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Big Roof Britain Solar Payback Index Standing Charge Drag

Solar Panels in CT21 (Folkestone and Hythe)

See if solar pays off for you in Folkestone and Hythe — price, savings and payback in under a minute (official UK data).

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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
11.1 years
After this, it's pure profit
Upfront Cost
£12,207
What you pay to get started
Annual Benefit
£1,096
What you save every year
Profit Over 25 Years
£15,198
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: Bigger systems don’t shorten payback—cost and savings rise together per kW.
  • 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

Costs: Battery prices are typically £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 26.92p/kWh with a 47.60p/day standing charge. Your postcode’s south-facing sunshine yield is 1090 kWh/kW — 61 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 1090 kWh per year on a south-facing roof. We value self-used electricity at 26.9p and exported surplus at a baseline 10p via SEG. Use the calculator above for your exact tariff.

Unit rate
26.9p/kWh
Standing charge
47.6p/day
Sunshine yield (south)
1090 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: £913, Upfront: £10,173, Break-even: 11.1 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2179 kWh 872 kWh 1307 kWh £235 £131 £365 £4,069 11.1 yrs £3,239
3 kW 3269 kWh 1307 kWh 1961 kWh £352 £196 £548 £6,104 11.1 yrs £4,858
4 kW 4358 kWh 1743 kWh 2615 kWh £469 £261 £731 £8,138 11.1 yrs £6,478
5 kW 5448 kWh 2179 kWh 3269 kWh £587 £327 £913 £10,173 11.1 yrs £8,097
6 kW 6537 kWh 2615 kWh 3922 kWh £704 £392 £1,096 £12,207 11.1 yrs £9,717
7 kW 7627 kWh 3051 kWh 4576 kWh £821 £458 £1,279 £14,242 11.1 yrs £11,336
8 kW 8716 kWh 3487 kWh 5230 kWh £939 £523 £1,462 £16,276 11.1 yrs £12,956

Assumptions: south-facing, sensible tilt; self-use shares from site rules; export at 10p baseline. Costs: panels £/kW = 2,035, battery £/kWh = 700.

3 kWh battery 5 kW example → Annual benefit: £1,098, Upfront: £12,273, Break-even: 11.2 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2179 kWh 1307 kWh 872 kWh £352 £87 £439 £6,169 14.0 yrs £2,614
3 kW 3269 kWh 1961 kWh 1307 kWh £528 £131 £659 £8,204 12.5 yrs £4,971
4 kW 4358 kWh 2615 kWh 1743 kWh £704 £174 £878 £10,238 11.7 yrs £7,327
5 kW 5448 kWh 3269 kWh 2179 kWh £880 £218 £1,098 £12,273 11.2 yrs £9,684
6 kW 6537 kWh 3922 kWh 2615 kWh £1,056 £261 £1,317 £14,307 10.9 yrs £12,041
7 kW 7627 kWh 4576 kWh 3051 kWh £1,232 £305 £1,537 £16,342 10.6 yrs £14,398
8 kW 8716 kWh 5230 kWh 3487 kWh £1,408 £349 £1,757 £18,376 10.5 yrs £16,755

Assumptions: south-facing, sensible tilt; self-use shares from site rules; export at 10p baseline. Costs: panels £/kW = 2,035, battery £/kWh = 700.

5 kWh battery 5 kW example → Annual benefit: £1,190, Upfront: £13,673, Break-even: 11.5 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2179 kWh 1525 kWh 654 kWh £411 £65 £476 £7,569 15.9 yrs £1,951
3 kW 3269 kWh 2288 kWh 981 kWh £616 £98 £714 £9,604 13.5 yrs £4,677
4 kW 4358 kWh 3051 kWh 1307 kWh £821 £131 £952 £11,638 12.2 yrs £7,402
5 kW 5448 kWh 3813 kWh 1634 kWh £1,027 £163 £1,190 £13,673 11.5 yrs £10,128
6 kW 6537 kWh 4576 kWh 1961 kWh £1,232 £196 £1,428 £15,707 11.0 yrs £12,853
7 kW 7627 kWh 5339 kWh 2288 kWh £1,437 £229 £1,666 £17,742 10.6 yrs £15,579
8 kW 8716 kWh 6102 kWh 2615 kWh £1,643 £261 £1,904 £19,776 10.4 yrs £18,304

Assumptions: south-facing, sensible tilt; self-use shares from site rules; export at 10p baseline. Costs: panels £/kW = 2,035, battery £/kWh = 700.

7.5 kWh battery 5 kW example → Annual benefit: £1,218, Upfront: £15,423, Break-even: 12.7 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2179 kWh 1591 kWh 588 kWh £428 £59 £487 £9,319 19.1 yrs £422
3 kW 3269 kWh 2386 kWh 883 kWh £642 £88 £731 £11,354 15.5 yrs £3,259
4 kW 4358 kWh 3182 kWh 1177 kWh £856 £118 £974 £13,388 13.7 yrs £6,095
5 kW 5448 kWh 3977 kWh 1471 kWh £1,071 £147 £1,218 £15,423 12.7 yrs £8,931
6 kW 6537 kWh 4772 kWh 1765 kWh £1,285 £177 £1,461 £17,457 11.9 yrs £11,767
7 kW 7627 kWh 5568 kWh 2059 kWh £1,499 £206 £1,705 £19,492 11.4 yrs £14,603
8 kW 8716 kWh 6363 kWh 2353 kWh £1,713 £235 £1,948 £21,526 11.0 yrs £17,439

Assumptions: south-facing, sensible tilt; self-use shares from site rules; export at 10p baseline. Costs: panels £/kW = 2,035, battery £/kWh = 700.

