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Postcode solar briefing

Solar panel cost in Braintree (CM8)

See realistic solar installation costs, savings and payback for CM8 (Braintree) using official UK data. Start with the local verdict, then adjust the calculator for your roof, usage and export assumptions.

Local model Calculator unchanged Quote assumptions checked
Local solar briefing

Solar in CM8: roof size may be the main upside, so compare proposed system sizes carefully.

This is a modelled local view, not a promise of savings. Use it as a quick sense-check before comparing installer quotes for CM8.

Typical system
5.0 kW
starting point
Annual benefit
£869
before battery costs
Payback estimate
9.4 years
panel-only baseline
Postcode verdict
Roof-size upside
local model
Local context

Why CM8 differs

South-facing yield is about 4.1% above the Eastern median.

The starting system size is close to the regional typical size at 5.0 kW.

Local housing mix looks suitable for a postcode-level estimate, but your actual roof still matters more than the area average.

Battery payback depends heavily on evening use, export tariff and whether the installer has assumed optimistic self-consumption.

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
9.4 years
After this, it's pure profit
Upfront Cost
£8,139
What you pay to get started
Annual Benefit
£869
What you save every year
Profit Over 25 Years
£13,590
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.

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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.

Before you sign

What to challenge in solar quotes for CM8

Use the calculator above as a baseline, then ask installers to explain where their quote differs from the local assumptions.

If the proposed system is much larger than 5.0 kW, ask why it fits your roof and usage.

Compare payback with and without a battery before accepting a bundled quote.

Check which Smart Export Guarantee tariff is assumed. The calculator baseline uses 10p/kWh.

Confirm who handles MCS certification and DNO/G98/G99 paperwork before comparing finance or warranties.

Compare quotes Check MCS DNO, G98 and G99
New quote check

Want a quote sanity check for CM8?

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 CM8

Figures below are tailored to CM8 — click through for full league tables.

Big-Roof Britain Rank #1443 of 2182
4.7 kWp (UK avg 5.1 kWp)
~10 panels (≈430 W)
Solar Payback Index Rank #224 of 2996
9.4 years (UK avg 10.8 years)
~£869 /yr • £8,139 upfront
Standing-Charge Drag Rank #978 of 2996
22.7% (UK avg 26.6%) drag on savings
£197 fixed • ~£869 /yr value
Aspect Penalty View ranking →
East −22.0% West −20.6%
Typical output loss versus a south-facing roof (lower is better)
Compare areas

Compare CM8 with nearby and similar areas

Nearby postcode areas in Eastern

CM9 (Maldon)
≈7.9 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,054 kWh/kWp · +0% vs CM8
CO5 (Colchester)
≈8.7 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,054 kWh/kWp · +0% vs CM8
CM77 (Braintree)
≈9.4 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,029 kWh/kWp · -2% vs CM8
CM98 (Chelmsford)
≈9.9 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,036 kWh/kWp · -1% vs CM8
CM7 (Braintree)
≈10.3 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,034 kWh/kWp · -2% vs CM8
CM3 (Chelmsford)
≈10.4 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,035 kWh/kWp · -1% vs CM8

Similar solar-yield areas

SO1 (Southampton)
~1,050 kWh/kWp · -0% vs CM8
SO9 (Southampton)
~1,050 kWh/kWp · -0% vs CM8
GU28 (Chichester)
~1,051 kWh/kWp · +0% vs CM8

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 1050 kWh/kW — 41 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 1050 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)
1050 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: £869, Upfront: £8,139, Break-even: 9.4 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2100 kWh 840 kWh 1260 kWh £222 £126 £348 £3,256 9.4 yrs £3,698
3 kW 3151 kWh 1260 kWh 1890 kWh £332 £189 £521 £4,883 9.4 yrs £5,546
4 kW 4201 kWh 1680 kWh 2520 kWh £443 £252 £695 £6,511 9.4 yrs £7,395
5 kW 5251 kWh 2100 kWh 3151 kWh £554 £315 £869 £8,139 9.4 yrs £9,244
6 kW 6301 kWh 2520 kWh 3781 kWh £665 £378 £1,043 £9,767 9.4 yrs £11,093
7 kW 7351 kWh 2941 kWh 4411 kWh £776 £441 £1,217 £11,394 9.4 yrs £12,942
8 kW 8402 kWh 3361 kWh 5041 kWh £887 £504 £1,391 £13,022 9.4 yrs £14,791

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: £1,041, Upfront: £10,239, Break-even: 9.8 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2100 kWh 1260 kWh 840 kWh £332 £84 £416 £5,356 12.9 yrs £2,974
3 kW 3151 kWh 1890 kWh 1260 kWh £499 £126 £625 £6,983 11.2 yrs £5,511
4 kW 4201 kWh 2520 kWh 1680 kWh £665 £168 £833 £8,611 10.3 yrs £8,048
5 kW 5251 kWh 3151 kWh 2100 kWh £831 £210 £1,041 £10,239 9.8 yrs £10,585
6 kW 6301 kWh 3781 kWh 2520 kWh £997 £252 £1,249 £11,867 9.5 yrs £13,121
7 kW 7351 kWh 4411 kWh 2941 kWh £1,164 £294 £1,458 £13,494 9.3 yrs £15,658
8 kW 8402 kWh 5041 kWh 3361 kWh £1,330 £336 £1,666 £15,122 9.1 yrs £18,195

