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Big Roof Britain Solar Payback Index Standing Charge Drag

Solar Panels in BH20 (Dorset)

See if solar pays off for you in Dorset — 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
11.1 years
After this, it's pure profit
Upfront Cost
£12,207
What you pay to get started
Annual Benefit
£1,098
What you save every year
Profit Over 25 Years
£15,247
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 Southern, the current unit rate is 26.48p/kWh with a 44.62p/day standing charge. Your postcode’s south-facing sunshine yield is 1103 kWh/kW — 102 above the regional median (1001).

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 1103 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.

Unit rate
26.5p/kWh
Standing charge
44.6p/day
Sunshine yield (south)
1103 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: £915, Upfront: £10,173, Break-even: 11.1 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2206 kWh 882 kWh 1324 kWh £234 £132 £366 £4,069 11.1 yrs £3,252
3 kW 3309 kWh 1324 kWh 1986 kWh £351 £199 £549 £6,104 11.1 yrs £4,878
4 kW 4412 kWh 1765 kWh 2647 kWh £467 £265 £732 £8,138 11.1 yrs £6,504
5 kW 5516 kWh 2206 kWh 3309 kWh £584 £331 £915 £10,173 11.1 yrs £8,130
6 kW 6619 kWh 2647 kWh 3971 kWh £701 £397 £1,098 £12,207 11.1 yrs £9,756
7 kW 7722 kWh 3089 kWh 4633 kWh £818 £463 £1,281 £14,242 11.1 yrs £11,382
8 kW 8825 kWh 3530 kWh 5295 kWh £935 £529 £1,464 £16,276 11.1 yrs £13,008

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: £1,097, Upfront: £12,273, Break-even: 11.2 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2206 kWh 1324 kWh 882 kWh £351 £88 £439 £6,169 14.1 yrs £2,606
3 kW 3309 kWh 1986 kWh 1324 kWh £526 £132 £658 £8,204 12.5 yrs £4,960
4 kW 4412 kWh 2647 kWh 1765 kWh £701 £176 £878 £10,238 11.7 yrs £7,313
5 kW 5516 kWh 3309 kWh 2206 kWh £876 £221 £1,097 £12,273 11.2 yrs £9,666
6 kW 6619 kWh 3971 kWh 2647 kWh £1,052 £265 £1,316 £14,307 10.9 yrs £12,019
7 kW 7722 kWh 4633 kWh 3089 kWh £1,227 £309 £1,536 £16,342 10.6 yrs £14,372
8 kW 8825 kWh 5295 kWh 3530 kWh £1,402 £353 £1,755 £18,376 10.5 yrs £16,725

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: £1,188, Upfront: £13,673, 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 2206 kWh 1544 kWh 662 kWh £409 £66 £475 £7,569 15.9 yrs £1,934
3 kW 3309 kWh 2317 kWh 993 kWh £613 £99 £713 £9,604 13.5 yrs £4,650
4 kW 4412 kWh 3089 kWh 1324 kWh £818 £132 £950 £11,638 12.2 yrs £7,367
5 kW 5516 kWh 3861 kWh 1655 kWh £1,022 £165 £1,188 £13,673 11.5 yrs £10,084
6 kW 6619 kWh 4633 kWh 1986 kWh £1,227 £199 £1,425 £15,707 11.0 yrs £12,801
7 kW 7722 kWh 5405 kWh 2317 kWh £1,431 £232 £1,663 £17,742 10.7 yrs £15,517
8 kW 8825 kWh 6177 kWh 2647 kWh £1,636 £265 £1,901 £19,776 10.4 yrs £18,234

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: £1,215, Upfront: £15,423, Break-even: 12.7 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2206 kWh 1611 kWh 596 kWh £426 £60 £486 £9,319 19.2 yrs £402
3 kW 3309 kWh 2416 kWh 894 kWh £640 £89 £729 £11,354 15.6 yrs £3,228
4 kW 4412 kWh 3221 kWh 1191 kWh £853 £119 £972 £13,388 13.8 yrs £6,053
5 kW 5516 kWh 4026 kWh 1489 kWh £1,066 £149 £1,215 £15,423 12.7 yrs £8,879
6 kW 6619 kWh 4832 kWh 1787 kWh £1,279 £179 £1,458 £17,457 12.0 yrs £11,705
7 kW 7722 kWh 5637 kWh 2085 kWh £1,493 £208 £1,701 £19,492 11.5 yrs £14,531
8 kW 8825 kWh 6442 kWh 2383 kWh £1,706 £238 £1,944 £21,526 11.1 yrs £17,357

