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Solar panel cost in Chelmsford (CM2)

See realistic solar installation costs, savings and payback for CM2 (Chelmsford) 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
9.5 years
After this, it's pure profit
Upfront Cost
£8,139
What you pay to get started
Annual Benefit
£855
What you save every year
Profit Over 25 Years
£13,231
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

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 1033 kWh/kW — 24 above the regional median (1009).

Read the full story

A typical roof here lands around 5.0 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 2066 kWh 826 kWh 1239 kWh £218 £124 £342 £3,256 9.5 yrs £3,583
3 kW 3099 kWh 1239 kWh 1859 kWh £327 £186 £513 £4,883 9.5 yrs £5,374
4 kW 4131 kWh 1653 kWh 2479 kWh £436 £248 £684 £6,511 9.5 yrs £7,166
5 kW 5164 kWh 2066 kWh 3099 kWh £545 £310 £855 £8,139 9.5 yrs £8,957
6 kW 6197 kWh 2479 kWh 3718 kWh £654 £372 £1,026 £9,767 9.5 yrs £10,748
7 kW 7230 kWh 2892 kWh 4338 kWh £763 £434 £1,197 £11,394 9.5 yrs £12,540
8 kW 8263 kWh 3305 kWh 4958 kWh £872 £496 £1,368 £13,022 9.5 yrs £14,331

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 2066 kWh 1239 kWh 826 kWh £327 £83 £410 £5,356 13.1 yrs £2,836
3 kW 3099 kWh 1859 kWh 1239 kWh £490 £124 £614 £6,983 11.4 yrs £5,304
4 kW 4131 kWh 2479 kWh 1653 kWh £654 £165 £819 £8,611 10.5 yrs £7,772
5 kW 5164 kWh 3099 kWh 2066 kWh £817 £207 £1,024 £10,239 10.0 yrs £10,241
6 kW 6197 kWh 3718 kWh 2479 kWh £981 £248 £1,229 £11,867 9.7 yrs £12,709
7 kW 7230 kWh 4338 kWh 2892 kWh £1,144 £289 £1,434 £13,494 9.4 yrs £15,177
8 kW 8263 kWh 4958 kWh 3305 kWh £1,308 £331 £1,638 £15,122 9.2 yrs £17,645

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 2066 kWh 1446 kWh 620 kWh £381 £62 £443 £6,756 15.2 yrs £2,113
3 kW 3099 kWh 2169 kWh 930 kWh £572 £93 £665 £8,383 12.6 yrs £4,919
4 kW 4131 kWh 2892 kWh 1239 kWh £763 £124 £887 £10,011 11.3 yrs £7,726
5 kW 5164 kWh 3615 kWh 1549 kWh £954 £155 £1,109 £11,639 10.5 yrs £10,532
6 kW 6197 kWh 4338 kWh 1859 kWh £1,144 £186 £1,330 £13,267 10.0 yrs £13,339
7 kW 7230 kWh 5061 kWh 2169 kWh £1,335 £217 £1,552 £14,894 9.6 yrs £16,145
8 kW 8263 kWh 5784 kWh 2479 kWh £1,526 £248 £1,774 £16,522 9.3 yrs £18,952

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: £1,134, 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 2066 kWh 1508 kWh 558 kWh £398 £56 £454 £8,506 18.8 yrs £566
3 kW 3099 kWh 2262 kWh 837 kWh £597 £84 £680 £10,133 14.9 yrs £3,474
4 kW 4131 kWh 3016 kWh 1115 kWh £796 £112 £907 £11,761 13.0 yrs £6,382
5 kW 5164 kWh 3770 kWh 1394 kWh £995 £139 £1,134 £13,389 11.8 yrs £9,290
6 kW 6197 kWh 4524 kWh 1673 kWh £1,193 £167 £1,361 £15,017 11.0 yrs £12,198
7 kW 7230 kWh 5278 kWh 1952 kWh £1,392 £195 £1,588 £16,644 10.5 yrs £15,106
8 kW 8263 kWh 6032 kWh 2231 kWh £1,591 £223 £1,814 £18,272 10.1 yrs £18,014

