The short answer for Kent: a 4kW south-facing system in Kent generates about 4,220 kWh a year on the EU's PVGIS model — about 4% more than London. Installed prices for that size run roughly £6,600–£7,800 on the UK government's 2025/26 cost data, and at October–December 2026 South East electricity prices (26.88p/kWh) it is worth roughly £800 a year without a battery, or £900 if a battery lets you use most of it yourself.
Kent gets more sun than most of England, and East Kent gets the most of all. Two-thirds of households own their home and most live in a semi, a terrace or a detached house, so a typical enquiry here is a 3–5kW system on a pitched roof. The sections below show what that roof is likely to make and cost.
How much a solar panel system generates in Kent
The table uses the European Commission's PVGIS tool for Maidstone: crystalline panels at a 35° pitch, with PVGIS's standard 14% allowance for system losses and the local horizon. Your installer's MCS estimate will differ a little because MCS uses its own irradiance tables and your actual pitch and shading, but the gap between places and orientations is what matters here.
| Roof faces | Per kW | 3kW system | 4kW system | 6kW system |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| South | 1,056 kWh | 3,170 kWh | 4,220 kWh | 6,340 kWh |
| East | 835 kWh | 2,510 kWh | 3,340 kWh | 5,010 kWh |
| West | 835 kWh | 2,510 kWh | 3,340 kWh | 5,010 kWh |
Annual output, PVGIS 5.3 (SARAH3 satellite data, 2005–2023) for Maidstone, fetched 30 October 2026. Actual output varies year to year.
Of the 25 areas we cover, Kent ranks fourth for south-facing yield (Dorset is highest at 1,126 kWh per kW, Glasgow lowest at 853). The seasons matter as much as the location: in December a 4kW system here makes about 146 kWh for the whole month, against 515 kWh in June — which is why a battery is mostly a summer and shoulder-season tool, and why nobody should promise you winter bills near zero.
The figures use Maidstone. East Kent does better: PVGIS puts Canterbury at 1,098 kWh per kW a year, about 4% more than Maidstone. In Maidstone, east- and west-facing roofs make the same output, about four-fifths of a south-facing one, so a terrace with one slope each way loses little by using both.
What solar costs and saves in Kent
There is no separate "Kent price" for solar — installers price by system size, roof and access — so the fairest benchmark is the government's own cost series. Across domestic installations registered with MCS between April 2025 and March 2026, the average installed cost was £1,955 per kW for systems up to 4kW and £1,645 per kW for 4–10kW, VAT included and batteries excluded.
| System | Output in Kent | Typical installed price | Year-one value, no battery | Simple payback |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3kW | 3,170 kWh | £4,900–£5,900 | £600 | 9–10 years |
| 4kW | 4,220 kWh | £6,600–£7,800 | £800 | 9–10 years |
| 6kW | 6,340 kWh | £9,900–£11,700 | £1,100 | 9–10 years |
Price range: DESNZ Solar PV cost data (published 28 May 2026), each size priced between the 4–10kW average (£1,645/kW) and the up-to-4kW average (£1,955/kW); bigger systems tend towards the lower figure per kW. Value: south-facing PVGIS output, 40% used in the home at the South East price-cap unit rate of 26.88p/kWh (1 October to 31 December 2026), the rest exported at 12p/kWh (the 12p rate several large suppliers pay their own import customers in September 2026). Payback ignores panel degradation, future price changes and inverter replacement.
Two things move those numbers more than anything about Kent itself. First, how much you use yourself: every unit you use saves 26.88p, every unit you export earns only what your export tariff pays — 12p in this illustration. Our illustration assumes you use 40% without a battery; with a battery taking that to around 70%, the same 4kW system is worth about £900 a year — but the battery adds several thousand pounds, so price it as its own line and judge it on its own payback (battery storage guide). Second, the export tariff: rates are set by suppliers, not Ofgem, and range widely — see the solar payback guide for current examples.
VAT on solar panels and batteries installed in homes is 0% until 31 March 2027 (how the relief works), so a quote that adds 20% VAT to a domestic install is wrong.
Solar Together Kent
Kent's councils have run the Solar Together group-buying scheme with iChoosr, now under the name Switch Together. On 30 October 2026 there was no open Kent solar round: the operator listed Kent under recently closed schemes (Switch Together partners). You can register interest for a future round on its Kent page.
