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Big Roof Britain Solar Payback Index Standing Charge Drag

Solar Panels in BS11 (Bristol, City of)

See if solar pays off for you in Bristol, City of — 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
12.1 years
After this, it's pure profit
Upfront Cost
£10,173
What you pay to get started
Annual Benefit
£839
What you save every year
Profit Over 25 Years
£10,808
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 Southern Western, the current unit rate is 26.82p/kWh with a 54.03p/day standing charge. Your postcode’s south-facing sunshine yield is 1003 kWh/kW — 10 below the regional median (1013).

Read the full story

A typical roof here lands around 5.0 kW, with most eligible homes comfortably fitting within 3–6 kW. Each kilowatt of panels produces roughly 1003 kWh per year on a south-facing roof. We value self-used electricity at 26.8p and exported surplus at a baseline 10p via SEG. Use the calculator above for your exact tariff.

Unit rate
26.8p/kWh
Standing charge
54.0p/day
Sunshine yield (south)
1003 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: £839, Upfront: £10,173, 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 2007 kWh 803 kWh 1204 kWh £215 £120 £336 £4,069 12.1 yrs £2,645
3 kW 3010 kWh 1204 kWh 1806 kWh £323 £181 £504 £6,104 12.1 yrs £3,967
4 kW 4014 kWh 1605 kWh 2408 kWh £431 £241 £671 £8,138 12.1 yrs £5,290
5 kW 5017 kWh 2007 kWh 3010 kWh £538 £301 £839 £10,173 12.1 yrs £6,612
6 kW 6020 kWh 2408 kWh 3612 kWh £646 £361 £1,007 £12,207 12.1 yrs £7,935
7 kW 7024 kWh 2809 kWh 4214 kWh £754 £421 £1,175 £14,242 12.1 yrs £9,257
8 kW 8027 kWh 3211 kWh 4816 kWh £861 £482 £1,343 £16,276 12.1 yrs £10,579

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: £1,008, Upfront: £12,273, 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 2007 kWh 1204 kWh 803 kWh £323 £80 £403 £6,169 15.3 yrs £1,895
3 kW 3010 kWh 1806 kWh 1204 kWh £484 £120 £605 £8,204 13.6 yrs £3,893
4 kW 4014 kWh 2408 kWh 1605 kWh £646 £161 £806 £10,238 12.7 yrs £5,890
5 kW 5017 kWh 3010 kWh 2007 kWh £807 £201 £1,008 £12,273 12.2 yrs £7,888
6 kW 6020 kWh 3612 kWh 2408 kWh £969 £241 £1,210 £14,307 11.8 yrs £9,885
7 kW 7024 kWh 4214 kWh 2809 kWh £1,130 £281 £1,411 £16,342 11.6 yrs £11,883
8 kW 8027 kWh 4816 kWh 3211 kWh £1,292 £321 £1,613 £18,376 11.4 yrs £13,880

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: £1,092, Upfront: £13,673, 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 2007 kWh 1405 kWh 602 kWh £377 £60 £437 £7,569 17.3 yrs £1,170
3 kW 3010 kWh 2107 kWh 903 kWh £565 £90 £655 £9,604 14.7 yrs £3,505
4 kW 4014 kWh 2809 kWh 1204 kWh £754 £120 £874 £11,638 13.3 yrs £5,840
5 kW 5017 kWh 3512 kWh 1505 kWh £942 £151 £1,092 £13,673 12.5 yrs £8,175
6 kW 6020 kWh 4214 kWh 1806 kWh £1,130 £181 £1,311 £15,707 12.0 yrs £10,510
7 kW 7024 kWh 4917 kWh 2107 kWh £1,319 £211 £1,529 £17,742 11.6 yrs £12,845
8 kW 8027 kWh 5619 kWh 2408 kWh £1,507 £241 £1,748 £19,776 11.3 yrs £15,180

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: £1,118, Upfront: £15,423, Break-even: 13.8 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2007 kWh 1465 kWh 542 kWh £393 £54 £447 £9,319 20.8 yrs £-377
3 kW 3010 kWh 2197 kWh 813 kWh £589 £81 £671 £11,354 16.9 yrs £2,059
4 kW 4014 kWh 2930 kWh 1084 kWh £786 £108 £894 £13,388 15.0 yrs £4,495
5 kW 5017 kWh 3662 kWh 1355 kWh £982 £135 £1,118 £15,423 13.8 yrs £6,932
6 kW 6020 kWh 4395 kWh 1625 kWh £1,179 £163 £1,341 £17,457 13.0 yrs £9,368
7 kW 7024 kWh 5127 kWh 1896 kWh £1,375 £190 £1,565 £19,492 12.5 yrs £11,804
8 kW 8027 kWh 5860 kWh 2167 kWh £1,572 £217 £1,788 £21,526 12.0 yrs £14,241

