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 Tunbridge Wells (TN1)

See realistic solar installation costs, savings and payback for TN1 (Tunbridge Wells) 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
10.7 years
After this, it's pure profit
Upfront Cost
£5,481
What you pay to get started
Annual Benefit
£515
What you save every year
Profit Over 25 Years
£7,383
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 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 1029 kWh/kW — 0 above the regional median (1029).

Read the full story

A typical roof here lands around 3.0 kW, with most eligible homes comfortably fitting within 3–6 kW. Each kilowatt of panels produces roughly 1029 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)
1029 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: £9,134, Break-even: 10.7 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2058 kWh 823 kWh 1235 kWh £220 £123 £343 £3,654 10.7 yrs £3,207
3 kW 3087 kWh 1235 kWh 1852 kWh £329 £185 £515 £5,481 10.7 yrs £4,810
4 kW 4116 kWh 1646 kWh 2470 kWh £439 £247 £686 £7,307 10.7 yrs £6,413
5 kW 5145 kWh 2058 kWh 3087 kWh £549 £309 £858 £9,134 10.7 yrs £8,017
6 kW 6174 kWh 2470 kWh 3704 kWh £659 £370 £1,029 £10,961 10.7 yrs £9,620
7 kW 7203 kWh 2881 kWh 4322 kWh £768 £432 £1,201 £12,788 10.7 yrs £11,224
8 kW 8232 kWh 3293 kWh 4939 kWh £878 £494 £1,372 £14,615 10.7 yrs £12,827

Assumptions: south-facing, sensible tilt; self-use shares from site rules; export at 10p baseline. Costs: panels £/kW = 1,827, battery £/kWh = 700.

3 kWh battery 5 kW example → Annual benefit: £1,029, Upfront: £11,234, 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 2058 kWh 1235 kWh 823 kWh £329 £82 £412 £5,754 14.0 yrs £2,479
3 kW 3087 kWh 1852 kWh 1235 kWh £494 £123 £617 £7,581 12.3 yrs £4,768
4 kW 4116 kWh 2470 kWh 1646 kWh £659 £165 £823 £9,407 11.4 yrs £7,058
5 kW 5145 kWh 3087 kWh 2058 kWh £823 £206 £1,029 £11,234 10.9 yrs £9,347
6 kW 6174 kWh 3704 kWh 2470 kWh £988 £247 £1,235 £13,061 10.6 yrs £11,637
7 kW 7203 kWh 4322 kWh 2881 kWh £1,153 £288 £1,441 £14,888 10.3 yrs £13,926
8 kW 8232 kWh 4939 kWh 3293 kWh £1,317 £329 £1,647 £16,715 10.2 yrs £16,216

Assumptions: south-facing, sensible tilt; self-use shares from site rules; export at 10p baseline. Costs: panels £/kW = 1,827, battery £/kWh = 700.

5 kWh battery 5 kW example → Annual benefit: £1,115, Upfront: £12,634, Break-even: 11.3 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2058 kWh 1441 kWh 617 kWh £384 £62 £446 £7,154 16.0 yrs £1,765
3 kW 3087 kWh 2161 kWh 926 kWh £576 £93 £669 £8,981 13.4 yrs £4,398
4 kW 4116 kWh 2881 kWh 1235 kWh £768 £123 £892 £10,807 12.1 yrs £7,030
5 kW 5145 kWh 3601 kWh 1543 kWh £961 £154 £1,115 £12,634 11.3 yrs £9,663
6 kW 6174 kWh 4322 kWh 1852 kWh £1,153 £185 £1,338 £14,461 10.8 yrs £12,295
7 kW 7203 kWh 5042 kWh 2161 kWh £1,345 £216 £1,561 £16,288 10.4 yrs £14,928
8 kW 8232 kWh 5762 kWh 2470 kWh £1,537 £247 £1,784 £18,115 10.2 yrs £17,560

Assumptions: south-facing, sensible tilt; self-use shares from site rules; export at 10p baseline. Costs: panels £/kW = 1,827, battery £/kWh = 700.

7.5 kWh battery 5 kW example → Annual benefit: £1,141, Upfront: £14,384, Break-even: 12.6 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2058 kWh 1502 kWh 556 kWh £401 £56 £456 £8,904 19.5 yrs £221
3 kW 3087 kWh 2253 kWh 833 kWh £601 £83 £684 £10,731 15.7 yrs £2,956
4 kW 4116 kWh 3005 kWh 1111 kWh £801 £111 £912 £12,557 13.8 yrs £5,692
5 kW 5145 kWh 3756 kWh 1389 kWh £1,002 £139 £1,141 £14,384 12.6 yrs £8,427
6 kW 6174 kWh 4507 kWh 1667 kWh £1,202 £167 £1,369 £16,211 11.8 yrs £11,163
7 kW 7203 kWh 5258 kWh 1945 kWh £1,402 £194 £1,597 £18,038 11.3 yrs £13,898
8 kW 8232 kWh 6009 kWh 2223 kWh £1,603 £222 £1,825 £19,865 10.9 yrs £16,634

Assumptions: south-facing, sensible tilt; self-use shares from site rules; export at 10p baseline. Costs: panels £/kW = 1,827, battery £/kWh = 700.

