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Big Roof Britain Solar Payback Index Standing Charge Drag

Solar Panels in BB2 (Blackburn with Darwen)

See if solar pays off for you in Blackburn with Darwen — 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
14.1 years
After this, it's pure profit
Upfront Cost
£10,173
What you pay to get started
Annual Benefit
£722
What you save every year
Profit Over 25 Years
£7,875
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 North West, the current unit rate is 27.11p/kWh with a 51.16p/day standing charge. Your postcode’s south-facing sunshine yield is 857 kWh/kW — 13 below the regional median (870).

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 857 kWh per year on a south-facing roof. We value self-used electricity at 27.1p and exported surplus at a baseline 10p via SEG. Use the calculator above for your exact tariff.

Unit rate
27.1p/kWh
Standing charge
51.2p/day
Sunshine yield (south)
857 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: £722, Upfront: £10,173, Break-even: 14.1 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1714 kWh 686 kWh 1029 kWh £186 £103 £289 £4,069 14.1 yrs £1,706
3 kW 2572 kWh 1029 kWh 1543 kWh £279 £154 £433 £6,104 14.1 yrs £2,559
4 kW 3429 kWh 1371 kWh 2057 kWh £372 £206 £578 £8,138 14.1 yrs £3,413
5 kW 4286 kWh 1714 kWh 2572 kWh £465 £257 £722 £10,173 14.1 yrs £4,266
6 kW 5143 kWh 2057 kWh 3086 kWh £558 £309 £866 £12,207 14.1 yrs £5,119
7 kW 6000 kWh 2400 kWh 3600 kWh £651 £360 £1,011 £14,242 14.1 yrs £5,972
8 kW 6857 kWh 2743 kWh 4114 kWh £744 £411 £1,155 £16,276 14.1 yrs £6,825

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: £869, Upfront: £12,273, Break-even: 14.1 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1714 kWh 1029 kWh 686 kWh £279 £69 £347 £6,169 17.8 yrs £780
3 kW 2572 kWh 1543 kWh 1029 kWh £418 £103 £521 £8,204 15.7 yrs £2,219
4 kW 3429 kWh 2057 kWh 1371 kWh £558 £137 £695 £10,238 14.7 yrs £3,659
5 kW 4286 kWh 2572 kWh 1714 kWh £697 £171 £869 £12,273 14.1 yrs £5,099
6 kW 5143 kWh 3086 kWh 2057 kWh £837 £206 £1,042 £14,307 13.7 yrs £6,539
7 kW 6000 kWh 3600 kWh 2400 kWh £976 £240 £1,216 £16,342 13.4 yrs £7,979
8 kW 6857 kWh 4114 kWh 2743 kWh £1,115 £274 £1,390 £18,376 13.2 yrs £9,418

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: £942, Upfront: £13,673, Break-even: 14.5 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1714 kWh 1200 kWh 514 kWh £325 £51 £377 £7,569 20.1 yrs £-34
3 kW 2572 kWh 1800 kWh 771 kWh £488 £77 £565 £9,604 17.0 yrs £1,699
4 kW 3429 kWh 2400 kWh 1029 kWh £651 £103 £754 £11,638 15.4 yrs £3,433
5 kW 4286 kWh 3000 kWh 1286 kWh £813 £129 £942 £13,673 14.5 yrs £5,166
6 kW 5143 kWh 3600 kWh 1543 kWh £976 £154 £1,130 £15,707 13.9 yrs £6,899
7 kW 6000 kWh 4200 kWh 1800 kWh £1,139 £180 £1,319 £17,742 13.5 yrs £8,632
8 kW 6857 kWh 4800 kWh 2057 kWh £1,301 £206 £1,507 £19,776 13.1 yrs £10,365

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: £964, Upfront: £15,423, Break-even: 16.0 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1714 kWh 1251 kWh 463 kWh £339 £46 £386 £9,319 24.2 yrs £-1,608
3 kW 2572 kWh 1877 kWh 694 kWh £509 £69 £578 £11,354 19.6 yrs £213
4 kW 3429 kWh 2503 kWh 926 kWh £679 £93 £771 £13,388 17.4 yrs £2,035
5 kW 4286 kWh 3129 kWh 1157 kWh £848 £116 £964 £15,423 16.0 yrs £3,856
6 kW 5143 kWh 3754 kWh 1389 kWh £1,018 £139 £1,157 £17,457 15.1 yrs £5,677
7 kW 6000 kWh 4380 kWh 1620 kWh £1,187 £162 £1,349 £19,492 14.4 yrs £7,498
8 kW 6857 kWh 5006 kWh 1852 kWh £1,357 £185 £1,542 £21,526 14.0 yrs £9,319

