Independent solar numbers for your postcode using official UK data
Home Regions Guides Compare quotes Solar assistant
Insights
Big Roof Britain Solar Payback Index Standing Charge Drag Roof Direction Penalty Winter Solar Reality Seasonal Solar Output

Solar panel cost in Southend-on-Sea (SS2)

See realistic solar installation costs, savings and payback for SS2 (Southend-on-Sea) 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
9.3 years
After this, it's pure profit
Upfront Cost
£8,139
What you pay to get started
Annual Benefit
£873
What you save every year
Profit Over 25 Years
£13,685
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: 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 1055 kWh/kW — 46 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 1055 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)
1055 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: £873, Upfront: £8,139, Break-even: 9.3 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2110 kWh 844 kWh 1266 kWh £223 £127 £349 £3,256 9.3 yrs £3,728
3 kW 3164 kWh 1266 kWh 1899 kWh £334 £190 £524 £4,883 9.3 yrs £5,592
4 kW 4219 kWh 1688 kWh 2531 kWh £445 £253 £698 £6,511 9.3 yrs £7,456
5 kW 5274 kWh 2110 kWh 3164 kWh £557 £316 £873 £8,139 9.3 yrs £9,320
6 kW 6329 kWh 2531 kWh 3797 kWh £668 £380 £1,048 £9,767 9.3 yrs £11,184
7 kW 7383 kWh 2953 kWh 4430 kWh £779 £443 £1,222 £11,394 9.3 yrs £13,048
8 kW 8438 kWh 3375 kWh 5063 kWh £890 £506 £1,397 £13,022 9.3 yrs £14,912

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: £1,046, Upfront: £10,239, 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 2110 kWh 1266 kWh 844 kWh £334 £84 £418 £5,356 12.8 yrs £3,010
3 kW 3164 kWh 1899 kWh 1266 kWh £501 £127 £627 £6,983 11.1 yrs £5,565
4 kW 4219 kWh 2531 kWh 1688 kWh £668 £169 £837 £8,611 10.3 yrs £8,120
5 kW 5274 kWh 3164 kWh 2110 kWh £835 £211 £1,046 £10,239 9.8 yrs £10,675
6 kW 6329 kWh 3797 kWh 2531 kWh £1,002 £253 £1,255 £11,867 9.5 yrs £13,230
7 kW 7383 kWh 4430 kWh 2953 kWh £1,169 £295 £1,464 £13,494 9.2 yrs £15,786
8 kW 8438 kWh 5063 kWh 3375 kWh £1,336 £338 £1,673 £15,122 9.0 yrs £18,341

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: £1,132, Upfront: £11,639, Break-even: 10.3 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2110 kWh 1477 kWh 633 kWh £390 £63 £453 £6,756 14.9 yrs £2,301
3 kW 3164 kWh 2215 kWh 949 kWh £584 £95 £679 £8,383 12.3 yrs £5,202
4 kW 4219 kWh 2953 kWh 1266 kWh £779 £127 £906 £10,011 11.1 yrs £8,102
5 kW 5274 kWh 3692 kWh 1582 kWh £974 £158 £1,132 £11,639 10.3 yrs £11,003
6 kW 6329 kWh 4430 kWh 1899 kWh £1,169 £190 £1,359 £13,267 9.8 yrs £13,904
7 kW 7383 kWh 5168 kWh 2215 kWh £1,363 £222 £1,585 £14,894 9.4 yrs £16,804
8 kW 8438 kWh 5907 kWh 2531 kWh £1,558 £253 £1,811 £16,522 9.1 yrs £19,705

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: £1,158, Upfront: £13,389, 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 2110 kWh 1540 kWh 570 kWh £406 £57 £463 £8,506 18.4 yrs £759
3 kW 3164 kWh 2310 kWh 854 kWh £609 £85 £695 £10,133 14.6 yrs £3,763
4 kW 4219 kWh 3080 kWh 1139 kWh £812 £114 £926 £11,761 12.7 yrs £6,767
5 kW 5274 kWh 3850 kWh 1424 kWh £1,016 £142 £1,158 £13,389 11.6 yrs £9,771
6 kW 6329 kWh 4620 kWh 1709 kWh £1,219 £171 £1,390 £15,017 10.8 yrs £12,776
7 kW 7383 kWh 5390 kWh 1994 kWh £1,422 £199 £1,621 £16,644 10.3 yrs £15,780
8 kW 8438 kWh 6160 kWh 2278 kWh £1,625 £228 £1,853 £18,272 9.9 yrs £18,784