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: £1,135, Upfront: £17,173, Break-even: 15.1 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2007 kWh 1505 kWh 502 kWh £404 £50 £454 £11,069 24.4 yrs £-1,992
3 kW 3010 kWh 2258 kWh 753 kWh £605 £75 £681 £13,104 19.2 yrs £511
4 kW 4014 kWh 3010 kWh 1003 kWh £807 £100 £908 £15,138 16.7 yrs £3,015
5 kW 5017 kWh 3763 kWh 1254 kWh £1,009 £125 £1,135 £17,173 15.1 yrs £5,519
6 kW 6020 kWh 4515 kWh 1505 kWh £1,211 £151 £1,361 £19,207 14.1 yrs £8,023
7 kW 7024 kWh 5268 kWh 1756 kWh £1,413 £176 £1,588 £21,242 13.4 yrs £10,527
8 kW 8027 kWh 6020 kWh 2007 kWh £1,615 £201 £1,815 £23,276 12.8 yrs £13,031

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: £1,151, Upfront: £19,623, Break-even: 17.0 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2007 kWh 1545 kWh 462 kWh £414 £46 £461 £13,519 29.4 yrs £-4,307
3 kW 3010 kWh 2318 kWh 692 kWh £622 £69 £691 £15,554 22.5 yrs £-1,736
4 kW 4014 kWh 3090 kWh 923 kWh £829 £92 £921 £17,588 19.1 yrs £835
5 kW 5017 kWh 3863 kWh 1154 kWh £1,036 £115 £1,151 £19,623 17.0 yrs £3,407
6 kW 6020 kWh 4636 kWh 1385 kWh £1,243 £138 £1,382 £21,657 15.7 yrs £5,978
7 kW 7024 kWh 5408 kWh 1615 kWh £1,450 £162 £1,612 £23,692 14.7 yrs £8,549
8 kW 8027 kWh 6181 kWh 1846 kWh £1,658 £185 £1,842 £25,726 14.0 yrs £11,121

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 BS11

Figures below are tailored to BS11 — click through for full league tables.

Big-Roof Britain Rank #1700 of 2182
4.5 kWp (UK avg 5.1 kWp)
~9 panels (≈430 W)
Solar Payback Index Rank #471 of 2997
10.5 years (UK avg 11.3 years)
~£966 /yr • £10,173 upfront
Standing-Charge Drag Rank #1482 of 2997
20.4% (UK avg 21.7%) drag on savings
£197 fixed • ~£966 /yr value

Your Area at a Glance

Your Electricity Rate
26.82p/kWh
Daily Fixed Charge
54.03p/day
Local Sunshine
1003kWh/kW
A 1 kW system generates ~1003 kWh per year. A typical home uses ~2,700 kWh per year.
Typical System Size
5.0kW
For houses & bungalows in this area

Local Property Data

Property Types

Houses: 61% • Flats: 34% • Bungalows: 3% Based on 4,582 properties

Coverage

Bristol, City of (100%)

Areas Covered

Avonmouth and Lawrence Weston

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 Southern Western

BS9 (Bristol, City of)
≈4.2 km away
Local sunshine: ~996 kWh/kWp · -1% vs BS11
BS10 (Bristol, City of)
≈4.9 km away
Local sunshine: ~992 kWh/kWp · -1% vs BS11
BS20 (North Somerset)
≈6.5 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,004 kWh/kWp · +0% vs BS11
BS8 (Bristol, City of)
≈6.6 km away
Local sunshine: ~996 kWh/kWp · -1% vs BS11
BS6 (Bristol, City of)
≈6.7 km away
Local sunshine: ~992 kWh/kWp · -1% vs BS11
BS7 (Bristol, City of)
≈6.9 km away
Local sunshine: ~992 kWh/kWp · -1% vs BS11

Similar sunshine across the UK

NN10 (North Northamptonshire)
~1,003 kWh/kWp · +0% vs BS11
RG27 (Hart)
~1,003 kWh/kWp · -0% vs BS11
RG28 (Basingstoke and Deane)
~1,003 kWh/kWp · -0% vs BS11