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Solar panel cost in Brighton and Hove (BN52)

See realistic solar installation costs, savings and payback for BN52 (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
£9,767
What you pay to get started
Annual Benefit
£1,113
What you save every year
Profit Over 25 Years
£18,060
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 1113 kWh/kW — 84 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 1113 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)
1113 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: £928, 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 2226 kWh 890 kWh 1336 kWh £237 £134 £371 £3,256 8.8 yrs £4,165
3 kW 3339 kWh 1336 kWh 2003 kWh £356 £200 £557 £4,883 8.8 yrs £6,247
4 kW 4452 kWh 1781 kWh 2671 kWh £475 £267 £742 £6,511 8.8 yrs £8,330
5 kW 5565 kWh 2226 kWh 3339 kWh £594 £334 £928 £8,139 8.8 yrs £10,412
6 kW 6678 kWh 2671 kWh 4007 kWh £712 £401 £1,113 £9,767 8.8 yrs £12,494
7 kW 7791 kWh 3116 kWh 4674 kWh £831 £467 £1,299 £11,394 8.8 yrs £14,577
8 kW 8904 kWh 3561 kWh 5342 kWh £950 £534 £1,484 £13,022 8.8 yrs £16,659

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: £1,113, 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 2226 kWh 1336 kWh 890 kWh £356 £89 £445 £5,356 12.0 yrs £3,549
3 kW 3339 kWh 2003 kWh 1336 kWh £534 £134 £668 £6,983 10.5 yrs £6,374
4 kW 4452 kWh 2671 kWh 1781 kWh £712 £178 £890 £8,611 9.7 yrs £9,198
5 kW 5565 kWh 3339 kWh 2226 kWh £890 £223 £1,113 £10,239 9.2 yrs £12,023
6 kW 6678 kWh 4007 kWh 2671 kWh £1,069 £267 £1,336 £11,867 8.9 yrs £14,847
7 kW 7791 kWh 4674 kWh 3116 kWh £1,247 £312 £1,558 £13,494 8.7 yrs £17,672
8 kW 8904 kWh 5342 kWh 3561 kWh £1,425 £356 £1,781 £15,122 8.5 yrs £20,496

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: £1,206, 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 2226 kWh 1558 kWh 668 kWh £416 £67 £482 £6,756 14.0 yrs £2,891
3 kW 3339 kWh 2337 kWh 1002 kWh £623 £100 £724 £8,383 11.6 yrs £6,087
4 kW 4452 kWh 3116 kWh 1336 kWh £831 £134 £965 £10,011 10.4 yrs £9,282
5 kW 5565 kWh 3895 kWh 1669 kWh £1,039 £167 £1,206 £11,639 9.7 yrs £12,478
6 kW 6678 kWh 4674 kWh 2003 kWh £1,247 £200 £1,447 £13,267 9.2 yrs £15,674
7 kW 7791 kWh 5454 kWh 2337 kWh £1,454 £234 £1,688 £14,894 8.8 yrs £18,869
8 kW 8904 kWh 6233 kWh 2671 kWh £1,662 £267 £1,929 £16,522 8.6 yrs £22,065

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: £1,234, 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 2226 kWh 1625 kWh 601 kWh £433 £60 £493 £8,506 17.2 yrs £1,364
3 kW 3339 kWh 2437 kWh 901 kWh £650 £90 £740 £10,133 13.7 yrs £4,671
4 kW 4452 kWh 3250 kWh 1202 kWh £867 £120 £987 £11,761 11.9 yrs £7,978
5 kW 5565 kWh 4062 kWh 1502 kWh £1,083 £150 £1,234 £13,389 10.9 yrs £11,285
6 kW 6678 kWh 4875 kWh 1803 kWh £1,300 £180 £1,480 £15,017 10.1 yrs £14,591
7 kW 7791 kWh 5687 kWh 2103 kWh £1,517 £210 £1,727 £16,644 9.6 yrs £17,898
8 kW 8904 kWh 6500 kWh 2404 kWh £1,733 £240 £1,974 £18,272 9.3 yrs £21,205

