How Many Havant Homes Have Solar Panels?The 2024 figures, and what a roof produces
Government statistics put Havant borough at 3,469 solar PV installations at the end of 2024 — 57% more than four years earlier, but the slowest growth of any neighbouring council. Here is what the figures show, and what a Havant roof is likely to produce and earn.
- 3,469 solar PV installations in Havant borough at the end of 2024, up from 2,205 in 2020 (DESNZ)
- Average size about 4.6 kW — overwhelmingly home systems
- Growth since 2020 is the slowest of Havant’s neighbouring authorities
- A 4 kW south-facing array in Havant models at 4,525 kWh a year (PVGIS)
- At Oct–Dec 2026 rates it is worth roughly £737–£932 a year, depending on self-use
What the Government Figures Say
The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) publishes renewable electricity statistics for every local authority. Its latest release, updated on 30 September 2025, counts solar PV installations to the end of 2024. For Havant borough the count is 3,469 installations with 16.1 MW of capacity. At the end of 2020 it was 2,205.
The capacity figure is the useful cross-check. Divide 16.1 MW by 3,469 and the average installation is about 4.6 kW — the size of a typical home array, not a solar farm. The growth in Havant is households.
| Year end | Solar PV installations, Havant borough | Added that year |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 2,205 | — |
| 2021 | 2,294 | +89 |
| 2022 | 2,758 | +464 |
| 2023 | 3,172 | +414 |
| 2024 | 3,469 | +297 |
Source: DESNZ, Renewable electricity by local authority, 2014 to 2024.
The steepest growth came in 2022, when 464 installations were added, and 2023, with 414. 2024 added 297.
How Havant Compares With Its Neighbours
Raw counts mostly reflect how big each council area is, so growth since 2020 is the fairer comparison. On that measure Havant has grown more slowly than every neighbouring authority in the table below. Its average installation is also among the smallest, which fits a borough where solar is mainly on homes rather than farms or commercial roofs.
| Local authority | End of 2020 | End of 2024 | Growth | Average size (2024) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Havant | 2,205 | 3,469 | +57% | 4.6 kW |
| Gosport | 1,183 | 2,013 | +70% | 3.8 kW |
| East Hampshire | 3,830 | 6,529 | +70% | 9.1 kW |
| New Forest | 3,824 | 6,541 | +71% | 11.5 kW |
| Portsmouth | 1,543 | 2,811 | +82% | 5.9 kW |
| Fareham | 2,089 | 3,819 | +83% | 9.2 kW |
| Winchester | 3,335 | 6,776 | +103% | 19.7 kW |
Source: DESNZ, Renewable electricity by local authority, 2014 to 2024. Average size = 2024 capacity divided by installations.
We do not have data that explains the gap, so we will not guess at it. What the figures do show is that plenty of Havant roofs that could carry panels still do not.
What a Havant Roof Actually Produces
For output we use PVGIS, the European Commission’s solar model, which draws on satellite irradiance records from 2005 to 2023. A 4 kW south-facing array at a 35° pitch in Havant models at 4,525 kWh a year. That compares with 4,484 kWh in Waterlooville, 4,454 kWh in Whiteley, 4,272 kWh in Lyndhurst and 4,178 kWh in Fordingbridge: the coast does a little better than inland Hampshire.
Roof direction matters more than location. On Hayling Island, next door, the same array facing east models about 23% lower over a year — our breakdown of solar output by roof direction has the full figures.
What It Costs and What It Is Worth
DESNZ also publishes what installations cost, from the MCS installation database. In the South East in 2025/26, systems up to 4 kW averaged £1,859 per kW of panels and 4–10 kW systems £1,721 per kW, including VAT where it applied. For a 4 kW array that is about £7,436. Installation in a home is zero-rated for VAT until 31 March 2027.
Its value depends on how much of the output you use. From 1 October to 31 December 2026 the price cap for electricity is 26.32p/kWh, with VAT removed from household electricity bills until 31 March 2027; Outgoing Octopus pays 12p/kWh for exports. Using 30% of 4,525 kWh at home and exporting the rest is worth about £737 a year; using 60% is worth about £932. That puts simple payback at roughly 8 to 10 years before any battery — and it moves every quarter with the price cap.
Planning Is Rarely the Barrier
Roof-mounted panels on a house are permitted development within the 0.2 m projection and roof-height limits, including in Havant’s 14 conservation areas, where only panels on a wall, balcony or roof enclosure fronting a highway are excluded. The exceptions are listed buildings, flat-roof arrays in a conservation area, and the Langstone Conservation Area, which has the borough’s only Article 4 direction.
If you are weighing up a system, our page for solar installers in Havant sets out the local planning detail, costs and how a survey works.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many homes in Havant have solar panels?
DESNZ counted 3,469 solar PV installations in Havant borough at the end of 2024, up from 2,205 at the end of 2020. With an average size of about 4.6 kW, nearly all are home systems.
Is Havant a good place for solar panels?
Yes. PVGIS models a 4 kW south-facing array in Havant at 4,525 kWh a year, slightly more than inland Hampshire — 4,272 kWh in Lyndhurst and 4,178 kWh in Fordingbridge.
How much do solar panels cost in Havant?
DESNZ data for the South East put the 2025/26 average at £1,859 per kW for systems up to 4 kW, about £7,436 for 4 kW, and £1,721 per kW for 4–10 kW. Your price depends on the roof, access and any battery.
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