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Solar panel cost in Brighton and Hove (BN41)

See realistic solar installation costs, savings and payback for BN41 (Brighton and Hove) 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
8.8 years
After this, it's pure profit
Upfront Cost
£8,139
What you pay to get started
Annual Benefit
£925
What you save every year
Profit Over 25 Years
£14,988
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 1110 kWh/kW — 81 above the regional median (1029).

Read the full story

A typical roof here lands around 5.0 kW, with most eligible homes comfortably fitting within 3–6 kW. Each kilowatt of panels produces roughly 1110 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)
1110 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: £925, Upfront: £8,139, Break-even: 8.8 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2220 kWh 888 kWh 1332 kWh £237 £133 £370 £3,256 8.8 yrs £4,145
3 kW 3330 kWh 1332 kWh 1998 kWh £355 £200 £555 £4,883 8.8 yrs £6,218
4 kW 4440 kWh 1776 kWh 2664 kWh £474 £266 £740 £6,511 8.8 yrs £8,290
5 kW 5550 kWh 2220 kWh 3330 kWh £592 £333 £925 £8,139 8.8 yrs £10,363
6 kW 6660 kWh 2664 kWh 3996 kWh £710 £400 £1,110 £9,767 8.8 yrs £12,435
7 kW 7770 kWh 3108 kWh 4662 kWh £829 £466 £1,295 £11,394 8.8 yrs £14,508
8 kW 8880 kWh 3552 kWh 5328 kWh £947 £533 £1,480 £13,022 8.8 yrs £16,581

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: £1,110, Upfront: £10,239, Break-even: 9.2 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2220 kWh 1332 kWh 888 kWh £355 £89 £444 £5,356 12.1 yrs £3,525
3 kW 3330 kWh 1998 kWh 1332 kWh £533 £133 £666 £6,983 10.5 yrs £6,338
4 kW 4440 kWh 2664 kWh 1776 kWh £710 £178 £888 £8,611 9.7 yrs £9,151
5 kW 5550 kWh 3330 kWh 2220 kWh £888 £222 £1,110 £10,239 9.2 yrs £11,964
6 kW 6660 kWh 3996 kWh 2664 kWh £1,066 £266 £1,332 £11,867 8.9 yrs £14,776
7 kW 7770 kWh 4662 kWh 3108 kWh £1,243 £311 £1,554 £13,494 8.7 yrs £17,589
8 kW 8880 kWh 5328 kWh 3552 kWh £1,421 £355 £1,776 £15,122 8.5 yrs £20,402

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: £1,203, Upfront: £11,639, 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 2220 kWh 1554 kWh 666 kWh £414 £67 £481 £6,756 14.0 yrs £2,866
3 kW 3330 kWh 2331 kWh 999 kWh £622 £100 £722 £8,383 11.6 yrs £6,048
4 kW 4440 kWh 3108 kWh 1332 kWh £829 £133 £962 £10,011 10.4 yrs £9,231
5 kW 5550 kWh 3885 kWh 1665 kWh £1,036 £167 £1,203 £11,639 9.7 yrs £12,414
6 kW 6660 kWh 4662 kWh 1998 kWh £1,243 £200 £1,443 £13,267 9.2 yrs £15,597
7 kW 7770 kWh 5439 kWh 2331 kWh £1,451 £233 £1,684 £14,894 8.8 yrs £18,780
8 kW 8880 kWh 6216 kWh 2664 kWh £1,658 £266 £1,924 £16,522 8.6 yrs £21,962

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: £1,230, Upfront: £13,389, Break-even: 10.9 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2220 kWh 1621 kWh 599 kWh £432 £60 £492 £8,506 17.3 yrs £1,338
3 kW 3330 kWh 2431 kWh 899 kWh £648 £90 £738 £10,133 13.7 yrs £4,631
4 kW 4440 kWh 3241 kWh 1199 kWh £864 £120 £984 £11,761 11.9 yrs £7,925
5 kW 5550 kWh 4052 kWh 1499 kWh £1,081 £150 £1,230 £13,389 10.9 yrs £11,219
6 kW 6660 kWh 4862 kWh 1798 kWh £1,297 £180 £1,476 £15,017 10.2 yrs £14,513
7 kW 7770 kWh 5672 kWh 2098 kWh £1,513 £210 £1,723 £16,644 9.7 yrs £17,807
8 kW 8880 kWh 6482 kWh 2398 kWh £1,729 £240 £1,969 £18,272 9.3 yrs £21,101

