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Big Roof Britain Solar Payback Index Standing Charge Drag

Solar Panels in B73 (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
13.4 years
After this, it's pure profit
Upfront Cost
£12,207
What you pay to get started
Annual Benefit
£913
What you save every year
Profit Over 25 Years
£10,630
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 937 kWh/kW — 5 below the regional median (942).

Read the full story

A typical roof here lands around 6.0 kW, with most eligible homes comfortably fitting within 3–6 kW. Each kilowatt of panels produces roughly 937 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)
937 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: £761, 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 1873 kWh 749 kWh 1124 kWh £192 £112 £304 £4,069 13.4 yrs £2,021
3 kW 2810 kWh 1124 kWh 1686 kWh £288 £169 £457 £6,104 13.4 yrs £3,031
4 kW 3746 kWh 1498 kWh 2248 kWh £384 £225 £609 £8,138 13.4 yrs £4,042
5 kW 4683 kWh 1873 kWh 2810 kWh £480 £281 £761 £10,173 13.4 yrs £5,052
6 kW 5619 kWh 2248 kWh 3372 kWh £576 £337 £913 £12,207 13.4 yrs £6,063
7 kW 6556 kWh 2622 kWh 3934 kWh £672 £393 £1,066 £14,242 13.4 yrs £7,073
8 kW 7492 kWh 2997 kWh 4495 kWh £768 £450 £1,218 £16,276 13.4 yrs £8,083

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: £908, 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 1873 kWh 1124 kWh 749 kWh £288 £75 £363 £6,169 17.0 yrs £1,093
3 kW 2810 kWh 1686 kWh 1124 kWh £432 £112 £545 £8,204 15.1 yrs £2,689
4 kW 3746 kWh 2248 kWh 1498 kWh £576 £150 £726 £10,238 14.1 yrs £4,285
5 kW 4683 kWh 2810 kWh 1873 kWh £720 £187 £908 £12,273 13.5 yrs £5,882
6 kW 5619 kWh 3372 kWh 2248 kWh £864 £225 £1,089 £14,307 13.1 yrs £7,478
7 kW 6556 kWh 3934 kWh 2622 kWh £1,009 £262 £1,271 £16,342 12.9 yrs £9,074
8 kW 7492 kWh 4495 kWh 2997 kWh £1,153 £300 £1,452 £18,376 12.7 yrs £10,671

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: £981, 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 1873 kWh 1311 kWh 562 kWh £336 £56 £392 £7,569 19.3 yrs £279
3 kW 2810 kWh 1967 kWh 843 kWh £504 £84 £589 £9,604 16.3 yrs £2,168
4 kW 3746 kWh 2622 kWh 1124 kWh £672 £112 £785 £11,638 14.8 yrs £4,057
5 kW 4683 kWh 3278 kWh 1405 kWh £840 £140 £981 £13,673 13.9 yrs £5,947
6 kW 5619 kWh 3934 kWh 1686 kWh £1,009 £169 £1,177 £15,707 13.3 yrs £7,836
7 kW 6556 kWh 4589 kWh 1967 kWh £1,177 £197 £1,373 £17,742 12.9 yrs £9,725
8 kW 7492 kWh 5245 kWh 2248 kWh £1,345 £225 £1,570 £19,776 12.6 yrs £11,614

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: £1,003, 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 1873 kWh 1367 kWh 506 kWh £351 £51 £401 £9,319 23.2 yrs £-1,296
3 kW 2810 kWh 2051 kWh 759 kWh £526 £76 £602 £11,354 18.9 yrs £682
4 kW 3746 kWh 2735 kWh 1011 kWh £701 £101 £802 £13,388 16.7 yrs £2,659
5 kW 4683 kWh 3418 kWh 1264 kWh £876 £126 £1,003 £15,423 15.4 yrs £4,636
6 kW 5619 kWh 4102 kWh 1517 kWh £1,052 £152 £1,204 £17,457 14.5 yrs £6,613
7 kW 6556 kWh 4786 kWh 1770 kWh £1,227 £177 £1,404 £19,492 13.9 yrs £8,590
8 kW 7492 kWh 5470 kWh 2023 kWh £1,402 £202 £1,605 £21,526 13.4 yrs £10,568

