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Solar panel cost in Tunbridge Wells (TN17)

See realistic solar installation costs, savings and payback for TN17 (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
9.3 years
After this, it's pure profit
Upfront Cost
£9,767
What you pay to get started
Annual Benefit
£1,046
What you save every year
Profit Over 25 Years
£16,380
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 1046 kWh/kW — 17 above the regional median (1029).

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 1046 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)
1046 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: £872, Upfront: £8,139, 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 2092 kWh 837 kWh 1255 kWh £223 £125 £349 £3,256 9.3 yrs £3,717
3 kW 3137 kWh 1255 kWh 1882 kWh £335 £188 £523 £4,883 9.3 yrs £5,575
4 kW 4183 kWh 1673 kWh 2510 kWh £446 £251 £697 £6,511 9.3 yrs £7,434
5 kW 5229 kWh 2092 kWh 3137 kWh £558 £314 £872 £8,139 9.3 yrs £9,292
6 kW 6275 kWh 2510 kWh 3765 kWh £669 £376 £1,046 £9,767 9.3 yrs £11,151
7 kW 7320 kWh 2928 kWh 4392 kWh £781 £439 £1,220 £11,394 9.3 yrs £13,009
8 kW 8366 kWh 3346 kWh 5020 kWh £893 £502 £1,394 £13,022 9.3 yrs £14,868

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: £1,046, Upfront: £10,239, Break-even: 9.8 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2092 kWh 1255 kWh 837 kWh £335 £84 £418 £5,356 12.8 yrs £3,012
3 kW 3137 kWh 1882 kWh 1255 kWh £502 £125 £628 £6,983 11.1 yrs £5,567
4 kW 4183 kWh 2510 kWh 1673 kWh £669 £167 £837 £8,611 10.3 yrs £8,123
5 kW 5229 kWh 3137 kWh 2092 kWh £837 £209 £1,046 £10,239 9.8 yrs £10,679
6 kW 6275 kWh 3765 kWh 2510 kWh £1,004 £251 £1,255 £11,867 9.5 yrs £13,235
7 kW 7320 kWh 4392 kWh 2928 kWh £1,171 £293 £1,464 £13,494 9.2 yrs £15,790
8 kW 8366 kWh 5020 kWh 3346 kWh £1,339 £335 £1,673 £15,122 9.0 yrs £18,346

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: £1,133, Upfront: £11,639, Break-even: 10.3 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2092 kWh 1464 kWh 627 kWh £390 £63 £453 £6,756 14.9 yrs £2,309
3 kW 3137 kWh 2196 kWh 941 kWh £586 £94 £680 £8,383 12.3 yrs £5,213
4 kW 4183 kWh 2928 kWh 1255 kWh £781 £125 £906 £10,011 11.0 yrs £8,118
5 kW 5229 kWh 3660 kWh 1569 kWh £976 £157 £1,133 £11,639 10.3 yrs £11,022
6 kW 6275 kWh 4392 kWh 1882 kWh £1,171 £188 £1,360 £13,267 9.8 yrs £13,927
7 kW 7320 kWh 5124 kWh 2196 kWh £1,367 £220 £1,586 £14,894 9.4 yrs £16,831
8 kW 8366 kWh 5856 kWh 2510 kWh £1,562 £251 £1,813 £16,522 9.1 yrs £19,736

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: £1,159, Upfront: £13,389, Break-even: 11.6 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2092 kWh 1527 kWh 565 kWh £407 £56 £464 £8,506 18.3 yrs £768
3 kW 3137 kWh 2290 kWh 847 kWh £611 £85 £696 £10,133 14.6 yrs £3,777
4 kW 4183 kWh 3054 kWh 1129 kWh £814 £113 £927 £11,761 12.7 yrs £6,786
5 kW 5229 kWh 3817 kWh 1412 kWh £1,018 £141 £1,159 £13,389 11.6 yrs £9,795
6 kW 6275 kWh 4581 kWh 1694 kWh £1,222 £169 £1,391 £15,017 10.8 yrs £12,804
7 kW 7320 kWh 5344 kWh 1977 kWh £1,425 £198 £1,623 £16,644 10.3 yrs £15,813
8 kW 8366 kWh 6107 kWh 2259 kWh £1,629 £226 £1,855 £18,272 9.9 yrs £18,822

