🏡 More than 41,000 households in Hampshire have solar panels

☀️ Hampshire receives substantially more sunlight than most counties

📈 The county’s solar panel adoption rate is 20% higher than the UK average

If you live in the hilly county of Hampshire and want to lower your electricity bills, solar panels are the best way to do it.

From Basingstoke to the New Forest, Hampshire enjoys more sunlight than most places in the UK, which gives it a distinct advantage over other counties when it comes to going solar.

In this guide, we’ll go through how much solar panels cost in Hampshire, how well they work in this weather, and which government grants can help you lower the cost.

At Sunsave we install across the whole of Hampshire – so if you’re wondering how much you could save with a solar & battery system, enter a few details below and we’ll generate a quick estimate.

Calculate your potential savings in Hampshire

What are the best solar panel installers in Hampshire?

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<div style="display: inline-block; border-radius: 8px; overflow-x: scroll; max-width: 100%; margin: 40px auto; text-align: left;">
<table style="background: rgba(0,0,0,0.02);">
  <tr style="background: #4EE5D3; text-align: left; border-radius: 4px;">
    <th style="padding: 12px;">Name</th>
    <th style="padding: 12px;">Location</th>
    <th style="padding: 12px;">Founded</th>
    <th style="padding: 12px;">Customer score</th>
    <th style="padding: 12px;">Solar subscription?</th>
  </tr>
  <tr style="border-bottom: 1px rgba(0,0,0,0.1) solid;">
    <td style="padding: 12px;">Sunsave</td>
    <td style="padding: 12px;">Greater London</td>
    <td style="padding: 12px;">2021</td>
    <td style="padding: 12px;">94%</td>
    <td style="padding: 12px;">Yes</td>
  <tr>
  <tr style="border-bottom: 1px rgba(0,0,0,0.1) solid;">
    <td style="padding: 12px;">JEM Energy</td>
    <td style="padding: 12px;">Farnborough</td>
    <td style="padding: 12px;">2015</td>
    <td style="padding: 12px;">96%</td>
    <td style="padding: 12px;">No</td>
  <tr>
  <tr style="border-bottom: 1px rgba(0,0,0,0.1) solid;">
    <td style="padding: 12px;">Volt Energy Southern</td>
    <td style="padding: 12px;">Waterlooville</td>
    <td style="padding: 12px;">2022</td>
    <td style="padding: 12px;">100%</td>
    <td style="padding: 12px;">No</td>
  <tr>
    <td style="padding: 12px;">EcoVolt Renewables</td>
    <td style="padding: 12px;">Petersfield</td>
    <td style="padding: 12px;">2022</td>
    <td style="padding: 12px;">100%</td>
    <td style="padding: 12px;">No</td>
  </tr>
</table>
</div>
</div>

We’ve used a stringent series of tests to assess more than 2,200 installers across the UK, and these companies above fared the best of any in Hampshire.

They’re all certified by Flexi-Orb or MCS, accredited by the HIES, approved by TrustMark, registered with NAPIT, and have received excellent customer ratings on at least one reputable review site.

The best of the best are also Which? Trusted Traders and offer a solar subscription option, though Sunsave is the only top-rated company that fulfilled the latter requirement.

To see the top companies in the country, check out our national guide to the best solar panel installers.

At Sunsave, our mission is to make solar accessible to all UK households, which is why we’re offering the UK’s first solar subscription service to households all over Hampshire.

Sunsave Plus allows you to start saving on your energy bills immediately, without having to pay anything upfront.

You’ll get the best-in-class kit installed on your roof, access to the best export tariffs, and the 20-year Sunsave Guarantee, which includes 24/7 monitoring & maintenance, a free replacement battery and inverter, and downtime cover – all for a fixed monthly fee.

Your system will also be insured by Aviva against damage, fire, and theft.

If you want to find out how much you could save with a solar & battery system at no upfront cost from the best installer in Hampshire, enter a few details below, and we’ll generate an estimate.

JEM Energy has been serving the people of Farnborough since 2015, which is long enough to develop a reputation.

Fortunately, James Rodwell and Mark Watford's company enjoys an excellent relationship with its customers, who have given the firm an excellent rating on Google and a near-perfect set of reviews on Bark and Checkatrade.

This is largely down to the team's expertise, excellent communication, and detailed designs, which makes sense considering Rodwell has more than a decade of experience in the renewable industry.

