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Solar panel cost in East Suffolk (IP12)

See realistic solar installation costs, savings and payback for IP12 (East Suffolk) 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
9.1 years
After this, it's pure profit
Upfront Cost
£9,767
What you pay to get started
Annual Benefit
£1,070
What you save every year
Profit Over 25 Years
£16,976
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 1077 kWh/kW — 68 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 1077 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)
1077 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: £891, Upfront: £8,139, Break-even: 9.1 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2154 kWh 862 kWh 1293 kWh £227 £129 £357 £3,256 9.1 yrs £3,876
3 kW 3231 kWh 1293 kWh 1939 kWh £341 £194 £535 £4,883 9.1 yrs £5,814
4 kW 4309 kWh 1723 kWh 2585 kWh £455 £259 £713 £6,511 9.1 yrs £7,752
5 kW 5386 kWh 2154 kWh 3231 kWh £568 £323 £891 £8,139 9.1 yrs £9,690
6 kW 6463 kWh 2585 kWh 3878 kWh £682 £388 £1,070 £9,767 9.1 yrs £11,628
7 kW 7540 kWh 3016 kWh 4524 kWh £796 £452 £1,248 £11,394 9.1 yrs £13,566
8 kW 8617 kWh 3447 kWh 5170 kWh £909 £517 £1,426 £13,022 9.1 yrs £15,504

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: £1,068, Upfront: £10,239, Break-even: 9.6 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2154 kWh 1293 kWh 862 kWh £341 £86 £427 £5,356 12.5 yrs £3,187
3 kW 3231 kWh 1939 kWh 1293 kWh £511 £129 £641 £6,983 10.9 yrs £5,831
4 kW 4309 kWh 2585 kWh 1723 kWh £682 £172 £854 £8,611 10.1 yrs £8,475
5 kW 5386 kWh 3231 kWh 2154 kWh £852 £215 £1,068 £10,239 9.6 yrs £11,119
6 kW 6463 kWh 3878 kWh 2585 kWh £1,023 £259 £1,281 £11,867 9.3 yrs £13,762
7 kW 7540 kWh 4524 kWh 3016 kWh £1,193 £302 £1,495 £13,494 9.0 yrs £16,406
8 kW 8617 kWh 5170 kWh 3447 kWh £1,364 £345 £1,709 £15,122 8.9 yrs £19,050

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: £1,156, Upfront: £11,639, Break-even: 10.1 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2154 kWh 1508 kWh 646 kWh £398 £65 £462 £6,756 14.6 yrs £2,493
3 kW 3231 kWh 2262 kWh 969 kWh £597 £97 £694 £8,383 12.1 yrs £5,490
4 kW 4309 kWh 3016 kWh 1293 kWh £796 £129 £925 £10,011 10.8 yrs £8,486
5 kW 5386 kWh 3770 kWh 1616 kWh £995 £162 £1,156 £11,639 10.1 yrs £11,483
6 kW 6463 kWh 4524 kWh 1939 kWh £1,193 £194 £1,387 £13,267 9.6 yrs £14,479
7 kW 7540 kWh 5278 kWh 2262 kWh £1,392 £226 £1,619 £14,894 9.2 yrs £17,476
8 kW 8617 kWh 6032 kWh 2585 kWh £1,591 £259 £1,850 £16,522 8.9 yrs £20,473

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: £1,183, Upfront: £13,389, 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 2154 kWh 1573 kWh 582 kWh £415 £58 £473 £8,506 18.0 yrs £955
3 kW 3231 kWh 2359 kWh 872 kWh £622 £87 £710 £10,133 14.3 yrs £4,057
4 kW 4309 kWh 3145 kWh 1163 kWh £830 £116 £946 £11,761 12.4 yrs £7,160
5 kW 5386 kWh 3932 kWh 1454 kWh £1,037 £145 £1,183 £13,389 11.3 yrs £10,262
6 kW 6463 kWh 4718 kWh 1745 kWh £1,245 £174 £1,419 £15,017 10.6 yrs £13,365
7 kW 7540 kWh 5504 kWh 2036 kWh £1,452 £204 £1,656 £16,644 10.1 yrs £16,467
8 kW 8617 kWh 6290 kWh 2327 kWh £1,659 £233 £1,892 £18,272 9.7 yrs £19,569