10 kWh battery 5 kW example → Annual benefit: £1,158, Upfront: £16,134, 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 2058 kWh 1543 kWh 514 kWh £412 £51 £463 £10,654 23.0 yrs £-1,392
3 kW 3087 kWh 2315 kWh 772 kWh £617 £77 £695 £12,481 18.0 yrs £1,412
4 kW 4116 kWh 3087 kWh 1029 kWh £823 £103 £926 £14,307 15.4 yrs £4,216
5 kW 5145 kWh 3859 kWh 1286 kWh £1,029 £129 £1,158 £16,134 13.9 yrs £7,020
6 kW 6174 kWh 4630 kWh 1543 kWh £1,235 £154 £1,389 £17,961 12.9 yrs £9,825
7 kW 7203 kWh 5402 kWh 1801 kWh £1,441 £180 £1,621 £19,788 12.2 yrs £12,629
8 kW 8232 kWh 6174 kWh 2058 kWh £1,647 £206 £1,852 £21,615 11.7 yrs £15,433

Assumptions: south-facing, sensible tilt; self-use shares from site rules; export at 10p baseline. Costs: panels £/kW = 1,827, battery £/kWh = 700.

13.5 kWh battery 5 kW example → Annual benefit: £1,175, Upfront: £18,584, Break-even: 15.8 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2058 kWh 1585 kWh 473 kWh £423 £47 £470 £13,104 27.9 yrs £-3,705
3 kW 3087 kWh 2377 kWh 710 kWh £634 £71 £705 £14,931 21.2 yrs £-832
4 kW 4116 kWh 3169 kWh 947 kWh £845 £95 £940 £16,757 17.8 yrs £2,041
5 kW 5145 kWh 3962 kWh 1183 kWh £1,057 £118 £1,175 £18,584 15.8 yrs £4,913
6 kW 6174 kWh 4754 kWh 1420 kWh £1,268 £142 £1,410 £20,411 14.5 yrs £7,786
7 kW 7203 kWh 5546 kWh 1657 kWh £1,479 £166 £1,645 £22,238 13.5 yrs £10,659
8 kW 8232 kWh 6339 kWh 1893 kWh £1,690 £189 £1,880 £24,065 12.8 yrs £13,532

Assumptions: south-facing, sensible tilt; self-use shares from site rules; export at 10p baseline. Costs: panels £/kW = 1,827, 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 Tunbridge Wells

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 TN1?

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 TN1

Figures below are tailored to TN1 — click through for full league tables.

Big-Roof Britain Rank #2173 of 2182
3.5 kWp (UK avg 5.1 kWp)
~7 panels (≈430 W)
Solar Payback Index Rank #327 of 2996
9.5 years (UK avg 10.8 years)
~£858 /yr • £8,139 upfront
Standing-Charge Drag Rank #1042 of 2996
23.2% (UK avg 26.6%) drag on savings
£199 fixed • ~£858 /yr value
Aspect Penalty View ranking →
East −20.2% West −20.5%
Typical output loss versus a south-facing roof (lower is better)

Seasonal solar output in TN1

Monthly generation per kilowatt of solar panels

kWh 39 Jan 52 Feb 86 Mar 116 Apr 122 May 126 Jun 127 Jul 114 Aug 96 Sep 68 Oct 47 Nov 36 Dec
Best month Worst month Winter (Dec–Feb) Other months

Winter output: 49.4% 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 86 kWh. So a typical 4 kW home system would generate roughly 169 kWh in winter, or 343 kWh in an average month.

Your Area at a Glance

Your Electricity Rate
26.67p/kWh
Daily Fixed Charge
54.45p/day
Local Sunshine
1029kWh/kW
A 1 kW system generates ~1029 kWh per year. A typical home uses ~2,700 kWh per year.
Typical System Size
3.0kW
For eligible homes in this area

⚠️ This area is predominantly flats. Many residents require freeholder approval for solar installations. System size shown reflects houses and bungalows only.

Local Property Data

Property Types

Houses: 30% • Flats: 65% • Bungalows: 0% Based on 4,919 properties

Coverage

Tunbridge Wells (99%)|Tonbridge and Malling (1%)

Areas Covered

St James', Culverden, Park, Sherwood, Pantiles, Cage Green & Angel, St John's

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

TN4 (Tunbridge Wells)
≈1.5 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,028 kWh/kWp · -0% vs TN1
TN2 (Tunbridge Wells)
≈1.6 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,029 kWh/kWp · +0% vs TN1
TN3 (Tunbridge Wells)
≈3.1 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,023 kWh/kWp · -1% vs TN1
TN9 (Tonbridge and Malling)
≈6.3 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,028 kWh/kWp · -0% vs TN1
TN11 (Tonbridge and Malling)
≈8.3 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,042 kWh/kWp · +1% vs TN1
TN10 (Tonbridge and Malling)
≈8.7 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,034 kWh/kWp · +0% vs TN1

Similar sunshine across the UK

BS22 (North Somerset)
~1,029 kWh/kWp · +0% vs TN1
DT10 (Dorset)
~1,029 kWh/kWp · +0% vs TN1
TQ11 (Teignbridge)
~1,029 kWh/kWp · -0% vs TN1