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Solar panel cost in Eastbourne (BN20)

See realistic solar installation costs, savings and payback for BN20 (Eastbourne) 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
8.6 years
After this, it's pure profit
Upfront Cost
£9,767
What you pay to get started
Annual Benefit
£1,141
What you save every year
Profit Over 25 Years
£18,761
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 South East, the current unit rate is 26.67p/kWh with a 54.45p/day standing charge. Your postcode’s south-facing sunshine yield is 1141 kWh/kW — 112 above the regional median (1029).

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 1141 kWh per year on a south-facing roof. We value self-used electricity at 26.7p and exported surplus at a baseline 10p via SEG. Use the calculator above for your exact tariff.

Unit rate
26.7p/kWh
Standing charge
54.5p/day
Sunshine yield (south)
1141 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: £951, Upfront: £8,139, Break-even: 8.6 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2282 kWh 913 kWh 1369 kWh £243 £137 £380 £3,256 8.6 yrs £4,352
3 kW 3423 kWh 1369 kWh 2054 kWh £365 £205 £571 £4,883 8.6 yrs £6,528
4 kW 4564 kWh 1826 kWh 2738 kWh £487 £274 £761 £6,511 8.6 yrs £8,704
5 kW 5705 kWh 2282 kWh 3423 kWh £609 £342 £951 £8,139 8.6 yrs £10,880
6 kW 6846 kWh 2738 kWh 4108 kWh £730 £411 £1,141 £9,767 8.6 yrs £13,056
7 kW 7987 kWh 3195 kWh 4792 kWh £852 £479 £1,331 £11,394 8.6 yrs £15,232
8 kW 9128 kWh 3651 kWh 5477 kWh £974 £548 £1,521 £13,022 8.6 yrs £17,408

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: £1,141, Upfront: £10,239, 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 2282 kWh 1369 kWh 913 kWh £365 £91 £456 £5,356 11.7 yrs £3,774
3 kW 3423 kWh 2054 kWh 1369 kWh £548 £137 £685 £6,983 10.2 yrs £6,710
4 kW 4564 kWh 2738 kWh 1826 kWh £730 £183 £913 £8,611 9.4 yrs £9,647
5 kW 5705 kWh 3423 kWh 2282 kWh £913 £228 £1,141 £10,239 9.0 yrs £12,584
6 kW 6846 kWh 4108 kWh 2738 kWh £1,096 £274 £1,369 £11,867 8.7 yrs £15,521
7 kW 7987 kWh 4792 kWh 3195 kWh £1,278 £319 £1,598 £13,494 8.4 yrs £18,457
8 kW 9128 kWh 5477 kWh 3651 kWh £1,461 £365 £1,826 £15,122 8.3 yrs £21,394

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: £1,236, Upfront: £11,639, 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 2282 kWh 1597 kWh 685 kWh £426 £68 £494 £6,756 13.7 yrs £3,134
3 kW 3423 kWh 2396 kWh 1027 kWh £639 £103 £742 £8,383 11.3 yrs £6,452
4 kW 4564 kWh 3195 kWh 1369 kWh £852 £137 £989 £10,011 10.1 yrs £9,769
5 kW 5705 kWh 3994 kWh 1712 kWh £1,065 £171 £1,236 £11,639 9.4 yrs £13,086
6 kW 6846 kWh 4792 kWh 2054 kWh £1,278 £205 £1,483 £13,267 8.9 yrs £16,403
7 kW 7987 kWh 5591 kWh 2396 kWh £1,491 £240 £1,731 £14,894 8.6 yrs £19,720
8 kW 9128 kWh 6390 kWh 2738 kWh £1,704 £274 £1,978 £16,522 8.4 yrs £23,038

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: £1,265, Upfront: £13,389, Break-even: 10.6 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2282 kWh 1666 kWh 616 kWh £444 £62 £506 £8,506 16.8 yrs £1,613
3 kW 3423 kWh 2499 kWh 924 kWh £666 £92 £759 £10,133 13.4 yrs £5,044
4 kW 4564 kWh 3332 kWh 1232 kWh £889 £123 £1,012 £11,761 11.6 yrs £8,475
5 kW 5705 kWh 4165 kWh 1540 kWh £1,111 £154 £1,265 £13,389 10.6 yrs £11,907
6 kW 6846 kWh 4998 kWh 1848 kWh £1,333 £185 £1,518 £15,017 9.9 yrs £15,338
7 kW 7987 kWh 5831 kWh 2157 kWh £1,555 £216 £1,771 £16,644 9.4 yrs £18,769
8 kW 9128 kWh 6664 kWh 2465 kWh £1,777 £246 £2,024 £18,272 9.0 yrs £22,201

