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Solar panel cost in Southend-on-Sea (SS3)

See realistic solar installation costs, savings and payback for SS3 (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
9.2 years
After this, it's pure profit
Upfront Cost
£8,139
What you pay to get started
Annual Benefit
£882
What you save every year
Profit Over 25 Years
£13,922
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 1066 kWh/kW — 57 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 1066 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)
1066 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: £882, Upfront: £8,139, Break-even: 9.2 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2132 kWh 853 kWh 1279 kWh £225 £128 £353 £3,256 9.2 yrs £3,804
3 kW 3199 kWh 1279 kWh 1919 kWh £338 £192 £529 £4,883 9.2 yrs £5,706
4 kW 4265 kWh 1706 kWh 2559 kWh £450 £256 £706 £6,511 9.2 yrs £7,608
5 kW 5331 kWh 2132 kWh 3199 kWh £563 £320 £882 £8,139 9.2 yrs £9,510
6 kW 6397 kWh 2559 kWh 3838 kWh £675 £384 £1,059 £9,767 9.2 yrs £11,412
7 kW 7464 kWh 2985 kWh 4478 kWh £788 £448 £1,235 £11,394 9.2 yrs £13,313
8 kW 8530 kWh 3412 kWh 5118 kWh £900 £512 £1,412 £13,022 9.2 yrs £15,215

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: £1,057, Upfront: £10,239, Break-even: 9.7 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2132 kWh 1279 kWh 853 kWh £338 £85 £423 £5,356 12.7 yrs £3,101
3 kW 3199 kWh 1919 kWh 1279 kWh £506 £128 £634 £6,983 11.0 yrs £5,702
4 kW 4265 kWh 2559 kWh 1706 kWh £675 £171 £846 £8,611 10.2 yrs £8,302
5 kW 5331 kWh 3199 kWh 2132 kWh £844 £213 £1,057 £10,239 9.7 yrs £10,903
6 kW 6397 kWh 3838 kWh 2559 kWh £1,013 £256 £1,268 £11,867 9.4 yrs £13,503
7 kW 7464 kWh 4478 kWh 2985 kWh £1,181 £299 £1,480 £13,494 9.1 yrs £16,104
8 kW 8530 kWh 5118 kWh 3412 kWh £1,350 £341 £1,691 £15,122 8.9 yrs £18,704

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: £1,144, Upfront: £11,639, Break-even: 10.2 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2132 kWh 1493 kWh 640 kWh £394 £64 £458 £6,756 14.8 yrs £2,400
3 kW 3199 kWh 2239 kWh 960 kWh £591 £96 £687 £8,383 12.2 yrs £5,349
4 kW 4265 kWh 2985 kWh 1279 kWh £788 £128 £916 £10,011 10.9 yrs £8,299
5 kW 5331 kWh 3732 kWh 1599 kWh £984 £160 £1,144 £11,639 10.2 yrs £11,249
6 kW 6397 kWh 4478 kWh 1919 kWh £1,181 £192 £1,373 £13,267 9.7 yrs £14,199
7 kW 7464 kWh 5225 kWh 2239 kWh £1,378 £224 £1,602 £14,894 9.3 yrs £17,149
8 kW 8530 kWh 5971 kWh 2559 kWh £1,575 £256 £1,831 £16,522 9.0 yrs £20,099

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: £1,171, Upfront: £13,389, Break-even: 11.4 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2132 kWh 1557 kWh 576 kWh £411 £58 £468 £8,506 18.2 yrs £859
3 kW 3199 kWh 2335 kWh 864 kWh £616 £86 £702 £10,133 14.4 yrs £3,914
4 kW 4265 kWh 3113 kWh 1152 kWh £821 £115 £936 £11,761 12.6 yrs £6,968
5 kW 5331 kWh 3892 kWh 1439 kWh £1,027 £144 £1,171 £13,389 11.4 yrs £10,023
6 kW 6397 kWh 4670 kWh 1727 kWh £1,232 £173 £1,405 £15,017 10.7 yrs £13,078
7 kW 7464 kWh 5448 kWh 2015 kWh £1,437 £202 £1,639 £16,644 10.2 yrs £16,132
8 kW 8530 kWh 6227 kWh 2303 kWh £1,643 £230 £1,873 £18,272 9.8 yrs £19,187

