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Solar panel cost in Dover (CT3)

See realistic solar installation costs, savings and payback for CT3 (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
8.8 years
After this, it's pure profit
Upfront Cost
£8,139
What you pay to get started
Annual Benefit
£922
What you save every year
Profit Over 25 Years
£14,907
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 1106 kWh/kW — 77 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 1106 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)
1106 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: £922, 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 2212 kWh 885 kWh 1327 kWh £236 £133 £369 £3,256 8.8 yrs £4,119
3 kW 3318 kWh 1327 kWh 1991 kWh £354 £199 £553 £4,883 8.8 yrs £6,179
4 kW 4424 kWh 1770 kWh 2655 kWh £472 £265 £737 £6,511 8.8 yrs £8,238
5 kW 5531 kWh 2212 kWh 3318 kWh £590 £332 £922 £8,139 8.8 yrs £10,298
6 kW 6637 kWh 2655 kWh 3982 kWh £708 £398 £1,106 £9,767 8.8 yrs £12,358
7 kW 7743 kWh 3097 kWh 4646 kWh £826 £465 £1,291 £11,394 8.8 yrs £14,417
8 kW 8849 kWh 3540 kWh 5309 kWh £944 £531 £1,475 £13,022 8.8 yrs £16,477

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: £1,106, Upfront: £10,239, Break-even: 9.3 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2212 kWh 1327 kWh 885 kWh £354 £88 £442 £5,356 12.1 yrs £3,494
3 kW 3318 kWh 1991 kWh 1327 kWh £531 £133 £664 £6,983 10.5 yrs £6,291
4 kW 4424 kWh 2655 kWh 1770 kWh £708 £177 £885 £8,611 9.7 yrs £9,089
5 kW 5531 kWh 3318 kWh 2212 kWh £885 £221 £1,106 £10,239 9.3 yrs £11,886
6 kW 6637 kWh 3982 kWh 2655 kWh £1,062 £265 £1,327 £11,867 8.9 yrs £14,683
7 kW 7743 kWh 4646 kWh 3097 kWh £1,239 £310 £1,549 £13,494 8.7 yrs £17,480
8 kW 8849 kWh 5309 kWh 3540 kWh £1,416 £354 £1,770 £15,122 8.5 yrs £20,277

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: £1,198, 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 2212 kWh 1549 kWh 664 kWh £413 £66 £479 £6,756 14.1 yrs £2,832
3 kW 3318 kWh 2323 kWh 996 kWh £620 £100 £719 £8,383 11.7 yrs £5,998
4 kW 4424 kWh 3097 kWh 1327 kWh £826 £133 £959 £10,011 10.4 yrs £9,164
5 kW 5531 kWh 3871 kWh 1659 kWh £1,033 £166 £1,198 £11,639 9.7 yrs £12,330
6 kW 6637 kWh 4646 kWh 1991 kWh £1,239 £199 £1,438 £13,267 9.2 yrs £15,496
7 kW 7743 kWh 5420 kWh 2323 kWh £1,446 £232 £1,678 £14,894 8.9 yrs £18,662
8 kW 8849 kWh 6194 kWh 2655 kWh £1,652 £265 £1,917 £16,522 8.6 yrs £21,828

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: £1,226, 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 2212 kWh 1615 kWh 597 kWh £431 £60 £490 £8,506 17.3 yrs £1,303
3 kW 3318 kWh 2422 kWh 896 kWh £646 £90 £736 £10,133 13.8 yrs £4,580
4 kW 4424 kWh 3230 kWh 1195 kWh £861 £119 £981 £11,761 12.0 yrs £7,856
5 kW 5531 kWh 4037 kWh 1493 kWh £1,077 £149 £1,226 £13,389 10.9 yrs £11,133
6 kW 6637 kWh 4845 kWh 1792 kWh £1,292 £179 £1,471 £15,017 10.2 yrs £14,409
7 kW 7743 kWh 5652 kWh 2091 kWh £1,507 £209 £1,717 £16,644 9.7 yrs £17,686
8 kW 8849 kWh 6460 kWh 2389 kWh £1,723 £239 £1,962 £18,272 9.3 yrs £20,963

