Solar panels in Herne Bay: getting the rear slope right on a north-facing coast

Last reviewed: 26 October 2026. Figures are estimates unless stated; method and sources are given beside each one.

Herne Bay looks north across the Thames Estuary. Homes on the seafront and on streets running parallel to it often have one roof slope facing the sea and the other facing south, away from it. That is good news for solar: the slope that faces south is usually the rear one, which is often the more acceptable place for panels too. This guide shows how much difference orientation makes here, and what the town's Article 4 direction means.

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Herne Bay yields: north versus south

PVGIS for 51.370, 1.128, 35° pitch:

Source: PVGIS

A north-facing 35° slope makes about half what the opposite slope does. Spending on panels for the sea-facing side rarely makes sense unless the roof is shallow. Labelled estimate: 4 kWp on the south slope ≈ 4,280 kWh a year; the same panels on the north slope ≈ 2,200 kWh.

Monthly, a south roof here peaks at about 130 kWh per kWp in July and falls to about 37 in December.

How these were calculated: the EU Joint Research Centre's PVGIS tool (v5.3, SARAH3), assuming 1 kWp of building-mounted panels at 35°, 14% system loss and the default terrain horizon. Treat them as typical-year estimates; your survey decides the real figure.

What would it cost?

• 3.5 kWp (around 8–9 panels, common on a terrace or bungalow slope): ≈ £6,500.
• 4 kWp (a typical semi): ≈ £7,400.
• 5 kWp (bigger detached roofs): ≈ £8,600.

How we priced it: system size multiplied by the government's regional average cost per kW for 2025/26 (South East; DESNZ) — £1,858.90 for systems to 4 kW and £1,721.49 for 4–10 kW. Batteries are not included. Treat as a planning figure, not a quote.

On storage, the Energy Saving Trust quotes roughly £1,500–£10,000 depending on capacity, and its storing-energy guide explains pairing a battery with a time-of-use tariff. Fit-and-supply by an installer is VAT-free to 31 March 2027 (HMRC 708/6).

Keeping the grid connection simple

The G98 route lets your installer notify UK Power Networks after installation, without applying first. It applies when the generating equipment is rated at no more than 16 A per phase, about 3.68 kW on a single-phase home (ENA G98 guide). The rating that counts is the inverter's output, so a 4 kWp array on a 3.68 kW inverter can often stay within G98. Bigger inverters, or a large battery inverter on top, usually mean a G99 application before work starts (UK Power Networks). Ask each installer which route their design needs.

Herne Bay planning: Article 4 and conservation areas

• Herne Bay Conservation Area: an Article 4 direction for dwelling houses was dated 19 December 1996 and confirmed on 30 September 1997 (planning.data.gov.uk). It withdraws named permitted development rights for houses in the area.
• Other conservation areas: Canterbury City Council's register also lists The Eddington, Herne Bay (registered 1989; record), Herne village, Herne Windmill and Reculver (Canterbury City Council).
• National limits: outside those controls, roof panels on an unlisted house are generally permitted development if they stay within 0.2 m of the slope and below the ridge. Listed homes, and conservation-area panels on highway-facing walls, balconies or roof enclosures, need consent (GPDO Part 14, Class A).
• Council guidance: it prefers rear or non-public slopes and non-reflective panels (heritage guidance). On a north-facing coast, the rear slope is usually the south-facing one anyway.

Same council, different emphasis: Canterbury (heritage city) and Whitstable (low-lying old town).

Finding an installer for Herne Bay

Our installer directory lists solar and battery firms by area. Shortlist a few, send your saved RoboMo™ project for comparable quotes, and confirm each firm’s MCS status on the MCS website.

Model it yourself

• RoboMo™ roof assessment: saves a free project.
• Roof-face console: compare each slope.
• Panel packer: see how many panels fit.
• Battery calculator.