# Solar Panels Chatham # Solar panels in Chatham: hillside terraces, a valley skyline and Brompton’s Article 4 streets *Last reviewed: 29 October 2026. Figures are estimates unless stated; method and sources are given beside each one.* Chatham's streets climb the valley sides above the town centre. That gives the town a different solar profile from flat Kent towns. At the centre point we modelled, PVGIS shows the hills rising about 5.7° above the horizon due south. That is low, but in midwinter the sun only reaches about 15° at noon this far north, so the hills cut into short December days. ## What the valley does to output ChathamRochester (for comparison)South-facing kWh per kWp a year1,0161,018December, kWh per kWp34.335.7July, kWh per kWp124.9124.9Terrain skyline due south5.7°1.9°*Method: we queried the [PVGIS](https://re.jrc.ec.europa.eu/pvg_tools/en/) v5.3 PVcalc service for a roof-mounted 1 kWp array (35° pitch, 14% loss, horizon on, SARAH3) at the town's map point. Scale by system size; nearby trees and chimneys are not modelled.* Over a year the difference is tiny, about 0.2%, because summer sun is high above the hills. December output is about 4% lower. In practice, the slope of your own street matters more. A home on a north-facing hillside, with houses higher up behind it, can lose more winter sun than the model shows. A home near the top of a south-facing slope may lose none. Other directions at the same point: south-east 960, south-west 954, east 809 and west 802 kWh per kWp a year. Morning sun is slightly stronger here than evening sun, because the skyline is a little higher to the west. **For battery planning,** expect about 137 kWh from a 4 kWp south array in December and about 500 kWh in July. A battery helps you use summer output in the evening. In winter, a cheap overnight tariff will do more. **Want a layout drawn on your own Chatham roof?** RoboMo™ maps it from a pin and saves a free project you can share with installers. [Start RoboMo™ free](https://kilowatts.uk/services/residential/renewable-energy/residential-solar-panel-installation/compare/) [Get installer quotes](https://kilowatts.uk/services/#get-quote-now) ## Terraces and rented homes Chatham Central, and Luton and Wayfield wards (Census 2021, [Census 2021](https://www.nomisweb.co.uk/sources/census_2021)): Home typeShareTenureShareTerraced49.5%Owner-occupied47.6%Semi-detached24.5%Private rented29.9%Flats20.7%Social rented21.5%Detached5.3%*[TS044](https://www.nomisweb.co.uk/datasets/c2021ts044) and [TS054](https://www.nomisweb.co.uk/datasets/c2021ts054); ward sums by us.* Half the homes are terraced, so the rear slope of a terrace is the usual roof, typically 2 to 3 kWp. Almost a third of households rent privately; if you rent, the landlord has to agree in writing. **For landlords:** Medway Council has made a houses in multiple occupation Article 4 direction ([council page](https://www.medway.gov.uk/info/200147/applying_for_planning_permission/553/article_4_directions)). It covers wards including [Chatham Central and Brompton](https://www.planning.data.gov.uk/entity/7010009781), Luton and Fort Pitt. It controls changing a family house into a small shared house, not solar panels. Adding panels does not change a property's use. ## Estimated costs for Chatham homes SystemEstimate2 kWp, small terrace slopeabout £3,7003 kWp, wider terrace or semiabout £5,6004 kWpabout £7,400*Estimated using government averages for the South East in 2025/26 ([DESNZ](https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/solar-pv-cost-data): £1,858.90 a kW to 4 kW; £1,721.49 a kW from 4 to 10 kW). Panels and inverter only; quotes after a survey will differ.* Batteries: about £1,500 to £10,000 depending on capacity ([Energy Saving Trust](https://energysavingtrust.org.uk/advice/battery-storage/)). Solar and batteries are zero-rated for VAT until 31 March 2027 ([HMRC](https://www.gov.uk/guidance/vat-on-energy-saving-materials-and-heating-equipment-notice-7086)). See our [battery calculator](https://kilowatts.uk/batteries/). ## Brompton, New Road and Maidstone Road Medway Council's [Article 4 directions for dwellings](https://www.medway.gov.uk/info/200147/applying_for_planning_permission/553/article_4_directions/2) cover several Chatham areas: - **[Brompton Lines](https://www.planning.data.gov.uk/entity/44009805)** (conservation area from 1981): properties in Mill Road, Saunders Street, St Georges Road, Trinity Road and Marlborough Road. - **[New Road, Chatham](https://www.planning.data.gov.uk/entity/44009825)** (1972): listed house numbers along New Road. - **[Maidstone Road, Chatham](https://www.planning.data.gov.uk/entity/44009814)** (2005): 29 to 79 (odd) and 90 to 132 (even). These directions remove permitted development for minor changes to elevations facing a highway or public footpath, including roof alterations. Solar is not named in the council's summary, so check with Medway Council before fitting panels on a front slope. The [Chatham Historic Dockyard](https://www.planning.data.gov.uk/entity/44009823) conservation area is mainly non-residential. Outside those streets, the **national rules** apply ([GPDO Part 14, Class