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 1012 kWh per year on a south-facing roof. We value self-used electricity at 25.6p 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: £822, Upfront: £10,173, 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 | 2024 kWh | 810 kWh | 1214 kWh | £208 | £121 | £329 | £4,069 | 12.4 yrs | £2,510 |
| 3 kW | 3036 kWh | 1214 kWh | 1822 kWh | £311 | £182 | £493 | £6,104 | 12.4 yrs | £3,765 |
| 4 kW | 4048 kWh | 1619 kWh | 2429 kWh | £415 | £243 | £658 | £8,138 | 12.4 yrs | £5,020 |
| 5 kW | 5060 kWh | 2024 kWh | 3036 kWh | £519 | £304 | £822 | £10,173 | 12.4 yrs | £6,275 |
| 6 kW | 6072 kWh | 2429 kWh | 3643 kWh | £623 | £364 | £987 | £12,207 | 12.4 yrs | £7,530 |
| 7 kW | 7084 kWh | 2834 kWh | 4250 kWh | £726 | £425 | £1,151 | £14,242 | 12.4 yrs | £8,785 |
| 8 kW | 8096 kWh | 3238 kWh | 4858 kWh | £830 | £486 | £1,316 | £16,276 | 12.4 yrs | £10,040 |
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: £981, Upfront: £12,273, Break-even: 12.5 yrs
| System | Annual output | Self-use | Exported | Bill saving | Export income | Annual benefit | Upfront cost | Break-even | 20-year net |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 kW | 2024 kWh | 1214 kWh | 810 kWh | £311 | £81 | £392 | £6,169 | 15.7 yrs | £1,675 |
| 3 kW | 3036 kWh | 1822 kWh | 1214 kWh | £467 | £121 | £588 | £8,204 | 13.9 yrs | £3,563 |
| 4 kW | 4048 kWh | 2429 kWh | 1619 kWh | £623 | £162 | £784 | £10,238 | 13.1 yrs | £5,451 |
| 5 kW | 5060 kWh | 3036 kWh | 2024 kWh | £778 | £202 | £981 | £12,273 | 12.5 yrs | £7,338 |
| 6 kW | 6072 kWh | 3643 kWh | 2429 kWh | £934 | £243 | £1,177 | £14,307 | 12.2 yrs | £9,226 |
| 7 kW | 7084 kWh | 4250 kWh | 2834 kWh | £1,089 | £283 | £1,373 | £16,342 | 11.9 yrs | £11,114 |
| 8 kW | 8096 kWh | 4858 kWh | 3238 kWh | £1,245 | £324 | £1,569 | £18,376 | 11.7 yrs | £13,001 |
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: £1,060, Upfront: £13,673, 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 | 2024 kWh | 1417 kWh | 607 kWh | £363 | £61 | £424 | £7,569 | 17.9 yrs | £908 |
| 3 kW | 3036 kWh | 2125 kWh | 911 kWh | £545 | £91 | £636 | £9,604 | 15.1 yrs | £3,112 |
| 4 kW | 4048 kWh | 2834 kWh | 1214 kWh | £726 | £121 | £848 | £11,638 | 13.7 yrs | £5,316 |
| 5 kW | 5060 kWh | 3542 kWh | 1518 kWh | £908 | £152 | £1,060 | £13,673 | 12.9 yrs | £7,520 |
| 6 kW | 6072 kWh | 4250 kWh | 1822 kWh | £1,089 | £182 | £1,272 | £15,707 | 12.4 yrs | £9,724 |
| 7 kW | 7084 kWh | 4959 kWh | 2125 kWh | £1,271 | £213 | £1,483 | £17,742 | 12.0 yrs | £11,928 |
| 8 kW | 8096 kWh | 5667 kWh | 2429 kWh | £1,453 | £243 | £1,695 | £19,776 | 11.7 yrs | £14,132 |
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: £1,083, Upfront: £15,423, Break-even: 14.2 yrs
