Independent solar numbers for your postcode using official UK data
Home Regions Guides Compare quotes Solar assistant
Insights
Big Roof Britain Solar Payback Index Standing Charge Drag Roof Direction Penalty Winter Solar Reality Seasonal Solar Output

Solar panel cost in Cambridge (CB2)

See realistic solar installation costs, savings and payback for CB2 (Cambridge) in under a minute using official UK data. Start with the calculator, then get a no-obligation quote from an MCS-certified installer. You can also ask the SolarByPostcode assistant to sanity-check your roof, bills and plans.

Solar Calculator

Change the settings below to see how costs and savings work for your situation.

System Size

Roof Direction

Battery Storage

Export Value

Your Numbers

Break-even
10.9 years
After this, it's pure profit
Upfront Cost
£5,481
What you pay to get started
Annual Benefit
£503
What you save every year
Profit Over 25 Years
£7,096
After paying itself off, you're this much ahead

Ready to Get Started?

Get your free quote from Blue Ape Renewables. They'll connect you with MCS-certified installers in your area and handle all the paperwork.

Get Solar Quote →
4.8★ Trustpilot • Octopus Energy trusted partner • MCS certified • No obligation
How we calculate this

Solar generation: Based on typical south-facing roof at 35° angle. We account for weather, dirt, and system losses (14%).

How much you'll use directly:

  • Without battery: You'll use about 40% of what you generate. The rest gets sold back to the grid.
  • With 5 kWh battery: You'll use about 70% (battery stores extra for evening use).
  • With 10 kWh battery: You'll use about 75% (more storage means less exported).
  • Panel-only payback: The official cost per kW is lower above 4 kW, so a 5–6 kW system can pay back a little faster than a 3–4 kW system on otherwise identical assumptions.
  • Battery & payback: Batteries raise self-use and cut bills, but added hardware cost often lengthens break-even at typical UK rates.
  • When a battery can still make sense:
    • Evening-heavy usage patterns
    • Time-of-use tariffs / cheap night rates
    • Low export rate vs. high unit rate
    • Heat pump or EV charging synergy
    • Optional backup/resilience (system-dependent)
    • Lower evening-hour CO₂ vs. grid

Panel costs: Uses March 2026 TIC mean installation costs: £1,827/kW up to 4 kW and £1,628/kW above 4 kW.

Other costs: Battery prices are modelled at £700 per kWh. Export tariffs vary by supplier (usually 5–15p per kWh).

Grid connection: Systems up to about 3.7 kW typically need just a notification (G98). Larger systems may need permission (G99).

These are typical values based on average usage patterns. Your actual results will vary based on your roof, shading, and how you use electricity.

Your area in context

In Eastern, the current unit rate is 26.38p/kWh with a 53.94p/day standing charge. Your postcode’s south-facing sunshine yield is 1013 kWh/kW — 4 above the regional median (1009).

Read the full story

A typical roof here lands around 3.0 kW, with most eligible homes comfortably fitting within 3–6 kW. Each kilowatt of panels produces roughly 1013 kWh per year on a south-facing roof. We value self-used electricity at 26.4p and exported surplus at a baseline 10p via SEG. Use the calculator above for your exact tariff.

Unit rate
26.4p/kWh
Standing charge
53.9p/day
Sunshine yield (south)
1013 kWh/kW
Export price (baseline)
10p/kWh

Browse the scenarios below. Each battery size has its own expand — open the one that matches your plan (or just explore). For each system size (2–8 kW) we show annual output, how much you use directly, what gets exported, annual benefit, upfront cost, break-even, and a 20-year net. Negative numbers are possible — that’s the honest trade-off when adding more battery than your usage profile justifies.

No battery 5 kW example → Annual benefit: £838, Upfront: £9,134, Break-even: 10.9 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2026 kWh 810 kWh 1216 kWh £214 £122 £335 £3,654 10.9 yrs £3,054
3 kW 3039 kWh 1216 kWh 1824 kWh £321 £182 £503 £5,481 10.9 yrs £4,581
4 kW 4052 kWh 1621 kWh 2431 kWh £428 £243 £671 £7,307 10.9 yrs £6,108
5 kW 5066 kWh 2026 kWh 3039 kWh £535 £304 £838 £9,134 10.9 yrs £7,635
6 kW 6079 kWh 2431 kWh 3647 kWh £641 £365 £1,006 £10,961 10.9 yrs £9,162
7 kW 7092 kWh 2837 kWh 4255 kWh £748 £426 £1,174 £12,788 10.9 yrs £10,688
8 kW 8105 kWh 3242 kWh 4863 kWh £855 £486 £1,342 £14,615 10.9 yrs £12,215

Assumptions: south-facing, sensible tilt; self-use shares from site rules; export at 10p baseline. Costs: panels £/kW = 1,827, battery £/kWh = 700.

