kWh £1,777 £201 £1,978 £24,065 12.2 yrs £15,487

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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Insights for BH8

Figures below are tailored to BH8 — click through for full league tables.

Big-Roof Britain Rank #1947 of 2182
4.2 kWp (UK avg 5.1 kWp)
~9 panels (≈430 W)
Solar Payback Index Rank #89 of 2996
9.0 years (UK avg 10.8 years)
~£1,086 /yr • £9,767 upfront
Standing-Charge Drag Rank #155 of 2996
16.7% (UK avg 26.6%) drag on savings
£181 fixed • ~£1,086 /yr value
Aspect Penalty View ranking →
East −21.0% West −21.2%
Typical output loss versus a south-facing roof (lower is better)

Seasonal solar output in BH8

Monthly generation per kilowatt of solar panels

kWh 42 Jan 58 Feb 95 Mar 123 Apr 132 May 133 Jun 134 Jul 118 Aug 100 Sep 70 Oct 50 Nov 36 Dec
Best month Worst month Winter (Dec–Feb) Other months

Winter output: 50.0% 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 91 kWh. So a typical 4 kW home system would generate roughly 182 kWh in winter, or 364 kWh in an average month.

Your Area at a Glance

Your Electricity Rate
26.42p/kWh
Daily Fixed Charge
49.70p/day
Local Sunshine
1092kWh/kW
A 1 kW system generates ~1092 kWh per year. A typical home uses ~2,700 kWh per year.
Typical System Size
3.0kW
For houses & bungalows 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: 37% • Flats: 54% • Bungalows: 6% Based on 8,222 properties

Coverage

Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole (100%)

Areas Covered

Muscliff & Strouden Park, Queen's Park, East Cliff & Springbourne, Bournemouth Central, Winton East, Moordown, Talbot & Branksome Woods, Littledown & Iford

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

BH1 (Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole)
≈1.2 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,087 kWh/kWp · -0% vs BH8
BH3 (Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole)
≈1.7 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,087 kWh/kWp · -0% vs BH8
BH9 (Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole)
≈1.8 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,087 kWh/kWp · -0% vs BH8
BH7 (Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole)
≈1.9 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,090 kWh/kWp · -0% vs BH8
BH5 (Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole)
≈1.9 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,090 kWh/kWp · -0% vs BH8
BH2 (Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole)
≈2.5 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,087 kWh/kWp · -0% vs BH8

Similar sunshine across the UK

TR25 (Isles of Scilly)
~1,092 kWh/kWp · -0% vs BH8
CT8 (Thanet)
~1,092 kWh/kWp · +0% vs BH8
CT7 (Thanet)
~1,091 kWh/kWp · -0% vs BH8