JEM Energy also installs heat pumps and electric car chargers, if you want to make the most of your new solar panels.

This Waterlooville-based company currently has no reviews on top-tier review sites.

Nevertheless, along with the other firms on this list, it's one of the only installers in Hampshire to be approved by the MCS, NAPIT, TrustMark, and HIES – and that's no mean feat.

Founded in 2022, the business is co-owned by locals Gus Stephens, Robert Pittman, and Mason Ling.

Pittman has led teams in the renewable energy sphere for five years, while Stevens has spent seven years working in the sector, so they know what they're doing.

This family-run business is owned by Michael Beckett, who spent decades fixing yachts all over the world before deciding to settle down in Petersfield and open a renewable installation company in 2022.

Beckett, who is also a qualified electrician, engages with the community at events organised by groups like the Petersfield Climate Action Network.

Unfortunately, this communal involvement doesn't stretch to encouraging his customers to leave reviews, as EcoVolt Renewables also has no reviews on reputable sites – but its accreditations again mean you should trust this firm. 

How much do solar panels cost in Hampshire?

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<div style="display: inline-block; border-radius: 8px; overflow-x: scroll; max-width: 100%; margin: 40px auto; text-align: left;">
<table style="background: rgba(0,0,0,0.02);">
  <tr style="background: #4EE5D3; text-align: left; border-radius: 4px;">
    <th style="padding: 12px;">Property size</th>
    <th style="padding: 12px;">System size</th>
    <th style="padding: 12px;">Number of panels (430 W)</th>
    <th style="padding: 12px;">Estimated cost</th>
  </tr>
  <tr style="border-bottom: 1px rgba(0,0,0,0.1) solid;">
    <td style="padding: 12px;">2-3 bedrooms</td>
    <td style="padding: 12px;">3.01 kWp</td>
    <td style="padding: 12px;">7</td>
    <td style="padding: 12px;">£9,000</td>
  </tr>
  <tr style="border-bottom: 1px rgba(0,0,0,0.1) solid;">
    <td style="padding: 12px;">4-5 bedrooms</td>
    <td style="padding: 12px;">5.16 kWp</td>
    <td style="padding: 12px;">12</td>
    <td style="padding: 12px;">£10,500</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td style="padding: 12px;">6+ bedrooms</td>
    <td style="padding: 12px;">8.17 kWp</td>
    <td style="padding: 12px;">19</td>
    <td style="padding: 12px;">£13,500</td>
  </tr>
</table>
</div>
</div>

The price of a solar panel installation in Hampshire is typically £9,000 for a 3kWp system.

If you want to add a 5kWh solar battery to this system, you’ll raise the overall cost by £2,000 on average, for a total of £11,000.

The actual cost of your installation will depend on a number of factors, including the size of your system and the complexity of the installation.

To find out everything else you need to know, check out our guide to solar panel costs.

How many homes in Hampshire have solar panels?

41,709 homes in Hampshire have solar panels certified by the Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS), as of January 2024.

That means 5.4% of all households in the county have gone solar, across the 13 local authorities.

This is one-fifth higher than the 4.5% of all UK households that have bought solar panels – which makes sense, since Hampshire is one of the sunniest places in the country.

And since this county-wide tally only includes MCS-certified installations, the real number of homes with solar panels in Hampshire is possibly a little bit higher.