3 kWh battery 5 kW example → Annual benefit: £1,004, Upfront: £11,234, Break-even: 11.2 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2026 kWh 1216 kWh 810 kWh £321 £81 £402 £5,754 14.3 yrs £2,281
3 kW 3039 kWh 1824 kWh 1216 kWh £481 £122 £603 £7,581 12.6 yrs £4,472
4 kW 4052 kWh 2431 kWh 1621 kWh £641 £162 £804 £9,407 11.7 yrs £6,663
5 kW 5066 kWh 3039 kWh 2026 kWh £802 £203 £1,004 £11,234 11.2 yrs £8,854
6 kW 6079 kWh 3647 kWh 2431 kWh £962 £243 £1,205 £13,061 10.8 yrs £11,044
7 kW 7092 kWh 4255 kWh 2837 kWh £1,122 £284 £1,406 £14,888 10.6 yrs £13,235
8 kW 8105 kWh 4863 kWh 3242 kWh £1,283 £324 £1,607 £16,715 10.4 yrs £15,426

Assumptions: south-facing, sensible tilt; self-use shares from site rules; export at 10p baseline. Costs: panels £/kW = 1,827, battery £/kWh = 700.

5 kWh battery 5 kW example → Annual benefit: £1,087, Upfront: £12,634, Break-even: 11.6 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2026 kWh 1418 kWh 608 kWh £374 £61 £435 £7,154 16.4 yrs £1,545
3 kW 3039 kWh 2128 kWh 912 kWh £561 £91 £652 £8,981 13.8 yrs £4,068
4 kW 4052 kWh 2837 kWh 1216 kWh £748 £122 £870 £10,807 12.4 yrs £6,590
5 kW 5066 kWh 3546 kWh 1520 kWh £935 £152 £1,087 £12,634 11.6 yrs £9,113
6 kW 6079 kWh 4255 kWh 1824 kWh £1,122 £182 £1,305 £14,461 11.1 yrs £11,636
7 kW 7092 kWh 4964 kWh 2128 kWh £1,310 £213 £1,522 £16,288 10.7 yrs £14,158
8 kW 8105 kWh 5673 kWh 2431 kWh £1,497 £243 £1,740 £18,115 10.4 yrs £16,681

Assumptions: south-facing, sensible tilt; self-use shares from site rules; export at 10p baseline. Costs: panels £/kW = 1,827, battery £/kWh = 700.

7.5 kWh battery 5 kW example → Annual benefit: £1,112, Upfront: £14,384, Break-even: 12.9 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2026 kWh 1479 kWh 547 kWh £390 £55 £445 £8,904 20.0 yrs £-6
3 kW 3039 kWh 2219 kWh 821 kWh £585 £82 £667 £10,731 16.1 yrs £2,617
4 kW 4052 kWh 2958 kWh 1094 kWh £780 £109 £890 £12,557 14.1 yrs £5,239
5 kW 5066 kWh 3698 kWh 1368 kWh £975 £137 £1,112 £14,384 12.9 yrs £7,861
6 kW 6079 kWh 4437 kWh 1641 kWh £1,171 £164 £1,335 £16,211 12.1 yrs £10,483
7 kW 7092 kWh 5177 kWh 1915 kWh £1,366 £191 £1,557 £18,038 11.6 yrs £13,105
8 kW 8105 kWh 5917 kWh 2188 kWh £1,561 £219 £1,780 £19,865 11.2 yrs £15,727

Assumptions: south-facing, sensible tilt; self-use shares from site rules; export at 10p baseline. Costs: panels £/kW = 1,827, battery £/kWh = 700.

10 kWh battery 5 kW example → Annual benefit: £1,129, Upfront: £16,134, Break-even: 14.3 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2026 kWh 1520 kWh 507 kWh £401 £51 £452 £10,654 23.6 yrs £-1,623
3 kW 3039 kWh 2279 kWh 760 kWh £601 £76 £677 £12,481 18.4 yrs £1,066
4 kW 4052 kWh 3039 kWh 1013 kWh £802 £101 £903 £14,307 15.8 yrs £3,754
5 kW 5066 kWh 3799 kWh 1266 kWh £1,002 £127 £1,129 £16,134 14.3 yrs £6,443
6 kW 6079 kWh 4559 kWh 1520 kWh £1,203 £152 £1,355 £17,961 13.3 yrs £9,131
7 kW 7092 kWh 5319 kWh 1773 kWh £1,403 £177 £1,580 £19,788 12.5 yrs £11,820
8 kW 8105 kWh 6079 kWh 2026 kWh £1,604 £203 £1,806 £21,615 12.0 yrs £14,508

Assumptions: south-facing, sensible tilt; self-use shares from site rules; export at 10p baseline. Costs: panels £/kW = 1,827, battery £/kWh = 700.

