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Big Roof Britain Solar Payback Index Standing Charge Drag

Solar Panels in B68 (Sandwell)

See if solar pays off for you in Sandwell — 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
13.4 years
After this, it's pure profit
Upfront Cost
£8,138
What you pay to get started
Annual Benefit
£607
What you save every year
Profit Over 25 Years
£7,030
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 933 kWh/kW — 9 below the regional median (942).

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 933 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)
933 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: £758, Upfront: £10,173, Break-even: 13.4 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1866 kWh 746 kWh 1120 kWh £191 £112 £303 £4,069 13.4 yrs £1,998
3 kW 2799 kWh 1120 kWh 1680 kWh £287 £168 £455 £6,104 13.4 yrs £2,997
4 kW 3732 kWh 1493 kWh 2239 kWh £383 £224 £607 £8,138 13.4 yrs £3,996
5 kW 4665 kWh 1866 kWh 2799 kWh £478 £280 £758 £10,173 13.4 yrs £4,995
6 kW 5598 kWh 2239 kWh 3359 kWh £574 £336 £910 £12,207 13.4 yrs £5,995
7 kW 6531 kWh 2613 kWh 3919 kWh £670 £392 £1,062 £14,242 13.4 yrs £6,994
8 kW 7465 kWh 2986 kWh 4479 kWh £766 £448 £1,213 £16,276 13.4 yrs £7,993

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: £904, Upfront: £12,273, Break-even: 13.6 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1866 kWh 1120 kWh 746 kWh £287 £75 £362 £6,169 17.1 yrs £1,066
3 kW 2799 kWh 1680 kWh 1120 kWh £431 £112 £543 £8,204 15.1 yrs £2,648
4 kW 3732 kWh 2239 kWh 1493 kWh £574 £149 £723 £10,238 14.2 yrs £4,231
5 kW 4665 kWh 2799 kWh 1866 kWh £718 £187 £904 £12,273 13.6 yrs £5,814
6 kW 5598 kWh 3359 kWh 2239 kWh £861 £224 £1,085 £14,307 13.2 yrs £7,397
7 kW 6531 kWh 3919 kWh 2613 kWh £1,005 £261 £1,266 £16,342 12.9 yrs £8,980
8 kW 7465 kWh 4479 kWh 2986 kWh £1,148 £299 £1,447 £18,376 12.7 yrs £10,563

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: £977, Upfront: £13,673, 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 1866 kWh 1306 kWh 560 kWh £335 £56 £391 £7,569 19.4 yrs £249
3 kW 2799 kWh 1959 kWh 840 kWh £502 £84 £586 £9,604 16.4 yrs £2,124
4 kW 3732 kWh 2613 kWh 1120 kWh £670 £112 £782 £11,638 14.9 yrs £3,999
5 kW 4665 kWh 3266 kWh 1400 kWh £837 £140 £977 £13,673 14.0 yrs £5,873
6 kW 5598 kWh 3919 kWh 1680 kWh £1,005 £168 £1,173 £15,707 13.4 yrs £7,748
7 kW 6531 kWh 4572 kWh 1959 kWh £1,172 £196 £1,368 £17,742 13.0 yrs £9,623
8 kW 7465 kWh 5225 kWh 2239 kWh £1,340 £224 £1,564 £19,776 12.6 yrs £11,497

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: £999, Upfront: £15,423, 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 1866 kWh 1362 kWh 504 kWh £349 £50 £400 £9,319 23.3 yrs £-1,326
3 kW 2799 kWh 2043 kWh 756 kWh £524 £76 £600 £11,354 18.9 yrs £637
4 kW 3732 kWh 2725 kWh 1008 kWh £699 £101 £799 £13,388 16.7 yrs £2,599
5 kW 4665 kWh 3406 kWh 1260 kWh £873 £126 £999 £15,423 15.4 yrs £4,561
6 kW 5598 kWh 4087 kWh 1512 kWh £1,048 £151 £1,199 £17,457 14.6 yrs £6,523
7 kW 6531 kWh 4768 kWh 1764 kWh £1,223 £176 £1,399 £19,492 13.9 yrs £8,486
8 kW 7465 kWh 5449 kWh 2015 kWh £1,397 £202 £1,599 £21,526 13.5 yrs £10,448

