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 1075 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.
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: £892, Upfront: £10,173, Break-even: 11.4 yrs
| System | Annual output | Self-use | Exported | Bill saving | Export income | Annual benefit | Upfront cost | Break-even | 20-year net |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 kW | 2150 kWh | 860 kWh | 1290 kWh | £228 | £129 | £357 | £4,069 | 11.4 yrs | £3,065 |
| 3 kW | 3225 kWh | 1290 kWh | 1935 kWh | £342 | £193 | £535 | £6,104 | 11.4 yrs | £4,598 |
| 4 kW | 4300 kWh | 1720 kWh | 2580 kWh | £455 | £258 | £713 | £8,138 | 11.4 yrs | £6,131 |
| 5 kW | 5375 kWh | 2150 kWh | 3225 kWh | £569 | £322 | £892 | £10,173 | 11.4 yrs | £7,664 |
| 6 kW | 6450 kWh | 2580 kWh | 3870 kWh | £683 | £387 | £1,070 | £12,207 | 11.4 yrs | £9,196 |
| 7 kW | 7525 kWh | 3010 kWh | 4515 kWh | £797 | £451 | £1,249 | £14,242 | 11.4 yrs | £10,729 |
| 8 kW | 8600 kWh | 3440 kWh | 5160 kWh | £911 | £516 | £1,427 | £16,276 | 11.4 yrs | £12,262 |
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: £1,069, Upfront: £12,273, Break-even: 11.5 yrs
| System | Annual output | Self-use | Exported | Bill saving | Export income | Annual benefit | Upfront cost | Break-even | 20-year net |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 kW | 2150 kWh | 1290 kWh | 860 kWh | £342 | £86 | £428 | £6,169 | 14.4 yrs | £2,383 |
| 3 kW | 3225 kWh | 1935 kWh | 1290 kWh | £512 | £129 | £641 | £8,204 | 12.8 yrs | £4,624 |
| 4 kW | 4300 kWh | 2580 kWh | 1720 kWh | £683 | £172 | £855 | £10,238 | 12.0 yrs | £6,865 |
| 5 kW | 5375 kWh | 3225 kWh | 2150 kWh | £854 | £215 | £1,069 | £12,273 | 11.5 yrs | £9,107 |
| 6 kW | 6450 kWh | 3870 kWh | 2580 kWh | £1,025 | £258 | £1,283 | £14,307 | 11.2 yrs | £11,348 |
| 7 kW | 7525 kWh | 4515 kWh | 3010 kWh | £1,196 | £301 | £1,497 | £16,342 | 10.9 yrs | £13,590 |
| 8 kW | 8600 kWh | 5160 kWh | 3440 kWh | £1,366 | £344 | £1,710 | £18,376 | 10.7 yrs | £15,831 |
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: £1,158, Upfront: £13,673, Break-even: 11.8 yrs
| System | Annual output | Self-use | Exported | Bill saving | Export income | Annual benefit | Upfront cost | Break-even | 20-year net |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 kW | 2150 kWh | 1505 kWh | 645 kWh | £399 | £64 | £463 | £7,569 | 16.3 yrs | £1,691 |
| 3 kW | 3225 kWh | 2257 kWh | 967 kWh | £598 | £97 | £695 | £9,604 | 13.8 yrs | £4,287 |
| 4 kW | 4300 kWh | 3010 kWh | 1290 kWh | £797 | £129 | £926 | £11,638 | 12.6 yrs | £6,883 |
| 5 kW | 5375 kWh | 3762 kWh | 1612 kWh | £996 | £161 | £1,158 | £13,673 | 11.8 yrs | £9,478 |
| 6 kW | 6450 kWh | 4515 kWh | 1935 kWh | £1,196 | £193 | £1,389 | £15,707 | 11.3 yrs | £12,074 |
| 7 kW | 7525 kWh | 5267 kWh | 2257 kWh | £1,395 | £226 | £1,621 | £17,742 | 10.9 yrs | £14,670 |
| 8 kW | 8600 kWh | 6020 kWh | 2580 kWh | £1,594 | £258 | £1,852 | £19,776 | 10.7 yrs | £17,265 |