| System | Annual output | Self-use | Exported | Bill saving | Export income | Annual benefit | Upfront cost | Break-even | 20-year net |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 kW | 2024 kWh | 1478 kWh | 546 kWh | £379 | £55 | £433 | £9,319 | 21.5 yrs | £-652 |
| 3 kW | 3036 kWh | 2216 kWh | 820 kWh | £568 | £82 | £650 | £11,354 | 17.5 yrs | £1,647 |
| 4 kW | 4048 kWh | 2955 kWh | 1093 kWh | £757 | £109 | £867 | £13,388 | 15.4 yrs | £3,946 |
| 5 kW | 5060 kWh | 3694 kWh | 1366 kWh | £947 | £137 | £1,083 | £15,423 | 14.2 yrs | £6,245 |
| 6 kW | 6072 kWh | 4433 kWh | 1639 kWh | £1,136 | £164 | £1,300 | £17,457 | 13.4 yrs | £8,544 |
| 7 kW | 7084 kWh | 5171 kWh | 1913 kWh | £1,325 | £191 | £1,517 | £19,492 | 12.9 yrs | £10,843 |
| 8 kW | 8096 kWh | 5910 kWh | 2186 kWh | £1,515 | £219 | £1,733 | £21,526 | 12.4 yrs | £13,142 |
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: £1,099, Upfront: £17,173, Break-even: 15.6 yrs
| System | Annual output | Self-use | Exported | Bill saving | Export income | Annual benefit | Upfront cost | Break-even | 20-year net |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 kW | 2024 kWh | 1518 kWh | 506 kWh | £389 | £51 | £440 | £11,069 | 25.2 yrs | £-2,276 |
| 3 kW | 3036 kWh | 2277 kWh | 759 kWh | £584 | £76 | £660 | £13,104 | 19.9 yrs | £87 |
| 4 kW | 4048 kWh | 3036 kWh | 1012 kWh | £778 | £101 | £879 | £15,138 | 17.2 yrs | £2,449 |
| 5 kW | 5060 kWh | 3795 kWh | 1265 kWh | £973 | £127 | £1,099 | £17,173 | 15.6 yrs | £4,811 |
| 6 kW | 6072 kWh | 4554 kWh | 1518 kWh | £1,167 | £152 | £1,319 | £19,207 | 14.6 yrs | £7,173 |
| 7 kW | 7084 kWh | 5313 kWh | 1771 kWh | £1,362 | £177 | £1,539 | £21,242 | 13.8 yrs | £9,535 |
| 8 kW | 8096 kWh | 6072 kWh | 2024 kWh | £1,556 | £202 | £1,759 | £23,276 | 13.2 yrs | £11,898 |
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: £1,115, Upfront: £19,623, Break-even: 17.6 yrs
| System | Annual output | Self-use | Exported | Bill saving | Export income | Annual benefit | Upfront cost | Break-even | 20-year net |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 kW | 2024 kWh | 1559 kWh | 466 kWh | £399 | £47 | £446 | £13,519 | 30.3 yrs | £-4,599 |
| 3 kW | 3036 kWh | 2338 kWh | 698 kWh | £599 | £70 | £669 | £15,554 | 23.2 yrs | £-2,174 |
| 4 kW | 4048 kWh | 3117 kWh | 931 kWh | £799 | £93 | £892 | £17,588 | 19.7 yrs | £252 |
| 5 kW | 5060 kWh | 3896 kWh | 1164 kWh | £999 | £116 | £1,115 | £19,623 | 17.6 yrs | £2,677 |
| 6 kW | 6072 kWh | 4676 kWh | 1397 kWh | £1,198 | £140 | £1,338 | £21,657 | 16.2 yrs | £5,103 |
| 7 kW | 7084 kWh | 5455 kWh | 1629 kWh | £1,398 | £163 | £1,561 | £23,692 | 15.2 yrs | £7,528 |
| 8 kW | 8096 kWh | 6234 kWh | 1862 kWh | £1,598 | £186 | £1,784 | £25,726 | 14.4 yrs | £9,954 |
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.