A](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2015/596/schedule/2/part/14/crossheading/class-a-installation-or-alteration-etc-of-solar-equipment-on-domestic-premises), as amended by [SI 2026/896](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2026/896/contents/made) from 27 August 2026): in a conservation area, panels on a *wall, balcony or roof enclosure* fronting a highway are not permitted development. Elsewhere on a house, pitched-roof panels must stay within 0.2 m of the slope and below the ridge, and panels on a wall, balcony or roof enclosure may project up to 0.4 m, or 0.2 m where it abuts a highway. Listed buildings are excluded. ## Grid and export A 2 to 3 kWp array stays within [G98](https://www.energynetworks.org/assets/images/Resource%20library/G98%20Single%20Premises%20Summary%20Guide.pdf), so the installer tells UK Power Networks after fitting. Larger systems use [G99](https://www.ukpowernetworks.co.uk/new-electricity-connections/distributed-energy-resources-der-generation). Sign up for a [Smart Export Guarantee](https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/sites/default/files/docs/2020/02/seg%5Fgenerator%5Fguidance%5F-%5Ffinal%5Ffor%5Fpublication.pdf) tariff for exports. ## Comparing installers in Chatham Use the [directory](https://kilowatts.uk/electrical-companies/) to see which businesses work in your area, or send one request through our [quote form](https://kilowatts.uk/services/#get-quote-now). Ask each firm for a roof plan, an output estimate, the inverter make and who files the grid notification. ## Related guides - [Rochester](https://kilowatts.uk/services/residential/renewable-energy/residential-solar-panel-installation/kent/rochester/) for the Historic Rochester Article 4 streets - [Sittingbourne](https://kilowatts.uk/services/residential/renewable-energy/residential-solar-panel-installation/kent/sittingbourne/) · [Maidstone](https://kilowatts.uk/services/residential/renewable-energy/residential-solar-panel-installation/kent/maidstone/) - Map your own roof with [RoboMo™](https://kilowatts.uk/services/residential/renewable-energy/residential-solar-panel-installation/compare/) [Compare solar quotes Start your solar assessment ](/services/residential/renewable-energy/residential-solar-panel-installation/compare/)[Free consultation](/booking/) [Battery ROI calculator](/batteries/) Local context ## What matters in Chatham ## Compare solar panels for your property Use the property's postcode and building details for a more useful starting point than a generic local average. [Start your solar assessment](/services/residential/renewable-energy/residential-solar-panel-installation/compare/) ## Related solar topics Explore useful topics connected with solar in Chatham. [Kent Renewable Energy](/tags/kent-renewable-energy/)[Panel Efficiency](/tags/panel-efficiency/)[Solar Panel Efficiency](/tags/solar-panel-efficiency/)[Solar Panel Efficiency Uk](/tags/solar-panel-efficiency-uk/)[Solar Panel Output](/tags/solar-panel-output/)[Battery Storage](/tags/battery-storage/) ## Get solar quotes in Chatham Compare installers and prices for solar in Chatham. [Get solar quotes](/services/#get-quote-now) Solar panels ## Residential solar panels [![AIKO Neostar 3S54 A495-MCE54Mb 495W](/images/panels/aiko-neostar-3s54-a495-mce54mb-495w.jpg) 495WAIKO Neostar 3S54 A495-MCE54Mb 495W AIKO Solar AIKO Solar · 495W View details](/services/residential/renewable-energy/residential-solar-panel-installation/solar-panels/aiko-neostar-3s54-a495-mce54mb-495w/)[![UKSOL UKS-S108-M10N-R 460W](/images/panels/uksol-uks-s108-m10n-r-460.jpg) 460WUKSOL UKS-S108-M10N-R 460W UKSOL UKSOL · 460W View details](/services/residential/renewable-energy/residential-solar-panel-installation/solar-panels/uksol-uks-s108-m10n-r-460/)[![DMEGC Solar DM460M10RT-B54HBB](/images/panels_resolved/dmegc-solar-dm460m10rt-b54hbb/320.webp) 460WDMEGC Solar DM460M10RT-B54HBB DMEGC Solar DMEGC Solar · 460W View details](/services/residential/renewable-energy/residential-solar-panel-installation/solar-panels/dmegc-solar-dm460m10rt-b54hbb/) ## Frequently Asked Questions ### Do Chatham's hills reduce solar output? Slightly. At the town-centre point PVGIS shows the skyline about 5.7° high to the south, which cuts December output by about 4% compared with Rochester. The yearly figure, about 1,016 kWh per kWp facing south, is almost the same. Your own street's slope matters more. ### Do I need planning permission for solar panels in Brompton? On the Brompton Article 4 streets (Mill Road, Saunders Street, St Georges Road, Trinity Road, Marlborough Road), roof alterations on elevations facing a highway or footpath need permission. The council summary does not name solar, so ask Medway Council first. ### Does the HMO Article 4 direction affect solar panels in Chatham? No. It controls changing a house into a small house in multiple occupation. Solar panels do not change a property's use. ### How much does solar cost on a Chatham terrace? About £3,700 for 2 kWp or £5,600 for 3 kWp by our estimate, using the DESNZ 2025/26 South East average of £1,858.90 per kW. No battery is included. ### Can I get solar panels if I rent in Chatham? Only with the landlord's written agreement. About 30% of households in Chatham Central and Luton and Wayfield rent privately (Census 2021).