10 kWh battery 5 kW example → Annual benefit: £1,236, Upfront: £17,173, 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 2179 kWh 1634 kWh 545 kWh £440 £54 £494 £11,069 22.4 yrs £-1,180
3 kW 3269 kWh 2452 kWh 817 kWh £660 £82 £742 £13,104 17.7 yrs £1,730
4 kW 4358 kWh 3269 kWh 1090 kWh £880 £109 £989 £15,138 15.3 yrs £4,640
5 kW 5448 kWh 4086 kWh 1362 kWh £1,100 £136 £1,236 £17,173 13.9 yrs £7,550
6 kW 6537 kWh 4903 kWh 1634 kWh £1,320 £163 £1,483 £19,207 12.9 yrs £10,459
7 kW 7627 kWh 5720 kWh 1907 kWh £1,540 £191 £1,731 £21,242 12.3 yrs £13,369
8 kW 8716 kWh 6537 kWh 2179 kWh £1,760 £218 £1,978 £23,276 11.8 yrs £16,279

Assumptions: south-facing, sensible tilt; self-use shares from site rules; export at 10p baseline. Costs: panels £/kW = 2,035, battery £/kWh = 700.

13.5 kWh battery 5 kW example → Annual benefit: £1,255, Upfront: £19,623, Break-even: 15.6 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2179 kWh 1678 kWh 501 kWh £452 £50 £502 £13,519 26.9 yrs £-3,483
3 kW 3269 kWh 2517 kWh 752 kWh £678 £75 £753 £15,554 20.7 yrs £-499
4 kW 4358 kWh 3356 kWh 1002 kWh £903 £100 £1,004 £17,588 17.5 yrs £2,485
5 kW 5448 kWh 4195 kWh 1253 kWh £1,129 £125 £1,255 £19,623 15.6 yrs £5,468
6 kW 6537 kWh 5034 kWh 1504 kWh £1,355 £150 £1,505 £21,657 14.4 yrs £8,452
7 kW 7627 kWh 5873 kWh 1754 kWh £1,581 £175 £1,756 £23,692 13.5 yrs £11,436
8 kW 8716 kWh 6712 kWh 2005 kWh £1,807 £200 £2,007 £25,726 12.8 yrs £14,419

Assumptions: south-facing, sensible tilt; self-use shares from site rules; export at 10p baseline. Costs: panels £/kW = 2,035, 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.

Insights for CT21

Figures below are tailored to CT21 — click through for full league tables.

Big-Roof Britain Rank #799 of 2182
5.3 kWp (UK avg 5.1 kWp)
~11 panels (≈430 W)
Solar Payback Index Rank #92 of 2997
9.7 years (UK avg 11.3 years)
~£1,262 /yr • £12,207 upfront
Standing-Charge Drag Rank #79 of 2997
13.8% (UK avg 21.7%) drag on savings
£174 fixed • ~£1,262 /yr value

Your Area at a Glance

Your Electricity Rate
26.92p/kWh
Daily Fixed Charge
47.60p/day
Local Sunshine
1090kWh/kW
A 1 kW system generates ~1090 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: 59% • Flats: 27% • Bungalows: 13% Based on 5,619 properties

Coverage

Folkestone and Hythe (100%)

Areas Covered

Hythe, Hythe Rural, North Downs West, Romney Marsh, Sandgate & West Folkestone, Folkestone Harbour, East Folkestone, North Downs East

Data Sources & Assumptions

Solar yield: PVGIS (EU Joint Research Centre), January 2025 data

Electricity rates: Ofgem price cap, Q4 2025

Installation costs: MCS certified installer data, March 2025

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

CT50 (Folkestone and Hythe)
≈4.3 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,111 kWh/kWp · +2% vs CT21
CT20 (Folkestone and Hythe)
≈6.5 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,111 kWh/kWp · +2% vs CT21
CT19 (Folkestone and Hythe)
≈6.7 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,111 kWh/kWp · +2% vs CT21
CT18 (Folkestone and Hythe)
≈7.0 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,088 kWh/kWp · -0% vs CT21
TN25 (Ashford)
≈12.4 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,059 kWh/kWp · -3% vs CT21
TN29 (Folkestone and Hythe)
≈13.0 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,123 kWh/kWp · +3% vs CT21

Similar sunshine across the UK

BH5 (Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole)
~1,090 kWh/kWp · +0% vs CT21
DT1 (Dorset)
~1,090 kWh/kWp · +0% vs CT21
BH7 (Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole)
~1,090 kWh/kWp · +0% vs CT21