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Big Roof Britain Solar Payback Index Standing Charge Drag

Solar Panels in CO9 (Braintree)

See if solar pays off for you in Braintree — 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
11.9 years
After this, it's pure profit
Upfront Cost
£10,173
What you pay to get started
Annual Benefit
£855
What you save every year
Profit Over 25 Years
£11,204
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: 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 1029 kWh/kW — 20 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 1029 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)
1029 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: £855, Upfront: £10,173, Break-even: 11.9 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2059 kWh 824 kWh 1235 kWh £218 £124 £342 £4,069 11.9 yrs £2,771
3 kW 3088 kWh 1235 kWh 1853 kWh £328 £185 £513 £6,104 11.9 yrs £4,157
4 kW 4118 kWh 1647 kWh 2471 kWh £437 £247 £684 £8,138 11.9 yrs £5,543
5 kW 5147 kWh 2059 kWh 3088 kWh £546 £309 £855 £10,173 11.9 yrs £6,928
6 kW 6177 kWh 2471 kWh 3706 kWh £655 £371 £1,026 £12,207 11.9 yrs £8,314
7 kW 7206 kWh 2882 kWh 4324 kWh £765 £432 £1,197 £14,242 11.9 yrs £9,700
8 kW 8235 kWh 3294 kWh 4941 kWh £874 £494 £1,368 £16,276 11.9 yrs £11,085

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: £1,025, Upfront: £12,273, 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 2059 kWh 1235 kWh 824 kWh £328 £82 £410 £6,169 15.0 yrs £2,033
3 kW 3088 kWh 1853 kWh 1235 kWh £492 £124 £615 £8,204 13.3 yrs £4,099
4 kW 4118 kWh 2471 kWh 1647 kWh £655 £165 £820 £10,238 12.5 yrs £6,165
5 kW 5147 kWh 3088 kWh 2059 kWh £819 £206 £1,025 £12,273 12.0 yrs £8,232
6 kW 6177 kWh 3706 kWh 2471 kWh £983 £247 £1,230 £14,307 11.6 yrs £10,298
7 kW 7206 kWh 4324 kWh 2882 kWh £1,147 £288 £1,435 £16,342 11.4 yrs £12,364
8 kW 8235 kWh 4941 kWh 3294 kWh £1,311 £329 £1,640 £18,376 11.2 yrs £14,431

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: £1,110, Upfront: £13,673, 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 2059 kWh 1441 kWh 618 kWh £382 £62 £444 £7,569 17.0 yrs £1,313
3 kW 3088 kWh 2162 kWh 926 kWh £574 £93 £666 £9,604 14.4 yrs £3,720
4 kW 4118 kWh 2882 kWh 1235 kWh £765 £124 £888 £11,638 13.1 yrs £6,127
5 kW 5147 kWh 3603 kWh 1544 kWh £956 £154 £1,110 £13,673 12.3 yrs £8,533
6 kW 6177 kWh 4324 kWh 1853 kWh £1,147 £185 £1,332 £15,707 11.8 yrs £10,940
7 kW 7206 kWh 5044 kWh 2162 kWh £1,338 £216 £1,554 £17,742 11.4 yrs £13,347
8 kW 8235 kWh 5765 kWh 2471 kWh £1,529 £247 £1,776 £19,776 11.1 yrs £15,753

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: £1,136, Upfront: £15,423, 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 2059 kWh 1503 kWh 556 kWh £399 £56 £454 £9,319 20.5 yrs £-232
3 kW 3088 kWh 2254 kWh 834 kWh £598 £83 £681 £11,354 16.7 yrs £2,276
4 kW 4118 kWh 3006 kWh 1112 kWh £797 £111 £909 £13,388 14.7 yrs £4,785
5 kW 5147 kWh 3757 kWh 1390 kWh £997 £139 £1,136 £15,423 13.6 yrs £7,294
6 kW 6177 kWh 4509 kWh 1668 kWh £1,196 £167 £1,363 £17,457 12.8 yrs £9,803
7 kW 7206 kWh 5260 kWh 1946 kWh £1,396 £195 £1,590 £19,492 12.3 yrs £12,311
8 kW 8235 kWh 6012 kWh 2224 kWh £1,595 £222 £1,817 £21,526 11.8 yrs £14,820

