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Solar panel cost in Ashford (TN26)

See realistic solar installation costs, savings and payback for TN26 (Ashford) 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
9.0 years
After this, it's pure profit
Upfront Cost
£9,767
What you pay to get started
Annual Benefit
£1,088
What you save every year
Profit Over 25 Years
£17,424
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 1088 kWh/kW — 59 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 1088 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)
1088 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: £906, Upfront: £8,139, Break-even: 9.0 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2175 kWh 870 kWh 1305 kWh £232 £131 £363 £3,256 9.0 yrs £3,995
3 kW 3263 kWh 1305 kWh 1958 kWh £348 £196 £544 £4,883 9.0 yrs £5,993
4 kW 4350 kWh 1740 kWh 2610 kWh £464 £261 £725 £6,511 9.0 yrs £7,990
5 kW 5438 kWh 2175 kWh 3263 kWh £580 £326 £906 £8,139 9.0 yrs £9,988
6 kW 6525 kWh 2610 kWh 3915 kWh £696 £392 £1,088 £9,767 9.0 yrs £11,986
7 kW 7613 kWh 3045 kWh 4568 kWh £812 £457 £1,269 £11,394 9.0 yrs £13,983
8 kW 8700 kWh 3480 kWh 5220 kWh £928 £522 £1,450 £13,022 9.0 yrs £15,981

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: £1,088, Upfront: £10,239, Break-even: 9.4 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2175 kWh 1305 kWh 870 kWh £348 £87 £435 £5,356 12.3 yrs £3,346
3 kW 3263 kWh 1958 kWh 1305 kWh £522 £131 £653 £6,983 10.7 yrs £6,068
4 kW 4350 kWh 2610 kWh 1740 kWh £696 £174 £870 £8,611 9.9 yrs £8,791
5 kW 5438 kWh 3263 kWh 2175 kWh £870 £218 £1,088 £10,239 9.4 yrs £11,514
6 kW 6525 kWh 3915 kWh 2610 kWh £1,044 £261 £1,305 £11,867 9.1 yrs £14,237
7 kW 7613 kWh 4568 kWh 3045 kWh £1,218 £305 £1,523 £13,494 8.9 yrs £16,959
8 kW 8700 kWh 5220 kWh 3480 kWh £1,392 £348 £1,740 £15,122 8.7 yrs £19,682

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: £1,178, Upfront: £11,639, 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 2175 kWh 1523 kWh 653 kWh £406 £65 £471 £6,756 14.3 yrs £2,671
3 kW 3263 kWh 2284 kWh 979 kWh £609 £98 £707 £8,383 11.9 yrs £5,756
4 kW 4350 kWh 3045 kWh 1305 kWh £812 £131 £943 £10,011 10.6 yrs £8,841
5 kW 5438 kWh 3806 kWh 1631 kWh £1,015 £163 £1,178 £11,639 9.9 yrs £11,927
6 kW 6525 kWh 4568 kWh 1958 kWh £1,218 £196 £1,414 £13,267 9.4 yrs £15,012
7 kW 7613 kWh 5329 kWh 2284 kWh £1,421 £228 £1,650 £14,894 9.0 yrs £18,097
8 kW 8700 kWh 6090 kWh 2610 kWh £1,624 £261 £1,885 £16,522 8.8 yrs £21,183

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: £1,205, Upfront: £13,389, Break-even: 11.1 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2175 kWh 1588 kWh 587 kWh £423 £59 £482 £8,506 17.6 yrs £1,138
3 kW 3263 kWh 2382 kWh 881 kWh £635 £88 £723 £10,133 14.0 yrs £4,332
4 kW 4350 kWh 3176 kWh 1175 kWh £847 £117 £964 £11,761 12.2 yrs £7,526
5 kW 5438 kWh 3969 kWh 1468 kWh £1,059 £147 £1,205 £13,389 11.1 yrs £10,721
6 kW 6525 kWh 4763 kWh 1762 kWh £1,270 £176 £1,447 £15,017 10.4 yrs £13,915
7 kW 7613 kWh 5557 kWh 2055 kWh £1,482 £206 £1,688 £16,644 9.9 yrs £17,109
8 kW 8700 kWh 6351 kWh 2349 kWh £1,694 £235 £1,929 £18,272 9.5 yrs £20,303

