# Solar Panels Rochester # Solar panels in Rochester: the Historic Rochester streets, Article 4 roofs and what to fit where *Last reviewed: 29 October 2026. Figures are estimates unless stated; method and sources are given beside each one.* In Rochester, planning is usually the deciding factor. The [Historic Rochester conservation area](https://www.planning.data.gov.uk/entity/44009809) was designated in January 1972. Medway Council has Article 4 directions on named streets in and around it, and their summary includes changes to roofs. Check the rules for your street before you look at panels and prices. ## Which streets are affected Medway Council's [Article 4 directions for dwellings](https://www.medway.gov.uk/info/200147/applying_for_planning_permission/553/article_4_directions/2) list, for the Historic Rochester conservation area, homes in Crow Lane, Eastgate Terrace, Love Lane, St Margaret's Street, The Precinct and George Lane. There are further directions for the New Road (Rochester), Star Hill and [Star Hill to Sun Pier](https://www.planning.data.gov.uk/entity/44009827) conservation areas, and for Watts Avenue and Roebuck Road. According to the council's summary, these directions remove permitted development for minor changes to elevations that face a highway or public footpath. That includes **"altering roofs (including roof coverings and chimneys)"**. The summary does not mention solar panels by name. Our reading is that a front-facing roof slope on one of these streets probably needs an application. Ask Medway Council in writing before you rely on that reading either way. Copies of the directions are on the council's [downloads page](https://www.medway.gov.uk/downloads/download/828/article_4_directions). Note the wording: "public footpath", not just "highway". A slope that faces a footpath or alley can count, even if it is not the street front. **The national baseline** ([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. Medway has [24 conservation areas](https://www.medway.gov.uk/info/200147/applying_for_planning_permission/129/conservation_areas_and_listed_buildings). Outside those Article 4 streets, a rear slope on a house in a conservation area is normally permitted development if it meets the limits above. Medway's Article 4 page also says flats, shops and offices have strict planning rules, and that in general planning permission is needed for minor changes to buildings in all conservation areas. Check with the council before planning panels on a flat. ## Rochester's homes Rochester East, Rochester West, Rochester South and Horsted wards (Census 2021, [Census 2021](https://www.nomisweb.co.uk/sources/census_2021)): - Terraced: 35.0% of households - Semi-detached: 31.0% - Flats: 21.3% - Detached: 12.2% - Owner-occupied: 64.2%; private rented: 19.7% *From [TS044](https://www.nomisweb.co.uk/datasets/c2021ts044) and [TS054](https://www.nomisweb.co.uk/datasets/c2021ts054); our ward totals.* ## What the roofs produce FacingkWh per kWp a year3 kWp4 kWpSouth1,018about 3,050about 4,070South-east960about 2,880about 3,840South-west957about 2,870about 3,830East810about 2,430about 3,240West805about 2,420about 3,220*Where these come from: [PVGIS](https://re.jrc.ec.europa.eu/pvg_tools/en/) release 5.3 with SARAH3 irradiance, 1 kWp on a roof at 35° with 14% losses and the local skyline. Treat them as a starting estimate before a survey.* At the town's point, PVGIS shows a skyline of about 1.9° to the south and a little over 3° to the north-west, so the river valley takes very little from a roof. Tall buildings and chimneys in the old streets are a bigger factor on a given roof, and PVGIS does not model them. **Check your Rochester roof in a few minutes.** RoboMo™ gives a modelled layout and output; keep it as a project for quoting. [Try RoboMo™](https://kilowatts.uk/services/residential/renewable-energy/residential-solar-panel-installation/compare/) [Compare quotes](https://kilowatts.uk/services/#get-quote-now) ## Estimated costs - 3 kWp on a rear terrace slope: about **£5,600** - 4 kWp on a semi: about **£7,400** - 6 kWp across two faces of a detached house: about **£10,300** *Estimate basis: [DESNZ solar PV cost data](https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/solar-pv-cost-data), South East, 2025/26 financial year, £1,858.90/kW (systems to 4 kW) or £1,721.49/kW (4–10 kW), times size, rounded. Batteries are priced separately below.