Solar explained to clever people by people who are not trying to be clever
Home Regions
Insights
Big Roof Britain Solar Payback Index Standing Charge Drag

Solar Panels in CO7 (Tendring)

See if solar pays off for you in Tendring — price, savings and payback in under a minute (official UK data).

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
11.2 years
After this, it's pure profit
Upfront Cost
£12,207
What you pay to get started
Annual Benefit
£1,091
What you save every year
Profit Over 25 Years
£15,063
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.

Get Solar Quote →
4.8★ Trustpilot • Octopus Energy trusted partner • MCS certified • No obligation
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: Bigger systems don’t shorten payback—cost and savings rise together per kW.
  • 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

Costs: Battery prices are typically £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 26.53p/kWh with a 48.25p/day standing charge. Your postcode’s south-facing sunshine yield is 1094 kWh/kW — 85 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 1094 kWh per year on a south-facing roof. We value self-used electricity at 26.5p and exported surplus at a baseline 10p via SEG. Use the calculator above for your exact tariff.

Unit rate
26.5p/kWh
Standing charge
48.2p/day
Sunshine yield (south)
1094 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: £909, Upfront: £10,173, Break-even: 11.2 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2189 kWh 876 kWh 1313 kWh £232 £131 £364 £4,069 11.2 yrs £3,203
3 kW 3283 kWh 1313 kWh 1970 kWh £348 £197 £545 £6,104 11.2 yrs £4,804
4 kW 4378 kWh 1751 kWh 2627 kWh £465 £263 £727 £8,138 11.2 yrs £6,406
5 kW 5472 kWh 2189 kWh 3283 kWh £581 £328 £909 £10,173 11.2 yrs £8,007
6 kW 6566 kWh 2627 kWh 3940 kWh £697 £394 £1,091 £12,207 11.2 yrs £9,609
7 kW 7661 kWh 3064 kWh 4596 kWh £813 £460 £1,273 £14,242 11.2 yrs £11,210
8 kW 8755 kWh 3502 kWh 5253 kWh £929 £525 £1,454 £16,276 11.2 yrs £12,812

Assumptions: south-facing, sensible tilt; self-use shares from site rules; export at 10p baseline. Costs: panels £/kW = 2,035, battery £/kWh = 700.

3 kWh battery 5 kW example → Annual benefit: £1,090, Upfront: £12,273, Break-even: 11.3 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2189 kWh 1313 kWh 876 kWh £348 £88 £436 £6,169 14.2 yrs £2,550
3 kW 3283 kWh 1970 kWh 1313 kWh £523 £131 £654 £8,204 12.5 yrs £4,875
4 kW 4378 kWh 2627 kWh 1751 kWh £697 £175 £872 £10,238 11.7 yrs £7,200
5 kW 5472 kWh 3283 kWh 2189 kWh £871 £219 £1,090 £12,273 11.3 yrs £9,525
6 kW 6566 kWh 3940 kWh 2627 kWh £1,045 £263 £1,308 £14,307 10.9 yrs £11,850
7 kW 7661 kWh 4596 kWh 3064 kWh £1,219 £306 £1,526 £16,342 10.7 yrs £14,175
8 kW 8755 kWh 5253 kWh 3502 kWh £1,394 £350 £1,744 £18,376 10.5 yrs £16,500

Assumptions: south-facing, sensible tilt; self-use shares from site rules; export at 10p baseline. Costs: panels £/kW = 2,035, battery £/kWh = 700.

5 kWh battery 5 kW example → Annual benefit: £1,180, Upfront: £13,673, 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 2189 kWh 1532 kWh 657 kWh £406 £66 £472 £7,569 16.0 yrs £1,874
3 kW 3283 kWh 2298 kWh 985 kWh £610 £98 £708 £9,604 13.6 yrs £4,561
4 kW 4378 kWh 3064 kWh 1313 kWh £813 £131 £944 £11,638 12.3 yrs £7,247
5 kW 5472 kWh 3830 kWh 1642 kWh £1,016 £164 £1,180 £13,673 11.6 yrs £9,934
6 kW 6566 kWh 4596 kWh 1970 kWh £1,219 £197 £1,416 £15,707 11.1 yrs £12,621
7 kW 7661 kWh 5362 kWh 2298 kWh £1,423 £230 £1,652 £17,742 10.7 yrs £15,308
8 kW 8755 kWh 6129 kWh 2627 kWh £1,626 £263 £1,889 £19,776 10.5 yrs £17,995

Assumptions: south-facing, sensible tilt; self-use shares from site rules; export at 10p baseline. Costs: panels £/kW = 2,035, battery £/kWh = 700.

