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Big Roof Britain Solar Payback Index Standing Charge Drag

Solar Panels in B29 (Birmingham)

See if solar pays off for you in Birmingham — 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
13.3 years
After this, it's pure profit
Upfront Cost
£10,173
What you pay to get started
Annual Benefit
£764
What you save every year
Profit Over 25 Years
£8,928
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 Midlands, the current unit rate is 25.64p/kWh with a 53.00p/day standing charge. Your postcode’s south-facing sunshine yield is 940 kWh/kW — 2 below the regional median (942).

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 940 kWh per year on a south-facing roof. We value self-used electricity at 25.6p and exported surplus at a baseline 10p via SEG. Use the calculator above for your exact tariff.

Unit rate
25.6p/kWh
Standing charge
53.0p/day
Sunshine yield (south)
940 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: £764, Upfront: £10,173, Break-even: 13.3 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1880 kWh 752 kWh 1128 kWh £193 £113 £306 £4,069 13.3 yrs £2,043
3 kW 2820 kWh 1128 kWh 1692 kWh £289 £169 £458 £6,104 13.3 yrs £3,065
4 kW 3760 kWh 1504 kWh 2256 kWh £386 £226 £611 £8,138 13.3 yrs £4,086
5 kW 4700 kWh 1880 kWh 2820 kWh £482 £282 £764 £10,173 13.3 yrs £5,108
6 kW 5640 kWh 2256 kWh 3384 kWh £578 £338 £917 £12,207 13.3 yrs £6,130
7 kW 6580 kWh 2632 kWh 3948 kWh £675 £395 £1,070 £14,242 13.3 yrs £7,151
8 kW 7520 kWh 3008 kWh 4512 kWh £771 £451 £1,222 £16,276 13.3 yrs £8,173

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: £911, Upfront: £12,273, Break-even: 13.5 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1880 kWh 1128 kWh 752 kWh £289 £75 £364 £6,169 16.9 yrs £1,119
3 kW 2820 kWh 1692 kWh 1128 kWh £434 £113 £547 £8,204 15.0 yrs £2,729
4 kW 3760 kWh 2256 kWh 1504 kWh £578 £150 £729 £10,238 14.0 yrs £4,339
5 kW 4700 kWh 2820 kWh 1880 kWh £723 £188 £911 £12,273 13.5 yrs £5,948
6 kW 5640 kWh 3384 kWh 2256 kWh £868 £226 £1,093 £14,307 13.1 yrs £7,558
7 kW 6580 kWh 3948 kWh 2632 kWh £1,012 £263 £1,275 £16,342 12.8 yrs £9,168
8 kW 7520 kWh 4512 kWh 3008 kWh £1,157 £301 £1,458 £18,376 12.6 yrs £10,777

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: £985, Upfront: £13,673, Break-even: 13.9 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1880 kWh 1316 kWh 564 kWh £337 £56 £394 £7,569 19.2 yrs £307
3 kW 2820 kWh 1974 kWh 846 kWh £506 £85 £591 £9,604 16.3 yrs £2,211
4 kW 3760 kWh 2632 kWh 1128 kWh £675 £113 £788 £11,638 14.8 yrs £4,115
5 kW 4700 kWh 3290 kWh 1410 kWh £844 £141 £985 £13,673 13.9 yrs £6,018
6 kW 5640 kWh 3948 kWh 1692 kWh £1,012 £169 £1,181 £15,707 13.3 yrs £7,922
7 kW 6580 kWh 4606 kWh 1974 kWh £1,181 £197 £1,378 £17,742 12.9 yrs £9,826
8 kW 7520 kWh 5264 kWh 2256 kWh £1,350 £226 £1,575 £19,776 12.6 yrs £11,729

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: £1,007, Upfront: £15,423, Break-even: 15.3 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1880 kWh 1372 kWh 508 kWh £352 £51 £403 £9,319 23.1 yrs £-1,266
3 kW 2820 kWh 2059 kWh 761 kWh £528 £76 £604 £11,354 18.8 yrs £726
4 kW 3760 kWh 2745 kWh 1015 kWh £704 £102 £805 £13,388 16.6 yrs £2,718
5 kW 4700 kWh 3431 kWh 1269 kWh £880 £127 £1,007 £15,423 15.3 yrs £4,709
6 kW 5640 kWh 4117 kWh 1523 kWh £1,056 £152 £1,208 £17,457 14.5 yrs £6,701
7 kW 6580 kWh 4803 kWh 1777 kWh £1,232 £178 £1,409 £19,492 13.8 yrs £8,693
8 kW 7520 kWh 5490 kWh 2030 kWh £1,408 £203 £1,611 £21,526 13.4 yrs £10,685