Kent homes and what they mean for your roof
Census 2021 counted 648,393 households in Kent: 31.4% semi-detached, 23.5% terraced, 25.4% detached and 18.8% flats or maisonettes, with 66.1% owner-occupied and 18.9% privately rented (England and Wales: 61.6% owned).
These census figures cover the Kent County Council area, which excludes Medway. Semis are the biggest group, followed by detached houses and then terraces. Many interwar and post-war semis in the county have hipped roofs, which cut the usable space on the main slope; expect 3–4kW on those, and more on a gable-ended or detached roof. Older houses in the Weald often have steep clay-tiled roofs: ask how the installer fixes through plain tiles and who replaces any that break.
Just under one in five Kent households live in flats and about the same share rent privately. Panels on a block need the freeholder's or management company's agreement; renters need the landlord to commission the work. On the coast, from Thanet to Folkestone, ask what mounting and fixings the installer uses for salt air.
Planning permission in Kent
For houses in England, roof-mounted solar is permitted development — no planning application — as long as the panels stand no more than 20cm proud of the roof slope and don't rise above the highest part of the roof. The main exceptions are listed buildings (which need listed building consent), panels mounted on a wall that faces a road in a conservation area, and properties where the council has removed permitted development rights with an Article 4 direction. Blocks of flats have their own, similar permitted development rules, but panels on a shared roof still need the freeholder's consent. The rules were last amended on 27 August 2026.
Kent County Council doesn't decide house planning applications: Kent has 12 district councils, and you apply to yours (Kent County Council); around Ebbsfleet, the Ebbsfleet Development Corporation took on planning applications for its area in 2015 (Kent County Council). Each district keeps its own conservation areas. Canterbury district alone has 97, and its Article 4 areas are on the council's map (Canterbury City Council). The city is also home to the Canterbury World Heritage Site: the Cathedral, St Augustine's Abbey and St Martin's Church (Historic England). If you live near it, or in a listed building, talk to the council before you get quotes.
Two National Landscapes cover much of rural Kent: the Kent Downs, from the white cliffs of Dover to the Surrey and London border (Kent Downs National Landscape), and the High Weald, across parts of Kent, Sussex and Surrey (High Weald National Landscape). Panels on the pitched roof of a house there are normally still permitted development, but flat roofs (where you must first ask the district council whether it needs to approve how the panels will look), ground-mounted arrays and listed farmhouses need more care.
Connecting to the grid: UK Power Networks (South Eastern)
Most of Kent's local electricity network is run by UK Power Networks in its South Eastern licence area. Ofgem's region map puts some postcodes on the London edge, such as DA1 (Dartford), in the London region, which has slightly different price-cap rates; UK Power Networks runs that network too. Your installer notifies or applies to UK Power Networks for the connection; your electricity supplier is a separate company.
For a typical home system the installer handles this. A single-phase installation up to 3.68kW of inverter capacity (16 amps per phase) is connected under the G98 process and the network operator is notified within 28 days of commissioning. Anything larger — including a bigger system, or panels plus a battery whose combined inverter capacity passes that limit — goes through G99, which needs the network operator's approval before installation and can add weeks. Ask your installer which route your design needs and whether an export limit is being applied.
Getting a quote in Kent
Tell us about your home
Postcode, property type and how you'd pay. Two minutes.
We pass it to one installer
If an accredited (MCS-certified) installer covers your area, we'll pass your enquiry to them, and only them. They can arrange a roof survey and quote.
Judge the quote
Check it against the figures on this page. If it's out of range, you can say no. No obligation at any stage.
How your enquiry is handled
- One installer introduction, fulfilling your request. If an accredited (MCS-certified) installer covers your area, we'll pass your enquiry to them, and only them — not a list of companies.
- No obligation, at any stage. You can say no at any point, including after the survey or the quote, and owe nothing.
- It costs you nothing. An installer may pay Great British Energy a referral fee if you go ahead, and that fee does not change your price.
- We are an independent guide, not an installer. Great British Energy Guide doesn't install anything and isn't the government body of a similar name. Your consent is recorded with the enquiry, as set out in our privacy policy.
Get your solar quote in Kent
One MCS-certified installer who covers your postcode. Nothing is shared until you submit.
What the quote should show
- The installer's MCS certificate number — needed for a Smart Export Guarantee tariff — and their consumer code (RECC or HIES).
