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Solar panel cost in Hastings (TN38)

See realistic solar installation costs, savings and payback for TN38 (Hastings) 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
8.7 years
After this, it's pure profit
Upfront Cost
£8,139
What you pay to get started
Annual Benefit
£937
What you save every year
Profit Over 25 Years
£15,286
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 1124 kWh/kW — 95 above the regional median (1029).

Read the full story

A typical roof here lands around 5.0 kW, with most eligible homes comfortably fitting within 3–6 kW. Each kilowatt of panels produces roughly 1124 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)
1124 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: £937, Upfront: £8,139, Break-even: 8.7 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2249 kWh 899 kWh 1349 kWh £240 £135 £375 £3,256 8.7 yrs £4,240
3 kW 3373 kWh 1349 kWh 2024 kWh £360 £202 £562 £4,883 8.7 yrs £6,361
4 kW 4497 kWh 1799 kWh 2698 kWh £480 £270 £750 £6,511 8.7 yrs £8,481
5 kW 5621 kWh 2249 kWh 3373 kWh £600 £337 £937 £8,139 8.7 yrs £10,601
6 kW 6746 kWh 2698 kWh 4047 kWh £720 £405 £1,124 £9,767 8.7 yrs £12,721
7 kW 7870 kWh 3148 kWh 4722 kWh £840 £472 £1,312 £11,394 8.7 yrs £14,841
8 kW 8994 kWh 3598 kWh 5397 kWh £960 £540 £1,499 £13,022 8.7 yrs £16,961

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: £1,124, Upfront: £10,239, Break-even: 9.1 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2249 kWh 1349 kWh 899 kWh £360 £90 £450 £5,356 11.9 yrs £3,640
3 kW 3373 kWh 2024 kWh 1349 kWh £540 £135 £675 £6,983 10.4 yrs £6,510
4 kW 4497 kWh 2698 kWh 1799 kWh £720 £180 £900 £8,611 9.6 yrs £9,379
5 kW 5621 kWh 3373 kWh 2249 kWh £900 £225 £1,124 £10,239 9.1 yrs £12,249
6 kW 6746 kWh 4047 kWh 2698 kWh £1,079 £270 £1,349 £11,867 8.8 yrs £15,119
7 kW 7870 kWh 4722 kWh 3148 kWh £1,259 £315 £1,574 £13,494 8.6 yrs £17,989
8 kW 8994 kWh 5397 kWh 3598 kWh £1,439 £360 £1,799 £15,122 8.4 yrs £20,859

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: £1,218, Upfront: £11,639, Break-even: 9.6 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2249 kWh 1574 kWh 675 kWh £420 £67 £487 £6,756 13.9 yrs £2,989
3 kW 3373 kWh 2361 kWh 1012 kWh £630 £101 £731 £8,383 11.5 yrs £6,234
4 kW 4497 kWh 3148 kWh 1349 kWh £840 £135 £974 £10,011 10.3 yrs £9,479
5 kW 5621 kWh 3935 kWh 1686 kWh £1,049 £169 £1,218 £11,639 9.6 yrs £12,723
6 kW 6746 kWh 4722 kWh 2024 kWh £1,259 £202 £1,462 £13,267 9.1 yrs £15,968
7 kW 7870 kWh 5509 kWh 2361 kWh £1,469 £236 £1,705 £14,894 8.7 yrs £19,213
8 kW 8994 kWh 6296 kWh 2698 kWh £1,679 £270 £1,949 £16,522 8.5 yrs £22,458

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: £1,246, Upfront: £13,389, 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 2249 kWh 1641 kWh 607 kWh £438 £61 £498 £8,506 17.1 yrs £1,464
3 kW 3373 kWh 2462 kWh 911 kWh £657 £91 £748 £10,133 13.6 yrs £4,821
4 kW 4497 kWh 3283 kWh 1214 kWh £876 £121 £997 £11,761 11.8 yrs £8,179
5 kW 5621 kWh 4104 kWh 1518 kWh £1,094 £152 £1,246 £13,389 10.7 yrs £11,536
6 kW 6746 kWh 4924 kWh 1821 kWh £1,313 £182 £1,495 £15,017 10.0 yrs £14,893
7 kW 7870 kWh 5745 kWh 2125 kWh £1,532 £212 £1,745 £16,644 9.5 yrs £18,250
8 kW 8994 kWh 6566 kWh 2428 kWh £1,751 £243 £1,994 £18,272 9.2 yrs £21,607