* 0% VAT applies to residential solar and batteries until 31 March 2027 ([HMRC](https://www.gov.uk/guidance/vat-on-energy-saving-materials-and-heating-equipment-notice-7086)). The [Energy Saving Trust](https://energysavingtrust.org.uk/advice/battery-storage/) puts home batteries at about £1,500 to £10,000. A battery on its own also gets 0% VAT. Try the [battery calculator](https://kilowatts.uk/batteries/). ## If the front slope is ruled out - Use the rear slope, a hidden valley or an outrigger roof facing south-east to west. - Consider a battery on a time-of-use tariff even without panels. - Ask for pre-application advice, or apply for planning permission with a layout drawing. A RoboMo™ project gives you a starting layout. [Historic England](https://historicengland.org.uk/advice/technical-advice/building-services-engineering/installing-photovoltaics/consents-permissions/) explains how heritage consents for solar work, including listed building consent. ## Connection Under [G98](https://www.energynetworks.org/assets/images/Resource%20library/G98%20Single%20Premises%20Summary%20Guide.pdf), systems up to 16 A per phase are notified to UK Power Networks after fitting; above that, [G99](https://www.ukpowernetworks.co.uk/new-electricity-connections/distributed-energy-resources-der-generation) needs approval first. Then choose a [Smart Export Guarantee](https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/sites/default/files/docs/2020/02/seg%5Fgenerator%5Fguidance%5F-%5Ffinal%5Ffor%5Fpublication.pdf) tariff. ## From plan to installer in Rochester Save your RoboMo™ project, then use it to request [quotes](https://kilowatts.uk/services/#get-quote-now) or approach firms in the [directory](https://kilowatts.uk/electrical-companies/) directly. Ask how they will fix panels to your roof covering and whether scaffolding is priced in. ## Nearby - [Chatham](https://kilowatts.uk/services/residential/renewable-energy/residential-solar-panel-installation/kent/chatham/) next door, with steeper valley streets - [Maidstone](https://kilowatts.uk/services/residential/renewable-energy/residential-solar-panel-installation/kent/maidstone/) up the Medway · [Dartford](https://kilowatts.uk/services/residential/renewable-energy/residential-solar-panel-installation/kent/dartford/) to the west [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 Rochester ## 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 Rochester. [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/)[Battery Storage](/tags/battery-storage/)[Home Battery](/tags/home-battery/) ## Get solar quotes in Rochester Compare installers and prices for solar in Rochester. [Get solar quotes](/services/#get-quote-now) ## Sources - https://re.jrc.ec.europa.eu/pvg\_tools/en/ - https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/solar-pv-cost-data - https://energysavingtrust.org.uk/advice/battery-storage/ - 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 - https://www.gov.uk/guidance/vat-on-energy-saving-materials-and-heating-equipment-notice-7086 - https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/sites/default/files/docs/2020/02/seg%5Fgenerator%5Fguidance%5F-%5Ffinal%5Ffor%5Fpublication.pdf - https://www.energynetworks.org/assets/images/Resource%20library/G98%20Single%20Premises%20Summary%20Guide.pdf - https://www.ukpowernetworks.co.uk/new-electricity-connections/distributed-energy-resources-der-generation - https://historicengland.org.uk/advice/technical-advice/building-services-engineering/installing-photovoltaics/consents-permissions/ - https://www.nomisweb.co.uk/datasets/c2021ts054 - https://www.nomisweb.co.uk/datasets/c2021ts044 - https://www.nomisweb.co.uk/sources/census\_2021 - https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2026/896/contents/made - https://www.medway.gov.uk/info/200147/applying\_for\_planning\_permission/129/conservation\_areas\_and\_listed\_buildings - https://www.medway.gov.uk/info/200147/applying\_for\_planning\_permission/553/article\_4\_directions - https://www.medway.gov.uk/info/200147/applying\_for\_planning\_permission/553/article\_4\_directions/2 - https://www.medway.gov.uk/downloads/download/828/article\_4\_directions - https://www.planning.data.gov.uk/entity/44009809 - https://www.planning.data.gov.uk/entity/44009827 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 I need planning permission for solar panels in Historic Rochester? Possibly. On streets covered by Medway's Article 4 directions, such as Crow Lane, Love Lane and St Margaret's Street, roof alterations on elevations facing a highway or public footpath need permission. The council summary does not mention solar by name, so ask Medway Council first. Rear slopes away from the highway are usually less restricted. ### Which Rochester streets have an Article 4 direction? Medway Council lists Crow Lane, Eastgate Terrace, Love Lane, St Margaret's Street, The Precinct and George Lane in Historic Rochester. Other directions cover the New Road (Rochester), Star Hill and Star Hill to Sun Pier areas, and Watts Avenue and Roebuck Road. Check the council's list for house numbers. ### How much will solar panels generate in Rochester? Our PVGIS estimate is about 1,018 kWh per kWp a year facing south, or about 4,070 kWh for 4 kWp. East or west faces give about 805 to 810 kWh per kWp. ### What does a solar system cost in Rochester? We estimate about £5,600 for 3 kWp and about £7,400 for 4 kWp, using the DESNZ 2025/26 South East averages, before any battery. Quotes will vary. ### Can I put panels on a flat in a Rochester conservation area? Medway Council says flats have strict planning rules and that permission is generally needed for minor changes to buildings in conservation areas. You also need the freeholder's consent. Ask the council first.