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Big Roof Britain Solar Payback Index Standing Charge Drag

Solar Panels in BN6 (Mid Sussex)

See if solar pays off for you in Mid Sussex — 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
11.2 years
After this, it's pure profit
Upfront Cost
£12,207
What you pay to get started
Annual Benefit
£1,091
What you save every year
Profit Over 25 Years
£15,068
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 1084 kWh/kW — 55 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 1084 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)
1084 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: £909, Upfront: £10,173, 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 2169 kWh 868 kWh 1301 kWh £234 £130 £364 £4,069 11.2 yrs £3,204
3 kW 3253 kWh 1301 kWh 1952 kWh £350 £195 £546 £6,104 11.2 yrs £4,807
4 kW 4338 kWh 1735 kWh 2603 kWh £467 £260 £727 £8,138 11.2 yrs £6,409
5 kW 5422 kWh 2169 kWh 3253 kWh £584 £325 £909 £10,173 11.2 yrs £8,011
6 kW 6507 kWh 2603 kWh 3904 kWh £701 £390 £1,091 £12,207 11.2 yrs £9,613
7 kW 7591 kWh 3036 kWh 4555 kWh £817 £455 £1,273 £14,242 11.2 yrs £11,215
8 kW 8675 kWh 3470 kWh 5205 kWh £934 £521 £1,455 £16,276 11.2 yrs £12,818

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: £1,093, 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 2169 kWh 1301 kWh 868 kWh £350 £87 £437 £6,169 14.1 yrs £2,572
3 kW 3253 kWh 1952 kWh 1301 kWh £525 £130 £656 £8,204 12.5 yrs £4,908
4 kW 4338 kWh 2603 kWh 1735 kWh £701 £174 £874 £10,238 11.7 yrs £7,245
5 kW 5422 kWh 3253 kWh 2169 kWh £876 £217 £1,093 £12,273 11.2 yrs £9,581
6 kW 6507 kWh 3904 kWh 2603 kWh £1,051 £260 £1,311 £14,307 10.9 yrs £11,917
7 kW 7591 kWh 4555 kWh 3036 kWh £1,226 £304 £1,530 £16,342 10.7 yrs £14,253
8 kW 8675 kWh 5205 kWh 3470 kWh £1,401 £347 £1,748 £18,376 10.5 yrs £16,589

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: £1,184, 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 2169 kWh 1518 kWh 651 kWh £409 £65 £474 £7,569 16.0 yrs £1,906
3 kW 3253 kWh 2277 kWh 976 kWh £613 £98 £711 £9,604 13.5 yrs £4,609
4 kW 4338 kWh 3036 kWh 1301 kWh £817 £130 £948 £11,638 12.3 yrs £7,312
5 kW 5422 kWh 3795 kWh 1627 kWh £1,022 £163 £1,184 £13,673 11.5 yrs £10,016
6 kW 6507 kWh 4555 kWh 1952 kWh £1,226 £195 £1,421 £15,707 11.1 yrs £12,719
7 kW 7591 kWh 5314 kWh 2277 kWh £1,430 £228 £1,658 £17,742 10.7 yrs £15,422
8 kW 8675 kWh 6073 kWh 2603 kWh £1,635 £260 £1,895 £19,776 10.4 yrs £18,125

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: £1,212, 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 2169 kWh 1583 kWh 586 kWh £426 £59 £485 £9,319 19.2 yrs £376
3 kW 3253 kWh 2375 kWh 878 kWh £639 £88 £727 £11,354 15.6 yrs £3,190
4 kW 4338 kWh 3167 kWh 1171 kWh £852 £117 £970 £13,388 13.8 yrs £6,003
5 kW 5422 kWh 3958 kWh 1464 kWh £1,066 £146 £1,212 £15,423 12.7 yrs £8,816
6 kW 6507 kWh 4750 kWh 1757 kWh £1,279 £176 £1,454 £17,457 12.0 yrs £11,629
7 kW 7591 kWh 5541 kWh 2050 kWh £1,492 £205 £1,697 £19,492 11.5 yrs £14,442
8 kW 8675 kWh 6333 kWh 2342 kWh £1,705 £234 £1,939 £21,526 11.1 yrs £17,256