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: £1,153, Upfront: £17,173, Break-even: 14.9 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2059 kWh 1544 kWh 515 kWh £410 £51 £461 £11,069 24.0 yrs £-1,846
3 kW 3088 kWh 2316 kWh 772 kWh £614 £77 £692 £13,104 18.9 yrs £730
4 kW 4118 kWh 3088 kWh 1029 kWh £819 £103 £922 £15,138 16.4 yrs £3,307
5 kW 5147 kWh 3860 kWh 1287 kWh £1,024 £129 £1,153 £17,173 14.9 yrs £5,884
6 kW 6177 kWh 4632 kWh 1544 kWh £1,229 £154 £1,383 £19,207 13.9 yrs £8,461
7 kW 7206 kWh 5405 kWh 1802 kWh £1,434 £180 £1,614 £21,242 13.2 yrs £11,038
8 kW 8235 kWh 6177 kWh 2059 kWh £1,639 £206 £1,845 £23,276 12.6 yrs £13,615

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: £1,170, Upfront: £19,623, Break-even: 16.8 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2059 kWh 1585 kWh 474 kWh £421 £47 £468 £13,519 28.9 yrs £-4,160
3 kW 3088 kWh 2378 kWh 710 kWh £631 £71 £702 £15,554 22.2 yrs £-1,515
4 kW 4118 kWh 3171 kWh 947 kWh £841 £95 £936 £17,588 18.8 yrs £1,130
5 kW 5147 kWh 3963 kWh 1184 kWh £1,051 £118 £1,170 £19,623 16.8 yrs £3,774
6 kW 6177 kWh 4756 kWh 1421 kWh £1,262 £142 £1,404 £21,657 15.4 yrs £6,419
7 kW 7206 kWh 5549 kWh 1657 kWh £1,472 £166 £1,638 £23,692 14.5 yrs £9,064
8 kW 8235 kWh 6341 kWh 1894 kWh £1,682 £189 £1,872 £25,726 13.7 yrs £11,709

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 CO9

Figures below are tailored to CO9 — click through for full league tables.

Big-Roof Britain Rank #948 of 2182
5.1 kWp (UK avg 5.1 kWp)
~11 panels (≈430 W)
Solar Payback Index Rank #396 of 2997
10.4 years (UK avg 11.3 years)
~£983 /yr • £10,173 upfront
Standing-Charge Drag Rank #978 of 2997
17.9% (UK avg 21.7%) drag on savings
£176 fixed • ~£983 /yr value

Your Area at a Glance

Your Electricity Rate
26.53p/kWh
Daily Fixed Charge
48.25p/day
Local Sunshine
1029kWh/kW
A 1 kW system generates ~1029 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: 74% • Flats: 13% • Bungalows: 11% Based on 7,041 properties

Coverage

Braintree (99%)|West Suffolk (1%)

Areas Covered

Halstead St Andrew's, Halstead Trinity, Hedingham, Gosfield & Greenstead Green, Yeldham, Stour Valley North, Stour Valley South, Bumpstead + 5 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

CM7 (Braintree)
≈9.3 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,034 kWh/kWp · +0% vs CO9
CO8 (Braintree)
≈10.1 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,039 kWh/kWp · +1% vs CO9
CM77 (Braintree)
≈10.7 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,029 kWh/kWp · -0% vs CO9
CO6 (Colchester)
≈11.8 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,039 kWh/kWp · +1% vs CO9
CO10 (Babergh)
≈13.0 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,030 kWh/kWp · +0% vs CO9
CM8 (Braintree)
≈16.2 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,050 kWh/kWp · +2% vs CO9

Similar sunshine across the UK

TR7 (Cornwall)
~1,030 kWh/kWp · +0% vs CO9
TR1 (Cornwall)
~1,029 kWh/kWp · -0% vs CO9
RH16 (Mid Sussex)
~1,029 kWh/kWp · -0% vs CO9