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<div style="display: inline-block; border-radius: 8px; overflow-x: scroll; max-width: 100%; margin: 40px auto; text-align: left;">
<table style="background: rgba(0,0,0,0.02);">
  <tr style="background: #4EE5D3; text-align: left; border-radius: 4px;">
    <th style="padding: 12px;">Local authority</th>
    <th style="padding: 12px;">Homes with solar panels</th>
    <th style="padding: 12px;">% of homes with solar panels</th>
  </tr>
  <tr style="border-bottom: 1px rgba(0,0,0,0.1) solid;">
    <td style="padding: 12px;">Basingstoke & Deane Borough Council</td>
    <td style="padding: 12px;">3,635</td>
    <td style="padding: 12px;">4.75%</td>
  </tr>
  <tr style="border-bottom: 1px rgba(0,0,0,0.1) solid;">
    <td style="padding: 12px;">East Hampshire District Council</td>
    <td style="padding: 12px;">4,426</td>
    <td style="padding: 12px;">8.4%</td>
  </tr>
  <tr style="border-bottom: 1px rgba(0,0,0,0.1) solid;">
    <td style="padding: 12px;">Eastleigh Borough Council</td>
    <td style="padding: 12px;">3,448</td>
    <td style="padding: 12px;">6.06%</td>
  </tr>
  <tr style="border-bottom: 1px rgba(0,0,0,0.1) solid;">
    <td style="padding: 12px;">Fareham Borough Council</td>
    <td style="padding: 12px;">3,145</td>
    <td style="padding: 12px;">6.47%</td>
  </tr>
  <tr style="border-bottom: 1px rgba(0,0,0,0.1) solid;">
    <td style="padding: 12px;">Gosport Borough Council</td>
    <td style="padding: 12px;">1,649</td>
    <td style="padding: 12px;">4.59%</td>
  </tr>
  <tr style="border-bottom: 1px rgba(0,0,0,0.1) solid;">
    <td style="padding: 12px;">Hart District Council</td>
    <td style="padding: 12px;">2,544</td>
    <td style="padding: 12px;">6.36%</td>
  </tr>
  <tr style="border-bottom: 1px rgba(0,0,0,0.1) solid;">
    <td style="padding: 12px;">Havant Borough Council</td>
    <td style="padding: 12px;">2,910</td>
    <td style="padding: 12px;">5.43%</td>
  </tr>
  <tr style="border-bottom: 1px rgba(0,0,0,0.1) solid;">
    <td style="padding: 12px;">New Forest District Council</td>
    <td style="padding: 12px;">5,425</td>
    <td style="padding: 12px;">6.99%</td>
  </tr>
  <tr style="border-bottom: 1px rgba(0,0,0,0.1) solid;">
    <td style="padding: 12px;">Portsmouth City Council</td>
    <td style="padding: 12px;">2,148</td>
    <td style="padding: 12px;">2.49%</td>
  </tr>
  <tr style="border-bottom: 1px rgba(0,0,0,0.1) solid;">
    <td style="padding: 12px;">Rushmoor Borough Council</td>
    <td style="padding: 12px;">1,262</td>
    <td style="padding: 12px;">3.21%</td>
  </tr>
  <tr style="border-bottom: 1px rgba(0,0,0,0.1) solid;">
    <td style="padding: 12px;">Southampton City Council</td>
    <td style="padding: 12px;">3,781</td>
    <td style="padding: 12px;">3.7%</td>
  </tr>
  <tr style="border-bottom: 1px rgba(0,0,0,0.1) solid;">
    <td style="padding: 12px;">Test Valley Borough Council</td>
    <td style="padding: 12px;">3,264</td>
    <td style="padding: 12px;">5.97%</td>
  </tr>
  <tr style="border-bottom: 1px rgba(0,0,0,0.1) solid;">
    <td style="padding: 12px;">Winchester City Council</td>
    <td style="padding: 12px;">4,072</td>
    <td style="padding: 12px;">7.88%</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td style="padding: 12px;"></td>
    <td style="padding: 12px;"><strong>Total: 41,709</strong></td>
    <td style="padding: 12px;"><strong>Average: 5.4%</strong></td>
  </tr>
</table>
</div>
</div>

Are there any grants for solar panels in Hampshire?

There are multiple solar panel grants for people in Hampshire, as well as schemes that can help you lower the costs of your installation. 

If you don’t qualify for these initiatives but still can’t afford the price of solar panels, have a look at Sunsave Plus, which is available at no upfront cost. 

For fixed monthly payments over 20 years, you’ll receive the best-in-class kit, full monitoring and maintenance support, and a system that’ll save you money from day one.

Solar Together is a group-buying scheme that helps residents in a particular local authority secure a sizable discount on their solar installations.

It’s not a grant, but it will typically lower the price of everyone’s systems by around 25%, through the power of bulk buying and negotiating as a collective.

Solar Together is open to homeowners, small or medium-sized businesses, and tenants – as long as they have their landlord's permission.

It’s only available to a certain number of areas at any one time, so keep an eye out.

There are a couple of national grants that apply to residents in Hampshire – and if you’re eligible, they’re well worth considering.

Solar panels could save you hundreds of pounds per year, and drastically reduce your carbon footprint.

The Home Upgrade Grant funds the installation of eco-friendly measures in low-income homes that aren’t connected to the gas grid and have an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) between D and G.

If you qualify, you may be able to get heavily discounted or even free solar panels.