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: £1,230, Upfront: £17,173, Break-even: 14.0 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2169 kWh 1627 kWh 542 kWh £438 £54 £492 £11,069 22.5 yrs £-1,227
3 kW 3253 kWh 2440 kWh 813 kWh £657 £81 £738 £13,104 17.8 yrs £1,660
4 kW 4338 kWh 3253 kWh 1084 kWh £876 £108 £984 £15,138 15.4 yrs £4,546
5 kW 5422 kWh 4067 kWh 1356 kWh £1,095 £136 £1,230 £17,173 14.0 yrs £7,433
6 kW 6507 kWh 4880 kWh 1627 kWh £1,314 £163 £1,476 £19,207 13.0 yrs £10,320
7 kW 7591 kWh 5693 kWh 1898 kWh £1,533 £190 £1,722 £21,242 12.3 yrs £13,206
8 kW 8675 kWh 6507 kWh 2169 kWh £1,752 £217 £1,968 £23,276 11.8 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.

13.5 kWh battery 5 kW example → Annual benefit: £1,249, 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 2169 kWh 1670 kWh 499 kWh £450 £50 £499 £13,519 27.1 yrs £-3,530
3 kW 3253 kWh 2505 kWh 748 kWh £674 £75 £749 £15,554 20.8 yrs £-570
4 kW 4338 kWh 3340 kWh 998 kWh £899 £100 £999 £17,588 17.6 yrs £2,390
5 kW 5422 kWh 4175 kWh 1247 kWh £1,124 £125 £1,249 £19,623 15.7 yrs £5,350
6 kW 6507 kWh 5010 kWh 1496 kWh £1,349 £150 £1,498 £21,657 14.5 yrs £8,310
7 kW 7591 kWh 5845 kWh 1746 kWh £1,573 £175 £1,748 £23,692 13.6 yrs £11,270
8 kW 8675 kWh 6680 kWh 1995 kWh £1,798 £200 £1,998 £25,726 12.9 yrs £14,230

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 BN6

Figures below are tailored to BN6 — click through for full league tables.

Big-Roof Britain Rank #295 of 2182
5.9 kWp (UK avg 5.1 kWp)
~12 panels (≈430 W)
Solar Payback Index Rank #82 of 2997
9.7 years (UK avg 11.3 years)
~£1,256 /yr • £12,207 upfront
Standing-Charge Drag Rank #71 of 2997
13.8% (UK avg 21.7%) drag on savings
£174 fixed • ~£1,256 /yr value

Your Area at a Glance

Your Electricity Rate
26.92p/kWh
Daily Fixed Charge
47.60p/day
Local Sunshine
1084kWh/kW
A 1 kW system generates ~1084 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: 70% • Flats: 14% • Bungalows: 13% Based on 5,389 properties

Coverage

Mid Sussex (90%)|Lewes (10%)

Areas Covered

Hassocks, Hurstpierpoint, Downland Villages, Ditchling & Westmeston, Plumpton, Streat, East Chiltington & St John, Stone Cross + 3 more

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

RH15 (Mid Sussex)
≈3.2 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,060 kWh/kWp · -2% vs BN6
BN45 (Mid Sussex)
≈4.8 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,068 kWh/kWp · -2% vs BN6
BN5 (Horsham)
≈8.9 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,083 kWh/kWp · -0% vs BN6
RH16 (Mid Sussex)
≈9.2 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,029 kWh/kWp · -5% vs BN6
RH17 (Mid Sussex)
≈9.7 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,033 kWh/kWp · -5% vs BN6
BN52 (Brighton and Hove)
≈10.4 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,113 kWh/kWp · +3% vs BN6

Similar sunshine across the UK

PO1 (Portsmouth)
~1,084 kWh/kWp · -0% vs BN6
PO5 (Portsmouth)
~1,084 kWh/kWp · -0% vs BN6
PO4 (Portsmouth)
~1,084 kWh/kWp · -0% vs BN6