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Solar panel cost in Colchester (CO2)

See realistic solar installation costs, savings and payback for CO2 (Colchester) 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
10.4 years
After this, it's pure profit
Upfront Cost
£7,307
What you pay to get started
Annual Benefit
£703
What you save every year
Profit Over 25 Years
£10,270
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 1062 kWh/kW — 53 above the regional median (1009).

Read the full story

A typical roof here lands around 4.0 kW, with most eligible homes comfortably fitting within 3–6 kW. Each kilowatt of panels produces roughly 1062 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)
1062 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: £879, Upfront: £9,134, Break-even: 10.4 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2124 kWh 850 kWh 1274 kWh £224 £127 £352 £3,654 10.4 yrs £3,377
3 kW 3186 kWh 1274 kWh 1911 kWh £336 £191 £527 £5,481 10.4 yrs £5,066
4 kW 4248 kWh 1699 kWh 2549 kWh £448 £255 £703 £7,307 10.4 yrs £6,754
5 kW 5310 kWh 2124 kWh 3186 kWh £560 £319 £879 £9,134 10.4 yrs £8,443
6 kW 6372 kWh 2549 kWh 3823 kWh £672 £382 £1,055 £10,961 10.4 yrs £10,131
7 kW 7433 kWh 2973 kWh 4460 kWh £784 £446 £1,230 £12,788 10.4 yrs £11,820
8 kW 8495 kWh 3398 kWh 5097 kWh £896 £510 £1,406 £14,615 10.4 yrs £13,508

Assumptions: south-facing, sensible tilt; self-use shares from site rules; export at 10p baseline. Costs: panels £/kW = 1,827, battery £/kWh = 700.

3 kWh battery 5 kW example → Annual benefit: £1,053, Upfront: £11,234, 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 2124 kWh 1274 kWh 850 kWh £336 £85 £421 £5,754 13.7 yrs £2,669
3 kW 3186 kWh 1911 kWh 1274 kWh £504 £127 £632 £7,581 12.0 yrs £5,053
4 kW 4248 kWh 2549 kWh 1699 kWh £672 £170 £842 £9,407 11.2 yrs £7,437
5 kW 5310 kWh 3186 kWh 2124 kWh £840 £212 £1,053 £11,234 10.7 yrs £9,822
6 kW 6372 kWh 3823 kWh 2549 kWh £1,008 £255 £1,263 £13,061 10.3 yrs £12,206
7 kW 7433 kWh 4460 kWh 2973 kWh £1,177 £297 £1,474 £14,888 10.1 yrs £14,590
8 kW 8495 kWh 5097 kWh 3398 kWh £1,345 £340 £1,684 £16,715 9.9 yrs £16,974

Assumptions: south-facing, sensible tilt; self-use shares from site rules; export at 10p baseline. Costs: panels £/kW = 1,827, battery £/kWh = 700.

5 kWh battery 5 kW example → Annual benefit: £1,140, Upfront: £12,634, 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 2124 kWh 1487 kWh 637 kWh £392 £64 £456 £7,154 15.7 yrs £1,964
3 kW 3186 kWh 2230 kWh 956 kWh £588 £96 £684 £8,981 13.1 yrs £4,697
4 kW 4248 kWh 2973 kWh 1274 kWh £784 £127 £912 £10,807 11.9 yrs £7,429
5 kW 5310 kWh 3717 kWh 1593 kWh £980 £159 £1,140 £12,634 11.1 yrs £10,161
6 kW 6372 kWh 4460 kWh 1911 kWh £1,177 £191 £1,368 £14,461 10.6 yrs £12,893
7 kW 7433 kWh 5203 kWh 2230 kWh £1,373 £223 £1,596 £16,288 10.2 yrs £15,625
8 kW 8495 kWh 5947 kWh 2549 kWh £1,569 £255 £1,824 £18,115 9.9 yrs £18,358

Assumptions: south-facing, sensible tilt; self-use shares from site rules; export at 10p baseline. Costs: panels £/kW = 1,827, battery £/kWh = 700.

7.5 kWh battery 5 kW example → Annual benefit: £1,166, Upfront: £14,384, 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 2124 kWh 1550 kWh 573 kWh £409 £57 £466 £8,904 19.1 yrs £423
3 kW 3186 kWh 2326 kWh 860 kWh £613 £86 £700 £10,731 15.3 yrs £3,260
4 kW 4248 kWh 3101 kWh 1147 kWh £818 £115 £933 £12,557 13.5 yrs £6,096
5 kW 5310 kWh 3876 kWh 1434 kWh £1,022 £143 £1,166 £14,384 12.3 yrs £8,933
6 kW 6372 kWh 4651 kWh 1720 kWh £1,227 £172 £1,399 £16,211 11.6 yrs £11,769
7 kW 7433 kWh 5426 kWh 2007 kWh £1,431 £201 £1,632 £18,038 11.1 yrs £14,606
8 kW 8495 kWh 6202 kWh 2294 kWh £1,636 £229 £1,865 £19,865 10.6 yrs £17,442

Assumptions: south-facing, sensible tilt; self-use shares from site rules; export at 10p baseline. Costs: panels £/kW = 1,827, battery £/kWh = 700.