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: £1,252, 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 2226 kWh 1669 kWh 556 kWh £445 £56 £501 £10,256 20.5 yrs £-238
3 kW 3339 kWh 2504 kWh 835 kWh £668 £83 £751 £11,883 15.8 yrs £3,143
4 kW 4452 kWh 3339 kWh 1113 kWh £890 £111 £1,002 £13,511 13.5 yrs £6,524
5 kW 5565 kWh 4174 kWh 1391 kWh £1,113 £139 £1,252 £15,139 12.1 yrs £9,906
6 kW 6678 kWh 5008 kWh 1669 kWh £1,336 £167 £1,503 £16,767 11.2 yrs £13,287
7 kW 7791 kWh 5843 kWh 1948 kWh £1,558 £195 £1,753 £18,394 10.5 yrs £16,668
8 kW 8904 kWh 6678 kWh 2226 kWh £1,781 £223 £2,004 £20,022 10.0 yrs £20,049

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: £1,271, Upfront: £17,589, Break-even: 13.8 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2226 kWh 1714 kWh 512 kWh £457 £51 £508 £12,706 25.0 yrs £-2,539
3 kW 3339 kWh 2571 kWh 768 kWh £686 £77 £762 £14,333 18.8 yrs £916
4 kW 4452 kWh 3428 kWh 1024 kWh £914 £102 £1,017 £15,961 15.7 yrs £4,371
5 kW 5565 kWh 4285 kWh 1280 kWh £1,143 £128 £1,271 £17,589 13.8 yrs £7,827
6 kW 6678 kWh 5142 kWh 1536 kWh £1,371 £154 £1,525 £19,217 12.6 yrs £11,282
7 kW 7791 kWh 5999 kWh 1792 kWh £1,600 £179 £1,779 £20,844 11.7 yrs £14,737
8 kW 8904 kWh 6856 kWh 2048 kWh £1,828 £205 £2,033 £22,472 11.1 yrs £18,193

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 BN52

Figures below are tailored to BN52 — click through for full league tables.

Solar Payback Index Rank #41 of 2996
8.8 years (UK avg 10.8 years)
~£1,113 /yr • £9,767 upfront
Standing-Charge Drag Rank #202 of 2996
17.9% (UK avg 26.6%) drag on savings
£199 fixed • ~£1,113 /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 BN52

Monthly generation per kilowatt of solar panels

kWh 42 Jan 58 Feb 95 Mar 126 Apr 134 May 138 Jun 139 Jul 122 Aug 103 Sep 71 Oct 48 Nov 38 Dec
Best month Worst month Winter (Dec–Feb) Other months

Winter output: 49.4% 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 183 kWh in winter, or 371 kWh in an average month.

Your Area at a Glance

Your Electricity Rate
26.67p/kWh
Daily Fixed Charge
54.45p/day
Local Sunshine
1113kWh/kW
A 1 kW system generates ~1113 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

No EPC data available for this outcode

Coverage

Brighton and Hove (100%)

Areas Covered

Goldsmid, Central Hove

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

BN3 (Brighton and Hove)
≈0.1 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,113 kWh/kWp · -0% vs BN52
BN1 (Brighton and Hove)
≈2.0 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,118 kWh/kWp · +0% vs BN52
BN50 (Brighton and Hove)
≈2.1 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,118 kWh/kWp · +0% vs BN52
BN88 (Brighton and Hove)
≈2.1 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,120 kWh/kWp · +1% vs BN52
BN41 (Brighton and Hove)
≈3.2 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,110 kWh/kWp · -0% vs BN52
BN2 (Brighton and Hove)
≈3.5 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,120 kWh/kWp · +1% vs BN52

Similar sunshine across the UK

PO39 (Isle of Wight)
~1,113 kWh/kWp · +0% vs BN52
PO40 (Isle of Wight)
~1,113 kWh/kWp · +0% vs BN52
PO21 (Arun)
~1,111 kWh/kWp · -0% vs BN52