All 13 of Hampshire’s local authorities have Home Upgrade Grant funding to hand out, after they successfully applied to the second phase of the scheme, which ends in March 2025.

There’s £41.4 million of grants available to Hampshire residents in Basingstoke and Deane, East Hampshire, Eastleigh, Fareham, Gosport, Havant, New Forest, Portsmouth, Rushmoor, Southampton, Test Valley, and Winchester.

For those of you in Hart, your grants are being handled by the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority, which has £82.3 million to give out to residents in 48 local authorities.

To apply, just contact your local authority.

The government’s main initiative for cutting domestic emissions is available to low-income and vulnerable households whose residents are on certain benefits.

ECO4 isn’t a government grant; it instead forces large energy suppliers to install energy-saving measures in underprivileged households.

You may be able to get a free solar panel system through ECO4, but only if your home is electrically heated, like 9% of households in England and Wales.

How much sunlight does Hampshire get?

Hampshire receives a lot of sunlight compared to most of the UK, with the level of solar irradiance in the county coming in at 18% higher than the UK average.

For instance, the Guildhall in Winchester sees 1,287 kilowatt-hours per square metre (kWh/m²) on average, each year. This figure will vary slightly across the county, but it’s a pretty good indicator.

'Kilowatt-hours per square metre' refers to how much energy is travelling from the sun, across 93 million miles of space, to a specific square metre on Earth.

These figures are taken from the European Commission's Photovoltaic Geographical Information System, which measures solar irradiance according to the latest weather trends.

When it comes to solar panel output there are a number of factors which affect how much energy they produce, but solar irradiance is a big one. 

As you’d expect, the more intense the sunlight that hits your panels, the higher the kWh/m², and the more solar electricity your installation will produce – leading to higher savings.

How much power can a solar panel system generate in Hampshire?

A solar panel system in Hampshire can generate enough power to cover most of your annual consumption, allowing you to cut your electricity bills by more than half.

We put together the design below for a household in Southampton that uses roughly 5,000 kilowatt-hours (kWh) of electricity per year.

<div style="text-align: center; font-size: 14px;">
<div style="display: inline-block; border-radius: 8px; overflow-x: scroll; max-width: 100%; margin: 40px auto; text-align: left;">
<table style="background: rgba(0,0,0,0.02);">
  <tr style="background: #4EE5D3; text-align: left; border-radius: 4px;">
    <th style="padding: 12px;">Location</th>
    <th style="padding: 12px;">System size (kWp)</th>
    <th style="padding: 12px;">Battery size (kWh)</th>
    <th style="padding: 12px;">Average output per year (kWh)</th>
    <th style="padding: 12px;">Consumption (kWh)</th>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td style="padding: 12px;">Southampton</td>
    <td style="padding: 12px;">6.02</td>
    <td style="padding: 12px;">5.2</td>
    <td style="padding: 12px;">5,713</td>
    <td style="padding: 12px;">5,000</td>
  </tr>
</table>
</div>
</div>

This design uses 14 solar panels, each with a power rating of 430 watts (W), to build a 6.02 kWp (kilowatt-peak) system – that is, an installation which generates 6,020 kWh per year under standard test conditions, which use a solar irradiance of 1,000 W per m².

Thanks to Hampshire’s sunny weather, the system’s output would come close to this level, producing an estimated 5,713 kWh per year  – well over the 5,000 kWh used by the household.

An attached 5.2 kWh battery would allow the property to use 2,800 kWh of this solar electricity per year, covering 56% of its usage.

The other 2,913 kWh would be sent to the grid through a smart export tariff called Intelligent Octopus Flux – one of the best export tariffs on the market.

Please note: you won’t necessarily generate as much solar electricity with your system, as this design is for a specific property that may be different to yours – but it should give you a rough idea of what’s possible in Hampshire.

Is it worth getting solar panels in Hampshire?

It’s definitely worth getting solar panels in Hampshire, in almost all cases.

The levels of solar irradiance are high across the county, especially when compared to the UK average, which means you’ll save even more on your electricity bills than most solar households.

That’s probably why 5.4% of homes in Hampshire have made the decision to go solar.

If the upfront cost is too steep, you may be eligible for Solar Together, ECO4, or the Home Upgrade Grant, all of which can reduce the price.

If not, you should consider Sunsave Plus, our all-in-one residential solar and battery solution that’s tailored to your home, and delivered as a monthly subscription at no upfront cost.

