Areas we cover — Kent, Dover and Beyond
Solar panels, storage & EV charging in Herne Bay
Herne Bay grew up as a seaside resort in the 1830s, and the landmarks of that era — the 1837 Clock Tower and the remains of a pier that was once England's second longest — still anchor its two-mile seafront on the Thames Estuary. This stretch of the north-east Kent coast is among the sunnier corners of Britain, with the Met Office's Manston station averaging around 1,846 hours of sunshine a year.
Herne Bay in numbers
The local picture.
Local context
What we know about Herne Bay.
Four in ten homes here are detached, so unshaded roof space is a genuine local asset. From Shepherdswell, around 19 miles away by road, Athena Solar & Electrical Solutions serves Kent, Dover and beyond with MCS, NAPIT and RECC accredited solar PV, battery storage, EV charger and heat pump installations. Call 01304 700765.
The Herne Bay built-up area recorded 27,033 residents in 12,083 households at the 2021 Census (aggregated from census output areas).
censusdata.uk40.2% of Herne Bay's homes are detached and a further 23.5% are semi-detached, with purpose-built flats at 13.8%, per Census 2021 accommodation-type data.
censusdata.ukHerne Bay faces north across the Thames Estuary with a two-mile shingle beach about six miles north of Canterbury, and the Neptune's Arm breakwater was built in the 1990s to shield the seafront from storm surge.
en.wikipedia.orgManston, the Met Office climate station on the same north-east Kent coast, averages 1,846 hours of sunshine a year (1991–2020), with July alone averaging around 243 hours.
metoffice.gov.ukThe seafront Clock Tower, built in 1837, is Grade II listed and believed to be one of the earliest purpose-built freestanding clock towers in the United Kingdom.
en.wikipedia.orgHerne Bay Pier was England's second-longest at 3,787 feet when completed in 1899; storms in 1978–79 destroyed the central section, leaving the pier head stranded offshore.
en.wikipedia.orgThe 12th-century twin towers of Reculver, built on the site of a Saxon Shore Roman fort, dominate the skyline east of Herne Bay and still serve as a navigation marker for shipping.
english-heritage.org.ukOther areas
More towns under the same sky.
Herne Bay questions
Solar, batteries and electricians in Herne Bay: your questions
Do you install solar panels and batteries in Herne Bay?
Yes. Herne Bay is about 19.1 road miles from our base in Shepherdswell, near Dover, and inside the area we cover: Kent, Dover and Beyond, across the CT, TN, ME, DA and BR postcodes. Every job starts with a free design visit, with no obligation.
Do I need planning permission for solar panels in Herne Bay?
Usually not: roof-mounted panels on most houses are permitted development. The exceptions are listed buildings, walls facing a road in a conservation area, and streets where Canterbury City Council has removed the right with an Article 4 direction, so check with Canterbury City Council if your home is one of those.
Who is the electricity network operator in Herne Bay?
UK Power Networks. Solar panels, home batteries, EV chargers and heat pumps in Herne Bay are all notified to it, and the installer does that for you. Larger solar and battery systems need its approval before they are connected, which the survey checks.
Do you do electrical work in Herne Bay too?
Yes. Our NAPIT-registered electricians cover Herne Bay for domestic and commercial work: EICRs, rewiring, consumer units and LED upgrades, as well as the wiring for solar, batteries and EV chargers.
Can you add a battery or EV charger to a home in Herne Bay that already has solar?
Yes. A battery stores daytime solar for the evening, and an EV charger can be set to use it. We install Sigenergy and Fox ESS storage, and the survey checks your existing system and fuse board first.
Start your design — tomorrow’s sun is free
The sun sets over Herne Bay. Your savings don’t.
Tell us about your roof and your evenings — we’ll design a solar + storage system around them.