7.5 kWh battery 5 kW example → Annual benefit: £1,207, Upfront: £15,423, Break-even: 12.8 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2189 kWh 1598 kWh 591 kWh £424 £59 £483 £9,319 19.3 yrs £341
3 kW 3283 kWh 2397 kWh 886 kWh £636 £89 £724 £11,354 15.7 yrs £3,136
4 kW 4378 kWh 3196 kWh 1182 kWh £848 £118 £966 £13,388 13.9 yrs £5,932
5 kW 5472 kWh 3994 kWh 1477 kWh £1,060 £148 £1,207 £15,423 12.8 yrs £8,727
6 kW 6566 kWh 4793 kWh 1773 kWh £1,272 £177 £1,449 £17,457 12.0 yrs £11,522
7 kW 7661 kWh 5592 kWh 2068 kWh £1,484 £207 £1,690 £19,492 11.5 yrs £14,318
8 kW 8755 kWh 6391 kWh 2364 kWh £1,696 £236 £1,932 £21,526 11.1 yrs £17,113

Assumptions: south-facing, sensible tilt; self-use shares from site rules; export at 10p baseline. Costs: panels £/kW = 2,035, battery £/kWh = 700.

10 kWh battery 5 kW example → Annual benefit: £1,226, Upfront: £17,173, Break-even: 14.0 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2189 kWh 1642 kWh 547 kWh £436 £55 £490 £11,069 22.6 yrs £-1,264
3 kW 3283 kWh 2462 kWh 821 kWh £653 £82 £735 £13,104 17.8 yrs £1,603
4 kW 4378 kWh 3283 kWh 1094 kWh £871 £109 £980 £15,138 15.4 yrs £4,471
5 kW 5472 kWh 4104 kWh 1368 kWh £1,089 £137 £1,226 £17,173 14.0 yrs £7,339
6 kW 6566 kWh 4925 kWh 1642 kWh £1,307 £164 £1,471 £19,207 13.1 yrs £10,207
7 kW 7661 kWh 5745 kWh 1915 kWh £1,524 £192 £1,716 £21,242 12.4 yrs £13,074
8 kW 8755 kWh 6566 kWh 2189 kWh £1,742 £219 £1,961 £23,276 11.9 yrs £15,942

Assumptions: south-facing, sensible tilt; self-use shares from site rules; export at 10p baseline. Costs: panels £/kW = 2,035, battery £/kWh = 700.

13.5 kWh battery 5 kW example → Annual benefit: £1,244, Upfront: £19,623, Break-even: 15.8 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2189 kWh 1685 kWh 503 kWh £447 £50 £497 £13,519 27.2 yrs £-3,570
3 kW 3283 kWh 2528 kWh 755 kWh £671 £76 £746 £15,554 20.8 yrs £-630
4 kW 4378 kWh 3371 kWh 1007 kWh £894 £101 £995 £17,588 17.7 yrs £2,311
5 kW 5472 kWh 4213 kWh 1259 kWh £1,118 £126 £1,244 £19,623 15.8 yrs £5,251
6 kW 6566 kWh 5056 kWh 1510 kWh £1,341 £151 £1,492 £21,657 14.5 yrs £8,191
7 kW 7661 kWh 5899 kWh 1762 kWh £1,565 £176 £1,741 £23,692 13.6 yrs £11,131
8 kW 8755 kWh 6741 kWh 2014 kWh £1,788 £201 £1,990 £25,726 12.9 yrs £14,071

Assumptions: south-facing, sensible tilt; self-use shares from site rules; export at 10p baseline. Costs: panels £/kW = 2,035, 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.

Insights for CO7

Figures below are tailored to CO7 — click through for full league tables.

Big-Roof Britain Rank #307 of 2182
5.9 kWp (UK avg 5.1 kWp)
~12 panels (≈430 W)
Solar Payback Index Rank #86 of 2997
9.7 years (UK avg 11.3 years)
~£1,254 /yr • £12,207 upfront
Standing-Charge Drag Rank #88 of 2997
14.0% (UK avg 21.7%) drag on savings
£176 fixed • ~£1,254 /yr value

Your Area at a Glance

Your Electricity Rate
26.53p/kWh
Daily Fixed Charge
48.25p/day
Local Sunshine
1094kWh/kW
A 1 kW system generates ~1094 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: 68% • Flats: 9% • Bungalows: 22% Based on 9,258 properties

Coverage

Tendring (60%)|Colchester (25%)|Babergh (15%)

Areas Covered

Alresford & Elmstead, Brightlingsea, Wivenhoe, The Bentleys & Frating, Ardleigh & Little Bromley, East Bergholt, Rural North, Brett Vale + 4 more

Data Sources & Assumptions

Solar yield: PVGIS (EU Joint Research Centre), January 2025 data

Electricity rates: Ofgem price cap, Q4 2025

Installation costs: MCS certified installer data, March 2025

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

CO2 (Colchester)
≈6.9 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,062 kWh/kWp · -3% vs CO7
CO4 (Colchester)
≈7.1 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,062 kWh/kWp · -3% vs CO7
CO1 (Colchester)
≈7.1 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,062 kWh/kWp · -3% vs CO7
CO11 (Tendring)
≈9.8 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,070 kWh/kWp · -2% vs CO7
CO3 (Colchester)
≈10.6 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,047 kWh/kWp · -4% vs CO7
CO16 (Tendring)
≈11.0 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,101 kWh/kWp · +1% vs CO7

Similar sunshine across the UK

CT12 (Thanet)
~1,094 kWh/kWp · +0% vs CO7
TN30 (Ashford)
~1,094 kWh/kWp · -0% vs CO7
TN24 (Ashford)
~1,093 kWh/kWp · -0% vs CO7