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Big Roof Britain Solar Payback Index Standing Charge Drag

Solar Panels in AL7 (Welwyn Hatfield)

See if solar pays off for you in Welwyn Hatfield — 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
12.3 years
After this, it's pure profit
Upfront Cost
£8,138
What you pay to get started
Annual Benefit
£664
What you save every year
Profit Over 25 Years
£8,453
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 999 kWh/kW — 10 below the regional median (1009).

Read the full story

A typical roof here lands around 4.0 kW, with most eligible homes comfortably fitting within 3–6 kW. Each kilowatt of panels produces roughly 999 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)
999 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: £830, Upfront: £10,173, 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 1997 kWh 799 kWh 1198 kWh £212 £120 £332 £4,069 12.3 yrs £2,567
3 kW 2996 kWh 1198 kWh 1798 kWh £318 £180 £498 £6,104 12.3 yrs £3,851
4 kW 3995 kWh 1598 kWh 2397 kWh £424 £240 £664 £8,138 12.3 yrs £5,134
5 kW 4994 kWh 1997 kWh 2996 kWh £530 £300 £830 £10,173 12.3 yrs £6,418
6 kW 5992 kWh 2397 kWh 3595 kWh £636 £360 £995 £12,207 12.3 yrs £7,702
7 kW 6991 kWh 2796 kWh 4195 kWh £742 £419 £1,161 £14,242 12.3 yrs £8,985
8 kW 7990 kWh 3196 kWh 4794 kWh £848 £479 £1,327 £16,276 12.3 yrs £10,269

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: £995, Upfront: £12,273, 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 1997 kWh 1198 kWh 799 kWh £318 £80 £398 £6,169 15.5 yrs £1,788
3 kW 2996 kWh 1798 kWh 1198 kWh £477 £120 £597 £8,204 13.7 yrs £3,732
4 kW 3995 kWh 2397 kWh 1598 kWh £636 £160 £796 £10,238 12.9 yrs £5,676
5 kW 4994 kWh 2996 kWh 1997 kWh £795 £200 £995 £12,273 12.3 yrs £7,620
6 kW 5992 kWh 3595 kWh 2397 kWh £954 £240 £1,194 £14,307 12.0 yrs £9,564
7 kW 6991 kWh 4195 kWh 2796 kWh £1,113 £280 £1,392 £16,342 11.7 yrs £11,508
8 kW 7990 kWh 4794 kWh 3196 kWh £1,272 £320 £1,591 £18,376 11.5 yrs £13,452

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: £1,077, Upfront: £13,673, 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 1997 kWh 1398 kWh 599 kWh £371 £60 £431 £7,569 17.6 yrs £1,048
3 kW 2996 kWh 2097 kWh 899 kWh £556 £90 £646 £9,604 14.9 yrs £3,322
4 kW 3995 kWh 2796 kWh 1198 kWh £742 £120 £862 £11,638 13.5 yrs £5,596
5 kW 4994 kWh 3495 kWh 1498 kWh £927 £150 £1,077 £13,673 12.7 yrs £7,871
6 kW 5992 kWh 4195 kWh 1798 kWh £1,113 £180 £1,293 £15,707 12.2 yrs £10,145
7 kW 6991 kWh 4894 kWh 2097 kWh £1,298 £210 £1,508 £17,742 11.8 yrs £12,419
8 kW 7990 kWh 5593 kWh 2397 kWh £1,484 £240 £1,723 £19,776 11.5 yrs £14,693

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: £1,102, Upfront: £15,423, 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 1997 kWh 1458 kWh 539 kWh £387 £54 £441 £9,319 21.1 yrs £-504
3 kW 2996 kWh 2187 kWh 809 kWh £580 £81 £661 £11,354 17.2 yrs £1,870
4 kW 3995 kWh 2916 kWh 1079 kWh £774 £108 £882 £13,388 15.2 yrs £4,243
5 kW 4994 kWh 3645 kWh 1348 kWh £967 £135 £1,102 £15,423 14.0 yrs £6,616
6 kW 5992 kWh 4374 kWh 1618 kWh £1,161 £162 £1,322 £17,457 13.2 yrs £8,989
7 kW 6991 kWh 5103 kWh 1888 kWh £1,354 £189 £1,543 £19,492 12.6 yrs £11,362
8 kW 7990 kWh 5832 kWh 2157 kWh £1,547 £216 £1,763 £21,526 12.2 yrs £13,735

