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Solar panel cost in Tendring (CO16)

See realistic solar installation costs, savings and payback for CO16 (Tendring) 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
8.9 years
After this, it's pure profit
Upfront Cost
£9,767
What you pay to get started
Annual Benefit
£1,094
What you save every year
Profit Over 25 Years
£17,581
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 1101 kWh/kW — 92 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 1101 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)
1101 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: £912, Upfront: £8,139, Break-even: 8.9 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2203 kWh 881 kWh 1322 kWh £232 £132 £365 £3,256 8.9 yrs £4,037
3 kW 3304 kWh 1322 kWh 1983 kWh £349 £198 £547 £4,883 8.9 yrs £6,056
4 kW 4406 kWh 1762 kWh 2644 kWh £465 £264 £729 £6,511 8.9 yrs £8,074
5 kW 5507 kWh 2203 kWh 3304 kWh £581 £330 £912 £8,139 8.9 yrs £10,093
6 kW 6609 kWh 2644 kWh 3965 kWh £697 £397 £1,094 £9,767 8.9 yrs £12,111
7 kW 7710 kWh 3084 kWh 4626 kWh £814 £463 £1,276 £11,394 8.9 yrs £14,130
8 kW 8812 kWh 3525 kWh 5287 kWh £930 £529 £1,459 £13,022 8.9 yrs £16,149

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: £1,092, Upfront: £10,239, 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 2203 kWh 1322 kWh 881 kWh £349 £88 £437 £5,356 12.3 yrs £3,381
3 kW 3304 kWh 1983 kWh 1322 kWh £523 £132 £655 £6,983 10.7 yrs £6,121
4 kW 4406 kWh 2644 kWh 1762 kWh £697 £176 £874 £8,611 9.9 yrs £8,861
5 kW 5507 kWh 3304 kWh 2203 kWh £872 £220 £1,092 £10,239 9.4 yrs £11,601
6 kW 6609 kWh 3965 kWh 2644 kWh £1,046 £264 £1,310 £11,867 9.1 yrs £14,342
7 kW 7710 kWh 4626 kWh 3084 kWh £1,220 £308 £1,529 £13,494 8.8 yrs £17,082
8 kW 8812 kWh 5287 kWh 3525 kWh £1,395 £352 £1,747 £15,122 8.7 yrs £19,822

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: £1,182, Upfront: £11,639, 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 2203 kWh 1542 kWh 661 kWh £407 £66 £473 £6,756 14.3 yrs £2,702
3 kW 3304 kWh 2313 kWh 991 kWh £610 £99 £709 £8,383 11.8 yrs £5,803
4 kW 4406 kWh 3084 kWh 1322 kWh £814 £132 £946 £10,011 10.6 yrs £8,904
5 kW 5507 kWh 3855 kWh 1652 kWh £1,017 £165 £1,182 £11,639 9.8 yrs £12,006
6 kW 6609 kWh 4626 kWh 1983 kWh £1,220 £198 £1,419 £13,267 9.4 yrs £15,107
7 kW 7710 kWh 5397 kWh 2313 kWh £1,424 £231 £1,655 £14,894 9.0 yrs £18,208
8 kW 8812 kWh 6168 kWh 2644 kWh £1,627 £264 £1,892 £16,522 8.7 yrs £21,309

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: £1,209, Upfront: £13,389, Break-even: 11.1 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2203 kWh 1608 kWh 595 kWh £424 £59 £484 £8,506 17.6 yrs £1,169
3 kW 3304 kWh 2412 kWh 892 kWh £636 £89 £726 £10,133 14.0 yrs £4,378
4 kW 4406 kWh 3216 kWh 1190 kWh £848 £119 £967 £11,761 12.2 yrs £7,587
5 kW 5507 kWh 4020 kWh 1487 kWh £1,061 £149 £1,209 £13,389 11.1 yrs £10,797
6 kW 6609 kWh 4824 kWh 1784 kWh £1,273 £178 £1,451 £15,017 10.3 yrs £14,006
7 kW 7710 kWh 5629 kWh 2082 kWh £1,485 £208 £1,693 £16,644 9.8 yrs £17,216
8 kW 8812 kWh 6433 kWh 2379 kWh £1,697 £238 £1,935 £18,272 9.4 yrs £20,425

