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Solar panel cost in Epping Forest (CM5)

See realistic solar installation costs, savings and payback for CM5 (Epping Forest) 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
9.7 years
After this, it's pure profit
Upfront Cost
£9,767
What you pay to get started
Annual Benefit
£1,008
What you save every year
Profit Over 25 Years
£15,444
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 1015 kWh/kW — 6 above the regional median (1009).

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 1015 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)
1015 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: £840, Upfront: £8,139, Break-even: 9.7 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2031 kWh 812 kWh 1218 kWh £214 £122 £336 £3,256 9.7 yrs £3,467
3 kW 3046 kWh 1218 kWh 1828 kWh £321 £183 £504 £4,883 9.7 yrs £5,201
4 kW 4062 kWh 1625 kWh 2437 kWh £429 £244 £672 £6,511 9.7 yrs £6,934
5 kW 5077 kWh 2031 kWh 3046 kWh £536 £305 £840 £8,139 9.7 yrs £8,668
6 kW 6092 kWh 2437 kWh 3655 kWh £643 £366 £1,008 £9,767 9.7 yrs £10,402
7 kW 7108 kWh 2843 kWh 4265 kWh £750 £426 £1,176 £11,394 9.7 yrs £12,135
8 kW 8123 kWh 3249 kWh 4874 kWh £857 £487 £1,345 £13,022 9.7 yrs £13,869

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: £1,007, Upfront: £10,239, Break-even: 10.2 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2031 kWh 1218 kWh 812 kWh £321 £81 £403 £5,356 13.3 yrs £2,698
3 kW 3046 kWh 1828 kWh 1218 kWh £482 £122 £604 £6,983 11.6 yrs £5,097
4 kW 4062 kWh 2437 kWh 1625 kWh £643 £162 £805 £8,611 10.7 yrs £7,495
5 kW 5077 kWh 3046 kWh 2031 kWh £804 £203 £1,007 £10,239 10.2 yrs £9,894
6 kW 6092 kWh 3655 kWh 2437 kWh £964 £244 £1,208 £11,867 9.8 yrs £12,293
7 kW 7108 kWh 4265 kWh 2843 kWh £1,125 £284 £1,409 £13,494 9.6 yrs £14,692
8 kW 8123 kWh 4874 kWh 3249 kWh £1,286 £325 £1,611 £15,122 9.4 yrs £17,091

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: £1,090, Upfront: £11,639, Break-even: 10.7 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2031 kWh 1422 kWh 609 kWh £375 £61 £436 £6,756 15.5 yrs £1,963
3 kW 3046 kWh 2132 kWh 914 kWh £563 £91 £654 £8,383 12.8 yrs £4,695
4 kW 4062 kWh 2843 kWh 1218 kWh £750 £122 £872 £10,011 11.5 yrs £7,426
5 kW 5077 kWh 3554 kWh 1523 kWh £938 £152 £1,090 £11,639 10.7 yrs £10,158
6 kW 6092 kWh 4265 kWh 1828 kWh £1,125 £183 £1,308 £13,267 10.1 yrs £12,889
7 kW 7108 kWh 4975 kWh 2132 kWh £1,313 £213 £1,526 £14,894 9.8 yrs £15,621
8 kW 8123 kWh 5686 kWh 2437 kWh £1,500 £244 £1,744 £16,522 9.5 yrs £18,352

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: £1,115, Upfront: £13,389, Break-even: 12.0 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2031 kWh 1482 kWh 548 kWh £391 £55 £446 £8,506 19.1 yrs £413
3 kW 3046 kWh 2224 kWh 822 kWh £587 £82 £669 £10,133 15.2 yrs £3,244
4 kW 4062 kWh 2965 kWh 1097 kWh £782 £110 £892 £11,761 13.2 yrs £6,075
5 kW 5077 kWh 3706 kWh 1371 kWh £978 £137 £1,115 £13,389 12.0 yrs £8,907
6 kW 6092 kWh 4447 kWh 1645 kWh £1,173 £164 £1,338 £15,017 11.2 yrs £11,738
7 kW 7108 kWh 5189 kWh 1919 kWh £1,369 £192 £1,561 £16,644 10.7 yrs £14,569
8 kW 8123 kWh 5930 kWh 2193 kWh £1,564 £219 £1,784 £18,272 10.2 yrs £17,400