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: £1,284, Upfront: £15,139, 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 2282 kWh 1712 kWh 571 kWh £456 £57 £514 £10,256 20.0 yrs £15
3 kW 3423 kWh 2567 kWh 856 kWh £685 £86 £770 £11,883 15.4 yrs £3,522
4 kW 4564 kWh 3423 kWh 1141 kWh £913 £114 £1,027 £13,511 13.2 yrs £7,030
5 kW 5705 kWh 4279 kWh 1426 kWh £1,141 £143 £1,284 £15,139 11.8 yrs £10,537
6 kW 6846 kWh 5135 kWh 1712 kWh £1,369 £171 £1,541 £16,767 10.9 yrs £14,044
7 kW 7987 kWh 5990 kWh 1997 kWh £1,598 £200 £1,797 £18,394 10.2 yrs £17,552
8 kW 9128 kWh 6846 kWh 2282 kWh £1,826 £228 £2,054 £20,022 9.7 yrs £21,059

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: £1,303, Upfront: £17,589, Break-even: 13.5 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2282 kWh 1757 kWh 525 kWh £469 £52 £521 £12,706 24.4 yrs £-2,283
3 kW 3423 kWh 2636 kWh 787 kWh £703 £79 £782 £14,333 18.3 yrs £1,300
4 kW 4564 kWh 3514 kWh 1050 kWh £937 £105 £1,042 £15,961 15.3 yrs £4,884
5 kW 5705 kWh 4393 kWh 1312 kWh £1,172 £131 £1,303 £17,589 13.5 yrs £8,467
6 kW 6846 kWh 5272 kWh 1575 kWh £1,406 £157 £1,563 £19,217 12.3 yrs £12,051
7 kW 7987 kWh 6150 kWh 1837 kWh £1,640 £184 £1,824 £20,844 11.4 yrs £15,634
8 kW 9128 kWh 7029 kWh 2099 kWh £1,875 £210 £2,084 £22,472 10.8 yrs £19,218

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 Eastbourne

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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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.

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Insights for BN20

Figures below are tailored to BN20 — click through for full league tables.

Big-Roof Britain Rank #302 of 2182
5.9 kWp (UK avg 5.1 kWp)
~12 panels (≈430 W)
Solar Payback Index Rank #2 of 2996
8.6 years (UK avg 10.8 years)
~£1,141 /yr • £9,767 upfront
Standing-Charge Drag Rank #172 of 2996
17.4% (UK avg 26.6%) drag on savings
£199 fixed • ~£1,141 /yr value
Aspect Penalty View ranking →
East −22.6% West −22.5%
Typical output loss versus a south-facing roof (lower is better)

Seasonal solar output in BN20

Monthly generation per kilowatt of solar panels

kWh 38 Jan 57 Feb 98 Mar 132 Apr 140 May 145 Jun 145 Jul 129 Aug 106 Sep 72 Oct 43 Nov 37 Dec
Best month Worst month Winter (Dec–Feb) Other months

Winter output: 46.3% 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 95 kWh. So a typical 4 kW home system would generate roughly 176 kWh in winter, or 380 kWh in an average month.

Your Area at a Glance

Your Electricity Rate
26.67p/kWh
Daily Fixed Charge
54.45p/day
Local Sunshine
1141kWh/kW
A 1 kW system generates ~1141 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: 49% • Flats: 37% • Bungalows: 12% Based on 5,500 properties

Coverage

Eastbourne (77%)|Wealden (23%)

Areas Covered

Meads, Old Town, Ratton, South Downs, Upperton, Lower Willingdon, Upper Willingdon

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 South East

BN21 (Eastbourne)
≈1.6 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,135 kWh/kWp · -1% vs BN20
BN22 (Eastbourne)
≈2.6 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,138 kWh/kWp · -0% vs BN20
BN23 (Eastbourne)
≈5.2 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,126 kWh/kWp · -1% vs BN20
BN26 (Wealden)
≈5.9 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,155 kWh/kWp · +1% vs BN20
BN24 (Wealden)
≈6.8 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,137 kWh/kWp · -0% vs BN20
BN27 (Wealden)
≈10.6 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,134 kWh/kWp · -1% vs BN20

Similar sunshine across the UK

PO19 (Chichester)
~1,138 kWh/kWp · -0% vs BN20
PO30 (Isle of Wight)
~1,133 kWh/kWp · -1% vs BN20
PO10 (Havant)
~1,133 kWh/kWp · -1% vs BN20