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: 13.2 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2066 kWh 1549 kWh 516 kWh £409 £52 £460 £10,256 22.3 yrs £-1,049
3 kW 3099 kWh 2324 kWh 775 kWh £613 £77 £691 £11,883 17.2 yrs £1,927
4 kW 4131 kWh 3099 kWh 1033 kWh £817 £103 £921 £13,511 14.7 yrs £4,903
5 kW 5164 kWh 3873 kWh 1291 kWh £1,022 £129 £1,151 £15,139 13.2 yrs £7,878
6 kW 6197 kWh 4648 kWh 1549 kWh £1,226 £155 £1,381 £16,767 12.1 yrs £10,854
7 kW 7230 kWh 5422 kWh 1807 kWh £1,430 £181 £1,611 £18,394 11.4 yrs £13,830
8 kW 8263 kWh 6197 kWh 2066 kWh £1,635 £207 £1,841 £20,022 10.9 yrs £16,805

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 2066 kWh 1591 kWh 475 kWh £420 £48 £467 £12,706 27.2 yrs £-3,363
3 kW 3099 kWh 2386 kWh 713 kWh £629 £71 £701 £14,333 20.5 yrs £-320
4 kW 4131 kWh 3181 kWh 950 kWh £839 £95 £934 £15,961 17.1 yrs £2,723
5 kW 5164 kWh 3976 kWh 1188 kWh £1,049 £119 £1,168 £17,589 15.1 yrs £5,767
6 kW 6197 kWh 4772 kWh 1425 kWh £1,259 £143 £1,401 £19,217 13.7 yrs £8,810
7 kW 7230 kWh 5567 kWh 1663 kWh £1,469 £166 £1,635 £20,844 12.7 yrs £11,853
8 kW 8263 kWh 6362 kWh 1900 kWh £1,678 £190 £1,868 £22,472 12.0 yrs £14,897

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 Chelmsford

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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Understand DNO, G98 and G99 export limits

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Insights for CM2

Figures below are tailored to CM2 — click through for full league tables.

Big-Roof Britain Rank #1699 of 2182
4.5 kWp (UK avg 5.1 kWp)
~9 panels (≈430 W)
Solar Payback Index Rank #272 of 2996
9.5 years (UK avg 10.8 years)
~£855 /yr • £8,139 upfront
Standing-Charge Drag Rank #1008 of 2996
23.0% (UK avg 26.6%) drag on savings
£197 fixed • ~£855 /yr value
Aspect Penalty View ranking →
East −21.9% West −20.3%
Typical output loss versus a south-facing roof (lower is better)

Seasonal solar output in CM2

Monthly generation per kilowatt of solar panels

kWh 40 Jan 54 Feb 88 Mar 116 Apr 122 May 125 Jun 125 Jul 113 Aug 97 Sep 69 Oct 49 Nov 36 Dec
Best month Worst month Winter (Dec–Feb) Other months

Winter output: 50.4% 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 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
5.0kW
For houses & bungalows in this area

Local Property Data

Property Types

Houses: 57% • Flats: 33% • Bungalows: 6% Based on 15,605 properties

Coverage

Chelmsford (100%)

Areas Covered

Moulsham and Central, Chelmer Village and Beaulieu Park, Great Baddow East, Great Baddow West, Galleywood, Moulsham Lodge, Goat Hall, Trinity + 5 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

CM1 (Chelmsford)
≈1.9 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,033 kWh/kWp · -0% vs CM2
CM99 (Chelmsford)
≈2.4 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,039 kWh/kWp · +1% vs CM2
CM98 (Chelmsford)
≈4.0 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,036 kWh/kWp · +0% vs CM2
CM3 (Chelmsford)
≈7.7 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,035 kWh/kWp · +0% vs CM2
CM4 (Brentwood)
≈9.2 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,023 kWh/kWp · -1% vs CM2
CM11 (Basildon)
≈11.7 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,033 kWh/kWp · +0% vs CM2

Similar sunshine across the UK

RH17 (Mid Sussex)
~1,033 kWh/kWp · +0% vs CM2
CF33 (Bridgend)
~1,033 kWh/kWp · +0% vs CM2
TR6 (Cornwall)
~1,032 kWh/kWp · -0% vs CM2