Solar panel cost in Basildon (CM11)

See realistic solar installation costs, savings and payback for CM11 (Basildon) 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

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System Size

Roof Direction

Battery Storage

Export Value

Your Numbers

Break-even
9.5 years
After this, it's pure profit
Upfront Cost
£9,767
What you pay to get started
Annual Benefit
£1,026
What you save every year
Profit Over 25 Years
£15,890
After paying itself off, you're this much ahead

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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

Read the full story

A typical roof here lands around 6.0 kW, with most eligible homes comfortably fitting within 3–6 kW. Each kilowatt of panels produces roughly 1033 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)
1033 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: £855, Upfront: £8,139, Break-even: 9.5 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2067 kWh 827 kWh 1240 kWh £218 £124 £342 £3,256 9.5 yrs £3,586
3 kW 3100 kWh 1240 kWh 1860 kWh £327 £186 £513 £4,883 9.5 yrs £5,379
4 kW 4133 kWh 1653 kWh 2480 kWh £436 £248 £684 £6,511 9.5 yrs £7,172
5 kW 5167 kWh 2067 kWh 3100 kWh £545 £310 £855 £8,139 9.5 yrs £8,966
6 kW 6200 kWh 2480 kWh 3720 kWh £654 £372 £1,026 £9,767 9.5 yrs £10,759
7 kW 7234 kWh 2893 kWh 4340 kWh £763 £434 £1,197 £11,394 9.5 yrs £12,552
8 kW 8267 kWh 3307 kWh 4960 kWh £872 £496 £1,368 £13,022 9.5 yrs £14,345

Assumptions: south-facing, sensible tilt; self-use shares from site rules; export at 10p baseline. Costs: panels £/kW = 1,628, battery £/kWh = 700.

3 kWh battery 5 kW example → Annual benefit: £1,024, Upfront: £10,239, Break-even: 10.0 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2067 kWh 1240 kWh 827 kWh £327 £83 £410 £5,356 13.1 yrs £2,840
3 kW 3100 kWh 1860 kWh 1240 kWh £491 £124 £615 £6,983 11.4 yrs £5,311
4 kW 4133 kWh 2480 kWh 1653 kWh £654 £165 £820 £8,611 10.5 yrs £7,781
5 kW 5167 kWh 3100 kWh 2067 kWh £818 £207 £1,024 £10,239 10.0 yrs £10,251
6 kW 6200 kWh 3720 kWh 2480 kWh £981 £248 £1,229 £11,867 9.7 yrs £12,721
7 kW 7234 kWh 4340 kWh 2893 kWh £1,145 £289 £1,434 £13,494 9.4 yrs £15,191
8 kW 8267 kWh 4960 kWh 3307 kWh £1,308 £331 £1,639 £15,122 9.2 yrs £17,661

Assumptions: south-facing, sensible tilt; self-use shares from site rules; export at 10p baseline. Costs: panels £/kW = 1,628, battery £/kWh = 700.

5 kWh battery 5 kW example → Annual benefit: £1,109, Upfront: £11,639, Break-even: 10.5 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2067 kWh 1447 kWh 620 kWh £382 £62 £444 £6,756 15.2 yrs £2,117
3 kW 3100 kWh 2170 kWh 930 kWh £572 £93 £665 £8,383 12.6 yrs £4,926
4 kW 4133 kWh 2893 kWh 1240 kWh £763 £124 £887 £10,011 11.3 yrs £7,735
5 kW 5167 kWh 3617 kWh 1550 kWh £954 £155 £1,109 £11,639 10.5 yrs £10,544
6 kW 6200 kWh 4340 kWh 1860 kWh £1,145 £186 £1,331 £13,267 10.0 yrs £13,352
7 kW 7234 kWh 5064 kWh 2170 kWh £1,336 £217 £1,553 £14,894 9.6 yrs £16,161
8 kW 8267 kWh 5787 kWh 2480 kWh £1,527 £248 £1,775 £16,522 9.3 yrs £18,970

Assumptions: south-facing, sensible tilt; self-use shares from site rules; export at 10p baseline. Costs: panels £/kW = 1,628, battery £/kWh = 700.

