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Solar panel cost in Ashford (TN30)

See realistic solar installation costs, savings and payback for TN30 (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
8.9 years
After this, it's pure profit
Upfront Cost
£9,767
What you pay to get started
Annual Benefit
£1,094
What you save every year
Profit Over 25 Years
£17,576
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 1094 kWh/kW — 65 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 1094 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)
1094 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: £911, Upfront: £8,139, Break-even: 8.9 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2187 kWh 875 kWh 1312 kWh £233 £131 £365 £3,256 8.9 yrs £4,036
3 kW 3281 kWh 1312 kWh 1968 kWh £350 £197 £547 £4,883 8.9 yrs £6,054
4 kW 4374 kWh 1750 kWh 2625 kWh £467 £262 £729 £6,511 8.9 yrs £8,071
5 kW 5468 kWh 2187 kWh 3281 kWh £583 £328 £911 £8,139 8.9 yrs £10,089
6 kW 6562 kWh 2625 kWh 3937 kWh £700 £394 £1,094 £9,767 8.9 yrs £12,107
7 kW 7655 kWh 3062 kWh 4593 kWh £817 £459 £1,276 £11,394 8.9 yrs £14,125
8 kW 8749 kWh 3500 kWh 5249 kWh £933 £525 £1,458 £13,022 8.9 yrs £16,143

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: £1,094, 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 2187 kWh 1312 kWh 875 kWh £350 £87 £437 £5,356 12.2 yrs £3,394
3 kW 3281 kWh 1968 kWh 1312 kWh £525 £131 £656 £6,983 10.6 yrs £6,141
4 kW 4374 kWh 2625 kWh 1750 kWh £700 £175 £875 £8,611 9.8 yrs £8,888
5 kW 5468 kWh 3281 kWh 2187 kWh £875 £219 £1,094 £10,239 9.4 yrs £11,635
6 kW 6562 kWh 3937 kWh 2625 kWh £1,050 £262 £1,312 £11,867 9.0 yrs £14,382
7 kW 7655 kWh 4593 kWh 3062 kWh £1,225 £306 £1,531 £13,494 8.8 yrs £17,130
8 kW 8749 kWh 5249 kWh 3500 kWh £1,400 £350 £1,750 £15,122 8.6 yrs £19,877

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: £1,185, Upfront: £11,639, 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 2187 kWh 1531 kWh 656 kWh £408 £66 £474 £6,756 14.3 yrs £2,723
3 kW 3281 kWh 2297 kWh 984 kWh £612 £98 £711 £8,383 11.8 yrs £5,835
4 kW 4374 kWh 3062 kWh 1312 kWh £817 £131 £948 £10,011 10.6 yrs £8,947
5 kW 5468 kWh 3828 kWh 1640 kWh £1,021 £164 £1,185 £11,639 9.8 yrs £12,058
6 kW 6562 kWh 4593 kWh 1968 kWh £1,225 £197 £1,422 £13,267 9.3 yrs £15,170
7 kW 7655 kWh 5359 kWh 2297 kWh £1,429 £230 £1,659 £14,894 9.0 yrs £18,282
8 kW 8749 kWh 6124 kWh 2625 kWh £1,633 £262 £1,896 £16,522 8.7 yrs £21,393

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: £1,212, Upfront: £13,389, Break-even: 11.0 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2187 kWh 1597 kWh 591 kWh £426 £59 £485 £8,506 17.5 yrs £1,192
3 kW 3281 kWh 2395 kWh 886 kWh £639 £89 £727 £10,133 13.9 yrs £4,413
4 kW 4374 kWh 3193 kWh 1181 kWh £852 £118 £970 £11,761 12.1 yrs £7,634
5 kW 5468 kWh 3992 kWh 1476 kWh £1,065 £148 £1,212 £13,389 11.0 yrs £10,855
6 kW 6562 kWh 4790 kWh 1772 kWh £1,277 £177 £1,455 £15,017 10.3 yrs £14,076
7 kW 7655 kWh 5588 kWh 2067 kWh £1,490 £207 £1,697 £16,644 9.8 yrs £17,297
8 kW 8749 kWh 6387 kWh 2362 kWh £1,703 £236 £1,940 £18,272 9.4 yrs £20,519

