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Solar panel cost in New Forest (SO40)

See realistic solar installation costs, savings and payback for SO40 (New Forest) 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
9.5 years
After this, it's pure profit
Upfront Cost
£8,139
What you pay to get started
Annual Benefit
£857
What you save every year
Profit Over 25 Years
£13,287
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 Southern, the current unit rate is 26.42p/kWh with a 49.70p/day standing charge. Your postcode’s south-facing sunshine yield is 1035 kWh/kW — 33 above the regional median (1001).

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 1035 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
49.7p/day
Sunshine yield (south)
1035 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: £857, Upfront: £8,139, Break-even: 9.5 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2069 kWh 828 kWh 1241 kWh £219 £124 £343 £3,256 9.5 yrs £3,601
3 kW 3104 kWh 1241 kWh 1862 kWh £328 £186 £514 £4,883 9.5 yrs £5,401
4 kW 4138 kWh 1655 kWh 2483 kWh £437 £248 £686 £6,511 9.5 yrs £7,201
5 kW 5173 kWh 2069 kWh 3104 kWh £547 £310 £857 £8,139 9.5 yrs £9,001
6 kW 6207 kWh 2483 kWh 3724 kWh £656 £372 £1,028 £9,767 9.5 yrs £10,802
7 kW 7242 kWh 2897 kWh 4345 kWh £765 £435 £1,200 £11,394 9.5 yrs £12,602
8 kW 8276 kWh 3311 kWh 4966 kWh £875 £497 £1,371 £13,022 9.5 yrs £14,402

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: £1,027, Upfront: £10,239, Break-even: 10.0 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2069 kWh 1241 kWh 828 kWh £328 £83 £411 £5,356 13.0 yrs £2,860
3 kW 3104 kWh 1862 kWh 1241 kWh £492 £124 £616 £6,983 11.3 yrs £5,339
4 kW 4138 kWh 2483 kWh 1655 kWh £656 £166 £822 £8,611 10.5 yrs £7,819
5 kW 5173 kWh 3104 kWh 2069 kWh £820 £207 £1,027 £10,239 10.0 yrs £10,299
6 kW 6207 kWh 3724 kWh 2483 kWh £984 £248 £1,232 £11,867 9.6 yrs £12,779
7 kW 7242 kWh 4345 kWh 2897 kWh £1,148 £290 £1,438 £13,494 9.4 yrs £15,258
8 kW 8276 kWh 4966 kWh 3311 kWh £1,312 £331 £1,643 £15,122 9.2 yrs £17,738

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: £1,112, Upfront: £11,639, Break-even: 10.5 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2069 kWh 1448 kWh 621 kWh £383 £62 £445 £6,756 15.2 yrs £2,139
3 kW 3104 kWh 2173 kWh 931 kWh £574 £93 £667 £8,383 12.6 yrs £4,959
4 kW 4138 kWh 2897 kWh 1241 kWh £765 £124 £889 £10,011 11.3 yrs £7,778
5 kW 5173 kWh 3621 kWh 1552 kWh £957 £155 £1,112 £11,639 10.5 yrs £10,598
6 kW 6207 kWh 4345 kWh 1862 kWh £1,148 £186 £1,334 £13,267 9.9 yrs £13,417
7 kW 7242 kWh 5069 kWh 2173 kWh £1,339 £217 £1,557 £14,894 9.6 yrs £16,237
8 kW 8276 kWh 5793 kWh 2483 kWh £1,531 £248 £1,779 £16,522 9.3 yrs £19,056

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: £1,137, Upfront: £13,389, Break-even: 11.8 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2069 kWh 1510 kWh 559 kWh £399 £56 £455 £8,506 18.7 yrs £593
3 kW 3104 kWh 2266 kWh 838 kWh £599 £84 £682 £10,133 14.8 yrs £3,514
4 kW 4138 kWh 3021 kWh 1117 kWh £798 £112 £910 £11,761 12.9 yrs £6,436
5 kW 5173 kWh 3776 kWh 1397 kWh £998 £140 £1,137 £13,389 11.8 yrs £9,357
6 kW 6207 kWh 4531 kWh 1676 kWh £1,197 £168 £1,365 £15,017 11.0 yrs £12,279
7 kW 7242 kWh 5286 kWh 1955 kWh £1,397 £196 £1,592 £16,644 10.5 yrs £15,200
8 kW 8276 kWh 6042 kWh 2235 kWh £1,596 £223 £1,820 £18,272 10.0 yrs £18,122

