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Big Roof Britain Solar Payback Index Standing Charge Drag

Solar Panels in BH3 (Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole)

See if solar pays off for you in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole — 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
11.3 years
After this, it's pure profit
Upfront Cost
£6,104
What you pay to get started
Annual Benefit
£541
What you save every year
Profit Over 25 Years
£7,427
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 1087 kWh/kW — 86 above the regional median (1001).

Read the full story

A typical roof here lands around 3.0 kW, with most eligible homes comfortably fitting within 3–6 kW. Each kilowatt of panels produces roughly 1087 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)
1087 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: £902, Upfront: £10,173, Break-even: 11.3 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2175 kWh 870 kWh 1305 kWh £230 £130 £361 £4,069 11.3 yrs £3,147
3 kW 3262 kWh 1305 kWh 1957 kWh £345 £196 £541 £6,104 11.3 yrs £4,721
4 kW 4349 kWh 1740 kWh 2609 kWh £461 £261 £722 £8,138 11.3 yrs £6,294
5 kW 5436 kWh 2175 kWh 3262 kWh £576 £326 £902 £10,173 11.3 yrs £7,868
6 kW 6524 kWh 2609 kWh 3914 kWh £691 £391 £1,082 £12,207 11.3 yrs £9,441
7 kW 7611 kWh 3044 kWh 4567 kWh £806 £457 £1,263 £14,242 11.3 yrs £11,015
8 kW 8698 kWh 3479 kWh 5219 kWh £921 £522 £1,443 £16,276 11.3 yrs £12,588

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: £1,081, Upfront: £12,273, 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 2175 kWh 1305 kWh 870 kWh £345 £87 £432 £6,169 14.3 yrs £2,481
3 kW 3262 kWh 1957 kWh 1305 kWh £518 £130 £649 £8,204 12.6 yrs £4,771
4 kW 4349 kWh 2609 kWh 1740 kWh £691 £174 £865 £10,238 11.8 yrs £7,061
5 kW 5436 kWh 3262 kWh 2175 kWh £864 £217 £1,081 £12,273 11.4 yrs £9,351
6 kW 6524 kWh 3914 kWh 2609 kWh £1,036 £261 £1,297 £14,307 11.0 yrs £11,642
7 kW 7611 kWh 4567 kWh 3044 kWh £1,209 £304 £1,514 £16,342 10.8 yrs £13,932
8 kW 8698 kWh 5219 kWh 3479 kWh £1,382 £348 £1,730 £18,376 10.6 yrs £16,222

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: £1,171, Upfront: £13,673, Break-even: 11.7 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2175 kWh 1522 kWh 652 kWh £403 £65 £468 £7,569 16.2 yrs £1,797
3 kW 3262 kWh 2283 kWh 979 kWh £605 £98 £702 £9,604 13.7 yrs £4,446
4 kW 4349 kWh 3044 kWh 1305 kWh £806 £130 £937 £11,638 12.4 yrs £7,094
5 kW 5436 kWh 3805 kWh 1631 kWh £1,008 £163 £1,171 £13,673 11.7 yrs £9,743
6 kW 6524 kWh 4567 kWh 1957 kWh £1,209 £196 £1,405 £15,707 11.2 yrs £12,392
7 kW 7611 kWh 5328 kWh 2283 kWh £1,411 £228 £1,639 £17,742 10.8 yrs £15,040
8 kW 8698 kWh 6089 kWh 2609 kWh £1,612 £261 £1,873 £19,776 10.6 yrs £17,689

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: £1,198, Upfront: £15,423, Break-even: 12.9 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2175 kWh 1587 kWh 587 kWh £420 £59 £479 £9,319 19.5 yrs £262
3 kW 3262 kWh 2381 kWh 881 kWh £631 £88 £719 £11,354 15.8 yrs £3,018
4 kW 4349 kWh 3175 kWh 1174 kWh £841 £117 £958 £13,388 14.0 yrs £5,775
5 kW 5436 kWh 3969 kWh 1468 kWh £1,051 £147 £1,198 £15,423 12.9 yrs £8,531
6 kW 6524 kWh 4762 kWh 1761 kWh £1,261 £176 £1,437 £17,457 12.1 yrs £11,287
7 kW 7611 kWh 5556 kWh 2055 kWh £1,471 £205 £1,677 £19,492 11.6 yrs £14,043
8 kW 8698 kWh 6350 kWh 2349 kWh £1,681 £235 £1,916 £21,526 11.2 yrs £16,799

