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Big Roof Britain Solar Payback Index Standing Charge Drag

Solar Panels in BN21 (Eastbourne)

See if solar pays off for you in Eastbourne — 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
10.7 years
After this, it's pure profit
Upfront Cost
£6,104
What you pay to get started
Annual Benefit
£571
What you save every year
Profit Over 25 Years
£8,170
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 South East, the current unit rate is 26.92p/kWh with a 47.60p/day standing charge. Your postcode’s south-facing sunshine yield is 1135 kWh/kW — 106 above the regional median (1029).

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 1135 kWh per year on a south-facing roof. We value self-used electricity at 26.9p and exported surplus at a baseline 10p via SEG. Use the calculator above for your exact tariff.

Unit rate
26.9p/kWh
Standing charge
47.6p/day
Sunshine yield (south)
1135 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: £952, Upfront: £10,173, Break-even: 10.7 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2270 kWh 908 kWh 1362 kWh £244 £136 £381 £4,069 10.7 yrs £3,544
3 kW 3405 kWh 1362 kWh 2043 kWh £367 £204 £571 £6,104 10.7 yrs £5,315
4 kW 4540 kWh 1816 kWh 2724 kWh £489 £272 £761 £8,138 10.7 yrs £7,087
5 kW 5675 kWh 2270 kWh 3405 kWh £611 £340 £952 £10,173 10.7 yrs £8,859
6 kW 6810 kWh 2724 kWh 4086 kWh £733 £409 £1,142 £12,207 10.7 yrs £10,631
7 kW 7945 kWh 3178 kWh 4767 kWh £856 £477 £1,332 £14,242 10.7 yrs £12,402
8 kW 9080 kWh 3632 kWh 5448 kWh £978 £545 £1,523 £16,276 10.7 yrs £14,174

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: £1,144, Upfront: £12,273, Break-even: 10.7 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2270 kWh 1362 kWh 908 kWh £367 £91 £457 £6,169 13.5 yrs £2,980
3 kW 3405 kWh 2043 kWh 1362 kWh £550 £136 £686 £8,204 12.0 yrs £5,520
4 kW 4540 kWh 2724 kWh 1816 kWh £733 £182 £915 £10,238 11.2 yrs £8,060
5 kW 5675 kWh 3405 kWh 2270 kWh £917 £227 £1,144 £12,273 10.7 yrs £10,600
6 kW 6810 kWh 4086 kWh 2724 kWh £1,100 £272 £1,372 £14,307 10.4 yrs £13,139
7 kW 7945 kWh 4767 kWh 3178 kWh £1,283 £318 £1,601 £16,342 10.2 yrs £15,679
8 kW 9080 kWh 5448 kWh 3632 kWh £1,467 £363 £1,830 £18,376 10.0 yrs £18,219

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: £1,240, Upfront: £13,673, Break-even: 11.0 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2270 kWh 1589 kWh 681 kWh £428 £68 £496 £7,569 15.3 yrs £2,348
3 kW 3405 kWh 2383 kWh 1021 kWh £642 £102 £744 £9,604 12.9 yrs £5,272
4 kW 4540 kWh 3178 kWh 1362 kWh £856 £136 £992 £11,638 11.7 yrs £8,196
5 kW 5675 kWh 3972 kWh 1702 kWh £1,069 £170 £1,240 £13,673 11.0 yrs £11,120
6 kW 6810 kWh 4767 kWh 2043 kWh £1,283 £204 £1,488 £15,707 10.6 yrs £14,044
7 kW 7945 kWh 5561 kWh 2383 kWh £1,497 £238 £1,735 £17,742 10.2 yrs £16,968
8 kW 9080 kWh 6356 kWh 2724 kWh £1,711 £272 £1,983 £19,776 10.0 yrs £19,892

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: £1,268, Upfront: £15,423, Break-even: 12.2 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2270 kWh 1657 kWh 613 kWh £446 £61 £507 £9,319 18.4 yrs £828
3 kW 3405 kWh 2486 kWh 919 kWh £669 £92 £761 £11,354 14.9 yrs £3,868
4 kW 4540 kWh 3314 kWh 1226 kWh £892 £123 £1,015 £13,388 13.2 yrs £6,907
5 kW 5675 kWh 4143 kWh 1532 kWh £1,115 £153 £1,268 £15,423 12.2 yrs £9,946
6 kW 6810 kWh 4971 kWh 1839 kWh £1,338 £184 £1,522 £17,457 11.5 yrs £12,985
7 kW 7945 kWh 5800 kWh 2145 kWh £1,561 £215 £1,776 £19,492 11.0 yrs £16,024
8 kW 9080 kWh 6628 kWh 2452 kWh £1,784 £245 £2,029 £21,526 10.6 yrs £19,064