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: £1,154, Upfront: £15,139, Break-even: 13.1 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2069 kWh 1552 kWh 517 kWh £410 £52 £462 £10,256 22.2 yrs £-1,021
3 kW 3104 kWh 2328 kWh 776 kWh £615 £78 £693 £11,883 17.2 yrs £1,968
4 kW 4138 kWh 3104 kWh 1035 kWh £820 £103 £923 £13,511 14.6 yrs £4,958
5 kW 5173 kWh 3880 kWh 1293 kWh £1,025 £129 £1,154 £15,139 13.1 yrs £7,947
6 kW 6207 kWh 4655 kWh 1552 kWh £1,230 £155 £1,385 £16,767 12.1 yrs £10,936
7 kW 7242 kWh 5431 kWh 1810 kWh £1,435 £181 £1,616 £18,394 11.4 yrs £13,926
8 kW 8276 kWh 6207 kWh 2069 kWh £1,640 £207 £1,847 £20,022 10.8 yrs £16,915

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: £1,171, Upfront: £17,589, 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 2069 kWh 1593 kWh 476 kWh £421 £48 £469 £12,706 27.1 yrs £-3,335
3 kW 3104 kWh 2390 kWh 714 kWh £631 £71 £703 £14,333 20.4 yrs £-278
4 kW 4138 kWh 3186 kWh 952 kWh £842 £95 £937 £15,961 17.0 yrs £2,779
5 kW 5173 kWh 3983 kWh 1190 kWh £1,052 £119 £1,171 £17,589 15.0 yrs £5,837
6 kW 6207 kWh 4780 kWh 1428 kWh £1,263 £143 £1,406 £19,217 13.7 yrs £8,894
7 kW 7242 kWh 5576 kWh 1666 kWh £1,473 £167 £1,640 £20,844 12.7 yrs £11,951
8 kW 8276 kWh 6373 kWh 1904 kWh £1,684 £190 £1,874 £22,472 12.0 yrs £15,009

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 New Forest

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 SO40

Figures below are tailored to SO40 — click through for full league tables.

Big-Roof Britain Rank #1241 of 2182
4.9 kWp (UK avg 5.1 kWp)
~10 panels (≈430 W)
Solar Payback Index Rank #317 of 2996
9.5 years (UK avg 10.8 years)
~£857 /yr • £8,139 upfront
Standing-Charge Drag Rank #730 of 2996
21.1% (UK avg 26.6%) drag on savings
£181 fixed • ~£857 /yr value
Aspect Penalty View ranking →
East −20.9% West −20.0%
Typical output loss versus a south-facing roof (lower is better)

Seasonal solar output in SO40

Monthly generation per kilowatt of solar panels

kWh 41 Jan 54 Feb 89 Mar 116 Apr 124 May 125 Jun 125 Jul 112 Aug 96 Sep 68 Oct 48 Nov 36 Dec
Best month Worst month Winter (Dec–Feb) Other months

Winter output: 50.6% 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 44 kWh per month; the average month produces around 86 kWh. So a typical 4 kW home system would generate roughly 175 kWh in winter, or 345 kWh in an average month.

Your Area at a Glance

Your Electricity Rate
26.42p/kWh
Daily Fixed Charge
49.70p/day
Local Sunshine
1035kWh/kW
A 1 kW system generates ~1035 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: 68% • Flats: 17% • Bungalows: 14% Based on 8,971 properties

Coverage

New Forest (100%)

Areas Covered

Totton North, Marchwood & Eling, Totton Central, Totton South, Ashurst, Bramshaw, Copythorne & Netley Marsh, Lyndhurst & Minstead + 2 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 Southern

SO16 (Southampton)
≈5.4 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,031 kWh/kWp · -0% vs SO40
SO15 (Southampton)
≈5.6 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,032 kWh/kWp · -0% vs SO40
SO1 (Southampton)
≈5.7 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,050 kWh/kWp · +2% vs SO40
SO43 (New Forest)
≈6.9 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,036 kWh/kWp · +0% vs SO40
SO4 (New Forest)
≈7.2 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,107 kWh/kWp · +7% vs SO40
SO9 (Southampton)
≈7.3 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,050 kWh/kWp · +2% vs SO40

Similar sunshine across the UK

ME17 (Maidstone)
~1,034 kWh/kWp · -0% vs SO40
PE24 (East Lindsey)
~1,034 kWh/kWp · -0% vs SO40
ME8 (Medway)
~1,034 kWh/kWp · -0% vs SO40