7.5 kWh battery 5 kW example → Annual benefit: £1,135, Upfront: £13,389, Break-even: 11.8 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2067 kWh 1509 kWh 558 kWh £398 £56 £454 £8,506 18.7 yrs £571
3 kW 3100 kWh 2263 kWh 837 kWh £597 £84 £681 £10,133 14.9 yrs £3,481
4 kW 4133 kWh 3017 kWh 1116 kWh £796 £112 £908 £11,761 13.0 yrs £6,391
5 kW 5167 kWh 3772 kWh 1395 kWh £995 £140 £1,135 £13,389 11.8 yrs £9,301
6 kW 6200 kWh 4526 kWh 1674 kWh £1,194 £167 £1,361 £15,017 11.0 yrs £12,212
7 kW 7234 kWh 5281 kWh 1953 kWh £1,393 £195 £1,588 £16,644 10.5 yrs £15,122
8 kW 8267 kWh 6035 kWh 2232 kWh £1,592 £223 £1,815 £18,272 10.1 yrs £18,032

Assumptions: south-facing, sensible tilt; self-use shares from site rules; export at 10p baseline. Costs: panels £/kW = 1,628, battery £/kWh = 700.

10 kWh battery 5 kW example → Annual benefit: £1,151, Upfront: £15,139, Break-even: 13.1 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2067 kWh 1550 kWh 517 kWh £409 £52 £461 £10,256 22.3 yrs £-1,044
3 kW 3100 kWh 2325 kWh 775 kWh £613 £78 £691 £11,883 17.2 yrs £1,934
4 kW 4133 kWh 3100 kWh 1033 kWh £818 £103 £921 £13,511 14.7 yrs £4,912
5 kW 5167 kWh 3875 kWh 1292 kWh £1,022 £129 £1,151 £15,139 13.1 yrs £7,890
6 kW 6200 kWh 4650 kWh 1550 kWh £1,227 £155 £1,382 £16,767 12.1 yrs £10,868
7 kW 7234 kWh 5425 kWh 1808 kWh £1,431 £181 £1,612 £18,394 11.4 yrs £13,846
8 kW 8267 kWh 6200 kWh 2067 kWh £1,636 £207 £1,842 £20,022 10.9 yrs £16,824

Assumptions: south-facing, sensible tilt; self-use shares from site rules; export at 10p baseline. Costs: panels £/kW = 1,628, battery £/kWh = 700.

13.5 kWh battery 5 kW example → Annual benefit: £1,168, Upfront: £17,589, Break-even: 15.1 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2067 kWh 1591 kWh 475 kWh £420 £48 £467 £12,706 27.2 yrs £-3,359
3 kW 3100 kWh 2387 kWh 713 kWh £630 £71 £701 £14,333 20.4 yrs £-313
4 kW 4133 kWh 3183 kWh 951 kWh £840 £95 £935 £15,961 17.1 yrs £2,733
5 kW 5167 kWh 3978 kWh 1188 kWh £1,050 £119 £1,168 £17,589 15.1 yrs £5,778
6 kW 6200 kWh 4774 kWh 1426 kWh £1,259 £143 £1,402 £19,217 13.7 yrs £8,824
7 kW 7234 kWh 5570 kWh 1664 kWh £1,469 £166 £1,636 £20,844 12.7 yrs £11,870
8 kW 8267 kWh 6366 kWh 1901 kWh £1,679 £190 £1,869 £22,472 12.0 yrs £14,915

Assumptions: south-facing, sensible tilt; self-use shares from site rules; export at 10p baseline. Costs: panels £/kW = 1,628, 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 Basildon

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.

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Seasonal solar output in CM11

Monthly generation per kilowatt of solar panels

kWh 40 Jan 54 Feb 87 Mar 116 Apr 122 May 125 Jun 124 Jul 113 Aug 97 Sep 69 Oct 50 Nov 36 Dec
Best month Worst month Winter (Dec–Feb) Other months

Winter output: 50.5% of an average month (Dec–Feb)

Best / worst month: Jun / 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 86 kWh. So a typical 4 kW home system would generate roughly 174 kWh in winter, or 344 kWh in an average month.

Your Area at a Glance

Your Electricity Rate
26.38p/kWh
Daily Fixed Charge
53.94p/day
Local Sunshine
1033kWh/kW
A 1 kW system generates ~1033 kWh per year. A typical home uses ~2,700 kWh per year.
Typical System Size
6.0kW
For houses & bungalows in this area

Local Property Data

Property Types

Houses: 78% • Flats: 6% • Bungalows: 15% Based on 3,789 properties

Coverage

Basildon (83%)|Chelmsford (17%)

Areas Covered

Billericay East, Burstead, South Hanningfield, Stock and Margaretting, Castledon & Crouch

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.