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: £1,118, Upfront: £17,173, Break-even: 15.4 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1997 kWh 1498 kWh 499 kWh £397 £50 £447 £11,069 24.7 yrs £-2,122
3 kW 2996 kWh 2247 kWh 749 kWh £596 £75 £671 £13,104 19.5 yrs £318
4 kW 3995 kWh 2996 kWh 999 kWh £795 £100 £895 £15,138 16.9 yrs £2,757
5 kW 4994 kWh 3745 kWh 1248 kWh £994 £125 £1,118 £17,173 15.4 yrs £5,196
6 kW 5992 kWh 4494 kWh 1498 kWh £1,192 £150 £1,342 £19,207 14.3 yrs £7,635
7 kW 6991 kWh 5243 kWh 1748 kWh £1,391 £175 £1,566 £21,242 13.6 yrs £10,074
8 kW 7990 kWh 5992 kWh 1997 kWh £1,590 £200 £1,789 £23,276 13.0 yrs £12,514

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: £1,135, Upfront: £19,623, Break-even: 17.3 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1997 kWh 1538 kWh 459 kWh £408 £46 £454 £13,519 29.8 yrs £-4,440
3 kW 2996 kWh 2307 kWh 689 kWh £612 £69 £681 £15,554 22.8 yrs £-1,934
4 kW 3995 kWh 3076 kWh 919 kWh £816 £92 £908 £17,588 19.4 yrs £571
5 kW 4994 kWh 3845 kWh 1149 kWh £1,020 £115 £1,135 £19,623 17.3 yrs £3,076
6 kW 5992 kWh 4614 kWh 1378 kWh £1,224 £138 £1,362 £21,657 15.9 yrs £5,581
7 kW 6991 kWh 5383 kWh 1608 kWh £1,428 £161 £1,589 £23,692 14.9 yrs £8,087
8 kW 7990 kWh 6152 kWh 1838 kWh £1,632 £184 £1,816 £25,726 14.2 yrs £10,592

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 AL7

Figures below are tailored to AL7 — click through for full league tables.

Big-Roof Britain Rank #1857 of 2182
4.3 kWp (UK avg 5.1 kWp)
~9 panels (≈430 W)
Solar Payback Index Rank #757 of 2997
10.7 years (UK avg 11.3 years)
~£763 /yr • £8,138 upfront
Standing-Charge Drag Rank #2068 of 2997
23.1% (UK avg 21.7%) drag on savings
£176 fixed • ~£763 /yr value

Your Area at a Glance

Your Electricity Rate
26.53p/kWh
Daily Fixed Charge
48.25p/day
Local Sunshine
999kWh/kW
A 1 kW system generates ~999 kWh per year. A typical home uses ~2,700 kWh per year.
Typical System Size
4.0kW
For houses & bungalows in this area

Local Property Data

Property Types

Houses: 55% • Flats: 38% • Bungalows: 6% Based on 12,522 properties

Coverage

Welwyn Hatfield (100%)

Areas Covered

Peartree, Haldens, Howlands, Hollybush, Panshanger, Welwyn East, Handside, Hatfield East

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

AL8 (Welwyn Hatfield)
≈1.1 km away
Local sunshine: ~994 kWh/kWp · -0% vs AL7
AL6 (Welwyn Hatfield)
≈3.5 km away
Local sunshine: ~997 kWh/kWp · -0% vs AL7
AL10 (Welwyn Hatfield)
≈4.7 km away
Local sunshine: ~991 kWh/kWp · -1% vs AL7
AL9 (Welwyn Hatfield)
≈6.2 km away
Local sunshine: ~991 kWh/kWp · -1% vs AL7
SG3 (North Hertfordshire)
≈7.3 km away
Local sunshine: ~999 kWh/kWp · +0% vs AL7
SG14 (East Hertfordshire)
≈7.4 km away
Local sunshine: ~996 kWh/kWp · -0% vs AL7

Similar sunshine across the UK

BS77 (Bristol, City of)
~999 kWh/kWp · +0% vs AL7
TW20 (Runnymede)
~999 kWh/kWp · -0% vs AL7
GU3 (Guildford)
~999 kWh/kWp · -0% vs AL7