10 kWh battery 5 kW example → Annual benefit: £1,183, Upfront: £16,134, Break-even: 13.6 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2124 kWh 1593 kWh 531 kWh £420 £53 £473 £10,654 22.5 yrs £-1,188
3 kW 3186 kWh 2389 kWh 796 kWh £630 £80 £710 £12,481 17.6 yrs £1,718
4 kW 4248 kWh 3186 kWh 1062 kWh £840 £106 £947 £14,307 15.1 yrs £4,625
5 kW 5310 kWh 3982 kWh 1327 kWh £1,051 £133 £1,183 £16,134 13.6 yrs £7,531
6 kW 6372 kWh 4779 kWh 1593 kWh £1,261 £159 £1,420 £17,961 12.6 yrs £10,437
7 kW 7433 kWh 5575 kWh 1858 kWh £1,471 £186 £1,657 £19,788 11.9 yrs £13,343
8 kW 8495 kWh 6372 kWh 2124 kWh £1,681 £212 £1,893 £21,615 11.4 yrs £16,249

Assumptions: south-facing, sensible tilt; self-use shares from site rules; export at 10p baseline. Costs: panels £/kW = 1,827, battery £/kWh = 700.

13.5 kWh battery 5 kW example → Annual benefit: £1,201, Upfront: £18,584, Break-even: 15.5 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2124 kWh 1635 kWh 488 kWh £431 £49 £480 £13,104 27.3 yrs £-3,499
3 kW 3186 kWh 2453 kWh 733 kWh £647 £73 £720 £14,931 20.7 yrs £-523
4 kW 4248 kWh 3271 kWh 977 kWh £863 £98 £961 £16,757 17.4 yrs £2,453
5 kW 5310 kWh 4088 kWh 1221 kWh £1,079 £122 £1,201 £18,584 15.5 yrs £5,429
6 kW 6372 kWh 4906 kWh 1465 kWh £1,294 £147 £1,441 £20,411 14.2 yrs £8,404
7 kW 7433 kWh 5724 kWh 1710 kWh £1,510 £171 £1,681 £22,238 13.2 yrs £11,380
8 kW 8495 kWh 6541 kWh 1954 kWh £1,726 £195 £1,921 £24,065 12.5 yrs £14,356

Assumptions: south-facing, sensible tilt; self-use shares from site rules; export at 10p baseline. Costs: panels £/kW = 1,827, 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 Colchester

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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Check what MCS certification means

Understand DNO, G98 and G99 export limits

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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.

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Insights for CO2

Figures below are tailored to CO2 — click through for full league tables.

Big-Roof Britain Rank #1875 of 2182
4.3 kWp (UK avg 5.1 kWp)
~9 panels (≈430 W)
Solar Payback Index Rank #1441 of 2996
10.4 years (UK avg 10.8 years)
~£703 /yr • £7,307 upfront
Standing-Charge Drag Rank #1862 of 2996
28.0% (UK avg 26.6%) drag on savings
£197 fixed • ~£703 /yr value
Aspect Penalty View ranking →
East −22.2% West −21.1%
Typical output loss versus a south-facing roof (lower is better)

Seasonal solar output in CO2

Monthly generation per kilowatt of solar panels

kWh 41 Jan 56 Feb 89 Mar 121 Apr 127 May 128 Jun 128 Jul 115 Aug 99 Sep 71 Oct 49 Nov 37 Dec
Best month Worst month Winter (Dec–Feb) Other months

Winter output: 50.1% 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 44 kWh per month; the average month produces around 88 kWh. So a typical 4 kW home system would generate roughly 178 kWh in winter, or 354 kWh in an average month.

Your Area at a Glance

Your Electricity Rate
26.38p/kWh
Daily Fixed Charge
53.94p/day
Local Sunshine
1062kWh/kW
A 1 kW system generates ~1062 kWh per year. A typical home uses ~2,700 kWh per year.
Typical System Size
4.0kW
For houses & bungalows in this area

Local Property Data

Property Types

Houses: 58% • Flats: 32% • Bungalows: 5% Based on 12,451 properties

Coverage

Colchester (100%)

Areas Covered

Shrub End, Berechurch, Old Heath and The Hythe, New Town and Christ Church, Castle, Marks Tey and Layer, Greenstead, Stanway

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

CO1 (Colchester)
≈1.9 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,062 kWh/kWp · +0% vs CO2
CO3 (Colchester)
≈3.7 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,047 kWh/kWp · -1% vs CO2
CO4 (Colchester)
≈3.9 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,062 kWh/kWp · +0% vs CO2
CO7 (Tendring)
≈6.9 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,094 kWh/kWp · +3% vs CO2
CO6 (Colchester)
≈9.2 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,039 kWh/kWp · -2% vs CO2
CO5 (Colchester)
≈11.4 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,054 kWh/kWp · -1% vs CO2

Similar sunshine across the UK

TQ6 (South Hams)
~1,062 kWh/kWp · +0% vs CO2
PO32 (Isle of Wight)
~1,062 kWh/kWp · +0% vs CO2
SO19 (Southampton)
~1,063 kWh/kWp · +0% vs CO2