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Solar panel cost in Tunbridge Wells (TN3)

See realistic solar installation costs, savings and payback for TN3 (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
12.9 years
After this, it's pure profit
Upfront Cost
£12,207
What you pay to get started
Annual Benefit
£946
What you save every year
Profit Over 25 Years
£11,453
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: Bigger systems don’t shorten payback—cost and savings rise together per kW.
  • 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

Costs: Battery prices are typically £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 23.53p/kWh with a 54.74p/day standing charge. Your postcode’s south-facing sunshine yield is 1023 kWh/kW — 6 below 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 1023 kWh per year on a south-facing roof. We value self-used electricity at 23.5p and exported surplus at a baseline 10p via SEG. Use the calculator above for your exact tariff.

Unit rate
23.5p/kWh
Standing charge
54.7p/day
Sunshine yield (south)
1023 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: £789, Upfront: £10,173, 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 2047 kWh 819 kWh 1228 kWh £193 £123 £315 £4,069 12.9 yrs £2,240
3 kW 3070 kWh 1228 kWh 1842 kWh £289 £184 £473 £6,104 12.9 yrs £3,361
4 kW 4094 kWh 1638 kWh 2456 kWh £385 £246 £631 £8,138 12.9 yrs £4,481
5 kW 5117 kWh 2047 kWh 3070 kWh £482 £307 £789 £10,173 12.9 yrs £5,601
6 kW 6141 kWh 2456 kWh 3684 kWh £578 £368 £946 £12,207 12.9 yrs £6,721
7 kW 7164 kWh 2866 kWh 4298 kWh £674 £430 £1,104 £14,242 12.9 yrs £7,841
8 kW 8188 kWh 3275 kWh 4913 kWh £771 £491 £1,262 £16,276 12.9 yrs £8,961

Assumptions: south-facing, sensible tilt; self-use shares from site rules; export at 10p baseline. Costs: panels £/kW = 2,035, battery £/kWh = 700.

3 kWh battery 5 kW example → Annual benefit: £927, Upfront: £12,273, Break-even: 13.2 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2047 kWh 1228 kWh 819 kWh £289 £82 £371 £6,169 16.6 yrs £1,248
3 kW 3070 kWh 1842 kWh 1228 kWh £433 £123 £556 £8,204 14.7 yrs £2,922
4 kW 4094 kWh 2456 kWh 1638 kWh £578 £164 £742 £10,238 13.8 yrs £4,596
5 kW 5117 kWh 3070 kWh 2047 kWh £722 £205 £927 £12,273 13.2 yrs £6,270
6 kW 6141 kWh 3684 kWh 2456 kWh £867 £246 £1,113 £14,307 12.9 yrs £7,944
7 kW 7164 kWh 4298 kWh 2866 kWh £1,011 £287 £1,298 £16,342 12.6 yrs £9,618
8 kW 8188 kWh 4913 kWh 3275 kWh £1,156 £328 £1,483 £18,376 12.4 yrs £11,293

Assumptions: south-facing, sensible tilt; self-use shares from site rules; export at 10p baseline. Costs: panels £/kW = 2,035, battery £/kWh = 700.

5 kWh battery 5 kW example → Annual benefit: £996, Upfront: £13,673, Break-even: 13.7 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2047 kWh 1433 kWh 614 kWh £337 £61 £399 £7,569 19.0 yrs £402
3 kW 3070 kWh 2149 kWh 921 kWh £506 £92 £598 £9,604 16.1 yrs £2,353
4 kW 4094 kWh 2866 kWh 1228 kWh £674 £123 £797 £11,638 14.6 yrs £4,304
5 kW 5117 kWh 3582 kWh 1535 kWh £843 £154 £996 £13,673 13.7 yrs £6,255
6 kW 6141 kWh 4298 kWh 1842 kWh £1,011 £184 £1,196 £15,707 13.1 yrs £8,206
7 kW 7164 kWh 5015 kWh 2149 kWh £1,180 £215 £1,395 £17,742 12.7 yrs £10,157
8 kW 8188 kWh 5731 kWh 2456 kWh £1,349 £246 £1,594 £19,776 12.4 yrs £12,108

Assumptions: south-facing, sensible tilt; self-use shares from site rules; export at 10p baseline. Costs: panels £/kW = 2,035, battery £/kWh = 700.

7.5 kWh battery 5 kW example → Annual benefit: £1,017, Upfront: £15,423, Break-even: 15.2 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2047 kWh 1494 kWh 553 kWh £352 £55 £407 £9,319 22.9 yrs £-1,182
3 kW 3070 kWh 2241 kWh 829 kWh £527 £83 £610 £11,354 18.6 yrs £852
4 kW 4094 kWh 2988 kWh 1105 kWh £703 £111 £814 £13,388 16.5 yrs £2,886
5 kW 5117 kWh 3736 kWh 1382 kWh £879 £138 £1,017 £15,423 15.2 yrs £4,920
6 kW 6141 kWh 4483 kWh 1658 kWh £1,055 £166 £1,221 £17,457 14.3 yrs £6,955
7 kW 7164 kWh 5230 kWh 1934 kWh £1,231 £193 £1,424 £19,492 13.7 yrs £8,989
8 kW 8188 kWh 5977 kWh 2211 kWh £1,406 £221 £1,627 £21,526 13.2 yrs £11,023

Assumptions: south-facing, sensible tilt; self-use shares from site rules; export at 10p baseline. Costs: panels £/kW = 2,035, battery £/kWh = 700.

