How Many Solar Panels Do I Need For A 3–4 Bedroom UK Home?

Thinking about solar for a typical family home can feel confusing at first. How many panels do you really need? What will they produce in winter versus summer? And how do batteries and EV charging fit in? In this guide, we break it down using real UK consumption figures, common roof sizes, and practical examples from homes across Buckinghamshire, Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire and Oxfordshire.

Typical electricity use for 3–4 bedroom homes

Every household is different, but these annual figures are good planning anchors:

Typical 3 bedroom home: 2,800 to 3,600 kWh per year

Typical 4 bedroom home: 3,600 to 5,500 kWh per year

All electric homes with heat pumps: 6,000 to 10,000+ kWh per year

EV drivers: add 2,000 to 3,000 kWh per year per car, depending on mileage

If you have smart meter data or recent bills, use your own kWh annual total. It is the best guide to sizing.

How many panels is that in practice?

Modern high-performance modules, such as AIKO Neostar 2S or similar N-type panels, are typically 440 to 480 W each. A realistic rule of thumb:

• 4 kWp system: around 8 to 10 panels

• 6 kWp system: around 12 to 14 panels

• 8 kWp system: around 16 to 18 panels

On a typical UK roof in the Midlands and South, 1 kWp of PV generates roughly 850 to 1,000 kWh per year depending on orientation and shading. So:

• 4 kWp: about 3,400 to 4,000 kWh per year

• 6 kWp: about 5,100 to 6,000 kWh per year

• 8 kWp: about 6,800 to 8,000 kWh per year

This leads us to clear answers to the common questions:

• How many solar panels do I need for a 4 bedroom house? Often 12 to 16 panels, or around 5 to 7 kWp, depending on usage, roof space and shading.

• How many solar panels are needed to power a typical house? A typical family home usually falls between 10 and 14 panels, around 4 to 6 kWp.

• How many solar panels to run a house? It depends on your kWh and whether you have an EV or a heat pump. Most fall within the 4-8 kWp range.

• How many solar panels does it take to run a house? Plan for 10 to 18 panels with modern 440-480 W modules, then refine based on your data.

Roof size, orientation and shading

1. Space: Most three bed semis can host 10 to 14 panels on one or two aspects. Many four bed detached homes can host 14 to 20 panels across multiple roof faces.

2. Orientation: South is best, but east or west still performs well. A split east west array gives longer generation hours across the day, which helps self consumption.

3. Shading: Chimneys, dormers and trees reduce yield. This is where panel choice and design matter. We often specify AIKO Neostar 2S for tight roof spaces because higher wattage per panel delivers more power per square metre. Where localised shade is present on a few modules, Tigo TS4 optimisers can protect output from the affected panels without adding cost where it is not needed.

Seasonal output and expectations

Solar is seasonal in the UK. A 6 kWp array might produce:

• Summer peak days: 25 to 35 kWh on bright days

• Shoulder months: 10 to 20 kWh on mixed days

• Winter: 2 to 8 kWh on short, overcast days

Design for annual value and use batteries to smooth the daily pattern. If you plan winter self-sufficiency, you will oversize for summer and need a battery strategy to soak up surplus generation.

Batteries, self-consumption and payback

A battery helps you use more of your own generation. Without storage, a typical household self-consumes 30 to 50 per cent. With the right battery size and smart charging windows, many homes reach 60 to 85 per cent.

1. Small to medium homes: 5 to 10 kWh battery

2. Larger or electric heavy homes: 10 to 20+ kWh battery

Batteries also let you time shift on smart tariffs, charging overnight at low rates and discharging during peak times. If backup for essential circuits is important, we can design it into the system, provided it is supported by the chosen hardware.

Simple sizing scenarios

Here are three quick examples to help you frame your own system choice.

1. All-electric heat pump home

• Usage: 7,500 to 10,000+ kWh per year

• Suggested PV: 7 to 9 kWp, often 16 to 20 panels, south or split aspects

• Battery: 10 to 20 kWh to cover evening heating loads and tariff shifting

• Notes: Prioritise winter roof yield and inverter headroom. Consider Tigo on shaded modules. High-efficiency panels such as AIKO Neostar 2S help when the roof is tight.

2. Family charging an EV

• Usage: 4,500 to 7,500 kWh per year, depending on mileage

• Suggested PV: 5 to 7 kWp, 12 to 16 panels

• Battery: 9 to 12 kWh, plus solar smart EV charging for daytime surplus

• Notes: Configure solar first charging on a compatible charger. If you are near us and want guidance on the best charger for PV integration, we can help with options, including the Hypervolt EV Charger and Ohme EV charger.

3. Work from home household

• Usage: 3,500 to 5,500 kWh per year

• Suggested PV: 4 to 6 kWp, 10 to 14 panels

• Battery: 5 to 10 kWh

• Notes: East-west arrays work well because your daytime base load is higher. You will likely see strong self-consumption even with a modest battery.

Choosing high-performance panels

High efficiency, all black modules deliver more per square metre and look great. AIKO Neostar 2S panels are a strong choice when you want more output from fewer panels. Pair them with quality mounting hardware and tidy cable runs to keep your roofline clean and future maintenance simple.

When to add Tigo optimisers

We recommend optimisers only where they add value:

• Localised shading hits one or two panels

• Mixed roof aspects on the same string

• Complex layouts with obstacles or hips/valleys

In these cases, targeted Tigo TS4 units maintain string performance without fitting unnecessary devices to every panel.

Budgets and right sizing

Costs vary with roof complexity, scaffolding and hardware choices. To keep budgets balanced:

• Size PV to match your annual kWh, not just your roof space

• Add a battery that covers evening and early morning usage rather than chasing 100 percent self sufficiency

• Consider future proofing for an EV or heat pump with spare inverter capacity or conduit runs

Finance can help smooth the cost of a larger array or battery if payback is strong for your profile.

Local examples and next steps

Across our patch, it is common to see:

• 10 to 12 panel arrays with a 9.5 to 13.5 kWh battery for families

• 14 to 18 panel arrays with 16 to 24 kWh storage for EV or heat pump homes

• Split aspect arrays using east and west roofs to match daytime usage

If you are comparing options around Aylesbury or Milton Keynes, our team can help you weigh roof layout, shading and budgets with a free bespoke design and payback estimate. For local context, you can explore solar panels aylesbury or solar panels milton keynes to see how we work and what to expect.

Summary

Most 3- to 4-bedroom UK homes land between 4 and 8 kWp, roughly 10 to 18 modern panels, depending on usage, roof space, and shading. Expect strong summer output, modest winter yield, and much better year round savings with a well sized battery. Choose high efficiency panels such as AIKO Neostar 3S for compact roofs, and add Tigo optimisers only where shade justifies them.

Ready for numbers tailored to your home? We offer a free design, MCS-backed performance estimate and a clear payback projection, usually within 48 hours once we have your details. If you are nearby and want