It also comes with 24/7 monitoring and maintenance, free replacement parts, downtime cover, and insurance against damage, fire and theft. 

Solar panels in Hampshire: FAQs

Can you still get free solar panels in Hampshire?

What is the average cost of installing solar panels in Hampshire?

Is it harder to sell a house with solar panels in Hampshire?

Solar panels in Hampshire | Best installers & grants [2024]

What's in this guide?

Solar panels in Hampshire: are they worth it?

🏡 More than 48,000 Devon households have had solar panels installed

🌞 Devon receives significantly more sunlight than most places in the UK

📈 The county’s solar panel adoption rate is more than double the national average

If you’re lucky enough to live among Devon’s rolling hills and Jurassic Coast and you’re looking to cut your electricity bills, solar panels could be the best way forward.

From Welcombe in the west to All Saints in the east, this county receives more sunlight than almost any other in the UK, which gives residents with solar panels a massive advantage.

In this guide, we’ll explain how much solar panels cost in Devon, how the area’s excellent weather affects savings, and which grants can help you cut the upfront cost.

At Sunsave we install across the whole of Devon – so if you’re wondering how much you could save with a solar & battery system, enter a few details below and we’ll generate a quick estimate.

Calculate your potential savings in Devon

What are the best solar panel installers in Devon?

<div style="text-align: center; font-size: 14px;">
<div style="display: inline-block; border-radius: 8px; overflow-x: scroll; max-width: 100%; margin: 40px auto; text-align: left;">
<table style="background: rgba(0,0,0,0.02);">
  <tr style="background: #4EE5D3; text-align: left; border-radius: 4px;">
    <th style="padding: 12px;">Name</th>
    <th style="padding: 12px;">Location</th>
    <th style="padding: 12px;">Founded</th>
    <th style="padding: 12px;">Customer score</th>
    <th style="padding: 12px;">Solar subscription?</th>
  </tr>
  <tr style="border-bottom: 1px rgba(0,0,0,0.1) solid;">
    <td style="padding: 12px;">Sunsave</td>
    <td style="padding: 12px;">Greater London</td>
    <td style="padding: 12px;">2021</td>
    <td style="padding: 12px;">94%</td>
    <td style="padding: 12px;">Yes</td>
  <tr>
  <tr style="border-bottom: 1px rgba(0,0,0,0.1) solid;">
    <td style="padding: 12px;">BD Electrical Services</td>
    <td style="padding: 12px;">Bideford</td>
    <td style="padding: 12px;">2022</td>
    <td style="padding: 12px;">97.5%</td>
    <td style="padding: 12px;">No</td>
  <tr>
    <td style="padding: 12px;">Earth Inspired Solar</td>
    <td style="padding: 12px;">Barnstaple</td>
    <td style="padding: 12px;">2022</td>
    <td style="padding: 12px;">100%</td>
    <td style="padding: 12px;">No</td>
  </tr>
</table>
</div>
</div>

We’ve used a stringent series of tests to assess more than 2,200 installers across the UK, and these companies above fared the best of any in Devon.

At Sunsave, our mission is to make solar accessible to all UK households, which is why we’re offering the UK’s first solar subscription service to households all over Devon.

If you want to find out how much you could save with a solar & battery system at no upfront cost from the best installer in Devon, enter a few details below, and we’ll generate an estimate.

Since 2022, this Bideford-based business has grown through word of mouth into one of the best, most popular installers in the area.

This wasn't luck, either – co-owner Dwayne Bowden has put in the time. The born-and-bred Devon boy worked as an electrician and project engineer in the county for just under a decade before launching his own company with Richard Davis – hence the 'BD' in their firm's name.

Bowden told Sunsave that being ranked as one of the best solar panel installers in Devon was "bloody good."

He put his company's success down to its trustworthiness, saying: "We get the job done to a good standard, and we're reliable, unlike other installers."

Not many solar panel installers have a shop where you can come and discuss your plans with trained engineers – but Earth Inspired Solar isn't like most companies.

Just a few minutes outside Barnstaple in North Devon, surrounded by greenery, equestrian stores, and dog grooming centres, you can meet the firm's installers, who reviewers agree are professional, friendly, and tidy.

As well as solar installations, this team can also fit boilers, underfloor heating, and heat pumps.

That means you can trust the company to take a holistic view of improving your home.

How much do solar panels cost in Devon?

A 3kWp solar panel system typically costs around £9,000 to buy and install in Devon.

