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Solar panel cost in New Forest (SO43)

See realistic solar installation costs, savings and payback for SO43 (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
£9,767
What you pay to get started
Annual Benefit
£1,030
What you save every year
Profit Over 25 Years
£15,973
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 1036 kWh/kW — 34 above the regional median (1001).

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 1036 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)
1036 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: £858, 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 2071 kWh 829 kWh 1243 kWh £219 £124 £343 £3,256 9.5 yrs £3,608
3 kW 3107 kWh 1243 kWh 1864 kWh £328 £186 £515 £4,883 9.5 yrs £5,413
4 kW 4143 kWh 1657 kWh 2486 kWh £438 £249 £686 £6,511 9.5 yrs £7,217
5 kW 5179 kWh 2071 kWh 3107 kWh £547 £311 £858 £8,139 9.5 yrs £9,021
6 kW 6214 kWh 2486 kWh 3729 kWh £657 £373 £1,030 £9,767 9.5 yrs £10,825
7 kW 7250 kWh 2900 kWh 4350 kWh £766 £435 £1,201 £11,394 9.5 yrs £12,629
8 kW 8286 kWh 3314 kWh 4971 kWh £876 £497 £1,373 £13,022 9.5 yrs £14,434

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: £1,028, 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 2071 kWh 1243 kWh 829 kWh £328 £83 £411 £5,356 13.0 yrs £2,869
3 kW 3107 kWh 1864 kWh 1243 kWh £493 £124 £617 £6,983 11.3 yrs £5,353
4 kW 4143 kWh 2486 kWh 1657 kWh £657 £166 £822 £8,611 10.5 yrs £7,838
5 kW 5179 kWh 3107 kWh 2071 kWh £821 £207 £1,028 £10,239 10.0 yrs £10,322
6 kW 6214 kWh 3729 kWh 2486 kWh £985 £249 £1,234 £11,867 9.6 yrs £12,807
7 kW 7250 kWh 4350 kWh 2900 kWh £1,149 £290 £1,439 £13,494 9.4 yrs £15,291
8 kW 8286 kWh 4971 kWh 3314 kWh £1,313 £331 £1,645 £15,122 9.2 yrs £17,776

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: £1,113, 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 2071 kWh 1450 kWh 621 kWh £383 £62 £445 £6,756 15.2 yrs £2,149
3 kW 3107 kWh 2175 kWh 932 kWh £575 £93 £668 £8,383 12.6 yrs £4,974
4 kW 4143 kWh 2900 kWh 1243 kWh £766 £124 £890 £10,011 11.2 yrs £7,798
5 kW 5179 kWh 3625 kWh 1554 kWh £958 £155 £1,113 £11,639 10.5 yrs £10,623
6 kW 6214 kWh 4350 kWh 1864 kWh £1,149 £186 £1,336 £13,267 9.9 yrs £13,448
7 kW 7250 kWh 5075 kWh 2175 kWh £1,341 £218 £1,558 £14,894 9.6 yrs £16,272
8 kW 8286 kWh 5800 kWh 2486 kWh £1,532 £249 £1,781 £16,522 9.3 yrs £19,097

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: £1,139, 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 2071 kWh 1512 kWh 559 kWh £400 £56 £455 £8,506 18.7 yrs £603
3 kW 3107 kWh 2268 kWh 839 kWh £599 £84 £683 £10,133 14.8 yrs £3,530
4 kW 4143 kWh 3024 kWh 1119 kWh £799 £112 £911 £11,761 12.9 yrs £6,457
5 kW 5179 kWh 3780 kWh 1398 kWh £999 £140 £1,139 £13,389 11.8 yrs £9,383
6 kW 6214 kWh 4536 kWh 1678 kWh £1,199 £168 £1,366 £15,017 11.0 yrs £12,310
7 kW 7250 kWh 5293 kWh 1958 kWh £1,398 £196 £1,594 £16,644 10.4 yrs £15,236
8 kW 8286 kWh 6049 kWh 2237 kWh £1,598 £224 £1,822 £18,272 10.0 yrs £18,163

