Bournemouth gets around 950 kWh per kWp a year, more than almost anywhere on the mainland, and most of its housing was built before anyone thought about solar. The large Victorian and Edwardian houses in Westbourne, Boscombe and the East Cliff have steep slate roofs with plenty of south-facing pitch; the 1930s semis in Winton, Moordown and Southbourne have simpler hipped roofs that take a 3.5 kW system neatly; and the post-war estates in Kinson and West Howe are where a bungalow roof often fits more than the house needs.
A lot of Bournemouth lives in flats, and that changes the advice. A flat owner with a dedicated parking space can claim up to £500 towards an EV charger, and a block with a shared roof needs the freeholder on side before any solar goes up. We tell you which applies before anyone quotes.
Parts of the town centre and the East Cliff are conservation areas. Roof-mounted solar is still usually permitted development there, but we check with BCP Council before the survey, not after the scaffolding is booked.