To add a 5kWh battery to your system, you’ll usually pay another £2,000, for an overall cost of £11,000.

Multiple factors could lead to you paying a different amount for a solar panel system though, like its size, the installation’s complexity, and the installer you choose.

To read about everything else you need to know, check out our guide to solar panel costs.

How many homes in Devon have solar panels?

48,255 households in Devon have had solar panels installed with a Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS) certificate, as of May 2024.

That means 10% of homes in the county have had a solar panel system installed.

This is more than double the UK average of 4.6% – as it should be, since Devon is one of the brightest, sunniest counties in the UK.

And these Devon numbers only include installations the MCS has certified, so the real number of households with solar panels is likely to be slightly higher.

<div style="text-align: center; font-size: 14px;">
<div style="display: inline-block; border-radius: 8px; overflow-x: scroll; max-width: 100%; margin: 40px auto; text-align: left;">
<table style="background: rgba(0,0,0,0.02);">
  <tr style="background: #4EE5D3; text-align: left; border-radius: 4px;">
    <th style="padding: 12px;">Local authority</th>
    <th style="padding: 12px;">Homes with solar panels</th>
    <th style="padding: 12px;">% of homes with solar panels</th>
  </tr>
  <tr style="border-bottom: 1px rgba(0,0,0,0.1) solid;">
    <td style="padding: 12px;">East Devon</td>
    <td style="padding: 12px;">6,256</td>
    <td style="padding: 12px;">9.37%</td>
  <tr>
  <tr style="border-bottom: 1px rgba(0,0,0,0.1) solid;">
    <td style="padding: 12px;">Exeter</td>
    <td style="padding: 12px;">3,579</td>
    <td style="padding: 12px;">4.92%</td>
  <tr>
  <tr style="border-bottom: 1px rgba(0,0,0,0.1) solid;">
    <td style="padding: 12px;">Mid Devon</td>
    <td style="padding: 12px;">5,310</td>
    <td style="padding: 12px;">14.92%</td>
  <tr>
  <tr style="border-bottom: 1px rgba(0,0,0,0.1) solid;">
    <td style="padding: 12px;">North Devon</td>
    <td style="padding: 12px;">4,727</td>
    <td style="padding: 12px;">10.94%</td>
  <tr>
  <tr style="border-bottom: 1px rgba(0,0,0,0.1) solid;">
    <td style="padding: 12px;">Plymouth</td>
    <td style="padding: 12px;">8,201</td>
    <td style="padding: 12px;">7.16%</td>
  <tr>
  <tr style="border-bottom: 1px rgba(0,0,0,0.1) solid;">
    <td style="padding: 12px;">South Hams</td>
    <td style="padding: 12px;">5,750</td>
    <td style="padding: 12px;">14.63%</td>
  <tr>
  <tr style="border-bottom: 1px rgba(0,0,0,0.1) solid;">
    <td style="padding: 12px;">Teignbridge</td>
    <td style="padding: 12px;">5,157</td>
    <td style="padding: 12px;">8.62%</td>
  <tr>
  <tr style="border-bottom: 1px rgba(0,0,0,0.1) solid;">
    <td style="padding: 12px;">Torbay</td>
    <td style="padding: 12px;">2,741</td>
    <td style="padding: 12px;">4.35%</td>
  <tr>
   <td style="padding: 12px;"></td>
    <td style="padding: 12px;"><strong>Total: 48,255</strong></td>
    <td style="padding: 12px;"><strong>Average: 10%</strong></td>
  </tr>
</table>
</div>
</div>

Are there any grants for solar panels in Devon?

There are grants for solar panels available in Devon, thanks to local initiatives and national government schemes.

If you’re not eligible for any of these programmes, but still can’t afford the price of solar panels, have a look at Sunsave Plus, which is available at no upfront cost.

For fixed monthly payments over 20 years, you’ll receive the best-in-class kit, full monitoring and maintenance support, and a system that can save you money from day one.

Solar Together is an initiative that helps residents in a specific area secure a sizable discount on their solar installations through collective buying.

So far, more than 290 Devon households have signed up to take part in the 2024 edition of the scheme, which is supported by councils including East Devon, Exeter, Mid Devon, Plymouth, South Hams, Teignbridge, Torridge, and West Devon.

535 homes joined the scheme the last time it ran in Devon, in 2020.