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: £1,021, Upfront: £17,173, 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 1880 kWh 1410 kWh 470 kWh £362 £47 £409 £11,069 27.1 yrs £-2,899
3 kW 2820 kWh 2115 kWh 705 kWh £542 £70 £613 £13,104 21.4 yrs £-848
4 kW 3760 kWh 2820 kWh 940 kWh £723 £94 £817 £15,138 18.5 yrs £1,203
5 kW 4700 kWh 3525 kWh 1175 kWh £904 £117 £1,021 £17,173 16.8 yrs £3,253
6 kW 5640 kWh 4230 kWh 1410 kWh £1,085 £141 £1,226 £19,207 15.7 yrs £5,304
7 kW 6580 kWh 4935 kWh 1645 kWh £1,265 £164 £1,430 £21,242 14.9 yrs £7,355
8 kW 7520 kWh 5640 kWh 1880 kWh £1,446 £188 £1,634 £23,276 14.2 yrs £9,405

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: £1,036, Upfront: £19,623, Break-even: 18.9 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1880 kWh 1448 kWh 432 kWh £371 £43 £414 £13,519 32.6 yrs £-5,231
3 kW 2820 kWh 2171 kWh 649 kWh £557 £65 £622 £15,554 25.0 yrs £-3,122
4 kW 3760 kWh 2895 kWh 865 kWh £742 £86 £829 £17,588 21.2 yrs £-1,012
5 kW 4700 kWh 3619 kWh 1081 kWh £928 £108 £1,036 £19,623 18.9 yrs £1,097
6 kW 5640 kWh 4343 kWh 1297 kWh £1,113 £130 £1,243 £21,657 17.4 yrs £3,207
7 kW 6580 kWh 5067 kWh 1513 kWh £1,299 £151 £1,450 £23,692 16.3 yrs £5,316
8 kW 7520 kWh 5790 kWh 1730 kWh £1,485 £173 £1,658 £25,726 15.5 yrs £7,426

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 B29

Figures below are tailored to B29 — click through for full league tables.

Big-Roof Britain Rank #1655 of 2182
4.5 kWp (UK avg 5.1 kWp)
~9 panels (≈430 W)
Solar Payback Index Rank #1824 of 2997
11.6 years (UK avg 11.3 years)
~£874 /yr • £10,173 upfront
Standing-Charge Drag Rank #1882 of 2997
22.1% (UK avg 21.7%) drag on savings
£193 fixed • ~£874 /yr value

Your Area at a Glance

Your Electricity Rate
25.64p/kWh
Daily Fixed Charge
53.00p/day
Local Sunshine
940kWh/kW
A 1 kW system generates ~940 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: 73% • Flats: 23% • Bungalows: 3% Based on 12,567 properties

Coverage

Birmingham (100%)

Areas Covered

Weoley & Selly Oak, Bournbrook & Selly Park, Bournville & Cotteridge, Allens Cross, Bartley Green, Edgbaston

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 Midlands

B30 (Birmingham)
≈2.2 km away
Local sunshine: ~938 kWh/kWp · -0% vs B29
B17 (Birmingham)
≈2.8 km away
Local sunshine: ~933 kWh/kWp · -1% vs B29
B22 (Birmingham)
≈3.0 km away
Local sunshine: ~937 kWh/kWp · -0% vs B29
B13 (Birmingham)
≈3.6 km away
Local sunshine: ~942 kWh/kWp · +0% vs B29
B15 (Birmingham)
≈3.7 km away
Local sunshine: ~938 kWh/kWp · -0% vs B29
B31 (Birmingham)
≈3.9 km away
Local sunshine: ~940 kWh/kWp · -0% vs B29

Similar sunshine across the UK

EH31 (East Lothian)
~940 kWh/kWp · +0% vs B29
YO62 (North Yorkshire)
~940 kWh/kWp · -0% vs B29
WF10 (Wakefield)
~940 kWh/kWp · +0% vs B29