Independent solar numbers for your postcode using official UK data
Home Regions Guides Compare quotes Solar assistant
Insights
Big Roof Britain Solar Payback Index Standing Charge Drag Roof Direction Penalty Winter Solar Reality Seasonal Solar Output

Solar panel cost in Dacorum (HP3)

See realistic solar installation costs, savings and payback for HP3 (Dacorum) 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
9.9 years
After this, it's pure profit
Upfront Cost
£8,139
What you pay to get started
Annual Benefit
£819
What you save every year
Profit Over 25 Years
£12,333
After paying itself off, you're this much ahead

Ready to Get Started?

Get your free quote from Blue Ape Renewables. They'll connect you with MCS-certified installers in your area and handle all the paperwork.

Get Solar Quote →
4.8★ Trustpilot • Octopus Energy trusted partner • MCS certified • No obligation
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 Eastern, the current unit rate is 26.38p/kWh with a 53.94p/day standing charge. Your postcode’s south-facing sunshine yield is 989 kWh/kW — 20 below the regional median (1009).

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 989 kWh per year on a south-facing roof. We value self-used electricity at 26.4p and exported surplus at a baseline 10p via SEG. Use the calculator above for your exact tariff.

Unit rate
26.4p/kWh
Standing charge
53.9p/day
Sunshine yield (south)
989 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: £819, Upfront: £8,139, Break-even: 9.9 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1979 kWh 792 kWh 1187 kWh £209 £119 £328 £3,256 9.9 yrs £3,295
3 kW 2968 kWh 1187 kWh 1781 kWh £313 £178 £491 £4,883 9.9 yrs £4,943
4 kW 3958 kWh 1583 kWh 2375 kWh £418 £237 £655 £6,511 9.9 yrs £6,591
5 kW 4947 kWh 1979 kWh 2968 kWh £522 £297 £819 £8,139 9.9 yrs £8,238
6 kW 5937 kWh 2375 kWh 3562 kWh £626 £356 £983 £9,767 9.9 yrs £9,886
7 kW 6926 kWh 2770 kWh 4156 kWh £731 £416 £1,146 £11,394 9.9 yrs £11,534
8 kW 7916 kWh 3166 kWh 4749 kWh £835 £475 £1,310 £13,022 9.9 yrs £13,181

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: £981, Upfront: £10,239, Break-even: 10.4 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1979 kWh 1187 kWh 792 kWh £313 £79 £392 £5,356 13.6 yrs £2,492
3 kW 2968 kWh 1781 kWh 1187 kWh £470 £119 £589 £6,983 11.9 yrs £4,788
4 kW 3958 kWh 2375 kWh 1583 kWh £626 £158 £785 £8,611 11.0 yrs £7,084
5 kW 4947 kWh 2968 kWh 1979 kWh £783 £198 £981 £10,239 10.4 yrs £9,380
6 kW 5937 kWh 3562 kWh 2375 kWh £940 £237 £1,177 £11,867 10.1 yrs £11,676
7 kW 6926 kWh 4156 kWh 2770 kWh £1,096 £277 £1,373 £13,494 9.8 yrs £13,972
8 kW 7916 kWh 4749 kWh 3166 kWh £1,253 £317 £1,569 £15,122 9.6 yrs £16,268

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: £1,062, Upfront: £11,639, Break-even: 11.0 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1979 kWh 1385 kWh 594 kWh £365 £59 £425 £6,756 15.9 yrs £1,740
3 kW 2968 kWh 2078 kWh 890 kWh £548 £89 £637 £8,383 13.2 yrs £4,360
4 kW 3958 kWh 2770 kWh 1187 kWh £731 £119 £850 £10,011 11.8 yrs £6,980
5 kW 4947 kWh 3463 kWh 1484 kWh £914 £148 £1,062 £11,639 11.0 yrs £9,601
6 kW 5937 kWh 4156 kWh 1781 kWh £1,096 £178 £1,274 £13,267 10.4 yrs £12,221
7 kW 6926 kWh 4848 kWh 2078 kWh £1,279 £208 £1,487 £14,894 10.0 yrs £14,841
8 kW 7916 kWh 5541 kWh 2375 kWh £1,462 £237 £1,699 £16,522 9.7 yrs £17,461

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: £1,086, Upfront: £13,389, Break-even: 12.3 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1979 kWh 1445 kWh 534 kWh £381 £53 £435 £8,506 19.6 yrs £185
3 kW 2968 kWh 2167 kWh 801 kWh £572 £80 £652 £10,133 15.5 yrs £2,902
4 kW 3958 kWh 2889 kWh 1069 kWh £762 £107 £869 £11,761 13.5 yrs £5,619
5 kW 4947 kWh 3611 kWh 1336 kWh £953 £134 £1,086 £13,389 12.3 yrs £8,337
6 kW 5937 kWh 4334 kWh 1603 kWh £1,143 £160 £1,304 £15,017 11.5 yrs £11,054
7 kW 6926 kWh 5056 kWh 1870 kWh £1,334 £187 £1,521 £16,644 10.9 yrs £13,771
8 kW 7916 kWh 5778 kWh 2137 kWh £1,524 £214 £1,738 £18,272 10.5 yrs £16,489