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: £1,156, 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 2071 kWh 1554 kWh 518 kWh £410 £52 £462 £10,256 22.2 yrs £-1,011
3 kW 3107 kWh 2330 kWh 777 kWh £616 £78 £693 £11,883 17.1 yrs £1,984
4 kW 4143 kWh 3107 kWh 1036 kWh £821 £104 £924 £13,511 14.6 yrs £4,979
5 kW 5179 kWh 3884 kWh 1295 kWh £1,026 £129 £1,156 £15,139 13.1 yrs £7,973
6 kW 6214 kWh 4661 kWh 1554 kWh £1,231 £155 £1,387 £16,767 12.1 yrs £10,968
7 kW 7250 kWh 5438 kWh 1813 kWh £1,437 £181 £1,618 £18,394 11.4 yrs £13,963
8 kW 8286 kWh 6214 kWh 2071 kWh £1,642 £207 £1,849 £20,022 10.8 yrs £16,957

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: £1,173, 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 2071 kWh 1595 kWh 476 kWh £421 £48 £469 £12,706 27.1 yrs £-3,325
3 kW 3107 kWh 2393 kWh 715 kWh £632 £71 £704 £14,333 20.4 yrs £-262
4 kW 4143 kWh 3190 kWh 953 kWh £843 £95 £938 £15,961 17.0 yrs £2,801
5 kW 5179 kWh 3988 kWh 1191 kWh £1,054 £119 £1,173 £17,589 15.0 yrs £5,863
6 kW 6214 kWh 4785 kWh 1429 kWh £1,264 £143 £1,407 £19,217 13.7 yrs £8,926
7 kW 7250 kWh 5583 kWh 1668 kWh £1,475 £167 £1,642 £20,844 12.7 yrs £11,989
8 kW 8286 kWh 6380 kWh 1906 kWh £1,686 £191 £1,876 £22,472 12.0 yrs £15,051

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 SO43

Figures below are tailored to SO43 — click through for full league tables.

Big-Roof Britain Rank #215 of 2182
6.1 kWp (UK avg 5.1 kWp)
~13 panels (≈430 W)
Solar Payback Index Rank #318 of 2996
9.5 years (UK avg 10.8 years)
~£1,030 /yr • £9,767 upfront
Standing-Charge Drag Rank #182 of 2996
17.6% (UK avg 26.6%) drag on savings
£181 fixed • ~£1,030 /yr value
Aspect Penalty View ranking →
East −20.7% West −20.0%
Typical output loss versus a south-facing roof (lower is better)

Seasonal solar output in SO43

Monthly generation per kilowatt of solar panels

kWh 41 Jan 54 Feb 89 Mar 116 Apr 124 May 126 Jun 127 Jul 112 Aug 96 Sep 68 Oct 48 Nov 35 Dec
Best month Worst month Winter (Dec–Feb) Other months

Winter output: 50.3% 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 86 kWh. So a typical 4 kW home system would generate roughly 174 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
1036kWh/kW
A 1 kW system generates ~1036 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: 65% • Flats: 20% • Bungalows: 11% Based on 1,218 properties

Coverage

New Forest (100%)

Areas Covered

Lyndhurst & Minstead, Ashurst, Bramshaw, Copythorne & Netley Marsh, Totton North

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

SO4 (New Forest)
≈5.9 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,107 kWh/kWp · +7% vs SO43
SO42 (New Forest)
≈6.7 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,068 kWh/kWp · +3% vs SO43
SO40 (New Forest)
≈6.9 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,035 kWh/kWp · -0% vs SO43
SO15 (Southampton)
≈11.5 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,032 kWh/kWp · -0% vs SO43
SO1 (Southampton)
≈11.8 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,050 kWh/kWp · +1% vs SO43
SO16 (Southampton)
≈12.1 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,031 kWh/kWp · -0% vs SO43

Similar sunshine across the UK

CF62 (Vale of Glamorgan)
~1,036 kWh/kWp · +0% vs SO43
IP6 (Mid Suffolk)
~1,036 kWh/kWp · +0% vs SO43
EX8 (East Devon)
~1,036 kWh/kWp · +0% vs SO43