You can take part in Solar Together if you’re a homeowner, small or medium-sized business owner, or tenant – as long as you have your landlord's permission.

It only runs for a limited amount of time in each area, so if you’re interested, sign up for free before it ends.

To learn more, check out our guide to Solar Together.

This local scheme offers top-up payments worth as much as £3,000 to households that have received funding through the government’s Energy Company Obligation (ECO4) scheme (more on that below).

So if you get an ECO4 grant that doesn’t cover the entire cost of a home improvement – like solar panels – you may be able to fund the rest with a Warm Up Grant.

The scheme is available to residents throughout the county, including in Exeter, Mid Devon, North Devon, South Hams, and West Devon.

This government initiative hands funding to local councils that they can use to improve the energy efficiency of social homes in their area, including measures like solar panels and insulation.

In 2024, the government awarded £1.87 million of funding to East Devon District Council, in addition to the £600,000 the council received in 2023.

And other Devon residents have benefited from Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund grants. Plymouth City Council collected a total of £8,100,000 in 2022 and 2023, while Exeter City Council received £1.5 million in 2023.

East Devon has so far used its grants to carry out 210 measures across 50 households, and Plymouth has funded 226 improvements in 58 homes, according to the government.

It’s not clear how many of these measures were solar panel installations, but they make up about 10% of all installations across the country.

You can’t apply to the scheme, but if you live in East Devon, you can contact your local council to advocate for your social housing to be included in any measures.

Local authorities all over Devon, including East Devon, Exeter, Mid Devon, North Devon, South Hams, Teignbridge, Torridge, and West Devon, have partnered with not-for-profit lender Lendology to offer loans for home improvements, including solar panels.

Homeowners and private landlords can borrow up to £20,000, and pay that back over as many as 25 years. All you need is enough equity in your home to cover the agreed loan.

The current representative Annual Percentage Rate (APR) is 4.2%, and you’ll have to continue paying back the loan if you move home.

Two national grants are available to Devon homes – and if you’re eligible for either, you should absolutely consider applying.

Solar panels can cut your electricity bills by hundreds of pounds per year, reduce your carbon footprint, and increase your property’s value, but the upfront cost is often high. If you don’t have to pay it, you shouldn’t.

The Home Upgrade Grant gives funding to local authorities so they can pay for energy-efficient improvements in low-income households which aren’t connected to the gas grid.

This government-backed scheme is only available to properties that have a valid Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) with a rating of D, E, F, or G.

If your home is eligible, you could get a largely discounted or free solar panel system, wherever you live in Devon.

In the most recent wave of funding, the government gave £13.3 million to a Devon City Council-led consortium of East Devon, Exeter, Mid Devon, North Devon, Teignbridge, Torridge, and Torbay’s councils.

Another consortium of West Devon and South Hams picked up £4.1 million in funding, and Plymouth City Council, operating on its own, was handed £3.4 million.

To see if you could qualify, apply through the government’s site or call your local council.

This government scheme compels large energy suppliers to install energy-saving improvements in low-income and vulnerable households that use electricity to power their heating systems.

If you think you could be eligible and receive at least one qualifying means-tested benefit – such as Income-based Jobseekers Allowance or Child Tax Credits – you could potentially get an energy supplier to install a free solar panel system at your property.

More than 21,700 solar panel systems have been installed in the UK through ECO4 since it began in July 2022, which is just over 5% of all measures taken through the programme.

How much sunlight does Devon get?

Devon receives substantially more sunlight than the great majority of UK counties, with Exeter getting 1,237 kilowatt-hours per square metre (kWh/m²) on average per year – 13% higher than the national average.

This number will differ depending on where you are in Devon, but it’s still an excellent indication.

Exeter’s figure is based on the European Commission's Photovoltaic Geographical Information System, which provides regularly updated solar irradiance data.

The solar panel industry measures sunlight by tracking the sun’s average intensity in a specific area, which it calls ‘solar irradiance.’

It’s assessed in kilowatt-hours per square metre – that is, how much energy makes it from the sun, through 93 million miles of space, to a specific square metre on Earth.

There are multiple factors that affect solar panel output, but solar irradiance is one of the most crucial.

As you may expect, the more intense the sunlight that hits your panels, the higher the kWh/m², and the more solar electricity your installation generates – which means higher savings for you.

How much power can a solar panel system generate in Devon?

A solar panel system in Devon can produce enough electricity to power the majority of your home’s electrical needs, allowing you to lower your electricity bills.

