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Big Roof Britain Solar Payback Index Standing Charge Drag

Solar Panels in BS41 (North Somerset)

See if solar pays off for you in North Somerset — 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
£12,207
What you pay to get started
Annual Benefit
£1,008
What you save every year
Profit Over 25 Years
£12,998
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 1004 kWh/kW — 9 below the regional median (1013).

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 1004 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)
1004 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: £840, 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 2009 kWh 804 kWh 1205 kWh £216 £121 £336 £4,069 12.1 yrs £2,652
3 kW 3013 kWh 1205 kWh 1808 kWh £323 £181 £504 £6,104 12.1 yrs £3,978
4 kW 4018 kWh 1607 kWh 2411 kWh £431 £241 £672 £8,138 12.1 yrs £5,304
5 kW 5022 kWh 2009 kWh 3013 kWh £539 £301 £840 £10,173 12.1 yrs £6,631
6 kW 6027 kWh 2411 kWh 3616 kWh £647 £362 £1,008 £12,207 12.1 yrs £7,957
7 kW 7031 kWh 2813 kWh 4219 kWh £754 £422 £1,176 £14,242 12.1 yrs £9,283
8 kW 8036 kWh 3214 kWh 4822 kWh £862 £482 £1,344 £16,276 12.1 yrs £10,609

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: £1,009, 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 2009 kWh 1205 kWh 804 kWh £323 £80 £404 £6,169 15.3 yrs £1,904
3 kW 3013 kWh 1808 kWh 1205 kWh £485 £121 £605 £8,204 13.5 yrs £3,906
4 kW 4018 kWh 2411 kWh 1607 kWh £647 £161 £807 £10,238 12.7 yrs £5,908
5 kW 5022 kWh 3013 kWh 2009 kWh £808 £201 £1,009 £12,273 12.2 yrs £7,910
6 kW 6027 kWh 3616 kWh 2411 kWh £970 £241 £1,211 £14,307 11.8 yrs £9,912
7 kW 7031 kWh 4219 kWh 2813 kWh £1,131 £281 £1,413 £16,342 11.6 yrs £11,914
8 kW 8036 kWh 4822 kWh 3214 kWh £1,293 £321 £1,615 £18,376 11.4 yrs £13,915

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: £1,094, 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 2009 kWh 1406 kWh 603 kWh £377 £60 £437 £7,569 17.3 yrs £1,180
3 kW 3013 kWh 2109 kWh 904 kWh £566 £90 £656 £9,604 14.6 yrs £3,520
4 kW 4018 kWh 2813 kWh 1205 kWh £754 £121 £875 £11,638 13.3 yrs £5,859
5 kW 5022 kWh 3516 kWh 1507 kWh £943 £151 £1,094 £13,673 12.5 yrs £8,199
6 kW 6027 kWh 4219 kWh 1808 kWh £1,131 £181 £1,312 £15,707 12.0 yrs £10,539
7 kW 7031 kWh 4922 kWh 2109 kWh £1,320 £211 £1,531 £17,742 11.6 yrs £12,879
8 kW 8036 kWh 5625 kWh 2411 kWh £1,509 £241 £1,750 £19,776 11.3 yrs £15,219

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: £1,119, 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 2009 kWh 1467 kWh 542 kWh £393 £54 £448 £9,319 20.8 yrs £-368
3 kW 3013 kWh 2200 kWh 814 kWh £590 £81 £671 £11,354 16.9 yrs £2,074
4 kW 4018 kWh 2933 kWh 1085 kWh £787 £108 £895 £13,388 15.0 yrs £4,515
5 kW 5022 kWh 3666 kWh 1356 kWh £983 £136 £1,119 £15,423 13.8 yrs £6,956
6 kW 6027 kWh 4400 kWh 1627 kWh £1,180 £163 £1,343 £17,457 13.0 yrs £9,397
7 kW 7031 kWh 5133 kWh 1898 kWh £1,377 £190 £1,567 £19,492 12.4 yrs £11,839
8 kW 8036 kWh 5866 kWh 2170 kWh £1,573 £217 £1,790 £21,526 12.0 yrs £14,280