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: £1,014, Upfront: £17,173, Break-even: 16.9 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1866 kWh 1400 kWh 467 kWh £359 £47 £406 £11,069 27.3 yrs £-2,959
3 kW 2799 kWh 2099 kWh 700 kWh £538 £70 £608 £13,104 21.5 yrs £-938
4 kW 3732 kWh 2799 kWh 933 kWh £718 £93 £811 £15,138 18.7 yrs £1,082
5 kW 4665 kWh 3499 kWh 1166 kWh £897 £117 £1,014 £17,173 16.9 yrs £3,103
6 kW 5598 kWh 4199 kWh 1400 kWh £1,077 £140 £1,217 £19,207 15.8 yrs £5,124
7 kW 6531 kWh 4899 kWh 1633 kWh £1,256 £163 £1,419 £21,242 15.0 yrs £7,144
8 kW 7465 kWh 5598 kWh 1866 kWh £1,435 £187 £1,622 £23,276 14.3 yrs £9,165

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: £1,028, Upfront: £19,623, Break-even: 19.1 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1866 kWh 1437 kWh 429 kWh £368 £43 £411 £13,519 32.9 yrs £-5,292
3 kW 2799 kWh 2155 kWh 644 kWh £553 £64 £617 £15,554 25.2 yrs £-3,213
4 kW 3732 kWh 2874 kWh 858 kWh £737 £86 £823 £17,588 21.4 yrs £-1,134
5 kW 4665 kWh 3592 kWh 1073 kWh £921 £107 £1,028 £19,623 19.1 yrs £945
6 kW 5598 kWh 4311 kWh 1288 kWh £1,105 £129 £1,234 £21,657 17.5 yrs £3,024
7 kW 6531 kWh 5029 kWh 1502 kWh £1,289 £150 £1,440 £23,692 16.5 yrs £5,103
8 kW 7465 kWh 5748 kWh 1717 kWh £1,474 £172 £1,645 £25,726 15.6 yrs £7,182

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 B68

Figures below are tailored to B68 — click through for full league tables.

Big-Roof Britain Rank #1731 of 2182
4.5 kWp (UK avg 5.1 kWp)
~9 panels (≈430 W)
Solar Payback Index Rank #1958 of 2997
11.7 years (UK avg 11.3 years)
~£694 /yr • £8,138 upfront
Standing-Charge Drag Rank #2519 of 2997
27.9% (UK avg 21.7%) drag on savings
£193 fixed • ~£694 /yr value

Your Area at a Glance

Your Electricity Rate
25.64p/kWh
Daily Fixed Charge
53.00p/day
Local Sunshine
933kWh/kW
A 1 kW system generates ~933 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: 77% • Flats: 17% • Bungalows: 4% Based on 7,420 properties

Coverage

Sandwell (100%)

Areas Covered

Old Warley, Bristnall, Langley, St Pauls, Oldbury, Smethwick, Abbey, Quinton

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

B67 (Sandwell)
≈2.2 km away
Local sunshine: ~933 kWh/kWp · +0% vs B68
B32 (Birmingham)
≈2.6 km away
Local sunshine: ~932 kWh/kWp · -0% vs B68
B65 (Sandwell)
≈2.8 km away
Local sunshine: ~933 kWh/kWp · -0% vs B68
B62 (Dudley)
≈2.9 km away
Local sunshine: ~939 kWh/kWp · +1% vs B68
B66 (Sandwell)
≈3.0 km away
Local sunshine: ~933 kWh/kWp · +0% vs B68
B69 (Sandwell)
≈3.1 km away
Local sunshine: ~927 kWh/kWp · -1% vs B68

Similar sunshine across the UK

TS12 (Redcar and Cleveland)
~933 kWh/kWp · -0% vs B68
S40 (Chesterfield)
~933 kWh/kWp · +0% vs B68
S49 (Chesterfield)
~933 kWh/kWp · +0% vs B68