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: £1,200, Upfront: £15,139, Break-even: 12.6 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2154 kWh 1616 kWh 539 kWh £426 £54 £480 £10,256 21.4 yrs £-654
3 kW 3231 kWh 2424 kWh 808 kWh £639 £81 £720 £11,883 16.5 yrs £2,519
4 kW 4309 kWh 3231 kWh 1077 kWh £852 £108 £960 £13,511 14.1 yrs £5,692
5 kW 5386 kWh 4039 kWh 1346 kWh £1,066 £135 £1,200 £15,139 12.6 yrs £8,865
6 kW 6463 kWh 4847 kWh 1616 kWh £1,279 £162 £1,440 £16,767 11.6 yrs £12,038
7 kW 7540 kWh 5655 kWh 1885 kWh £1,492 £188 £1,680 £18,394 10.9 yrs £15,211
8 kW 8617 kWh 6463 kWh 2154 kWh £1,705 £215 £1,920 £20,022 10.4 yrs £18,384

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: £1,218, Upfront: £17,589, Break-even: 14.4 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2154 kWh 1659 kWh 495 kWh £438 £50 £487 £12,706 26.1 yrs £-2,963
3 kW 3231 kWh 2488 kWh 743 kWh £656 £74 £731 £14,333 19.6 yrs £281
4 kW 4309 kWh 3318 kWh 991 kWh £875 £99 £974 £15,961 16.4 yrs £3,524
5 kW 5386 kWh 4147 kWh 1239 kWh £1,094 £124 £1,218 £17,589 14.4 yrs £6,768
6 kW 6463 kWh 4976 kWh 1486 kWh £1,313 £149 £1,461 £19,217 13.1 yrs £10,011
7 kW 7540 kWh 5806 kWh 1734 kWh £1,532 £173 £1,705 £20,844 12.2 yrs £13,255
8 kW 8617 kWh 6635 kWh 1982 kWh £1,750 £198 £1,949 £22,472 11.5 yrs £16,499

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 East Suffolk

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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Insights for IP12

Figures below are tailored to IP12 — click through for full league tables.

Big-Roof Britain Rank #454 of 2182
5.7 kWp (UK avg 5.1 kWp)
~12 panels (≈430 W)
Solar Payback Index Rank #135 of 2996
9.1 years (UK avg 10.8 years)
~£1,070 /yr • £9,767 upfront
Standing-Charge Drag Rank #272 of 2996
18.4% (UK avg 26.6%) drag on savings
£197 fixed • ~£1,070 /yr value
Aspect Penalty View ranking →
East −22.4% West −21.8%
Typical output loss versus a south-facing roof (lower is better)

Seasonal solar output in IP12

Monthly generation per kilowatt of solar panels

kWh 41 Jan 55 Feb 91 Mar 123 Apr 129 May 131 Jun 130 Jul 118 Aug 101 Sep 71 Oct 49 Nov 37 Dec
Best month Worst month Winter (Dec–Feb) Other months

Winter output: 49.4% 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 90 kWh. So a typical 4 kW home system would generate roughly 177 kWh in winter, or 359 kWh in an average month.

Your Area at a Glance

Your Electricity Rate
26.38p/kWh
Daily Fixed Charge
53.94p/day
Local Sunshine
1077kWh/kW
A 1 kW system generates ~1077 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: 67% • Flats: 13% • Bungalows: 18% Based on 7,609 properties

Coverage

East Suffolk (100%)

Areas Covered

Woodbridge, Deben, Rendlesham & Orford, Melton, Martlesham & Purdis Farm, Orwell & Villages, Wickham Market, Carlford & Fynn Valley

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

IP5 (East Suffolk)
≈6.6 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,062 kWh/kWp · -1% vs IP12
IP10 (East Suffolk)
≈9.6 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,068 kWh/kWp · -1% vs IP12
IP13 (East Suffolk)
≈9.6 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,056 kWh/kWp · -2% vs IP12
IP4 (Ipswich)
≈10.9 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,050 kWh/kWp · -3% vs IP12
IP3 (Ipswich)
≈11.0 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,059 kWh/kWp · -2% vs IP12
IP1 (Ipswich)
≈12.7 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,042 kWh/kWp · -3% vs IP12

Similar sunshine across the UK

TN18 (Tunbridge Wells)
~1,076 kWh/kWp · -0% vs IP12
PO16 (Fareham)
~1,078 kWh/kWp · +0% vs IP12
PO14 (Fareham)
~1,078 kWh/kWp · +0% vs IP12