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: £1,230, Upfront: £15,139, Break-even: 12.3 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2187 kWh 1640 kWh 547 kWh £437 £55 £492 £10,256 20.8 yrs £-412
3 kW 3281 kWh 2461 kWh 820 kWh £656 £82 £738 £11,883 16.1 yrs £2,882
4 kW 4374 kWh 3281 kWh 1094 kWh £875 £109 £984 £13,511 13.7 yrs £6,176
5 kW 5468 kWh 4101 kWh 1367 kWh £1,094 £137 £1,230 £15,139 12.3 yrs £9,470
6 kW 6562 kWh 4921 kWh 1640 kWh £1,312 £164 £1,477 £16,767 11.4 yrs £12,764
7 kW 7655 kWh 5741 kWh 1914 kWh £1,531 £191 £1,723 £18,394 10.7 yrs £16,058
8 kW 8749 kWh 6562 kWh 2187 kWh £1,750 £219 £1,969 £20,022 10.2 yrs £19,352

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: £1,249, Upfront: £17,589, Break-even: 14.1 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2187 kWh 1684 kWh 503 kWh £449 £50 £499 £12,706 25.4 yrs £-2,716
3 kW 3281 kWh 2526 kWh 755 kWh £674 £75 £749 £14,333 19.1 yrs £651
4 kW 4374 kWh 3368 kWh 1006 kWh £898 £101 £999 £15,961 16.0 yrs £4,018
5 kW 5468 kWh 4210 kWh 1258 kWh £1,123 £126 £1,249 £17,589 14.1 yrs £7,385
6 kW 6562 kWh 5052 kWh 1509 kWh £1,347 £151 £1,498 £19,217 12.8 yrs £10,751
7 kW 7655 kWh 5895 kWh 1761 kWh £1,572 £176 £1,748 £20,844 11.9 yrs £14,118
8 kW 8749 kWh 6737 kWh 2012 kWh £1,797 £201 £1,998 £22,472 11.2 yrs £17,485

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 TN30

Figures below are tailored to TN30 — click through for full league tables.

Big-Roof Britain Rank #563 of 2182
5.5 kWp (UK avg 5.1 kWp)
~12 panels (≈430 W)
Solar Payback Index Rank #76 of 2996
8.9 years (UK avg 10.8 years)
~£1,094 /yr • £9,767 upfront
Standing-Charge Drag Rank #244 of 2996
18.2% (UK avg 26.6%) drag on savings
£199 fixed • ~£1,094 /yr value
Aspect Penalty View ranking →
East −20.4% West −22.1%
Typical output loss versus a south-facing roof (lower is better)

Seasonal solar output in TN30

Monthly generation per kilowatt of solar panels

kWh 41 Jan 56 Feb 93 Mar 124 Apr 129 May 134 Jun 134 Jul 120 Aug 102 Sep 73 Oct 49 Nov 38 Dec
Best month Worst month Winter (Dec–Feb) Other months

Winter output: 49.4% 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 45 kWh per month; the average month produces around 91 kWh. So a typical 4 kW home system would generate roughly 180 kWh in winter, or 365 kWh in an average month.

Your Area at a Glance

Your Electricity Rate
26.67p/kWh
Daily Fixed Charge
54.45p/day
Local Sunshine
1094kWh/kW
A 1 kW system generates ~1094 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: 63% • Flats: 20% • Bungalows: 16% Based on 3,219 properties

Coverage

Ashford (100%)

Areas Covered

Tenterden North, Tenterden South, Tenterden St Michael's, Isle of Oxney, Rolvenden & Tenterden West, Weald Central, 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

TN26 (Ashford)
≈9.2 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,088 kWh/kWp · -1% vs TN30
TN27 (Ashford)
≈10.9 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,042 kWh/kWp · -5% vs TN30
TN17 (Tunbridge Wells)
≈11.2 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,046 kWh/kWp · -4% vs TN30
TN18 (Tunbridge Wells)
≈12.8 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,076 kWh/kWp · -2% vs TN30
TN31 (Rother)
≈13.5 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,104 kWh/kWp · +1% vs TN30
TN23 (Ashford)
≈14.4 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,088 kWh/kWp · -1% vs TN30

Similar sunshine across the UK

CO13 (Tendring)
~1,094 kWh/kWp · +0% vs TN30
CO7 (Tendring)
~1,094 kWh/kWp · +0% vs TN30
BH8 (Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole)
~1,092 kWh/kWp · -0% vs TN30