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: £1,136, 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 2009 kWh 1507 kWh 502 kWh £404 £50 £454 £11,069 24.4 yrs £-1,982
3 kW 3013 kWh 2260 kWh 753 kWh £606 £75 £681 £13,104 19.2 yrs £526
4 kW 4018 kWh 3013 kWh 1004 kWh £808 £100 £909 £15,138 16.7 yrs £3,035
5 kW 5022 kWh 3767 kWh 1256 kWh £1,010 £126 £1,136 £17,173 15.1 yrs £5,544
6 kW 6027 kWh 4520 kWh 1507 kWh £1,212 £151 £1,363 £19,207 14.1 yrs £8,053
7 kW 7031 kWh 5274 kWh 1758 kWh £1,414 £176 £1,590 £21,242 13.4 yrs £10,562
8 kW 8036 kWh 6027 kWh 2009 kWh £1,616 £201 £1,817 £23,276 12.8 yrs £13,070

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: £1,153, 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 2009 kWh 1547 kWh 462 kWh £415 £46 £461 £13,519 29.3 yrs £-4,297
3 kW 3013 kWh 2320 kWh 693 kWh £622 £69 £692 £15,554 22.5 yrs £-1,721
4 kW 4018 kWh 3094 kWh 924 kWh £830 £92 £922 £17,588 19.1 yrs £856
5 kW 5022 kWh 3867 kWh 1155 kWh £1,037 £116 £1,153 £19,623 17.0 yrs £3,432
6 kW 6027 kWh 4641 kWh 1386 kWh £1,245 £139 £1,383 £21,657 15.7 yrs £6,008
7 kW 7031 kWh 5414 kWh 1617 kWh £1,452 £162 £1,614 £23,692 14.7 yrs £8,585
8 kW 8036 kWh 6188 kWh 1848 kWh £1,660 £185 £1,844 £25,726 13.9 yrs £11,161

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 BS41

Figures below are tailored to BS41 — click through for full league tables.

Big-Roof Britain Rank #246 of 2182
6.0 kWp (UK avg 5.1 kWp)
~13 panels (≈430 W)
Solar Payback Index Rank #476 of 2997
10.5 years (UK avg 11.3 years)
~£1,160 /yr • £12,207 upfront
Standing-Charge Drag Rank #726 of 2997
17.0% (UK avg 21.7%) drag on savings
£197 fixed • ~£1,160 /yr value

Your Area at a Glance

Your Electricity Rate
26.82p/kWh
Daily Fixed Charge
54.03p/day
Local Sunshine
1004kWh/kW
A 1 kW system generates ~1004 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: 78% • Flats: 14% • Bungalows: 7% Based on 1,375 properties

Coverage

North Somerset (96%)|Bath and North East Somerset (2%)|Bristol, City of (2%)

Areas Covered

Long Ashton, Winford, Chew Valley, Bedminster

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

BS13 (Bristol, City of)
≈4.1 km away
Local sunshine: ~998 kWh/kWp · -1% vs BS41
BS3 (Bristol, City of)
≈4.4 km away
Local sunshine: ~994 kWh/kWp · -1% vs BS41
BS77 (Bristol, City of)
≈4.4 km away
Local sunshine: ~999 kWh/kWp · -1% vs BS41
BS8 (Bristol, City of)
≈4.5 km away
Local sunshine: ~996 kWh/kWp · -1% vs BS41
BS1 (Bristol, City of)
≈5.5 km away
Local sunshine: ~994 kWh/kWp · -1% vs BS41
BS98 (Bristol, City of)
≈6.1 km away
Local sunshine: ~992 kWh/kWp · -1% vs BS41

Similar sunshine across the UK

E15 (Newham)
~1,004 kWh/kWp · -0% vs BS41
DN36 (North East Lincolnshire)
~1,005 kWh/kWp · +0% vs BS41
RM4 (Epping Forest)
~1,005 kWh/kWp · +0% vs BS41