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: £1,184, Upfront: £15,423, Break-even: 13.0 yrs
| System | Annual output | Self-use | Exported | Bill saving | Export income | Annual benefit | Upfront cost | Break-even | 20-year net |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 kW | 2150 kWh | 1569 kWh | 580 kWh | £416 | £58 | £474 | £9,319 | 19.7 yrs | £154 |
| 3 kW | 3225 kWh | 2354 kWh | 871 kWh | £623 | £87 | £710 | £11,354 | 16.0 yrs | £2,856 |
| 4 kW | 4300 kWh | 3139 kWh | 1161 kWh | £831 | £116 | £947 | £13,388 | 14.1 yrs | £5,558 |
| 5 kW | 5375 kWh | 3924 kWh | 1451 kWh | £1,039 | £145 | £1,184 | £15,423 | 13.0 yrs | £8,260 |
| 6 kW | 6450 kWh | 4708 kWh | 1741 kWh | £1,247 | £174 | £1,421 | £17,457 | 12.3 yrs | £10,962 |
| 7 kW | 7525 kWh | 5493 kWh | 2032 kWh | £1,455 | £203 | £1,658 | £19,492 | 11.8 yrs | £13,664 |
| 8 kW | 8600 kWh | 6278 kWh | 2322 kWh | £1,662 | £232 | £1,895 | £21,526 | 11.4 yrs | £16,366 |
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: £1,202, Upfront: £17,173, Break-even: 14.3 yrs
| System | Annual output | Self-use | Exported | Bill saving | Export income | Annual benefit | Upfront cost | Break-even | 20-year net |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 kW | 2150 kWh | 1612 kWh | 537 kWh | £427 | £54 | £481 | £11,069 | 23.0 yrs | £-1,454 |
| 3 kW | 3225 kWh | 2419 kWh | 806 kWh | £640 | £81 | £721 | £13,104 | 18.2 yrs | £1,319 |
| 4 kW | 4300 kWh | 3225 kWh | 1075 kWh | £854 | £107 | £961 | £15,138 | 15.7 yrs | £4,091 |
| 5 kW | 5375 kWh | 4031 kWh | 1344 kWh | £1,067 | £134 | £1,202 | £17,173 | 14.3 yrs | £6,864 |
| 6 kW | 6450 kWh | 4837 kWh | 1612 kWh | £1,281 | £161 | £1,442 | £19,207 | 13.3 yrs | £9,637 |
| 7 kW | 7525 kWh | 5644 kWh | 1881 kWh | £1,494 | £188 | £1,683 | £21,242 | 12.6 yrs | £12,410 |
| 8 kW | 8600 kWh | 6450 kWh | 2150 kWh | £1,708 | £215 | £1,923 | £23,276 | 12.1 yrs | £15,183 |
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: £1,220, Upfront: £19,623, Break-even: 16.1 yrs
| System | Annual output | Self-use | Exported | Bill saving | Export income | Annual benefit | Upfront cost | Break-even | 20-year net |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 kW | 2150 kWh | 1655 kWh | 494 kWh | £438 | £49 | £488 | £13,519 | 27.7 yrs | £-3,763 |
| 3 kW | 3225 kWh | 2483 kWh | 742 kWh | £658 | £74 | £732 | £15,554 | 21.3 yrs | £-919 |
| 4 kW | 4300 kWh | 3311 kWh | 989 kWh | £877 | £99 | £976 | £17,588 | 18.0 yrs | £1,925 |
| 5 kW | 5375 kWh | 4139 kWh | 1236 kWh | £1,096 | £124 | £1,220 | £19,623 | 16.1 yrs | £4,769 |
| 6 kW | 6450 kWh | 4966 kWh | 1483 kWh | £1,315 | £148 | £1,463 | £21,657 | 14.8 yrs | £7,612 |
| 7 kW | 7525 kWh | 5794 kWh | 1731 kWh | £1,534 | £173 | £1,707 | £23,692 | 13.9 yrs | £10,456 |
| 8 kW | 8600 kWh | 6622 kWh | 1978 kWh | £1,753 | £198 | £1,951 | £25,726 | 13.2 yrs | £13,300 |
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.