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 1112 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.
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: £932, Upfront: £10,173, Break-even: 10.9 yrs
| System | Annual output | Self-use | Exported | Bill saving | Export income | Annual benefit | Upfront cost | Break-even | 20-year net |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 kW | 2224 kWh | 889 kWh | 1334 kWh | £239 | £133 | £373 | £4,069 | 10.9 yrs | £3,388 |
| 3 kW | 3335 kWh | 1334 kWh | 2001 kWh | £359 | £200 | £559 | £6,104 | 10.9 yrs | £5,082 |
| 4 kW | 4447 kWh | 1779 kWh | 2668 kWh | £479 | £267 | £746 | £8,138 | 10.9 yrs | £6,776 |
| 5 kW | 5559 kWh | 2224 kWh | 3335 kWh | £599 | £334 | £932 | £10,173 | 10.9 yrs | £8,471 |
| 6 kW | 6671 kWh | 2668 kWh | 4003 kWh | £718 | £400 | £1,119 | £12,207 | 10.9 yrs | £10,165 |
| 7 kW | 7783 kWh | 3113 kWh | 4670 kWh | £838 | £467 | £1,305 | £14,242 | 10.9 yrs | £11,859 |
| 8 kW | 8895 kWh | 3558 kWh | 5337 kWh | £958 | £534 | £1,491 | £16,276 | 10.9 yrs | £13,553 |
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: £1,120, Upfront: £12,273, 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 | 2224 kWh | 1334 kWh | 889 kWh | £359 | £89 | £448 | £6,169 | 13.8 yrs | £2,793 |
| 3 kW | 3335 kWh | 2001 kWh | 1334 kWh | £539 | £133 | £672 | £8,204 | 12.2 yrs | £5,240 |
| 4 kW | 4447 kWh | 2668 kWh | 1779 kWh | £718 | £178 | £896 | £10,238 | 11.4 yrs | £7,686 |
| 5 kW | 5559 kWh | 3335 kWh | 2224 kWh | £898 | £222 | £1,120 | £12,273 | 11.0 yrs | £10,133 |
| 6 kW | 6671 kWh | 4003 kWh | 2668 kWh | £1,077 | £267 | £1,344 | £14,307 | 10.6 yrs | £12,580 |
| 7 kW | 7783 kWh | 4670 kWh | 3113 kWh | £1,257 | £311 | £1,568 | £16,342 | 10.4 yrs | £15,026 |
| 8 kW | 8895 kWh | 5337 kWh | 3558 kWh | £1,437 | £356 | £1,792 | £18,376 | 10.3 yrs | £17,473 |
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: £1,214, Upfront: £13,673, 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 | 2224 kWh | 1557 kWh | 667 kWh | £419 | £67 | £486 | £7,569 | 15.6 yrs | £2,146 |
| 3 kW | 3335 kWh | 2335 kWh | 1001 kWh | £629 | £100 | £729 | £9,604 | 13.2 yrs | £4,969 |
| 4 kW | 4447 kWh | 3113 kWh | 1334 kWh | £838 | £133 | £971 | £11,638 | 12.0 yrs | £7,791 |
| 5 kW | 5559 kWh | 3891 kWh | 1668 kWh | £1,048 | £167 | £1,214 | £13,673 | 11.3 yrs | £10,614 |
| 6 kW | 6671 kWh | 4670 kWh | 2001 kWh | £1,257 | £200 | £1,457 | £15,707 | 10.8 yrs | £13,437 |
| 7 kW | 7783 kWh | 5448 kWh | 2335 kWh | £1,467 | £233 | £1,700 | £17,742 | 10.4 yrs | £16,260 |
| 8 kW | 8895 kWh | 6226 kWh | 2668 kWh | £1,676 | £267 | £1,943 | £19,776 | 10.2 yrs | £19,083 |
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: £1,243, Upfront: £15,423, Break-even: 12.4 yrs