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: £1,175, Upfront: £15,139, Break-even: 12.9 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2110 kWh 1582 kWh 527 kWh £417 £53 £470 £10,256 21.8 yrs £-853
3 kW 3164 kWh 2373 kWh 791 kWh £626 £79 £705 £11,883 16.9 yrs £2,220
4 kW 4219 kWh 3164 kWh 1055 kWh £835 £105 £940 £13,511 14.4 yrs £5,294
5 kW 5274 kWh 3955 kWh 1318 kWh £1,043 £132 £1,175 £15,139 12.9 yrs £8,367
6 kW 6329 kWh 4747 kWh 1582 kWh £1,252 £158 £1,410 £16,767 11.9 yrs £11,440
7 kW 7383 kWh 5538 kWh 1846 kWh £1,461 £185 £1,645 £18,394 11.2 yrs £14,514
8 kW 8438 kWh 6329 kWh 2110 kWh £1,670 £211 £1,880 £20,022 10.6 yrs £17,587

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: £1,193, Upfront: £17,589, Break-even: 14.7 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2110 kWh 1624 kWh 485 kWh £429 £49 £477 £12,706 26.6 yrs £-3,165
3 kW 3164 kWh 2437 kWh 728 kWh £643 £73 £716 £14,333 20.0 yrs £-22
4 kW 4219 kWh 3249 kWh 970 kWh £857 £97 £954 £15,961 16.7 yrs £3,120
5 kW 5274 kWh 4061 kWh 1213 kWh £1,071 £121 £1,193 £17,589 14.7 yrs £6,263
6 kW 6329 kWh 4873 kWh 1456 kWh £1,286 £146 £1,431 £19,217 13.4 yrs £9,405
7 kW 7383 kWh 5685 kWh 1698 kWh £1,500 £170 £1,670 £20,844 12.5 yrs £12,548
8 kW 8438 kWh 6497 kWh 1941 kWh £1,714 £194 £1,908 £22,472 11.8 yrs £15,690

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 Southend-on-Sea

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.

Compare solar quotes before you sign

Check what MCS certification means

Understand DNO, G98 and G99 export limits

New quote check

Want a quote sanity check for SS2?

Share the first part of your postcode and a few basics. We’ll help you check whether system size, battery, export and paperwork assumptions look sensible before you commit to installer conversations.

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.

Request a quote sanity check →

Insights for SS2

Figures below are tailored to SS2 — click through for full league tables.

Big-Roof Britain Rank #1738 of 2182
4.5 kWp (UK avg 5.1 kWp)
~9 panels (≈430 W)
Solar Payback Index Rank #210 of 2996
9.3 years (UK avg 10.8 years)
~£873 /yr • £8,139 upfront
Standing-Charge Drag Rank #975 of 2996
22.6% (UK avg 26.6%) drag on savings
£197 fixed • ~£873 /yr value
Aspect Penalty View ranking →
East −21.8% West −21.8%
Typical output loss versus a south-facing roof (lower is better)

Seasonal solar output in SS2

Monthly generation per kilowatt of solar panels

kWh 40 Jan 54 Feb 88 Mar 119 Apr 127 May 127 Jun 128 Jul 116 Aug 100 Sep 70 Oct 49 Nov 37 Dec
Best month Worst month Winter (Dec–Feb) Other months

Winter output: 49.5% of an average month (Dec–Feb)

Best / worst month: Jul / 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 174 kWh in winter, or 352 kWh in an average month.

Your Area at a Glance

Your Electricity Rate
26.38p/kWh
Daily Fixed Charge
53.94p/day
Local Sunshine
1055kWh/kW
A 1 kW system generates ~1055 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: 42% • Flats: 46% • Bungalows: 10% Based on 10,583 properties

Coverage

Southend-on-Sea (98%)|Rochford (2%)

Areas Covered

Victoria, St. Luke's, St Laurence, Southchurch, Prittlewell, Kursaal, Roche South, Milton

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

SS99 (Southend-on-Sea)
≈0.4 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,055 kWh/kWp · -0% vs SS2
SS1 (Southend-on-Sea)
≈0.8 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,055 kWh/kWp · -0% vs SS2
SS22 (Southend-on-Sea)
≈1.2 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,068 kWh/kWp · +1% vs SS2
SS0 (Southend-on-Sea)
≈1.6 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,056 kWh/kWp · +0% vs SS2
SS9 (Southend-on-Sea)
≈4.3 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,039 kWh/kWp · -2% vs SS2
SS4 (Rochford)
≈4.5 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,068 kWh/kWp · +1% vs SS2

Similar sunshine across the UK

BH22 (Dorset)
~1,055 kWh/kWp · -0% vs SS2
TN22 (Wealden)
~1,055 kWh/kWp · -0% vs SS2
DT11 (Dorset)
~1,055 kWh/kWp · +0% vs SS2