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Solar panel cost in Dover (CT17)

See realistic solar installation costs, savings and payback for CT17 (Dover) 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
£7,307
What you pay to get started
Annual Benefit
£726
What you save every year
Profit Over 25 Years
£10,838
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 1089 kWh/kW — 60 above the regional median (1029).

Read the full story

A typical roof here lands around 4.0 kW, with most eligible homes comfortably fitting within 3–6 kW. Each kilowatt of panels produces roughly 1089 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)
1089 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: £907, 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 2177 kWh 871 kWh 1306 kWh £232 £131 £363 £3,654 10.1 yrs £3,605
3 kW 3266 kWh 1306 kWh 1960 kWh £348 £196 £544 £5,481 10.1 yrs £5,407
4 kW 4355 kWh 1742 kWh 2613 kWh £465 £261 £726 £7,307 10.1 yrs £7,209
5 kW 5443 kWh 2177 kWh 3266 kWh £581 £327 £907 £9,134 10.1 yrs £9,011
6 kW 6532 kWh 2613 kWh 3919 kWh £697 £392 £1,089 £10,961 10.1 yrs £10,814
7 kW 7620 kWh 3048 kWh 4572 kWh £813 £457 £1,270 £12,788 10.1 yrs £12,616
8 kW 8709 kWh 3484 kWh 5225 kWh £929 £523 £1,452 £14,615 10.1 yrs £14,418

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: £1,089, Upfront: £11,234, 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 2177 kWh 1306 kWh 871 kWh £348 £87 £435 £5,754 13.2 yrs £2,956
3 kW 3266 kWh 1960 kWh 1306 kWh £523 £131 £653 £7,581 11.6 yrs £5,484
4 kW 4355 kWh 2613 kWh 1742 kWh £697 £174 £871 £9,407 10.8 yrs £8,013
5 kW 5443 kWh 3266 kWh 2177 kWh £871 £218 £1,089 £11,234 10.3 yrs £10,541
6 kW 6532 kWh 3919 kWh 2613 kWh £1,045 £261 £1,306 £13,061 10.0 yrs £13,069
7 kW 7620 kWh 4572 kWh 3048 kWh £1,219 £305 £1,524 £14,888 9.8 yrs £15,597
8 kW 8709 kWh 5225 kWh 3484 kWh £1,394 £348 £1,742 £16,715 9.6 yrs £18,125

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: £1,179, Upfront: £12,634, Break-even: 10.7 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2177 kWh 1524 kWh 653 kWh £406 £65 £472 £7,154 15.2 yrs £2,282
3 kW 3266 kWh 2286 kWh 980 kWh £610 £98 £708 £8,981 12.7 yrs £5,173
4 kW 4355 kWh 3048 kWh 1306 kWh £813 £131 £944 £10,807 11.5 yrs £8,064
5 kW 5443 kWh 3810 kWh 1633 kWh £1,016 £163 £1,179 £12,634 10.7 yrs £10,956
6 kW 6532 kWh 4572 kWh 1960 kWh £1,219 £196 £1,415 £14,461 10.2 yrs £13,847
7 kW 7620 kWh 5334 kWh 2286 kWh £1,423 £229 £1,651 £16,288 9.9 yrs £16,738
8 kW 8709 kWh 6096 kWh 2613 kWh £1,626 £261 £1,887 £18,115 9.6 yrs £19,629

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: £1,207, Upfront: £14,384, Break-even: 11.9 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2177 kWh 1589 kWh 588 kWh £424 £59 £483 £8,904 18.4 yrs £750
3 kW 3266 kWh 2384 kWh 882 kWh £636 £88 £724 £10,731 14.8 yrs £3,750
4 kW 4355 kWh 3179 kWh 1176 kWh £848 £118 £965 £12,557 13.0 yrs £6,750
5 kW 5443 kWh 3974 kWh 1470 kWh £1,060 £147 £1,207 £14,384 11.9 yrs £9,750
6 kW 6532 kWh 4768 kWh 1764 kWh £1,272 £176 £1,448 £16,211 11.2 yrs £12,750
7 kW 7620 kWh 5563 kWh 2058 kWh £1,484 £206 £1,689 £18,038 10.7 yrs £15,750
8 kW 8709 kWh 6358 kWh 2351 kWh £1,696 £235 £1,931 £19,865 10.3 yrs £18,750