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: £1,177, Upfront: £15,139, Break-even: 12.9 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2092 kWh 1569 kWh 523 kWh £418 £52 £471 £10,256 21.8 yrs £-842
3 kW 3137 kWh 2353 kWh 784 kWh £628 £78 £706 £11,883 16.8 yrs £2,236
4 kW 4183 kWh 3137 kWh 1046 kWh £837 £105 £941 £13,511 14.4 yrs £5,315
5 kW 5229 kWh 3922 kWh 1307 kWh £1,046 £131 £1,177 £15,139 12.9 yrs £8,394
6 kW 6275 kWh 4706 kWh 1569 kWh £1,255 £157 £1,412 £16,767 11.9 yrs £11,473
7 kW 7320 kWh 5490 kWh 1830 kWh £1,464 £183 £1,647 £18,394 11.2 yrs £14,551
8 kW 8366 kWh 6275 kWh 2092 kWh £1,673 £209 £1,883 £20,022 10.6 yrs £17,630

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: £1,194, Upfront: £17,589, Break-even: 14.7 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2092 kWh 1611 kWh 481 kWh £430 £48 £478 £12,706 26.6 yrs £-3,153
3 kW 3137 kWh 2416 kWh 722 kWh £644 £72 £716 £14,333 20.0 yrs £-4
4 kW 4183 kWh 3221 kWh 962 kWh £859 £96 £955 £15,961 16.7 yrs £3,144
5 kW 5229 kWh 4026 kWh 1203 kWh £1,074 £120 £1,194 £17,589 14.7 yrs £6,293
6 kW 6275 kWh 4832 kWh 1443 kWh £1,289 £144 £1,433 £19,217 13.4 yrs £9,441
7 kW 7320 kWh 5637 kWh 1684 kWh £1,503 £168 £1,672 £20,844 12.5 yrs £12,590
8 kW 8366 kWh 6442 kWh 1924 kWh £1,718 £192 £1,911 £22,472 11.8 yrs £15,738

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 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.

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Understand DNO, G98 and G99 export limits

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Insights for TN17

Figures below are tailored to TN17 — click through for full league tables.

Big-Roof Britain Rank #457 of 2182
5.7 kWp (UK avg 5.1 kWp)
~12 panels (≈430 W)
Solar Payback Index Rank #212 of 2996
9.3 years (UK avg 10.8 years)
~£1,046 /yr • £9,767 upfront
Standing-Charge Drag Rank #335 of 2996
19.0% (UK avg 26.6%) drag on savings
£199 fixed • ~£1,046 /yr value
Aspect Penalty View ranking →
East −20.2% West −20.9%
Typical output loss versus a south-facing roof (lower is better)

Seasonal solar output in TN17

Monthly generation per kilowatt of solar panels

kWh 40 Jan 52 Feb 88 Mar 118 Apr 124 May 128 Jun 128 Jul 115 Aug 98 Sep 70 Oct 48 Nov 37 Dec
Best month Worst month Winter (Dec–Feb) Other months

Winter output: 49.3% 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 87 kWh. So a typical 4 kW home system would generate roughly 172 kWh in winter, or 349 kWh in an average month.

Your Area at a Glance

Your Electricity Rate
26.67p/kWh
Daily Fixed Charge
54.45p/day
Local Sunshine
1046kWh/kW
A 1 kW system generates ~1046 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: 73% • Flats: 12% • Bungalows: 14% Based on 3,729 properties

Coverage

Tunbridge Wells (90%)|Ashford (10%)

Areas Covered

Cranbrook, Sissinghurst & Frittenden, Rural Tunbridge Wells, Hawkhurst, Sandhurst & Benenden, Rolvenden & Tenterden West, Staplehurst, Biddenden

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

TN18 (Tunbridge Wells)
≈5.8 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,076 kWh/kWp · +3% vs TN17
TN30 (Ashford)
≈11.2 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,094 kWh/kWp · +5% vs TN17
TN12 (Tunbridge Wells)
≈11.8 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,056 kWh/kWp · +1% vs TN17
TN19 (Rother)
≈12.1 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,052 kWh/kWp · +1% vs TN17
TN32 (Rother)
≈13.1 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,073 kWh/kWp · +3% vs TN17
TN27 (Ashford)
≈13.4 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,042 kWh/kWp · -0% vs TN17

Similar sunshine across the UK

PL13 (Cornwall)
~1,046 kWh/kWp · +0% vs TN17
CO3 (Colchester)
~1,047 kWh/kWp · +0% vs TN17
SS6 (Rochford)
~1,047 kWh/kWp · +0% vs TN17