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Big Roof Britain Solar Payback Index Standing Charge Drag

Solar Panels in BT18 (Ards and North Down)

See if solar pays off for you in Ards and North Down — price, savings and payback in under a minute (official UK data).

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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
36.9 years
After this, it's pure profit
Upfront Cost
£12,207
What you pay to get started
Annual Benefit
£331
What you save every year
Profit Over 25 Years
£-3,942
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 Northern Ireland, the current unit rate is 0.00p/kWh with a 0.00p/day standing charge. Your postcode’s south-facing sunshine yield is 918 kWh/kW — 72 below the regional median (991).

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 918 kWh per year on a south-facing roof. We value self-used electricity at 0.0p and exported surplus at a baseline 10p via SEG. Use the calculator above for your exact tariff.

Unit rate
0.0p/kWh
Standing charge
0.0p/day
Sunshine yield (south)
918 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: £276, Upfront: £10,173, Break-even: 36.9 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1837 kWh 735 kWh 1102 kWh £0 £110 £110 £4,069 36.9 yrs £-1,865
3 kW 2755 kWh 1102 kWh 1653 kWh £0 £165 £165 £6,104 36.9 yrs £-2,797
4 kW 3673 kWh 1469 kWh 2204 kWh £0 £220 £220 £8,138 36.9 yrs £-3,730
5 kW 4592 kWh 1837 kWh 2755 kWh £0 £276 £276 £10,173 36.9 yrs £-4,662
6 kW 5510 kWh 2204 kWh 3306 kWh £0 £331 £331 £12,207 36.9 yrs £-5,595
7 kW 6429 kWh 2571 kWh 3857 kWh £0 £386 £386 £14,242 36.9 yrs £-6,527
8 kW 7347 kWh 2939 kWh 4408 kWh £0 £441 £441 £16,276 36.9 yrs £-7,460

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: £184, Upfront: £12,273, Break-even: 66.8 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1837 kWh 1102 kWh 735 kWh £0 £73 £73 £6,169 84.0 yrs £-4,700
3 kW 2755 kWh 1653 kWh 1102 kWh £0 £110 £110 £8,204 74.4 yrs £-5,999
4 kW 3673 kWh 2204 kWh 1469 kWh £0 £147 £147 £10,238 69.7 yrs £-7,299
5 kW 4592 kWh 2755 kWh 1837 kWh £0 £184 £184 £12,273 66.8 yrs £-8,599
6 kW 5510 kWh 3306 kWh 2204 kWh £0 £220 £220 £14,307 64.9 yrs £-9,899
7 kW 6429 kWh 3857 kWh 2571 kWh £0 £257 £257 £16,342 63.6 yrs £-11,199
8 kW 7347 kWh 4408 kWh 2939 kWh £0 £294 £294 £18,376 62.5 yrs £-12,499

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: £138, Upfront: £13,673, Break-even: 99.3 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1837 kWh 1286 kWh 551 kWh £0 £55 £55 £7,569 137.4 yrs £-6,467
3 kW 2755 kWh 1929 kWh 827 kWh £0 £83 £83 £9,604 116.2 yrs £-7,950
4 kW 3673 kWh 2571 kWh 1102 kWh £0 £110 £110 £11,638 105.6 yrs £-9,434
5 kW 4592 kWh 3214 kWh 1378 kWh £0 £138 £138 £13,673 99.3 yrs £-10,917
6 kW 5510 kWh 3857 kWh 1653 kWh £0 £165 £165 £15,707 95.0 yrs £-12,401
7 kW 6429 kWh 4500 kWh 1929 kWh £0 £193 £193 £17,742 92.0 yrs £-13,884
8 kW 7347 kWh 5143 kWh 2204 kWh £0 £220 £220 £19,776 89.7 yrs £-15,368