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: £1,265, Upfront: £15,139, Break-even: 12.0 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2249 kWh 1686 kWh 562 kWh £450 £56 £506 £10,256 20.3 yrs £-136
3 kW 3373 kWh 2530 kWh 843 kWh £675 £84 £759 £11,883 15.7 yrs £3,296
4 kW 4497 kWh 3373 kWh 1124 kWh £900 £112 £1,012 £13,511 13.4 yrs £6,728
5 kW 5621 kWh 4216 kWh 1405 kWh £1,124 £141 £1,265 £15,139 12.0 yrs £10,161
6 kW 6746 kWh 5059 kWh 1686 kWh £1,349 £169 £1,518 £16,767 11.0 yrs £13,593
7 kW 7870 kWh 5903 kWh 1968 kWh £1,574 £197 £1,771 £18,394 10.4 yrs £17,025
8 kW 8994 kWh 6746 kWh 2249 kWh £1,799 £225 £2,024 £20,022 9.9 yrs £20,457

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: £1,284, Upfront: £17,589, 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 2249 kWh 1731 kWh 517 kWh £462 £52 £513 £12,706 24.7 yrs £-2,436
3 kW 3373 kWh 2597 kWh 776 kWh £693 £78 £770 £14,333 18.6 yrs £1,071
4 kW 4497 kWh 3463 kWh 1034 kWh £924 £103 £1,027 £15,961 15.5 yrs £4,578
5 kW 5621 kWh 4329 kWh 1293 kWh £1,154 £129 £1,284 £17,589 13.7 yrs £8,085
6 kW 6746 kWh 5194 kWh 1552 kWh £1,385 £155 £1,540 £19,217 12.5 yrs £11,592
7 kW 7870 kWh 6060 kWh 1810 kWh £1,616 £181 £1,797 £20,844 11.6 yrs £15,100
8 kW 8994 kWh 6926 kWh 2069 kWh £1,847 £207 £2,054 £22,472 10.9 yrs £18,607

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 Hastings

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 TN38

Figures below are tailored to TN38 — click through for full league tables.

Big-Roof Britain Rank #1800 of 2182
4.4 kWp (UK avg 5.1 kWp)
~9 panels (≈430 W)
Solar Payback Index Rank #34 of 2996
8.7 years (UK avg 10.8 years)
~£937 /yr • £8,139 upfront
Standing-Charge Drag Rank #753 of 2996
21.2% (UK avg 26.6%) drag on savings
£199 fixed • ~£937 /yr value
Aspect Penalty View ranking →
East −20.3% West −22.9%
Typical output loss versus a south-facing roof (lower is better)

Seasonal solar output in TN38

Monthly generation per kilowatt of solar panels

kWh 40 Jan 57 Feb 95 Mar 128 Apr 136 May 141 Jun 141 Jul 125 Aug 104 Sep 72 Oct 46 Nov 38 Dec
Best month Worst month Winter (Dec–Feb) Other months

Winter output: 48.1% 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 45 kWh per month; the average month produces around 94 kWh. So a typical 4 kW home system would generate roughly 180 kWh in winter, or 375 kWh in an average month.

Your Area at a Glance

Your Electricity Rate
26.67p/kWh
Daily Fixed Charge
54.45p/day
Local Sunshine
1124kWh/kW
A 1 kW system generates ~1124 kWh per year. A typical home uses ~2,700 kWh per year.
Typical System Size
5.0kW
For houses & bungalows in this area

Local Property Data

Property Types

Houses: 47% • Flats: 44% • Bungalows: 7% Based on 10,834 properties

Coverage

Hastings (99%)|Rother (1%)

Areas Covered

Wishing Tree, Hollington, Maze Hill, West St Leonards, Central St Leonards, Gensing, Ashdown, Silverhill + 3 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

TN37 (Hastings)
≈0.7 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,125 kWh/kWp · +0% vs TN38
TN34 (Hastings)
≈2.3 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,125 kWh/kWp · +0% vs TN38
TN35 (Hastings)
≈4.2 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,124 kWh/kWp · -0% vs TN38
TN40 (Rother)
≈5.8 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,115 kWh/kWp · -1% vs TN38
TN33 (Rother)
≈6.9 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,093 kWh/kWp · -3% vs TN38
TN39 (Rother)
≈6.9 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,116 kWh/kWp · -1% vs TN38

Similar sunshine across the UK

TQ7 (South Hams)
~1,123 kWh/kWp · -0% vs TN38
PO38 (Isle of Wight)
~1,125 kWh/kWp · +0% vs TN38
PO20 (Chichester)
~1,122 kWh/kWp · -0% vs TN38