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: £1,131, Upfront: £15,139, Break-even: 13.4 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2031 kWh 1523 kWh 508 kWh £402 £51 £453 £10,256 22.7 yrs £-1,204
3 kW 3046 kWh 2285 kWh 762 kWh £603 £76 £679 £11,883 17.5 yrs £1,693
4 kW 4062 kWh 3046 kWh 1015 kWh £804 £102 £905 £13,511 14.9 yrs £4,591
5 kW 5077 kWh 3808 kWh 1269 kWh £1,004 £127 £1,131 £15,139 13.4 yrs £7,489
6 kW 6092 kWh 4569 kWh 1523 kWh £1,205 £152 £1,358 £16,767 12.3 yrs £10,387
7 kW 7108 kWh 5331 kWh 1777 kWh £1,406 £178 £1,584 £18,394 11.6 yrs £13,285
8 kW 8123 kWh 6092 kWh 2031 kWh £1,607 £203 £1,810 £20,022 11.1 yrs £16,183

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: £1,148, Upfront: £17,589, Break-even: 15.3 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2031 kWh 1564 kWh 467 kWh £413 £47 £459 £12,706 27.7 yrs £-3,521
3 kW 3046 kWh 2346 kWh 701 kWh £619 £70 £689 £14,333 20.8 yrs £-557
4 kW 4062 kWh 3127 kWh 934 kWh £825 £93 £918 £15,961 17.4 yrs £2,407
5 kW 5077 kWh 3909 kWh 1168 kWh £1,031 £117 £1,148 £17,589 15.3 yrs £5,372
6 kW 6092 kWh 4691 kWh 1401 kWh £1,238 £140 £1,378 £19,217 13.9 yrs £8,336
7 kW 7108 kWh 5473 kWh 1635 kWh £1,444 £163 £1,607 £20,844 13.0 yrs £11,301
8 kW 8123 kWh 6255 kWh 1868 kWh £1,650 £187 £1,837 £22,472 12.2 yrs £14,265

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 Epping Forest

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 CM5

Figures below are tailored to CM5 — click through for full league tables.

Big-Roof Britain Rank #502 of 2182
5.6 kWp (UK avg 5.1 kWp)
~12 panels (≈430 W)
Solar Payback Index Rank #448 of 2996
9.7 years (UK avg 10.8 years)
~£1,008 /yr • £9,767 upfront
Standing-Charge Drag Rank #388 of 2996
19.5% (UK avg 26.6%) drag on savings
£197 fixed • ~£1,008 /yr value
Aspect Penalty View ranking →
East −21.7% West −19.8%
Typical output loss versus a south-facing roof (lower is better)

Seasonal solar output in CM5

Monthly generation per kilowatt of solar panels

kWh 39 Jan 53 Feb 86 Mar 114 Apr 120 May 123 Jun 123 Jul 112 Aug 96 Sep 68 Oct 47 Nov 35 Dec
Best month Worst month Winter (Dec–Feb) Other months

Winter output: 49.9% 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 42 kWh per month; the average month produces around 85 kWh. So a typical 4 kW home system would generate roughly 169 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
1015kWh/kW
A 1 kW system generates ~1015 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: 71% • Flats: 14% • Bungalows: 14% Based on 2,675 properties

Coverage

Epping Forest (98%)|Brentwood (1%)

Areas Covered

Ongar, Rural East, Theydon Bois with Passingford, Brizes, Stondon Massey & South Weald, Chelmsford Rural West, Hatfield Heath

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

RM4 (Epping Forest)
≈9.1 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,005 kWh/kWp · -1% vs CM5
CM16 (Epping Forest)
≈9.2 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,010 kWh/kWp · -1% vs CM5
CM15 (Brentwood)
≈9.2 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,012 kWh/kWp · -0% vs CM5
CM17 (Harlow)
≈10.2 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,012 kWh/kWp · -0% vs CM5
CM4 (Brentwood)
≈10.5 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,023 kWh/kWp · +1% vs CM5
CM14 (Brentwood)
≈10.6 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,024 kWh/kWp · +1% vs CM5

Similar sunshine across the UK

SO22 (Winchester)
~1,016 kWh/kWp · +0% vs CM5
PE21 (Boston)
~1,016 kWh/kWp · +0% vs CM5
ME2 (Medway)
~1,016 kWh/kWp · +0% vs CM5