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: £124, Upfront: £15,423, Break-even: 124.4 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1837 kWh 1341 kWh 496 kWh £0 £50 £50 £9,319 187.9 yrs £-8,327
3 kW 2755 kWh 2011 kWh 744 kWh £0 £74 £74 £11,354 152.6 yrs £-9,866
4 kW 3673 kWh 2682 kWh 992 kWh £0 £99 £99 £13,388 135.0 yrs £-11,404
5 kW 4592 kWh 3352 kWh 1240 kWh £0 £124 £124 £15,423 124.4 yrs £-12,943
6 kW 5510 kWh 4022 kWh 1488 kWh £0 £149 £149 £17,457 117.3 yrs £-14,482
7 kW 6429 kWh 4693 kWh 1736 kWh £0 £174 £174 £19,492 112.3 yrs £-16,020
8 kW 7347 kWh 5363 kWh 1984 kWh £0 £198 £198 £21,526 108.5 yrs £-17,559

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: £115, Upfront: £17,173, Break-even: 149.6 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1837 kWh 1378 kWh 459 kWh £0 £46 £46 £11,069 241.1 yrs £-10,151
3 kW 2755 kWh 2066 kWh 689 kWh £0 £69 £69 £13,104 190.2 yrs £-11,726
4 kW 3673 kWh 2755 kWh 918 kWh £0 £92 £92 £15,138 164.8 yrs £-13,301
5 kW 4592 kWh 3444 kWh 1148 kWh £0 £115 £115 £17,173 149.6 yrs £-14,877
6 kW 5510 kWh 4133 kWh 1378 kWh £0 £138 £138 £19,207 139.4 yrs £-16,452
7 kW 6429 kWh 4821 kWh 1607 kWh £0 £161 £161 £21,242 132.2 yrs £-18,027
8 kW 7347 kWh 5510 kWh 1837 kWh £0 £184 £184 £23,276 126.7 yrs £-19,603

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: £106, Upfront: £19,623, Break-even: 185.8 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1837 kWh 1414 kWh 422 kWh £0 £42 £42 £13,519 320.0 yrs £-12,674
3 kW 2755 kWh 2121 kWh 634 kWh £0 £63 £63 £15,554 245.4 yrs £-14,286
4 kW 3673 kWh 2829 kWh 845 kWh £0 £84 £84 £17,588 208.2 yrs £-15,898
5 kW 4592 kWh 3536 kWh 1056 kWh £0 £106 £106 £19,623 185.8 yrs £-17,510
6 kW 5510 kWh 4243 kWh 1267 kWh £0 £127 £127 £21,657 170.9 yrs £-19,122
7 kW 6429 kWh 4950 kWh 1479 kWh £0 £148 £148 £23,692 160.2 yrs £-20,734
8 kW 7347 kWh 5657 kWh 1690 kWh £0 £169 £169 £25,726 152.2 yrs £-22,346

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.

Your Area at a Glance

Your Electricity Rate
0.00p/kWh
Daily Fixed Charge
0.00p/day
Local Sunshine
918kWh/kW
A 1 kW system generates ~918 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

No EPC data available for this outcode

Coverage

Ards and North Down (93%)|Belfast (7%)

Areas Covered

Loughview, Cultra, Holywood, Garnerville, Belmont, Stormont, Dundonald

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 Northern Ireland

BT4 (Belfast)
≈5.0 km away
Local sunshine: ~892 kWh/kWp · -3% vs BT18
BT3 (Belfast)
≈5.8 km away
Local sunshine: ~885 kWh/kWp · -4% vs BT18
BT16 (Lisburn and Castlereagh)
≈5.9 km away
Local sunshine: ~924 kWh/kWp · +1% vs BT18
BT5 (Belfast)
≈6.3 km away
Local sunshine: ~892 kWh/kWp · -3% vs BT18
BT37 (Antrim and Newtownabbey)
≈6.5 km away
Local sunshine: ~871 kWh/kWp · -5% vs BT18
BT15 (Belfast)
≈6.9 km away
Local sunshine: ~886 kWh/kWp · -4% vs BT18

Similar sunshine across the UK

ST9 (Staffordshire Moorlands)
~918 kWh/kWp · -0% vs BT18
HD5 (Kirklees)
~918 kWh/kWp · +0% vs BT18
LL19 (Denbighshire)
~918 kWh/kWp · +0% vs BT18