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: £1,018, 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 1873 kWh 1405 kWh 468 kWh £360 £47 £407 £11,069 27.2 yrs £-2,928
3 kW 2810 kWh 2107 kWh 702 kWh £540 £70 £611 £13,104 21.5 yrs £-893
4 kW 3746 kWh 2810 kWh 937 kWh £720 £94 £814 £15,138 18.6 yrs £1,143
5 kW 4683 kWh 3512 kWh 1171 kWh £901 £117 £1,018 £17,173 16.9 yrs £3,179
6 kW 5619 kWh 4215 kWh 1405 kWh £1,081 £140 £1,221 £19,207 15.7 yrs £5,215
7 kW 6556 kWh 4917 kWh 1639 kWh £1,261 £164 £1,425 £21,242 14.9 yrs £7,250
8 kW 7492 kWh 5619 kWh 1873 kWh £1,441 £187 £1,628 £23,276 14.3 yrs £9,286

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: £1,032, Upfront: £19,623, Break-even: 19.0 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1873 kWh 1442 kWh 431 kWh £370 £43 £413 £13,519 32.7 yrs £-5,261
3 kW 2810 kWh 2163 kWh 646 kWh £555 £65 £619 £15,554 25.1 yrs £-3,167
4 kW 3746 kWh 2885 kWh 862 kWh £740 £86 £826 £17,588 21.3 yrs £-1,073
5 kW 4683 kWh 3606 kWh 1077 kWh £925 £108 £1,032 £19,623 19.0 yrs £1,022
6 kW 5619 kWh 4327 kWh 1292 kWh £1,109 £129 £1,239 £21,657 17.5 yrs £3,116
7 kW 6556 kWh 5048 kWh 1508 kWh £1,294 £151 £1,445 £23,692 16.4 yrs £5,211
8 kW 7492 kWh 5769 kWh 1723 kWh £1,479 £172 £1,652 £25,726 15.6 yrs £7,305

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 B73

Figures below are tailored to B73 — click through for full league tables.

Big-Roof Britain Rank #822 of 2182
5.2 kWp (UK avg 5.1 kWp)
~11 panels (≈430 W)
Solar Payback Index Rank #1961 of 2997
11.7 years (UK avg 11.3 years)
~£1,045 /yr • £12,207 upfront
Standing-Charge Drag Rank #1145 of 2997
18.5% (UK avg 21.7%) drag on savings
£193 fixed • ~£1,045 /yr value

Your Area at a Glance

Your Electricity Rate
25.64p/kWh
Daily Fixed Charge
53.00p/day
Local Sunshine
937kWh/kW
A 1 kW system generates ~937 kWh per year. A typical home uses ~2,700 kWh per year.
Typical System Size
6.0kW
For houses & bungalows in this area

Local Property Data

Property Types

Houses: 60% • Flats: 30% • Bungalows: 6% Based on 5,193 properties

Coverage

Birmingham (100%)

Areas Covered

Sutton Trinity, Sutton Vesey, Sutton Wylde Green, Erdington, Perry Common

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

B72 (Birmingham)
≈1.0 km away
Local sunshine: ~942 kWh/kWp · +1% vs B73
B75 (Birmingham)
≈1.7 km away
Local sunshine: ~945 kWh/kWp · +1% vs B73
B74 (Birmingham)
≈2.4 km away
Local sunshine: ~933 kWh/kWp · -0% vs B73
B76 (Birmingham)
≈3.4 km away
Local sunshine: ~948 kWh/kWp · +1% vs B73
B44 (Birmingham)
≈4.4 km away
Local sunshine: ~938 kWh/kWp · +0% vs B73
B23 (Birmingham)
≈4.6 km away
Local sunshine: ~942 kWh/kWp · +1% vs B73

Similar sunshine across the UK

L5 (Liverpool)
~937 kWh/kWp · +0% vs B73
L4 (Liverpool)
~937 kWh/kWp · +0% vs B73
L2 (Liverpool)
~936 kWh/kWp · -0% vs B73