10 kWh battery 5 kW example → Annual benefit: £1,031, Upfront: £17,173, Break-even: 16.7 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2047 kWh 1535 kWh 512 kWh £361 £51 £412 £11,069 26.8 yrs £-2,821
3 kW 3070 kWh 2303 kWh 768 kWh £542 £77 £619 £13,104 21.2 yrs £-732
4 kW 4094 kWh 3070 kWh 1023 kWh £722 £102 £825 £15,138 18.4 yrs £1,358
5 kW 5117 kWh 3838 kWh 1279 kWh £903 £128 £1,031 £17,173 16.7 yrs £3,447
6 kW 6141 kWh 4606 kWh 1535 kWh £1,084 £154 £1,237 £19,207 15.5 yrs £5,537
7 kW 7164 kWh 5373 kWh 1791 kWh £1,264 £179 £1,443 £21,242 14.7 yrs £7,626
8 kW 8188 kWh 6141 kWh 2047 kWh £1,445 £205 £1,650 £23,276 14.1 yrs £9,716

Assumptions: south-facing, sensible tilt; self-use shares from site rules; export at 10p baseline. Costs: panels £/kW = 2,035, battery £/kWh = 700.

13.5 kWh battery 5 kW example → Annual benefit: £1,045, Upfront: £19,623, Break-even: 18.8 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2047 kWh 1576 kWh 471 kWh £371 £47 £418 £13,519 32.3 yrs £-5,160
3 kW 3070 kWh 2364 kWh 706 kWh £556 £71 £627 £15,554 24.8 yrs £-3,015
4 kW 4094 kWh 3152 kWh 942 kWh £742 £94 £836 £17,588 21.0 yrs £-871
5 kW 5117 kWh 3940 kWh 1177 kWh £927 £118 £1,045 £19,623 18.8 yrs £1,274
6 kW 6141 kWh 4728 kWh 1412 kWh £1,113 £141 £1,254 £21,657 17.3 yrs £3,419
7 kW 7164 kWh 5516 kWh 1648 kWh £1,298 £165 £1,463 £23,692 16.2 yrs £5,564
8 kW 8188 kWh 6304 kWh 1883 kWh £1,483 £188 £1,672 £25,726 15.4 yrs £7,709

Assumptions: south-facing, sensible tilt; self-use shares from site rules; export at 10p baseline. Costs: panels £/kW = 2,035, 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.

Insights for TN3

Figures below are tailored to TN3 — click through for full league tables.

Big-Roof Britain Rank #63 of 2182
6.9 kWp (UK avg 5.1 kWp)
~15 panels (≈430 W)
Solar Payback Index Rank #387 of 2997
11.5 years (UK avg 12.6 years)
~£1,063 /yr • £12,207 upfront
Standing-Charge Drag Rank #202 of 2997
16.7% (UK avg 24.6%) drag on savings
£178 fixed • ~£1,063 /yr value
Aspect Penalty View ranking →
East −20.1% West −20.3%
Typical output loss versus a south-facing roof (lower is better)

Seasonal solar output in TN3

Monthly generation per kilowatt of solar panels

kWh 39 Jan 52 Feb 86 Mar 115 Apr 121 May 126 Jun 126 Jul 113 Aug 96 Sep 68 Oct 46 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 85 kWh. So a typical 4 kW home system would generate roughly 169 kWh in winter, or 341 kWh in an average month.

Your Area at a Glance

Your Electricity Rate
23.53p/kWh
Daily Fixed Charge
54.74p/day
Local Sunshine
1023kWh/kW
A 1 kW system generates ~1023 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: 76% • Flats: 8% • Bungalows: 11% Based on 2,672 properties

Coverage

Tunbridge Wells (61%)|Wealden (33%)|Sevenoaks (4%)|Tonbridge and Malling (2%)

Areas Covered

Rusthall & Speldhurst, Withyham, Rural Tunbridge Wells, Frant & Wadhurst, Sherwood, Southborough & Bidborough, Penshurst, Fordcombe and Chiddingstone + 5 more

Data Sources & Assumptions

Solar yield: PVGIS (EU Joint Research Centre), January 2025 data

Electricity rates: Ofgem price cap, Q1 2026

Installation costs: MCS certified installer data, March 2025

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

TN1 (Tunbridge Wells)
≈3.1 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,029 kWh/kWp · +1% vs TN3
TN4 (Tunbridge Wells)
≈3.2 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,028 kWh/kWp · +0% vs TN3
TN2 (Tunbridge Wells)
≈4.6 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,029 kWh/kWp · +1% vs TN3
TN9 (Tonbridge and Malling)
≈7.9 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,028 kWh/kWp · +0% vs TN3
TN7 (Wealden)
≈9.0 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,019 kWh/kWp · -0% vs TN3
TN6 (Wealden)
≈9.3 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,026 kWh/kWp · +0% vs TN3

Similar sunshine across the UK

SO50 (Eastleigh)
~1,024 kWh/kWp · +0% vs TN3
RM20 (Thurrock)
~1,023 kWh/kWp · -0% vs TN3
SO53 (Eastleigh)
~1,024 kWh/kWp · +0% vs TN3