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: £1,227, Upfront: £15,139, Break-even: 12.3 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2203 kWh 1652 kWh 551 kWh £436 £55 £491 £10,256 20.9 yrs £-437
3 kW 3304 kWh 2478 kWh 826 kWh £654 £83 £736 £11,883 16.1 yrs £2,845
4 kW 4406 kWh 3304 kWh 1101 kWh £872 £110 £982 £13,511 13.8 yrs £6,126
5 kW 5507 kWh 4131 kWh 1377 kWh £1,090 £138 £1,227 £15,139 12.3 yrs £9,408
6 kW 6609 kWh 4957 kWh 1652 kWh £1,308 £165 £1,473 £16,767 11.4 yrs £12,689
7 kW 7710 kWh 5783 kWh 1928 kWh £1,525 £193 £1,718 £18,394 10.7 yrs £15,971
8 kW 8812 kWh 6609 kWh 2203 kWh £1,743 £220 £1,964 £20,022 10.2 yrs £19,252

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: £1,245, Upfront: £17,589, Break-even: 14.1 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2203 kWh 1696 kWh 507 kWh £447 £51 £498 £12,706 25.5 yrs £-2,743
3 kW 3304 kWh 2544 kWh 760 kWh £671 £76 £747 £14,333 19.2 yrs £611
4 kW 4406 kWh 3393 kWh 1013 kWh £895 £101 £996 £15,961 16.0 yrs £3,965
5 kW 5507 kWh 4241 kWh 1267 kWh £1,119 £127 £1,245 £17,589 14.1 yrs £7,319
6 kW 6609 kWh 5089 kWh 1520 kWh £1,342 £152 £1,494 £19,217 12.9 yrs £10,672
7 kW 7710 kWh 5937 kWh 1773 kWh £1,566 £177 £1,744 £20,844 12.0 yrs £14,026
8 kW 8812 kWh 6785 kWh 2027 kWh £1,790 £203 £1,993 £22,472 11.3 yrs £17,380

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 Tendring

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 CO16

Figures below are tailored to CO16 — click through for full league tables.

Big-Roof Britain Rank #303 of 2182
5.9 kWp (UK avg 5.1 kWp)
~12 panels (≈430 W)
Solar Payback Index Rank #64 of 2996
8.9 years (UK avg 10.8 years)
~£1,093 /yr • £9,767 upfront
Standing-Charge Drag Rank #216 of 2996
18.0% (UK avg 26.6%) drag on savings
£197 fixed • ~£1,093 /yr value
Aspect Penalty View ranking →
East −22.2% West −22.4%
Typical output loss versus a south-facing roof (lower is better)

Seasonal solar output in CO16

Monthly generation per kilowatt of solar panels

kWh 41 Jan 57 Feb 92 Mar 126 Apr 133 May 134 Jun 134 Jul 120 Aug 104 Sep 74 Oct 50 Nov 38 Dec
Best month Worst month Winter (Dec–Feb) Other months

Winter output: 49.2% 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 45 kWh per month; the average month produces around 92 kWh. So a typical 4 kW home system would generate roughly 181 kWh in winter, or 367 kWh in an average month.

Your Area at a Glance

Your Electricity Rate
26.38p/kWh
Daily Fixed Charge
53.94p/day
Local Sunshine
1101kWh/kW
A 1 kW system generates ~1101 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: 50% • Flats: 9% • Bungalows: 39% Based on 7,470 properties

Coverage

Tendring (100%)

Areas Covered

St Osyth, Cann Hall, Bluehouse, Weeley & Tendring, Thorpe, Beaumont & Great Holland, Little Clacton, St John's + 3 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

CO15 (Tendring)
≈1.9 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,086 kWh/kWp · -1% vs CO16
CO13 (Tendring)
≈8.5 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,094 kWh/kWp · -1% vs CO16
CO14 (Tendring)
≈10.6 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,087 kWh/kWp · -1% vs CO16
CO7 (Tendring)
≈11.0 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,094 kWh/kWp · -1% vs CO16
CO11 (Tendring)
≈15.9 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,070 kWh/kWp · -3% vs CO16
CO12 (Tendring)
≈16.9 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,057 kWh/kWp · -4% vs CO16

Similar sunshine across the UK

PO41 (Isle of Wight)
~1,101 kWh/kWp · -0% vs CO16
TR23 (Isles of Scilly)
~1,101 kWh/kWp · -0% vs CO16
BH20 (Dorset)
~1,103 kWh/kWp · +0% vs CO16