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: £1,225, 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 2177 kWh 1633 kWh 544 kWh £436 £54 £490 £10,654 21.7 yrs £-855
3 kW 3266 kWh 2449 kWh 816 kWh £653 £82 £735 £12,481 17.0 yrs £2,218
4 kW 4355 kWh 3266 kWh 1089 kWh £871 £109 £980 £14,307 14.6 yrs £5,290
5 kW 5443 kWh 4082 kWh 1361 kWh £1,089 £136 £1,225 £16,134 13.2 yrs £8,363
6 kW 6532 kWh 4899 kWh 1633 kWh £1,307 £163 £1,470 £17,961 12.2 yrs £11,436
7 kW 7620 kWh 5715 kWh 1905 kWh £1,524 £191 £1,715 £19,788 11.5 yrs £14,508
8 kW 8709 kWh 6532 kWh 2177 kWh £1,742 £218 £1,960 £21,615 11.0 yrs £17,581

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: £1,243, 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 2177 kWh 1677 kWh 501 kWh £447 £50 £497 £13,104 26.4 yrs £-3,160
3 kW 3266 kWh 2515 kWh 751 kWh £671 £75 £746 £14,931 20.0 yrs £-14
4 kW 4355 kWh 3353 kWh 1002 kWh £894 £100 £994 £16,757 16.9 yrs £3,131
5 kW 5443 kWh 4191 kWh 1252 kWh £1,118 £125 £1,243 £18,584 15.0 yrs £6,276
6 kW 6532 kWh 5030 kWh 1502 kWh £1,341 £150 £1,492 £20,411 13.7 yrs £9,421
7 kW 7620 kWh 5868 kWh 1753 kWh £1,565 £175 £1,740 £22,238 12.8 yrs £12,566
8 kW 8709 kWh 6706 kWh 2003 kWh £1,788 £200 £1,989 £24,065 12.1 yrs £15,711

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 Dover

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 CT17

Figures below are tailored to CT17 — click through for full league tables.

Big-Roof Britain Rank #1985 of 2182
4.2 kWp (UK avg 5.1 kWp)
~9 panels (≈430 W)
Solar Payback Index Rank #1219 of 2996
10.1 years (UK avg 10.8 years)
~£726 /yr • £7,307 upfront
Standing-Charge Drag Rank #1787 of 2996
27.4% (UK avg 26.6%) drag on savings
£199 fixed • ~£726 /yr value
Aspect Penalty View ranking →
East −20.9% West −23.2%
Typical output loss versus a south-facing roof (lower is better)

Seasonal solar output in CT17

Monthly generation per kilowatt of solar panels

kWh 39 Jan 55 Feb 92 Mar 125 Apr 132 May 134 Jun 136 Jul 123 Aug 103 Sep 71 Oct 44 Nov 35 Dec
Best month Worst month Winter (Dec–Feb) Other months

Winter output: 47.1% 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 43 kWh per month; the average month produces around 91 kWh. So a typical 4 kW home system would generate roughly 171 kWh in winter, or 363 kWh in an average month.

Your Area at a Glance

Your Electricity Rate
26.67p/kWh
Daily Fixed Charge
54.45p/day
Local Sunshine
1089kWh/kW
A 1 kW system generates ~1089 kWh per year. A typical home uses ~2,700 kWh per year.
Typical System Size
4.0kW
For houses & bungalows in this area

Local Property Data

Property Types

Houses: 62% • Flats: 32% • Bungalows: 4% Based on 7,051 properties

Coverage

Dover (100%)

Areas Covered

Town & Castle, St Radigunds, Dover Downs & River, Tower Hamlets, Maxton & Elms Vale, Buckland

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

CT16 (Dover)
≈0.8 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,089 kWh/kWp · +0% vs CT17
CT15 (Dover)
≈4.5 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,110 kWh/kWp · +2% vs CT17
CT19 (Folkestone and Hythe)
≈9.6 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,111 kWh/kWp · +2% vs CT17
CT18 (Folkestone and Hythe)
≈9.8 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,088 kWh/kWp · -0% vs CT17
CT20 (Folkestone and Hythe)
≈10.2 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,111 kWh/kWp · +2% vs CT17
CT50 (Folkestone and Hythe)
≈12.0 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,111 kWh/kWp · +2% vs CT17

Similar sunshine across the UK

BH6 (Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole)
~1,089 kWh/kWp · +0% vs CT17
BH23 (Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole)
~1,089 kWh/kWp · +0% vs CT17
PO33 (Isle of Wight)
~1,088 kWh/kWp · -0% vs CT17