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: £1,249, Upfront: £15,139, Break-even: 12.1 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2220 kWh 1665 kWh 555 kWh £444 £56 £500 £10,256 20.5 yrs £-264
3 kW 3330 kWh 2498 kWh 833 kWh £666 £83 £749 £11,883 15.9 yrs £3,104
4 kW 4440 kWh 3330 kWh 1110 kWh £888 £111 £999 £13,511 13.5 yrs £6,471
5 kW 5550 kWh 4163 kWh 1388 kWh £1,110 £139 £1,249 £15,139 12.1 yrs £9,839
6 kW 6660 kWh 4995 kWh 1665 kWh £1,332 £167 £1,499 £16,767 11.2 yrs £13,207
7 kW 7770 kWh 5828 kWh 1943 kWh £1,554 £194 £1,748 £18,394 10.5 yrs £16,575
8 kW 8880 kWh 6660 kWh 2220 kWh £1,776 £222 £1,998 £20,022 10.0 yrs £19,943

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: £1,267, Upfront: £17,589, Break-even: 13.9 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2220 kWh 1709 kWh 511 kWh £456 £51 £507 £12,706 25.1 yrs £-2,566
3 kW 3330 kWh 2564 kWh 766 kWh £684 £77 £760 £14,333 18.8 yrs £876
4 kW 4440 kWh 3419 kWh 1021 kWh £912 £102 £1,014 £15,961 15.7 yrs £4,317
5 kW 5550 kWh 4274 kWh 1277 kWh £1,140 £128 £1,267 £17,589 13.9 yrs £7,759
6 kW 6660 kWh 5128 kWh 1532 kWh £1,368 £153 £1,521 £19,217 12.6 yrs £11,201
7 kW 7770 kWh 5983 kWh 1787 kWh £1,596 £179 £1,774 £20,844 11.7 yrs £14,643
8 kW 8880 kWh 6838 kWh 2042 kWh £1,824 £204 £2,028 £22,472 11.1 yrs £18,085

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 Brighton and Hove

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 BN41

Figures below are tailored to BN41 — click through for full league tables.

Big-Roof Britain Rank #1645 of 2182
4.6 kWp (UK avg 5.1 kWp)
~10 panels (≈430 W)
Solar Payback Index Rank #38 of 2996
8.8 years (UK avg 10.8 years)
~£925 /yr • £8,139 upfront
Standing-Charge Drag Rank #790 of 2996
21.5% (UK avg 26.6%) drag on savings
£199 fixed • ~£925 /yr value
Aspect Penalty View ranking →
East −21.2% West −22.7%
Typical output loss versus a south-facing roof (lower is better)

Seasonal solar output in BN41

Monthly generation per kilowatt of solar panels

kWh 42 Jan 57 Feb 95 Mar 126 Apr 133 May 138 Jun 139 Jul 121 Aug 102 Sep 71 Oct 48 Nov 38 Dec
Best month Worst month Winter (Dec–Feb) Other months

Winter output: 49.3% 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 46 kWh per month; the average month produces around 93 kWh. So a typical 4 kW home system would generate roughly 182 kWh in winter, or 370 kWh in an average month.

Your Area at a Glance

Your Electricity Rate
26.67p/kWh
Daily Fixed Charge
54.45p/day
Local Sunshine
1110kWh/kW
A 1 kW system generates ~1110 kWh per year. A typical home uses ~2,700 kWh per year.
Typical System Size
5.0kW
For houses & bungalows in this area

Local Property Data

Property Types

Houses: 56% • Flats: 29% • Bungalows: 12% Based on 5,060 properties

Coverage

Brighton and Hove (95%)|Adur (5%)

Areas Covered

South Portslade, North Portslade, Wish, Eastbrook, Southwick Green

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

BN42 (Adur)
≈1.5 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,110 kWh/kWp · -0% vs BN41
BN4 (Adur)
≈2.5 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,110 kWh/kWp · -0% vs BN41
BN3 (Brighton and Hove)
≈3.0 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,113 kWh/kWp · +0% vs BN41
BN52 (Brighton and Hove)
≈3.2 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,113 kWh/kWp · +0% vs BN41
BN43 (Adur)
≈4.2 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,109 kWh/kWp · -0% vs BN41
BN1 (Brighton and Hove)
≈5.1 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,118 kWh/kWp · +1% vs BN41

Similar sunshine across the UK

DT3 (Dorset)
~1,110 kWh/kWp · -0% vs BN41
DT4 (Dorset)
~1,110 kWh/kWp · -0% vs BN41
PO36 (Isle of Wight)
~1,110 kWh/kWp · +0% vs BN41