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: £1,216, Upfront: £17,173, 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 2175 kWh 1631 kWh 544 kWh £432 £54 £486 £11,069 22.8 yrs £-1,344
3 kW 3262 kWh 2446 kWh 815 kWh £648 £82 £729 £13,104 18.0 yrs £1,483
4 kW 4349 kWh 3262 kWh 1087 kWh £864 £109 £972 £15,138 15.6 yrs £4,311
5 kW 5436 kWh 4077 kWh 1359 kWh £1,080 £136 £1,216 £17,173 14.1 yrs £7,139
6 kW 6524 kWh 4893 kWh 1631 kWh £1,296 £163 £1,459 £19,207 13.2 yrs £9,967
7 kW 7611 kWh 5708 kWh 1903 kWh £1,512 £190 £1,702 £21,242 12.5 yrs £12,795
8 kW 8698 kWh 6524 kWh 2175 kWh £1,727 £217 £1,945 £23,276 12.0 yrs £15,622

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: £1,233, Upfront: £19,623, Break-even: 15.9 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2175 kWh 1674 kWh 500 kWh £443 £50 £493 £13,519 27.4 yrs £-3,651
3 kW 3262 kWh 2512 kWh 750 kWh £665 £75 £740 £15,554 21.0 yrs £-752
4 kW 4349 kWh 3349 kWh 1000 kWh £887 £100 £987 £17,588 17.8 yrs £2,148
5 kW 5436 kWh 4186 kWh 1250 kWh £1,108 £125 £1,233 £19,623 15.9 yrs £5,047
6 kW 6524 kWh 5023 kWh 1500 kWh £1,330 £150 £1,480 £21,657 14.6 yrs £7,947
7 kW 7611 kWh 5860 kWh 1751 kWh £1,552 £175 £1,727 £23,692 13.7 yrs £10,846
8 kW 8698 kWh 6698 kWh 2001 kWh £1,774 £200 £1,974 £25,726 13.0 yrs £13,746

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 BH3

Figures below are tailored to BH3 — click through for full league tables.

Big-Roof Britain Rank #851 of 2182
5.2 kWp (UK avg 5.1 kWp)
~11 panels (≈430 W)
Solar Payback Index Rank #111 of 2997
9.8 years (UK avg 11.3 years)
~£1,244 /yr • £12,207 upfront
Standing-Charge Drag Rank #20 of 2997
13.1% (UK avg 21.7%) drag on savings
£163 fixed • ~£1,244 /yr value

Your Area at a Glance

Your Electricity Rate
26.48p/kWh
Daily Fixed Charge
44.62p/day
Local Sunshine
1087kWh/kW
A 1 kW system generates ~1087 kWh per year. A typical home uses ~2,700 kWh per year.
Typical System Size
3.0kW
For houses & bungalows in this area

⚠️ This area is predominantly flats. Many residents require freeholder approval for solar installations. System size shown reflects houses and bungalows only.

Local Property Data

Property Types

Houses: 41% • Flats: 51% • Bungalows: 4% Based on 1,606 properties

Coverage

Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole (100%)

Areas Covered

Talbot & Branksome Woods, East Cliff & Springbourne, Winton East

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

BH9 (Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole)
≈1.5 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,087 kWh/kWp · +0% vs BH3
BH1 (Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole)
≈1.6 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,087 kWh/kWp · -0% vs BH3
BH2 (Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole)
≈1.7 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,087 kWh/kWp · -0% vs BH3
BH8 (Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole)
≈1.7 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,092 kWh/kWp · +0% vs BH3
BH4 (Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole)
≈2.2 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,075 kWh/kWp · -1% vs BH3
BH10 (Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole)
≈2.6 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,075 kWh/kWp · -1% vs BH3

Similar sunshine across the UK

CT2 (Canterbury)
~1,087 kWh/kWp · -0% vs BH3
PL1 (Plymouth)
~1,087 kWh/kWp · -0% vs BH3
PL4 (Plymouth)
~1,087 kWh/kWp · -0% vs BH3