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: £1,288, Upfront: £17,173, Break-even: 13.3 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2270 kWh 1702 kWh 567 kWh £458 £57 £515 £11,069 21.5 yrs £-768
3 kW 3405 kWh 2554 kWh 851 kWh £687 £85 £773 £13,104 17.0 yrs £2,348
4 kW 4540 kWh 3405 kWh 1135 kWh £917 £113 £1,030 £15,138 14.7 yrs £5,464
5 kW 5675 kWh 4256 kWh 1419 kWh £1,146 £142 £1,288 £17,173 13.3 yrs £8,580
6 kW 6810 kWh 5107 kWh 1702 kWh £1,375 £170 £1,545 £19,207 12.4 yrs £11,696
7 kW 7945 kWh 5959 kWh 1986 kWh £1,604 £199 £1,803 £21,242 11.8 yrs £14,812
8 kW 9080 kWh 6810 kWh 2270 kWh £1,833 £227 £2,060 £23,276 11.3 yrs £17,928

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: £1,307, Upfront: £19,623, Break-even: 15.0 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2270 kWh 1748 kWh 522 kWh £471 £52 £523 £13,519 25.9 yrs £-3,064
3 kW 3405 kWh 2622 kWh 783 kWh £706 £78 £784 £15,554 19.8 yrs £129
4 kW 4540 kWh 3496 kWh 1044 kWh £941 £104 £1,045 £17,588 16.8 yrs £3,321
5 kW 5675 kWh 4370 kWh 1305 kWh £1,176 £131 £1,307 £19,623 15.0 yrs £6,514
6 kW 6810 kWh 5244 kWh 1566 kWh £1,412 £157 £1,568 £21,657 13.8 yrs £9,707
7 kW 7945 kWh 6118 kWh 1827 kWh £1,647 £183 £1,830 £23,692 12.9 yrs £12,900
8 kW 9080 kWh 6991 kWh 2088 kWh £1,882 £209 £2,091 £25,726 12.3 yrs £16,093

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 BN21

Figures below are tailored to BN21 — click through for full league tables.

Big-Roof Britain Rank #2091 of 2182
3.9 kWp (UK avg 5.1 kWp)
~8 panels (≈430 W)
Solar Payback Index Rank #4 of 2997
9.3 years (UK avg 11.3 years)
~£1,315 /yr • £12,207 upfront
Standing-Charge Drag Rank #32 of 2997
13.2% (UK avg 21.7%) drag on savings
£174 fixed • ~£1,315 /yr value

Your Area at a Glance

Your Electricity Rate
26.92p/kWh
Daily Fixed Charge
47.60p/day
Local Sunshine
1135kWh/kW
A 1 kW system generates ~1135 kWh per year. A typical home uses ~2,700 kWh per year.
Typical System Size
3.0kW
For eligible homes 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: 22% • Flats: 71% • Bungalows: 4% Based on 10,407 properties

Coverage

Eastbourne (100%)

Areas Covered

Upperton, Meads, Old Town, Devonshire, Ratton, Manor

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 South East

BN20 (Eastbourne)
≈1.6 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,141 kWh/kWp · +1% vs BN21
BN22 (Eastbourne)
≈1.7 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,138 kWh/kWp · +0% vs BN21
BN23 (Eastbourne)
≈4.1 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,126 kWh/kWp · -1% vs BN21
BN24 (Wealden)
≈5.8 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,137 kWh/kWp · +0% vs BN21
BN26 (Wealden)
≈6.4 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,155 kWh/kWp · +2% vs BN21
BN27 (Wealden)
≈10.7 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,134 kWh/kWp · -0% vs BN21

Similar sunshine across the UK

PO30 (Isle of Wight)
~1,133 kWh/kWp · -0% vs BN21
PO10 (Havant)
~1,133 kWh/kWp · -0% vs BN21
PO19 (Chichester)
~1,138 kWh/kWp · +0% vs BN21