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: £1,245, Upfront: £15,139, Break-even: 12.2 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2212 kWh 1659 kWh 553 kWh £443 £55 £498 £10,256 20.6 yrs £-299
3 kW 3318 kWh 2489 kWh 830 kWh £664 £83 £747 £11,883 15.9 yrs £3,051
4 kW 4424 kWh 3318 kWh 1106 kWh £885 £111 £996 £13,511 13.6 yrs £6,401
5 kW 5531 kWh 4148 kWh 1383 kWh £1,106 £138 £1,245 £15,139 12.2 yrs £9,752
6 kW 6637 kWh 4978 kWh 1659 kWh £1,328 £166 £1,493 £16,767 11.2 yrs £13,102
7 kW 7743 kWh 5807 kWh 1936 kWh £1,549 £194 £1,742 £18,394 10.6 yrs £16,452
8 kW 8849 kWh 6637 kWh 2212 kWh £1,770 £221 £1,991 £20,022 10.1 yrs £19,803

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: £1,263, 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 2212 kWh 1703 kWh 509 kWh £454 £51 £505 £12,706 25.2 yrs £-2,602
3 kW 3318 kWh 2555 kWh 763 kWh £681 £76 £758 £14,333 18.9 yrs £822
4 kW 4424 kWh 3407 kWh 1018 kWh £909 £102 £1,010 £15,961 15.8 yrs £4,246
5 kW 5531 kWh 4259 kWh 1272 kWh £1,136 £127 £1,263 £17,589 13.9 yrs £7,670
6 kW 6637 kWh 5110 kWh 1526 kWh £1,363 £153 £1,516 £19,217 12.7 yrs £11,095
7 kW 7743 kWh 5962 kWh 1781 kWh £1,590 £178 £1,768 £20,844 11.8 yrs £14,519
8 kW 8849 kWh 6814 kWh 2035 kWh £1,817 £204 £2,021 £22,472 11.1 yrs £17,943

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 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 CT3

Figures below are tailored to CT3 — click through for full league tables.

Big-Roof Britain Rank #983 of 2182
5.1 kWp (UK avg 5.1 kWp)
~11 panels (≈430 W)
Solar Payback Index Rank #46 of 2996
8.8 years (UK avg 10.8 years)
~£922 /yr • £8,139 upfront
Standing-Charge Drag Rank #809 of 2996
21.6% (UK avg 26.6%) drag on savings
£199 fixed • ~£922 /yr value
Aspect Penalty View ranking →
East −20.5% West −22.8%
Typical output loss versus a south-facing roof (lower is better)

Seasonal solar output in CT3

Monthly generation per kilowatt of solar panels

kWh 41 Jan 57 Feb 94 Mar 127 Apr 133 May 135 Jun 135 Jul 121 Aug 105 Sep 73 Oct 48 Nov 38 Dec
Best month Worst month Winter (Dec–Feb) Other months

Winter output: 49.0% 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 92 kWh. So a typical 4 kW home system would generate roughly 181 kWh in winter, or 369 kWh in an average month.

Your Area at a Glance

Your Electricity Rate
26.67p/kWh
Daily Fixed Charge
54.45p/day
Local Sunshine
1106kWh/kW
A 1 kW system generates ~1106 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: 76% • Flats: 11% • Bungalows: 12% Based on 5,996 properties

Coverage

Dover (59%)|Canterbury (41%)

Areas Covered

Little Stour & Ashstone, Little Stour & Adisham, Aylesham, Eythorne & Shepherdswell, Sturry, Reculver, Northgate, Barton + 1 more

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

CT1 (Canterbury)
≈7.8 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,063 kWh/kWp · -4% vs CT3
CT2 (Canterbury)
≈8.8 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,087 kWh/kWp · -2% vs CT3
CT13 (Dover)
≈9.5 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,100 kWh/kWp · -1% vs CT3
CT4 (Canterbury)
≈9.6 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,087 kWh/kWp · -2% vs CT3
CT6 (Canterbury)
≈10.9 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,069 kWh/kWp · -3% vs CT3
CT7 (Thanet)
≈12.8 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,091 kWh/kWp · -1% vs CT3

Similar sunshine across the UK

SO41 (New Forest)
~1,106 kWh/kWp · +0% vs CT3
BH25 (New Forest)
~1,106 kWh/kWp · +0% vs CT3
BN18 (Arun)
~1,106 kWh/kWp · -0% vs CT3