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: £1,127, Upfront: £11,639, Break-even: 10.3 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2100 kWh 1470 kWh 630 kWh £388 £63 £451 £6,756 15.0 yrs £2,262
3 kW 3151 kWh 2205 kWh 945 kWh £582 £95 £676 £8,383 12.4 yrs £5,143
4 kW 4201 kWh 2941 kWh 1260 kWh £776 £126 £902 £10,011 11.1 yrs £8,024
5 kW 5251 kWh 3676 kWh 1575 kWh £970 £158 £1,127 £11,639 10.3 yrs £10,905
6 kW 6301 kWh 4411 kWh 1890 kWh £1,164 £189 £1,353 £13,267 9.8 yrs £13,786
7 kW 7351 kWh 5146 kWh 2205 kWh £1,358 £221 £1,578 £14,894 9.4 yrs £16,667
8 kW 8402 kWh 5881 kWh 2520 kWh £1,551 £252 £1,803 £16,522 9.2 yrs £19,548

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: £1,153, Upfront: £13,389, 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 2100 kWh 1533 kWh 567 kWh £404 £57 £461 £8,506 18.4 yrs £718
3 kW 3151 kWh 2300 kWh 851 kWh £607 £85 £692 £10,133 14.6 yrs £3,703
4 kW 4201 kWh 3067 kWh 1134 kWh £809 £113 £922 £11,761 12.8 yrs £6,687
5 kW 5251 kWh 3833 kWh 1418 kWh £1,011 £142 £1,153 £13,389 11.6 yrs £9,671
6 kW 6301 kWh 4600 kWh 1701 kWh £1,213 £170 £1,384 £15,017 10.9 yrs £12,655
7 kW 7351 kWh 5367 kWh 1985 kWh £1,416 £198 £1,614 £16,644 10.3 yrs £15,639
8 kW 8402 kWh 6133 kWh 2268 kWh £1,618 £227 £1,845 £18,272 9.9 yrs £18,623

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: £1,170, Upfront: £15,139, 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 2100 kWh 1575 kWh 525 kWh £416 £53 £468 £10,256 21.9 yrs £-894
3 kW 3151 kWh 2363 kWh 788 kWh £623 £79 £702 £11,883 16.9 yrs £2,159
4 kW 4201 kWh 3151 kWh 1050 kWh £831 £105 £936 £13,511 14.4 yrs £5,212
5 kW 5251 kWh 3938 kWh 1313 kWh £1,039 £131 £1,170 £15,139 12.9 yrs £8,265
6 kW 6301 kWh 4726 kWh 1575 kWh £1,247 £158 £1,404 £16,767 11.9 yrs £11,318
7 kW 7351 kWh 5514 kWh 1838 kWh £1,454 £184 £1,638 £18,394 11.2 yrs £14,371
8 kW 8402 kWh 6301 kWh 2100 kWh £1,662 £210 £1,872 £20,022 10.7 yrs £17,424

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: £1,187, Upfront: £17,589, Break-even: 14.8 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2100 kWh 1617 kWh 483 kWh £427 £48 £475 £12,706 26.8 yrs £-3,206
3 kW 3151 kWh 2426 kWh 725 kWh £640 £72 £712 £14,333 20.1 yrs £-85
4 kW 4201 kWh 3235 kWh 966 kWh £853 £97 £950 £15,961 16.8 yrs £3,037
5 kW 5251 kWh 4043 kWh 1208 kWh £1,067 £121 £1,187 £17,589 14.8 yrs £6,159
6 kW 6301 kWh 4852 kWh 1449 kWh £1,280 £145 £1,425 £19,217 13.5 yrs £9,281
7 kW 7351 kWh 5661 kWh 1691 kWh £1,493 £169 £1,662 £20,844 12.5 yrs £12,403
8 kW 8402 kWh 6469 kWh 1932 kWh £1,707 £193 £1,900 £22,472 11.8 yrs £15,524

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.

Seasonal solar output in CM8

Monthly generation per kilowatt of solar panels

kWh 40 Jan 55 Feb 90 Mar 118 Apr 124 May 126 Jun 126 Jul 115 Aug 99 Sep 71 Oct 49 Nov 37 Dec
Best month Worst month Winter (Dec–Feb) Other months

Winter output: 50.2% 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 44 kWh per month; the average month produces around 88 kWh. So a typical 4 kW home system would generate roughly 176 kWh in winter, or 350 kWh in an average month.

Your Area at a Glance

Your Electricity Rate
26.38p/kWh
Daily Fixed Charge
53.94p/day
Local Sunshine
1050kWh/kW
A 1 kW system generates ~1050 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: 67% • Flats: 22% • Bungalows: 9% Based on 9,502 properties

Coverage

Braintree (92%)|Maldon (8%)

Areas Covered

Witham Central, Witham North, Silver End & Cressing, Witham South, Witham West, Wickham Bishops and Woodham, Hatfield Peverel & Terling, Great Totham + 2 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.