| System | Annual output | Self-use | Exported | Bill saving | Export income | Annual benefit | Upfront cost | Break-even | 20-year net |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 kW | 2224 kWh | 1623 kWh | 600 kWh | £437 | £60 | £497 | £9,319 | 18.7 yrs | £621 |
| 3 kW | 3335 kWh | 2435 kWh | 901 kWh | £655 | £90 | £746 | £11,354 | 15.2 yrs | £3,557 |
| 4 kW | 4447 kWh | 3247 kWh | 1201 kWh | £874 | £120 | £994 | £13,388 | 13.5 yrs | £6,493 |
| 5 kW | 5559 kWh | 4058 kWh | 1501 kWh | £1,092 | £150 | £1,243 | £15,423 | 12.4 yrs | £9,429 |
| 6 kW | 6671 kWh | 4870 kWh | 1801 kWh | £1,311 | £180 | £1,491 | £17,457 | 11.7 yrs | £12,364 |
| 7 kW | 7783 kWh | 5681 kWh | 2101 kWh | £1,529 | £210 | £1,740 | £19,492 | 11.2 yrs | £15,300 |
| 8 kW | 8895 kWh | 6493 kWh | 2402 kWh | £1,748 | £240 | £1,988 | £21,526 | 10.8 yrs | £18,236 |
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: £1,261, Upfront: £17,173, Break-even: 13.6 yrs
| System | Annual output | Self-use | Exported | Bill saving | Export income | Annual benefit | Upfront cost | Break-even | 20-year net |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 kW | 2224 kWh | 1668 kWh | 556 kWh | £449 | £56 | £505 | £11,069 | 21.9 yrs | £-978 |
| 3 kW | 3335 kWh | 2502 kWh | 834 kWh | £673 | £83 | £757 | £13,104 | 17.3 yrs | £2,033 |
| 4 kW | 4447 kWh | 3335 kWh | 1112 kWh | £898 | £111 | £1,009 | £15,138 | 15.0 yrs | £5,044 |
| 5 kW | 5559 kWh | 4169 kWh | 1390 kWh | £1,122 | £139 | £1,261 | £17,173 | 13.6 yrs | £8,055 |
| 6 kW | 6671 kWh | 5003 kWh | 1668 kWh | £1,347 | £167 | £1,514 | £19,207 | 12.7 yrs | £11,066 |
| 7 kW | 7783 kWh | 5837 kWh | 1946 kWh | £1,571 | £195 | £1,766 | £21,242 | 12.0 yrs | £14,077 |
| 8 kW | 8895 kWh | 6671 kWh | 2224 kWh | £1,796 | £222 | £2,018 | £23,276 | 11.5 yrs | £17,088 |
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: £1,280, Upfront: £19,623, Break-even: 15.3 yrs
| System | Annual output | Self-use | Exported | Bill saving | Export income | Annual benefit | Upfront cost | Break-even | 20-year net |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 kW | 2224 kWh | 1712 kWh | 511 kWh | £461 | £51 | £512 | £13,519 | 26.4 yrs | £-3,278 |
| 3 kW | 3335 kWh | 2568 kWh | 767 kWh | £691 | £77 | £768 | £15,554 | 20.2 yrs | £-191 |
| 4 kW | 4447 kWh | 3424 kWh | 1023 kWh | £922 | £102 | £1,024 | £17,588 | 17.2 yrs | £2,895 |
| 5 kW | 5559 kWh | 4281 kWh | 1279 kWh | £1,152 | £128 | £1,280 | £19,623 | 15.3 yrs | £5,981 |
| 6 kW | 6671 kWh | 5137 kWh | 1534 kWh | £1,383 | £153 | £1,536 | £21,657 | 14.1 yrs | £9,067 |
| 7 kW | 7783 kWh | 5993 kWh | 1790 kWh | £1,613 | £179 | £1,792 | £23,692 | 13.2 yrs | £12,154 |
| 8 kW | 8895 kWh | 6849 kWh | 2046 kWh | £1,844 | £205 | £2,048 | £25,726 | 12.6 yrs | £15,240 |
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.