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: £1,188, Upfront: £15,139, Break-even: 12.7 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2132 kWh 1599 kWh 533 kWh £422 £53 £475 £10,256 21.6 yrs £-751
3 kW 3199 kWh 2399 kWh 800 kWh £633 £80 £713 £11,883 16.7 yrs £2,373
4 kW 4265 kWh 3199 kWh 1066 kWh £844 £107 £950 £13,511 14.2 yrs £5,498
5 kW 5331 kWh 3998 kWh 1333 kWh £1,055 £133 £1,188 £15,139 12.7 yrs £8,622
6 kW 6397 kWh 4798 kWh 1599 kWh £1,266 £160 £1,426 £16,767 11.8 yrs £11,747
7 kW 7464 kWh 5598 kWh 1866 kWh £1,477 £187 £1,663 £18,394 11.1 yrs £14,871
8 kW 8530 kWh 6397 kWh 2132 kWh £1,688 £213 £1,901 £20,022 10.5 yrs £17,996

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: £1,206, Upfront: £17,589, Break-even: 14.6 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2132 kWh 1642 kWh 490 kWh £433 £49 £482 £12,706 26.3 yrs £-3,061
3 kW 3199 kWh 2463 kWh 736 kWh £650 £74 £723 £14,333 19.8 yrs £133
4 kW 4265 kWh 3284 kWh 981 kWh £866 £98 £964 £15,961 16.5 yrs £3,327
5 kW 5331 kWh 4105 kWh 1226 kWh £1,083 £123 £1,206 £17,589 14.6 yrs £6,522
6 kW 6397 kWh 4926 kWh 1471 kWh £1,299 £147 £1,447 £19,217 13.3 yrs £9,716
7 kW 7464 kWh 5747 kWh 1717 kWh £1,516 £172 £1,688 £20,844 12.4 yrs £12,910
8 kW 8530 kWh 6568 kWh 1962 kWh £1,733 £196 £1,929 £22,472 11.7 yrs £16,105

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.

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Understand DNO, G98 and G99 export limits

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Insights for SS3

Figures below are tailored to SS3 — click through for full league tables.

Big-Roof Britain Rank #1204 of 2182
4.9 kWp (UK avg 5.1 kWp)
~10 panels (≈430 W)
Solar Payback Index Rank #177 of 2996
9.2 years (UK avg 10.8 years)
~£882 /yr • £8,139 upfront
Standing-Charge Drag Rank #958 of 2996
22.3% (UK avg 26.6%) drag on savings
£197 fixed • ~£882 /yr value
Aspect Penalty View ranking →
East −21.6% West −21.8%
Typical output loss versus a south-facing roof (lower is better)

Seasonal solar output in SS3

Monthly generation per kilowatt of solar panels

kWh 39 Jan 54 Feb 89 Mar 122 Apr 129 May 130 Jun 130 Jul 118 Aug 101 Sep 70 Oct 49 Nov 36 Dec
Best month Worst month Winter (Dec–Feb) Other months

Winter output: 48.5% 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 43 kWh per month; the average month produces around 89 kWh. So a typical 4 kW home system would generate roughly 172 kWh in winter, or 355 kWh in an average month.

Your Area at a Glance

Your Electricity Rate
26.38p/kWh
Daily Fixed Charge
53.94p/day
Local Sunshine
1066kWh/kW
A 1 kW system generates ~1066 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: 71% • Flats: 20% • Bungalows: 7% Based on 6,563 properties

Coverage

Southend-on-Sea (68%)|Rochford (32%)

Areas Covered

Shoeburyness, Foulness and The Wakerings, West Shoebury, Roche South, Victoria, Southchurch

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

SS1 (Southend-on-Sea)
≈5.3 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,055 kWh/kWp · -1% vs SS3
SS2 (Southend-on-Sea)
≈5.4 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,055 kWh/kWp · -1% vs SS3
SS99 (Southend-on-Sea)
≈5.5 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,055 kWh/kWp · -1% vs SS3
SS22 (Southend-on-Sea)
≈6.0 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,068 kWh/kWp · +0% vs SS3
SS0 (Southend-on-Sea)
≈6.8 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,056 kWh/kWp · -1% vs SS3
SS4 (Rochford)
≈7.8 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,068 kWh/kWp · +0% vs SS3

Similar sunshine across the UK

DT2 (Dorset)
~1,066 kWh/kWp · -0% vs SS3
TR93 (Cornwall)
~1,066 kWh/kWp · -0% vs SS3
TR18 (Cornwall)
~1,066 kWh/kWp · -0% vs SS3