13.5 kWh battery 5 kW example → Annual benefit: £1,145, Upfront: £18,584, Break-even: 16.2 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2026 kWh 1560 kWh 466 kWh £412 £47 £458 £13,104 28.6 yrs £-3,940
3 kW 3039 kWh 2340 kWh 699 kWh £617 £70 £687 £14,931 21.7 yrs £-1,185
4 kW 4052 kWh 3120 kWh 932 kWh £823 £93 £916 £16,757 18.3 yrs £1,570
5 kW 5066 kWh 3900 kWh 1165 kWh £1,029 £117 £1,145 £18,584 16.2 yrs £4,325
6 kW 6079 kWh 4681 kWh 1398 kWh £1,235 £140 £1,375 £20,411 14.8 yrs £7,080
7 kW 7092 kWh 5461 kWh 1631 kWh £1,441 £163 £1,604 £22,238 13.9 yrs £9,834
8 kW 8105 kWh 6241 kWh 1864 kWh £1,646 £186 £1,833 £24,065 13.1 yrs £12,589

Assumptions: south-facing, sensible tilt; self-use shares from site rules; export at 10p baseline. Costs: panels £/kW = 1,827, battery £/kWh = 700.

Figures are illustrative and use the same method as the calculator above. For exact results, adjust your roof direction, tariff, and usage in the calculator.

Before you request quotes in Cambridge

Use the numbers above to sanity-check installer quotes. The main things to compare are system size, battery assumptions, payback claims, MCS certification, DNO paperwork and export assumptions.

Compare solar quotes before you sign

Check what MCS certification means

Understand DNO, G98 and G99 export limits

New quote check

Want a quote sanity check for CB2?

Share the first part of your postcode and a few basics. We’ll help you check whether system size, battery, export and paperwork assumptions look sensible before you commit to installer conversations.

This is a practical sanity-check request, not an instant quote promise. The Blue Ape quote route above remains available if you already want installer introductions.

Request a quote sanity check →

Insights for CB2

Figures below are tailored to CB2 — click through for full league tables.

Big-Roof Britain Rank #1485 of 2182
4.7 kWp (UK avg 5.1 kWp)
~10 panels (≈430 W)
Solar Payback Index Rank #424 of 2996
9.7 years (UK avg 10.8 years)
~£1,006 /yr • £9,767 upfront
Standing-Charge Drag Rank #410 of 2996
19.6% (UK avg 26.6%) drag on savings
£197 fixed • ~£1,006 /yr value
Aspect Penalty View ranking →
East −22.6% West −20.2%
Typical output loss versus a south-facing roof (lower is better)

Seasonal solar output in CB2

Monthly generation per kilowatt of solar panels

kWh 40 Jan 54 Feb 86 Mar 114 Apr 120 May 121 Jun 121 Jul 110 Aug 96 Sep 69 Oct 48 Nov 35 Dec
Best month Worst month Winter (Dec–Feb) Other months

Winter output: 50.7% of an average month (Dec–Feb)

Best / worst month: Jul / Dec

These figures show output per kilowatt (kW) of panels installed. In winter, a 1 kW system here produces about 43 kWh per month; the average month produces around 84 kWh. So a typical 4 kW home system would generate roughly 171 kWh in winter, or 338 kWh in an average month.

Your Area at a Glance

Your Electricity Rate
26.38p/kWh
Daily Fixed Charge
53.94p/day
Local Sunshine
1013kWh/kW
A 1 kW system generates ~1013 kWh per year. A typical home uses ~2,700 kWh per year.
Typical System Size
3.0kW
For houses & bungalows in this area

⚠️ This area is predominantly flats. Many residents require freeholder approval for solar installations. System size shown reflects houses and bungalows only.

Local Property Data

Property Types

Houses: 43% • Flats: 52% • Bungalows: 1% Based on 7,030 properties

Coverage

Cambridge (68%)|South Cambridgeshire (32%)

Areas Covered

Market, Trumpington, Abbey, Shelford, Queen Edith's, Sawston, Petersfield, Duxford + 4 more

Data Sources & Assumptions

Solar yield: PVGIS (EU Joint Research Centre), January 2025 data

Electricity rates: Ofgem price cap, Q3 2026

Installation costs: DESNZ/MCS data, March 2026 (TIC)

Property data: EPC open data (Open Government Licence), aggregated

All estimates are typical values. Actual results vary based on your specific situation, roof characteristics, and usage patterns.

Compare nearby areas

Nearby in Eastern

CB1 (Cambridge)
≈2.2 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,013 kWh/kWp · +0% vs CB2
CB5 (Cambridge)
≈5.4 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,009 kWh/kWp · -0% vs CB2
CB22 (South Cambridgeshire)
≈5.7 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,015 kWh/kWp · +0% vs CB2
CB4 (South Cambridgeshire)
≈6.0 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,010 kWh/kWp · -0% vs CB2
CB3 (South Cambridgeshire)
≈6.2 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,010 kWh/kWp · -0% vs CB2
CB23 (South Cambridgeshire)
≈11.6 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,015 kWh/kWp · +0% vs CB2

Similar sunshine across the UK

SP6 (New Forest)
~1,013 kWh/kWp · -0% vs CB2
PL28 (Cornwall)
~1,013 kWh/kWp · +0% vs CB2
TR16 (Cornwall)
~1,013 kWh/kWp · -0% vs CB2