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Solar panel cost in Eastbourne (BN21)

See realistic solar installation costs, savings and payback for BN21 (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
9.7 years
After this, it's pure profit
Upfront Cost
£5,481
What you pay to get started
Annual Benefit
£568
What you save every year
Profit Over 25 Years
£8,708
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 1135 kWh/kW — 106 above the regional median (1029).

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 1135 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)
1135 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: £946, Upfront: £9,134, Break-even: 9.7 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2270 kWh 908 kWh 1362 kWh £242 £136 £378 £3,654 9.7 yrs £3,913
3 kW 3405 kWh 1362 kWh 2043 kWh £363 £204 £568 £5,481 9.7 yrs £5,870
4 kW 4540 kWh 1816 kWh 2724 kWh £484 £272 £757 £7,307 9.7 yrs £7,827
5 kW 5675 kWh 2270 kWh 3405 kWh £605 £340 £946 £9,134 9.7 yrs £9,784
6 kW 6810 kWh 2724 kWh 4086 kWh £726 £409 £1,135 £10,961 9.7 yrs £11,740
7 kW 7945 kWh 3178 kWh 4767 kWh £848 £477 £1,324 £12,788 9.7 yrs £13,697
8 kW 9080 kWh 3632 kWh 5448 kWh £969 £545 £1,513 £14,615 9.7 yrs £15,654

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: £1,135, Upfront: £11,234, 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 2270 kWh 1362 kWh 908 kWh £363 £91 £454 £5,754 12.7 yrs £3,327
3 kW 3405 kWh 2043 kWh 1362 kWh £545 £136 £681 £7,581 11.1 yrs £6,041
4 kW 4540 kWh 2724 kWh 1816 kWh £726 £182 £908 £9,407 10.4 yrs £8,754
5 kW 5675 kWh 3405 kWh 2270 kWh £908 £227 £1,135 £11,234 9.9 yrs £11,468
6 kW 6810 kWh 4086 kWh 2724 kWh £1,090 £272 £1,362 £13,061 9.6 yrs £14,181
7 kW 7945 kWh 4767 kWh 3178 kWh £1,271 £318 £1,589 £14,888 9.4 yrs £16,895
8 kW 9080 kWh 5448 kWh 3632 kWh £1,453 £363 £1,816 £16,715 9.2 yrs £19,608

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: £1,230, Upfront: £12,634, Break-even: 10.3 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2270 kWh 1589 kWh 681 kWh £424 £68 £492 £7,154 14.5 yrs £2,684
3 kW 3405 kWh 2383 kWh 1021 kWh £636 £102 £738 £8,981 12.2 yrs £5,776
4 kW 4540 kWh 3178 kWh 1362 kWh £848 £136 £984 £10,807 11.0 yrs £8,868
5 kW 5675 kWh 3972 kWh 1702 kWh £1,059 £170 £1,230 £12,634 10.3 yrs £11,960
6 kW 6810 kWh 4767 kWh 2043 kWh £1,271 £204 £1,476 £14,461 9.8 yrs £15,052
7 kW 7945 kWh 5561 kWh 2383 kWh £1,483 £238 £1,722 £16,288 9.5 yrs £18,144
8 kW 9080 kWh 6356 kWh 2724 kWh £1,695 £272 £1,968 £18,115 9.2 yrs £21,235

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: £1,258, Upfront: £14,384, Break-even: 11.4 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2270 kWh 1657 kWh 613 kWh £442 £61 £503 £8,904 17.7 yrs £1,161
3 kW 3405 kWh 2486 kWh 919 kWh £663 £92 £755 £10,731 14.2 yrs £4,366
4 kW 4540 kWh 3314 kWh 1226 kWh £884 £123 £1,006 £12,557 12.5 yrs £7,572
5 kW 5675 kWh 4143 kWh 1532 kWh £1,105 £153 £1,258 £14,384 11.4 yrs £10,777
6 kW 6810 kWh 4971 kWh 1839 kWh £1,326 £184 £1,510 £16,211 10.7 yrs £13,983
7 kW 7945 kWh 5800 kWh 2145 kWh £1,547 £215 £1,761 £18,038 10.2 yrs £17,188
8 kW 9080 kWh 6628 kWh 2452 kWh £1,768 £245 £2,013 £19,865 9.9 yrs £20,394