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: £1,233, Upfront: £17,173, 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 2206 kWh 1655 kWh 552 kWh £438 £55 £493 £11,069 22.4 yrs £-1,203
3 kW 3309 kWh 2482 kWh 827 kWh £657 £83 £740 £13,104 17.7 yrs £1,696
4 kW 4412 kWh 3309 kWh 1103 kWh £876 £110 £987 £15,138 15.3 yrs £4,594
5 kW 5516 kWh 4137 kWh 1379 kWh £1,095 £138 £1,233 £17,173 13.9 yrs £7,493
6 kW 6619 kWh 4964 kWh 1655 kWh £1,314 £165 £1,480 £19,207 13.0 yrs £10,391
7 kW 7722 kWh 5791 kWh 1930 kWh £1,534 £193 £1,727 £21,242 12.3 yrs £13,290
8 kW 8825 kWh 6619 kWh 2206 kWh £1,753 £221 £1,973 £23,276 11.8 yrs £16,188

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: £1,251, Upfront: £19,623, Break-even: 15.7 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2206 kWh 1699 kWh 507 kWh £450 £51 £501 £13,519 27.0 yrs £-3,507
3 kW 3309 kWh 2548 kWh 761 kWh £675 £76 £751 £15,554 20.7 yrs £-536
4 kW 4412 kWh 3398 kWh 1015 kWh £900 £101 £1,001 £17,588 17.6 yrs £2,435
5 kW 5516 kWh 4247 kWh 1269 kWh £1,125 £127 £1,251 £19,623 15.7 yrs £5,406
6 kW 6619 kWh 5096 kWh 1522 kWh £1,350 £152 £1,502 £21,657 14.4 yrs £8,378
7 kW 7722 kWh 5946 kWh 1776 kWh £1,574 £178 £1,752 £23,692 13.5 yrs £11,349
8 kW 8825 kWh 6795 kWh 2030 kWh £1,799 £203 £2,002 £25,726 12.8 yrs £14,320

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 BH20

Figures below are tailored to BH20 — click through for full league tables.

Big-Roof Britain Rank #468 of 2182
5.6 kWp (UK avg 5.1 kWp)
~12 panels (≈430 W)
Solar Payback Index Rank #79 of 2997
9.7 years (UK avg 11.3 years)
~£1,262 /yr • £12,207 upfront
Standing-Charge Drag Rank #10 of 2997
12.9% (UK avg 21.7%) drag on savings
£163 fixed • ~£1,262 /yr value

Your Area at a Glance

Your Electricity Rate
26.48p/kWh
Daily Fixed Charge
44.62p/day
Local Sunshine
1103kWh/kW
A 1 kW system generates ~1103 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: 67% • Flats: 11% • Bungalows: 20% Based on 5,129 properties

Coverage

Dorset (100%)

Areas Covered

Wareham, West Purbeck, South East Purbeck, Lytchett Matravers & Upton, Puddletown & Lower Winterborne

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 Southern

BH16 (Dorset)
≈7.9 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,071 kWh/kWp · -3% vs BH20
BH15 (Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole)
≈9.7 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,073 kWh/kWp · -3% vs BH20
BH18 (Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole)
≈11.4 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,074 kWh/kWp · -3% vs BH20
BH17 (Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole)
≈11.8 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,074 kWh/kWp · -3% vs BH20
BH14 (Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole)
≈12.4 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,075 kWh/kWp · -3% vs BH20
BH19 (Dorset)
≈13.9 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,096 kWh/kWp · -1% vs BH20

Similar sunshine across the UK

TN36 (Rother)
~1,103 kWh/kWp · +0% vs BH20
TN31 (Rother)
~1,104 kWh/kWp · +0% vs BH20
CO16 (Tendring)
~1,101 kWh/kWp · -0% vs BH20