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Big Roof Britain Solar Payback Index Standing Charge Drag

Solar Panels in BN51 (Brighton and Hove)

See if solar pays off for you in Brighton and Hove — 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
£12,207
What you pay to get started
Annual Benefit
£1,144
What you save every year
Profit Over 25 Years
£16,397
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 1137 kWh/kW — 108 above the regional median (1029).

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 1137 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)
1137 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: £953, 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 2275 kWh 910 kWh 1365 kWh £245 £136 £381 £4,069 10.7 yrs £3,559
3 kW 3412 kWh 1365 kWh 2047 kWh £367 £205 £572 £6,104 10.7 yrs £5,338
4 kW 4549 kWh 1820 kWh 2729 kWh £490 £273 £763 £8,138 10.7 yrs £7,118
5 kW 5686 kWh 2275 kWh 3412 kWh £612 £341 £953 £10,173 10.7 yrs £8,897
6 kW 6824 kWh 2729 kWh 4094 kWh £735 £409 £1,144 £12,207 10.7 yrs £10,676
7 kW 7961 kWh 3184 kWh 4776 kWh £857 £478 £1,335 £14,242 10.7 yrs £12,456
8 kW 9098 kWh 3639 kWh 5459 kWh £980 £546 £1,526 £16,276 10.7 yrs £14,235

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: £1,146, 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 2275 kWh 1365 kWh 910 kWh £367 £91 £458 £6,169 13.5 yrs £2,998
3 kW 3412 kWh 2047 kWh 1365 kWh £551 £136 £688 £8,204 11.9 yrs £5,547
4 kW 4549 kWh 2729 kWh 1820 kWh £735 £182 £917 £10,238 11.2 yrs £8,096
5 kW 5686 kWh 3412 kWh 2275 kWh £918 £227 £1,146 £12,273 10.7 yrs £10,646
6 kW 6824 kWh 4094 kWh 2729 kWh £1,102 £273 £1,375 £14,307 10.4 yrs £13,195
7 kW 7961 kWh 4776 kWh 3184 kWh £1,286 £318 £1,604 £16,342 10.2 yrs £15,744
8 kW 9098 kWh 5459 kWh 3639 kWh £1,470 £364 £1,833 £18,376 10.0 yrs £18,293

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: £1,242, 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 2275 kWh 1592 kWh 682 kWh £429 £68 £497 £7,569 15.2 yrs £2,368
3 kW 3412 kWh 2388 kWh 1024 kWh £643 £102 £745 £9,604 12.9 yrs £5,302
4 kW 4549 kWh 3184 kWh 1365 kWh £857 £136 £994 £11,638 11.7 yrs £8,236
5 kW 5686 kWh 3980 kWh 1706 kWh £1,072 £171 £1,242 £13,673 11.0 yrs £11,170
6 kW 6824 kWh 4776 kWh 2047 kWh £1,286 £205 £1,491 £15,707 10.5 yrs £14,104
7 kW 7961 kWh 5573 kWh 2388 kWh £1,500 £239 £1,739 £17,742 10.2 yrs £17,038
8 kW 9098 kWh 6369 kWh 2729 kWh £1,714 £273 £1,987 £19,776 10.0 yrs £19,972

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: £1,271, Upfront: £15,423, Break-even: 12.1 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2275 kWh 1660 kWh 614 kWh £447 £61 £508 £9,319 18.3 yrs £849
3 kW 3412 kWh 2491 kWh 921 kWh £670 £92 £763 £11,354 14.9 yrs £3,898
4 kW 4549 kWh 3321 kWh 1228 kWh £894 £123 £1,017 £13,388 13.2 yrs £6,948
5 kW 5686 kWh 4151 kWh 1535 kWh £1,117 £154 £1,271 £15,423 12.1 yrs £9,997
6 kW 6824 kWh 4981 kWh 1842 kWh £1,341 £184 £1,525 £17,457 11.4 yrs £13,046
7 kW 7961 kWh 5811 kWh 2149 kWh £1,564 £215 £1,779 £19,492 11.0 yrs £16,096
8 kW 9098 kWh 6642 kWh 2456 kWh £1,788 £246 £2,034 £21,526 10.6 yrs £19,145

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: £1,290, 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 2275 kWh 1706 kWh 569 kWh £459 £57 £516 £11,069 21.4 yrs £-747
3 kW 3412 kWh 2559 kWh 853 kWh £689 £85 £774 £13,104 16.9 yrs £2,379
4 kW 4549 kWh 3412 kWh 1137 kWh £918 £114 £1,032 £15,138 14.7 yrs £5,506
5 kW 5686 kWh 4265 kWh 1422 kWh £1,148 £142 £1,290 £17,173 13.3 yrs £8,632
6 kW 6824 kWh 5118 kWh 1706 kWh £1,378 £171 £1,548 £19,207 12.4 yrs £11,758
7 kW 7961 kWh 5971 kWh 1990 kWh £1,607 £199 £1,806 £21,242 11.8 yrs £14,885
8 kW 9098 kWh 6824 kWh 2275 kWh £1,837 £227 £2,064 £23,276 11.3 yrs £18,011

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: £1,309, 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 2275 kWh 1751 kWh 523 kWh £471 £52 £524 £13,519 25.8 yrs £-3,043
3 kW 3412 kWh 2627 kWh 785 kWh £707 £78 £786 £15,554 19.8 yrs £160
4 kW 4549 kWh 3503 kWh 1046 kWh £943 £105 £1,048 £17,588 16.8 yrs £3,363
5 kW 5686 kWh 4378 kWh 1308 kWh £1,179 £131 £1,309 £19,623 15.0 yrs £6,567
6 kW 6824 kWh 5254 kWh 1569 kWh £1,414 £157 £1,571 £21,657 13.8 yrs £9,770
7 kW 7961 kWh 6130 kWh 1831 kWh £1,650 £183 £1,833 £23,692 12.9 yrs £12,973
8 kW 9098 kWh 7006 kWh 2093 kWh £1,886 £209 £2,095 £25,726 12.3 yrs £16,177

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 BN51

Figures below are tailored to BN51 — click through for full league tables.

Solar Payback Index Rank #9 of 2997
9.3 years (UK avg 11.3 years)
~£1,317 /yr • £12,207 upfront
Standing-Charge Drag Rank #29 of 2997
13.2% (UK avg 21.7%) drag on savings
£174 fixed • ~£1,317 /yr value

Your Area at a Glance

Your Electricity Rate
26.92p/kWh
Daily Fixed Charge
47.60p/day
Local Sunshine
1137kWh/kW
A 1 kW system generates ~1137 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

No EPC data available for this outcode

Coverage

Brighton and Hove (100%)

Areas Covered

Rottingdean & West Saltdean

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

BN10 (Lewes)
≈4.6 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,123 kWh/kWp · -1% vs BN51
BN2 (Brighton and Hove)
≈5.0 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,120 kWh/kWp · -1% vs BN51
BN50 (Brighton and Hove)
≈6.2 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,118 kWh/kWp · -2% vs BN51
BN88 (Brighton and Hove)
≈6.2 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,120 kWh/kWp · -2% vs BN51
BN1 (Brighton and Hove)
≈6.4 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,118 kWh/kWp · -2% vs BN51
BN9 (Lewes)
≈6.8 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,138 kWh/kWp · +0% vs BN51

Similar sunshine across the UK

PO19 (Chichester)
~1,138 kWh/kWp · +0% vs BN51
PO30 (Isle of Wight)
~1,133 kWh/kWp · -0% vs BN51
PO10 (Havant)
~1,133 kWh/kWp · -0% vs BN51