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: £1,277, Upfront: £16,134, Break-even: 12.6 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2270 kWh 1702 kWh 567 kWh £454 £57 £511 £10,654 20.9 yrs £-438
3 kW 3405 kWh 2554 kWh 851 kWh £681 £85 £766 £12,481 16.3 yrs £2,843
4 kW 4540 kWh 3405 kWh 1135 kWh £908 £113 £1,022 £14,307 14.0 yrs £6,125
5 kW 5675 kWh 4256 kWh 1419 kWh £1,135 £142 £1,277 £16,134 12.6 yrs £9,406
6 kW 6810 kWh 5107 kWh 1702 kWh £1,362 £170 £1,532 £17,961 11.7 yrs £12,687
7 kW 7945 kWh 5959 kWh 1986 kWh £1,589 £199 £1,788 £19,788 11.1 yrs £15,968
8 kW 9080 kWh 6810 kWh 2270 kWh £1,816 £227 £2,043 £21,615 10.6 yrs £19,249

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: £1,296, Upfront: £18,584, Break-even: 14.3 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2270 kWh 1748 kWh 522 kWh £466 £52 £518 £13,104 25.3 yrs £-2,736
3 kW 3405 kWh 2622 kWh 783 kWh £699 £78 £778 £14,931 19.2 yrs £620
4 kW 4540 kWh 3496 kWh 1044 kWh £932 £104 £1,037 £16,757 16.2 yrs £3,977
5 kW 5675 kWh 4370 kWh 1305 kWh £1,165 £131 £1,296 £18,584 14.3 yrs £7,334
6 kW 6810 kWh 5244 kWh 1566 kWh £1,398 £157 £1,555 £20,411 13.1 yrs £10,691
7 kW 7945 kWh 6118 kWh 1827 kWh £1,632 £183 £1,814 £22,238 12.3 yrs £14,048
8 kW 9080 kWh 6991 kWh 2088 kWh £1,865 £209 £2,073 £24,065 11.6 yrs £17,405

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 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 BN21

Figures below are tailored to BN21 — click through for full league tables.

Big-Roof Britain Rank #2091 of 2182
3.9 kWp (UK avg 5.1 kWp)
~8 panels (≈430 W)
Solar Payback Index Rank #3 of 2996
8.6 years (UK avg 10.8 years)
~£1,135 /yr • £9,767 upfront
Standing-Charge Drag Rank #173 of 2996
17.5% (UK avg 26.6%) drag on savings
£199 fixed • ~£1,135 /yr value
Aspect Penalty View ranking →
East −20.5% West −23.2%
Typical output loss versus a south-facing roof (lower is better)

Seasonal solar output in BN21

Monthly generation per kilowatt of solar panels

kWh 40 Jan 57 Feb 97 Mar 130 Apr 138 May 143 Jun 144 Jul 127 Aug 105 Sep 72 Oct 45 Nov 38 Dec
Best month Worst month Winter (Dec–Feb) Other months

Winter output: 47.6% 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 95 kWh. So a typical 4 kW home system would generate roughly 180 kWh in winter, or 378 kWh in an average month.

Your Area at a Glance

Your Electricity Rate
26.67p/kWh
Daily Fixed Charge
54.45p/day
Local Sunshine
1135kWh/kW
A 1 kW system generates ~1135 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: 22% • Flats: 71% • Bungalows: 4% Based on 10,407 properties

Coverage

Eastbourne (100%)

Areas Covered

Upperton, Meads, Old Town, Devonshire, Ratton, Manor

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

BN20 (Eastbourne)
≈1.6 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,141 kWh/kWp · +1% vs BN21
BN22 (Eastbourne)
≈1.7 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,138 kWh/kWp · +0% vs BN21
BN23 (Eastbourne)
≈4.1 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,126 kWh/kWp · -1% vs BN21
BN24 (Wealden)
≈5.8 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,137 kWh/kWp · +0% vs BN21
BN26 (Wealden)
≈6.4 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,155 kWh/kWp · +2% vs BN21
BN27 (Wealden)
≈10.7 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,134 kWh/kWp · -0% vs BN21

Similar sunshine across the UK

PO30 (Isle of Wight)
~1,133 kWh/kWp · -0% vs BN21
PO10 (Havant)
~1,133 kWh/kWp · -0% vs BN21
PO19 (Chichester)
~1,138 kWh/kWp · +0% vs BN21