We designed the system below for a household in Exeter that uses around 4,750kWh of electricity per year.

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  <tr style="background: #4EE5D3; text-align: left; border-radius: 4px;">
    <th style="padding: 12px;">Location</th>
    <th style="padding: 12px;">System size (kWp)</th>
    <th style="padding: 12px;">Battery size (kWh)</th>
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    <th style="padding: 12px;">Consumption (kWh)</th>
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    <td style="padding: 12px;">Exeter</td>
    <td style="padding: 12px;">4.3</td>
    <td style="padding: 12px;">5.8</td>
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    <td style="padding: 12px;">4,750</td>
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This design includes 10 solar panels, each with a power rating of 430 watts (W). Together, they form a 4.3 kilowatt-peak (kWp) system – that is, an array that produces 4,300kWh per year in ‘standard test conditions’ (which use a solar irradiance of 1,000W per m²).

Since Devon is one of the sunniest counties around, this installation would produce 4,811kWh per year – which is 12% more than the quantity it’d generate in standard test conditions.

Our design also includes a 5.8kWh battery, which would allow the household to use 2,357kWh of the electricity their solar panels produce in a year, which makes up 49% of their total consumption.

This would cut the property’s annual electricity bills by £577, based on May 2024 prices.

The other 2,454kWh generated by the solar panels would be sent to the grid, using a smart export tariff called Octopus Flux – one of the best export tariffs on the market – to earn an extra £560 per year.

In total, this home could cut its annual spending on electricity from £1,383 to £246 – an 82% saving.

We’ve worked out these savings by using the NREL System Advisor Model (SAM), which incorporates solar irradiance data based on the latest weather patterns, statistics about the system’s inverter, and smart battery controls that maximise export savings.

One of the main factors behind this household’s ability to cut its costs by a huge £1,137 per year is the total lack of shade on site.

The solar panels in this example would never be in shade, enabling the system to use 100% of the available daylight, all year round.

Please note: you won’t necessarily produce as much solar electricity with your system, since this design is for a specific property that may be different to yours – but it should give you a rough indication of what’s possible in Devon.

Is it worth getting solar panels in Devon?

It’s definitely worth getting solar panels in Devon, more so than most places in the country.

Devon benefits from high levels of solar irradiance – particularly when compared to the UK average – which enables residents to save hundreds of pounds per year.

There’s a reason why an enormous 10% of households in the county have decided to get solar panels – and that percentage will likely rise over the coming years, as energy bills stay high and heat pumps and electric vehicles continue to become increasingly popular.

If you’d like to buy solar panels but the upfront cost puts you off, check if you’re eligible for help from initiatives like the Home Upgrade Grant or ECO4 scheme.

And if you don’t qualify for a government grant, you should consider Sunsave Plus, our all-in-one residential solar and battery solution that’s tailored to your home, and delivered as a monthly subscription at no upfront cost.

It comes with ongoing monitoring and maintenance, free replacement parts (including a battery and inverter), and downtime cover. Your system will also be insured by Aviva against damage, fire and theft.

Solar panels in Devon: FAQs

How much do solar panels cost on average in Devon?

What is the downside of solar panels in Devon?

Is it harder to sell a house with solar panels in Devon?

Considering buying solar panels in Devon? Here are the best installers in Devon based on our research, plus how much you'll pay and what grants are available.

Solar panels in Devon | Best installers & grants [2024]

Solar panels in Devon: are they worth it?

🏡 More than 36,000 Kent households have had solar panels installed

🌞 Kent enjoys significantly more sunlight than most places in the UK

📈 The county’s solar panel adoption rate is 7% higher than the national average

If you’re lucky enough to live in the midst of Kent’s sandy beaches and gorgeous Downs and you’re looking to cut your electricity bills, solar panels could be the best way forward.

From Edenbridge in the west to Broadstairs in the east, this county receives more sunlight than almost any other in the UK, which gives residents with solar panels a massive advantage.

In this guide, we’ll explain how much solar panels cost in Kent, which installers you can trust, how the area’s excellent weather affects savings, and which grants can help you cut the initial expense.

At Sunsave we install across the whole of Kent – so if you’re wondering how much you could save with a solar & battery system, enter a few details below and we’ll generate a quick estimate.

Thinking of getting solar panels? Discover the best installers in Kent based on our research, plus what grants are available and how much it costs.

Josh Jackman

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