- Named panel and inverter make and model, with quantities, and the MCS performance estimate for your roof in kWh a year. Every saving quoted to you should come from that estimate.
- Scaffolding stated as included or excluded, and any battery priced as a separate line.
- No VAT added on a home installation (0% until 31 March 2027), warranty terms split out, and, if financed, the total repayable next to the cash price.
The full checklist is on the solar quotes page.
Questions from Kent homeowners
How much do solar panels cost in Kent?
A typical 4kW system costs roughly £6,600–£7,800 on the government's 2025/26 installation cost data, VAT-free on a home. The cost table above uses Maidstone's output and South East electricity prices.
Is Kent good for solar panels?
Yes. On PVGIS data a 4kW south-facing system makes about 4,220 kWh a year in Maidstone and about 4,390 kWh in Canterbury, more than London. East- and west-facing roofs make about four-fifths of that.
Is Solar Together Kent open in 2026?
Not on 30 October 2026. The group-buying scheme, now called Switch Together, listed Kent as recently closed. You can register interest for a future round on its Kent page.
Can I put solar panels on my house in the Kent Downs or High Weald?
Usually yes. Panels on the pitched roof of a house in a National Landscape are normally permitted development. On a flat roof you must first ask your district council whether it needs to approve how the panels will look. Check with the council too if the house is listed, is in a conservation area, or if you want a ground-mounted array.
Do I need planning permission for solar panels in Canterbury?
Usually not for a house. Canterbury City Council decides the exceptions: listed buildings, Article 4 areas, and panels on a wall facing the road in a conservation area. The district has 97 conservation areas, so check the council map first.
Other areas
- Solar in Birmingham
- Solar in Newcastle
- Solar in Manchester
- Solar in Bristol
- Solar in Sheffield
- Solar in Doncaster
- Solar in Nottingham
- Solar in Cornwall
- Solar in Aberdeen
- Solar in Cambridge
- Solar in Cardiff
- Solar in Derby
- Solar in Devon
- Solar in Dorset
- Solar in Edinburgh
- Solar in Essex
- Solar in Glasgow
- Solar in Hull
- Solar in Leeds
- Solar in Leicester
- Solar in Liverpool
- Solar in London
- Solar in Norfolk
- Solar in Telford & Shropshire
Heat pump pages: Birmingham, Bristol, Newcastle, Nottingham, Sheffield, Doncaster, Norfolk, Suffolk, West Wales, and all heat pump quotes.
Solar for a shop, office, farm or factory instead? See commercial solar panels and the business energy audit guide.
Sources
- European Commission JRC, PVGIS 5.3 — grid-connected PV, Maidstone, 1kWp crystalline silicon, 35° slope, 14% system loss, south/east/west, SARAH3 2005–2023; queried 30 October 2026.
- Office for National Statistics, Census 2021 tables TS044 (accommodation type), TS046 (central heating), TS050 (bedrooms) and TS054 (tenure), local authority level, via Nomis.
- DESNZ, Solar PV cost data, updated 28 May 2026 — domestic, mean cost per kW, Total Installed Capacity basis, 2025/26 (Official Statistics in development).
- Ofgem, Changes to energy price cap between 1 October and 31 December 2026 (26 August 2026) and regional unit rates and standing charges; electricity at 0% VAT from 1 October 2026 to 31 March 2027 (HMRC).
- Ofgem, Smart Export Guarantee: tariffs must be above zero; suppliers with 150,000+ domestic customers must offer one. Supplier export rates checked on supplier websites, 23 September 2026.
- HMRC, VAT Notice 708/6: 0% on installing energy-saving materials in homes, 1 May 2023 to 31 March 2027.
- Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (England) Order 2015, Schedule 2 Part 14 Class A, as amended to 27 August 2026.
- Network connection thresholds (G98 up to 16A per phase — 3.68kW single-phase; larger systems G99): SP Electricity North West; find your operator via the Energy Networks Association.
- Kent County Council, district council services and planning applications (checked 30 October 2026).
- Canterbury City Council, conservation areas; Historic England, Canterbury World Heritage Site list entry (checked 30 October 2026).
- Kent Downs National Landscape; High Weald National Landscape (checked 30 October 2026).
- Switch Together (iChoosr), Kent solar and battery page and council and community partners (checked 30 October 2026).