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: £979, Upfront: £17,173, Break-even: 17.5 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1714 kWh 1286 kWh 429 kWh £349 £43 £391 £11,069 28.3 yrs £-3,240
3 kW 2572 kWh 1929 kWh 643 kWh £523 £64 £587 £13,104 22.3 yrs £-1,361
4 kW 3429 kWh 2572 kWh 857 kWh £697 £86 £783 £15,138 19.3 yrs £519
5 kW 4286 kWh 3214 kWh 1071 kWh £871 £107 £979 £17,173 17.5 yrs £2,399
6 kW 5143 kWh 3857 kWh 1286 kWh £1,046 £129 £1,174 £19,207 16.4 yrs £4,279
7 kW 6000 kWh 4500 kWh 1500 kWh £1,220 £150 £1,370 £21,242 15.5 yrs £6,159
8 kW 6857 kWh 5143 kWh 1714 kWh £1,394 £171 £1,566 £23,276 14.9 yrs £8,038

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: £993, Upfront: £19,623, Break-even: 19.8 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1714 kWh 1320 kWh 394 kWh £358 £39 £397 £13,519 34.0 yrs £-5,573
3 kW 2572 kWh 1980 kWh 591 kWh £537 £59 £596 £15,554 26.1 yrs £-3,635
4 kW 3429 kWh 2640 kWh 789 kWh £716 £79 £795 £17,588 22.1 yrs £-1,696
5 kW 4286 kWh 3300 kWh 986 kWh £895 £99 £993 £19,623 19.8 yrs £242
6 kW 5143 kWh 3960 kWh 1183 kWh £1,074 £118 £1,192 £21,657 18.2 yrs £2,181
7 kW 6000 kWh 4620 kWh 1380 kWh £1,253 £138 £1,391 £23,692 17.0 yrs £4,119
8 kW 6857 kWh 5280 kWh 1577 kWh £1,431 £158 £1,589 £25,726 16.2 yrs £6,058

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 BB2

Figures below are tailored to BB2 — click through for full league tables.

Big-Roof Britain Rank #1008 of 2182
5.0 kWp (UK avg 5.1 kWp)
~11 panels (≈430 W)
Solar Payback Index Rank #2447 of 2997
12.2 years (UK avg 11.3 years)
~£832 /yr • £10,173 upfront
Standing-Charge Drag Rank #1991 of 2997
22.4% (UK avg 21.7%) drag on savings
£187 fixed • ~£832 /yr value

Your Area at a Glance

Your Electricity Rate
27.11p/kWh
Daily Fixed Charge
51.16p/day
Local Sunshine
857kWh/kW
A 1 kW system generates ~857 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: 77% • Flats: 15% • Bungalows: 7% Based on 17,361 properties

Coverage

Blackburn with Darwen (95%)|Ribble Valley (5%)

Areas Covered

Blackburn Central, Mill Hill & Moorgate, Livesey with Pleasington, Wensley Fold, Ewood, Billinge & Beardwood, Blackburn South East, Mellor + 5 more

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 North West

BB1 (Blackburn with Darwen)
≈1.9 km away
Local sunshine: ~857 kWh/kWp · -0% vs BB2
BB0 (Blackburn with Darwen)
≈2.3 km away
Local sunshine: ~864 kWh/kWp · +1% vs BB2
BB3 (Blackburn with Darwen)
≈5.5 km away
Local sunshine: ~855 kWh/kWp · -0% vs BB2
BB5 (Hyndburn)
≈8.2 km away
Local sunshine: ~855 kWh/kWp · -0% vs BB2
BB6 (Ribble Valley)
≈8.4 km away
Local sunshine: ~860 kWh/kWp · +0% vs BB2
PR0 (Preston)
≈12.6 km away
Local sunshine: ~884 kWh/kWp · +3% vs BB2

Similar sunshine across the UK

HS9 (Na h-Eileanan Siar)
~857 kWh/kWp · -0% vs BB2
FK7 (Stirling)
~858 kWh/kWp · +0% vs BB2
NE49 (Northumberland)
~858 kWh/kWp · +0% vs BB2