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: £1,102, Upfront: £15,139, Break-even: 13.7 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1979 kWh 1484 kWh 495 kWh £392 £49 £441 £10,256 23.3 yrs £-1,436
3 kW 2968 kWh 2226 kWh 742 kWh £587 £74 £661 £11,883 18.0 yrs £1,347
4 kW 3958 kWh 2968 kWh 989 kWh £783 £99 £882 £13,511 15.3 yrs £4,129
5 kW 4947 kWh 3710 kWh 1237 kWh £979 £124 £1,102 £15,139 13.7 yrs £6,911
6 kW 5937 kWh 4452 kWh 1484 kWh £1,175 £148 £1,323 £16,767 12.7 yrs £9,693
7 kW 6926 kWh 5195 kWh 1732 kWh £1,370 £173 £1,543 £18,394 11.9 yrs £12,475
8 kW 7916 kWh 5937 kWh 1979 kWh £1,566 £198 £1,764 £20,022 11.4 yrs £15,257

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: £1,119, Upfront: £17,589, Break-even: 15.7 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1979 kWh 1524 kWh 455 kWh £402 £46 £447 £12,706 28.4 yrs £-3,756
3 kW 2968 kWh 2286 kWh 683 kWh £603 £68 £671 £14,333 21.4 yrs £-909
4 kW 3958 kWh 3047 kWh 910 kWh £804 £91 £895 £15,961 17.8 yrs £1,938
5 kW 4947 kWh 3809 kWh 1138 kWh £1,005 £114 £1,119 £17,589 15.7 yrs £4,785
6 kW 5937 kWh 4571 kWh 1365 kWh £1,206 £137 £1,342 £19,217 14.3 yrs £7,632
7 kW 6926 kWh 5333 kWh 1593 kWh £1,407 £159 £1,566 £20,844 13.3 yrs £10,479
8 kW 7916 kWh 6095 kWh 1821 kWh £1,608 £182 £1,790 £22,472 12.6 yrs £13,326

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 Dacorum

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.

Compare solar quotes before you sign

Check what MCS certification means

Understand DNO, G98 and G99 export limits

New quote check

Want a quote sanity check for HP3?

Share the first part of your postcode and a few basics. We’ll help you check whether system size, battery, export and paperwork assumptions look sensible before you commit to installer conversations.

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.

Request a quote sanity check →

Insights for HP3

Figures below are tailored to HP3 — click through for full league tables.

Big-Roof Britain Rank #1477 of 2182
4.7 kWp (UK avg 5.1 kWp)
~10 panels (≈430 W)
Solar Payback Index Rank #845 of 2996
9.9 years (UK avg 10.8 years)
~£818 /yr • £8,139 upfront
Standing-Charge Drag Rank #1254 of 2996
24.1% (UK avg 26.6%) drag on savings
£197 fixed • ~£818 /yr value
Aspect Penalty View ranking →
East −21.6% West −19.5%
Typical output loss versus a south-facing roof (lower is better)

Seasonal solar output in HP3

Monthly generation per kilowatt of solar panels

kWh 39 Jan 52 Feb 85 Mar 110 Apr 117 May 119 Jun 121 Jul 109 Aug 93 Sep 66 Oct 45 Nov 34 Dec
Best month Worst month Winter (Dec–Feb) Other months

Winter output: 50.7% 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 42 kWh per month; the average month produces around 82 kWh. So a typical 4 kW home system would generate roughly 167 kWh in winter, or 330 kWh in an average month.

Your Area at a Glance

Your Electricity Rate
26.38p/kWh
Daily Fixed Charge
53.94p/day
Local Sunshine
989kWh/kW
A 1 kW system generates ~989 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: 63% • Flats: 32% • Bungalows: 3% Based on 8,681 properties

Coverage

Dacorum (98%)|Three Rivers (2%)

Areas Covered

Bovingdon, Flaunden and Chipperfield, Apsley and Corner Hall, Leverstock Green, Bennetts End, Hemel Hempstead Town, Nash Mills, Kings Langley + 5 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 Eastern

HP1 (Dacorum)
≈1.7 km away
Local sunshine: ~989 kWh/kWp · -0% vs HP3
HP2 (Dacorum)
≈2.5 km away
Local sunshine: ~992 kWh/kWp · +0% vs HP3
WD4 (Dacorum)
≈3.2 km away
Local sunshine: ~989 kWh/kWp · -0% vs HP3
WD5 (Three Rivers)
≈5.1 km away
Local sunshine: ~988 kWh/kWp · -0% vs HP3
HP4 (Dacorum)
≈7.6 km away
Local sunshine: ~983 kWh/kWp · -1% vs HP3
WD25 (Watford)
≈7.6 km away
Local sunshine: ~988 kWh/kWp · -0% vs HP3

Similar sunshine across the UK

BS34 (South Gloucestershire)
~989 kWh/kWp · +0% vs HP3
OX3 (Oxford)
~990 kWh/kWp · +0% vs HP3
OX33 (South Oxfordshire)
~989 kWh/kWp · -0% vs HP3