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: £1,224, Upfront: £15,139, Break-even: 12.4 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2175 kWh 1631 kWh 544 kWh £435 £54 £489 £10,256 21.0 yrs £-467
3 kW 3263 kWh 2447 kWh 816 kWh £653 £82 £734 £11,883 16.2 yrs £2,800
4 kW 4350 kWh 3263 kWh 1088 kWh £870 £109 £979 £13,511 13.8 yrs £6,066
5 kW 5438 kWh 4078 kWh 1359 kWh £1,088 £136 £1,224 £15,139 12.4 yrs £9,333
6 kW 6525 kWh 4894 kWh 1631 kWh £1,305 £163 £1,468 £16,767 11.4 yrs £12,600
7 kW 7613 kWh 5709 kWh 1903 kWh £1,523 £190 £1,713 £18,394 10.7 yrs £15,866
8 kW 8700 kWh 6525 kWh 2175 kWh £1,740 £218 £1,958 £20,022 10.2 yrs £19,133

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: £1,242, Upfront: £17,589, Break-even: 14.2 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2175 kWh 1675 kWh 500 kWh £447 £50 £497 £12,706 25.6 yrs £-2,772
3 kW 3263 kWh 2512 kWh 750 kWh £670 £75 £745 £14,333 19.2 yrs £567
4 kW 4350 kWh 3350 kWh 1001 kWh £893 £100 £993 £15,961 16.1 yrs £3,907
5 kW 5438 kWh 4187 kWh 1251 kWh £1,117 £125 £1,242 £17,589 14.2 yrs £7,246
6 kW 6525 kWh 5024 kWh 1501 kWh £1,340 £150 £1,490 £19,217 12.9 yrs £10,585
7 kW 7613 kWh 5862 kWh 1751 kWh £1,563 £175 £1,738 £20,844 12.0 yrs £13,924
8 kW 8700 kWh 6699 kWh 2001 kWh £1,787 £200 £1,987 £22,472 11.3 yrs £17,263

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 Ashford

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 TN26

Figures below are tailored to TN26 — click through for full league tables.

Big-Roof Britain Rank #195 of 2182
6.2 kWp (UK avg 5.1 kWp)
~13 panels (≈430 W)
Solar Payback Index Rank #117 of 2996
9.0 years (UK avg 10.8 years)
~£1,088 /yr • £9,767 upfront
Standing-Charge Drag Rank #266 of 2996
18.3% (UK avg 26.6%) drag on savings
£199 fixed • ~£1,088 /yr value
Aspect Penalty View ranking →
East −20.2% West −22.0%
Typical output loss versus a south-facing roof (lower is better)

Seasonal solar output in TN26

Monthly generation per kilowatt of solar panels

kWh 40 Jan 56 Feb 92 Mar 125 Apr 129 May 134 Jun 134 Jul 119 Aug 101 Sep 73 Oct 48 Nov 36 Dec
Best month Worst month Winter (Dec–Feb) Other months

Winter output: 48.6% of an average month (Dec–Feb)

Best / worst month: Jun / 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 91 kWh. So a typical 4 kW home system would generate roughly 176 kWh in winter, or 363 kWh in an average month.

Your Area at a Glance

Your Electricity Rate
26.67p/kWh
Daily Fixed Charge
54.45p/day
Local Sunshine
1088kWh/kW
A 1 kW system generates ~1088 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: 69% • Flats: 4% • Bungalows: 27% Based on 3,309 properties

Coverage

Ashford (98%)|Folkestone and Hythe (2%)

Areas Covered

Weald South, Weald Central, Isle of Oxney, Victoria, Saxon Shore, Upper Weald, Kingsnorth Village & Bridgefield, Downs West + 4 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 South East

TN23 (Ashford)
≈5.6 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,088 kWh/kWp · +0% vs TN26
TN24 (Ashford)
≈7.2 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,093 kWh/kWp · +1% vs TN26
TN25 (Ashford)
≈9.2 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,059 kWh/kWp · -3% vs TN26
TN30 (Ashford)
≈9.2 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,094 kWh/kWp · +1% vs TN26
TN27 (Ashford)
≈11.3 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,042 kWh/kWp · -4% vs TN26
TN29 (Folkestone and Hythe)
≈13.7 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,123 kWh/kWp · +3% vs TN26

Similar sunshine across the UK

CO14 (Tendring)
~1,087 kWh/kWp · -0% vs TN26
PO34 (Isle of Wight)
~1,087 kWh/kWp · -0% vs TN26
BH9 (Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole)
~1,087 kWh/kWp · -0% vs TN26