Dorset
Solar panels in Shaftesbury, sized to your roof.
About 6,590 kWh a year from 12 panels in Shaftesbury, £6,360 installed, with your system designed on a free 30-minute video call.
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What a roof in Shaftesbury can generate
Shaftesbury's best month is May, at 126.2 kWh per kWp; December manages 36.6. Over the year that comes to 1,036 kWh per kWp, 5% below our Dorset county estimate.
Generation per kWp, month by month
Show the monthly figures
| Month | kWh/kWp |
|---|---|
| January | 40 |
| February | 54.3 |
| March | 92 |
| April | 118 |
| May | 126 |
| June | 122 |
| July | 126 |
| August | 112 |
| September | 97.5 |
| October | 65.2 |
| November | 46.8 |
| December | 36.6 |
Source: PVGIS v5.2 (European Commission JRC), SARAH3 database, 1 kWp, 14% system loss, 35 degree pitch, due south, checked September 2026.
For scale: 1,036 kWh per kWp in Shaftesbury against 925, our GB average (the mean of our 85 county PVGIS estimates), which puts Shaftesbury 12% above it.
How Shaftesbury compares
Small towns rarely get published solar figures, so here are the numbers for Shaftesbury. It is one of 15 Dorset towns we track, and it ranks 14th of 15 for solar yield, a town of 9,389 people in the House of Commons Library settlement data. PVGIS gives its roofs 1,036 kWh per kWp a year, 2.84 peak sun hours a day averaged across the seasons, and the standard 12 panel model turns that into £925 of year one benefit, £247 of it from your own generation and £678 from export at 12p.
Every figure here assumes a clear, south-facing roof at 35 degrees. Yours will differ, which is what the free design call is for; until then, the calculator below tests panels, batteries and export rates on Shaftesbury's own yield.
Shaftesbury sits within Dorset, its local planning authority, and the House of Commons Library classes it as a small town.
The charger is in the installed price but left out of payback: charging savings depend on your mileage and tariff, which the design call models properly.
Your real roof and usage, worked through on a free 30-minute video call. Use the full form or leave three details below.
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Three details. We call or text within one working day to book your free 30-minute design call, on video or by phone if you prefer.
Generation is modelled from PVGIS satellite data for Shaftesbury's own coordinates (51.00688, -2.19149), using the same 26.32p/kWh import value and £1,000 per kWp installed pricing as every Clearline estimate; the methodology is on our help page.
Connecting solar to the Shaftesbury network
On NESO's licence-area map, Shaftesbury is in Southern England, which Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN) operates. That makes SSEN the network operator for any system fitted here.
Below 3.68kW per phase of inverter and battery output, the G98 route applies: the installation is notified to SSEN within 28 days of commissioning, with no prior approval.
A bigger inverter or battery output needs a G99 application in advance. SSEN says it can take up to 45 working days to issue a quotation for a generation connection above 3.68kW per phase and up to 50kW.
Sources: NESO DNO licence areas (3 May 2024); SSEN, micro-generation connections page, checked 25 September 2026. G98 vs G99, explained.
Beyond the panels: heating and car charging in Shaftesbury
A heat pump in Shaftesbury
Solar and a heat pump pull in opposite directions through the year: Shaftesbury's roofs make 1,130 kWh from November to February on a 12-panel system, and 3,090 kWh from May to August. The heating season leans on the grid, so off-peak rates do the heavy lifting.
In England, the Boiler Upgrade Scheme pays £7,500 towards an air source or ground source heat pump and £2,500 towards an air-to-air one, with £1,500 more until March 2027 for homes heated by oil or LPG with no mains gas (gov.uk, checked 28 September 2026).
Charging an EV in Shaftesbury
A 12-panel roof in Shaftesbury makes about 800 kWh in May. A typical home uses around 70 kWh of that in daylight (the calculator's typical-use settings), which leaves most of the month's output for an EV or for export.
Renters and flat owners with private off-street parking can get 75% off a chargepoint and its installation, up to £500 per socket, until 31 March 2027 (gov.uk, checked 28 September 2026). The calculator above adds a 7.4kW smart charger from £1,100 installed.
Installed prices, the same in every town
Every system is designed around your roof on the free call before anything is fitted.
Solar panel servicing and repair in Shaftesbury
Guidance is nationwide, so the benchmarks hold in Shaftesbury: repair costs, service scope, and when the inverter is the real fault.
Common questions about solar in Shaftesbury
What could a roof in Shaftesbury generate?
PVGIS puts a roof in Shaftesbury at 1,036 kWh per kWp a year, 2.84 peak sun hours a day averaged across the seasons. A 12-panel, 6.36 kWp system makes about 6,590 kWh a year, most of it between April and September.
What would 12 solar panels cost in Shaftesbury?
£6,360 for 12 panels (6.36 kWp), the same as in every other place we cover, because solar is priced at £1,000 per kWp installed rather than by area. A battery adds its own installed price on top. Where Shaftesbury differs is output: about 6,590 kWh a year from that system.
Do I need permission from the DNO for solar in Shaftesbury?
Usually not in advance. SSEN, the network operator for Shaftesbury, only needs a G98 notification within 28 days of commissioning for systems up to 3.68kW per phase. Bigger inverter or battery outputs need G99 approval first. SSEN says it can take up to 45 working days to issue a quotation for a generation connection above 3.68kW per phase and up to 50kW. "See our DNO explainer.
How much would export pay on a system in Shaftesbury?
It is exported. With typical use and no battery, about 5,652 kWh of the 6,590 kWh a 12-panel system makes in Shaftesbury goes to the grid, around £678 a year at 12p. A battery keeps more of it for the evening; the export rates table shows what suppliers pay.
Do solar panels work in winter in Shaftesbury?
Yes, at a lower level. PVGIS gives Shaftesbury 36.6 kWh per kWp in December and 40 in January, so a 12-panel system makes about 230 kWh and 250 kWh in those months, against 800 kWh in May. Winter output mostly covers daytime use rather than exporting.
How Shaftesbury compares with its neighbours
How the towns nearest Shaftesbury compare on the same PVGIS settings, closest first.
| Town | kWh per kWp a year | vs Shaftesbury |
|---|---|---|
| Shaftesbury | 1,036 | this town |
| Gillingham (Dorset) | 1,035 | −1 kWh |
| Blandford Forum | 1,083 | +47 kWh |
| Warminster | 1,031 | −5 kWh |
| Sherborne | 1,043 | +7 kWh |
| Frome | 1,008 | −28 kWh |
| Verwood | 1,082 | +46 kWh |
Each row is a PVGIS v5.2 run at that town's centre with the same settings. Treat gaps of a few kWh as noise and gaps over about 30 kWh per kWp as real differences in sunshine.
Also for Shaftesbury: Solar panels in Shaftesbury from OVO Solar & Battery
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Reading for Shaftesbury homeowners
Sourced, dated and written by us. The same ground we cover on your free call.
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Read the guide →Get my free quote
Takes about two minutes. We call or text within one working day to book your free 30-minute video design call at a time that suits you. We design it around your roof and your numbers, and our MCS-certified, fully insured installation teams install it.