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Big Roof Britain Solar Payback Index Standing Charge Drag

Solar Panels in BT38 (Mid and East Antrim)

See if solar pays off for you in Mid and East Antrim — 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
37.8 years
After this, it's pure profit
Upfront Cost
£12,207
What you pay to get started
Annual Benefit
£323
What you save every year
Profit Over 25 Years
£-4,139
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 896 kWh/kW — 94 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 896 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)
896 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: £269, Upfront: £10,173, Break-even: 37.8 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1793 kWh 717 kWh 1076 kWh £0 £108 £108 £4,069 37.8 yrs £-1,918
3 kW 2689 kWh 1076 kWh 1614 kWh £0 £161 £161 £6,104 37.8 yrs £-2,876
4 kW 3586 kWh 1434 kWh 2151 kWh £0 £215 £215 £8,138 37.8 yrs £-3,835
5 kW 4482 kWh 1793 kWh 2689 kWh £0 £269 £269 £10,173 37.8 yrs £-4,794
6 kW 5379 kWh 2151 kWh 3227 kWh £0 £323 £323 £12,207 37.8 yrs £-5,753
7 kW 6275 kWh 2510 kWh 3765 kWh £0 £377 £377 £14,242 37.8 yrs £-6,711
8 kW 7172 kWh 2869 kWh 4303 kWh £0 £430 £430 £16,276 37.8 yrs £-7,670

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: £179, Upfront: £12,273, Break-even: 68.5 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1793 kWh 1076 kWh 717 kWh £0 £72 £72 £6,169 86.0 yrs £-4,735
3 kW 2689 kWh 1614 kWh 1076 kWh £0 £108 £108 £8,204 76.3 yrs £-6,052
4 kW 3586 kWh 2151 kWh 1434 kWh £0 £143 £143 £10,238 71.4 yrs £-7,369
5 kW 4482 kWh 2689 kWh 1793 kWh £0 £179 £179 £12,273 68.5 yrs £-8,687
6 kW 5379 kWh 3227 kWh 2151 kWh £0 £215 £215 £14,307 66.5 yrs £-10,004
7 kW 6275 kWh 3765 kWh 2510 kWh £0 £251 £251 £16,342 65.1 yrs £-11,322
8 kW 7172 kWh 4303 kWh 2869 kWh £0 £287 £287 £18,376 64.1 yrs £-12,639

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: £134, Upfront: £13,673, Break-even: 101.7 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1793 kWh 1255 kWh 538 kWh £0 £54 £54 £7,569 140.7 yrs £-6,493
3 kW 2689 kWh 1883 kWh 807 kWh £0 £81 £81 £9,604 119.0 yrs £-7,990
4 kW 3586 kWh 2510 kWh 1076 kWh £0 £108 £108 £11,638 108.2 yrs £-9,487
5 kW 4482 kWh 3138 kWh 1345 kWh £0 £134 £134 £13,673 101.7 yrs £-10,983
6 kW 5379 kWh 3765 kWh 1614 kWh £0 £161 £161 £15,707 97.3 yrs £-12,480
7 kW 6275 kWh 4393 kWh 1883 kWh £0 £188 £188 £17,742 94.2 yrs £-13,977
8 kW 7172 kWh 5020 kWh 2151 kWh £0 £215 £215 £19,776 91.9 yrs £-15,473

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: £121, Upfront: £15,423, Break-even: 127.4 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1793 kWh 1309 kWh 484 kWh £0 £48 £48 £9,319 192.5 yrs £-8,351
3 kW 2689 kWh 1963 kWh 726 kWh £0 £73 £73 £11,354 156.4 yrs £-9,901
4 kW 3586 kWh 2618 kWh 968 kWh £0 £97 £97 £13,388 138.3 yrs £-11,452
5 kW 4482 kWh 3272 kWh 1210 kWh £0 £121 £121 £15,423 127.4 yrs £-13,002
6 kW 5379 kWh 3926 kWh 1452 kWh £0 £145 £145 £17,457 120.2 yrs £-14,553
7 kW 6275 kWh 4581 kWh 1694 kWh £0 £169 £169 £19,492 115.0 yrs £-16,103
8 kW 7172 kWh 5235 kWh 1936 kWh £0 £194 £194 £21,526 111.2 yrs £-17,653

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: £112, Upfront: £17,173, Break-even: 153.3 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1793 kWh 1345 kWh 448 kWh £0 £45 £45 £11,069 247.0 yrs £-10,173
3 kW 2689 kWh 2017 kWh 672 kWh £0 £67 £67 £13,104 194.9 yrs £-11,759
4 kW 3586 kWh 2689 kWh 896 kWh £0 £90 £90 £15,138 168.9 yrs £-13,345
5 kW 4482 kWh 3362 kWh 1121 kWh £0 £112 £112 £17,173 153.3 yrs £-14,931
6 kW 5379 kWh 4034 kWh 1345 kWh £0 £134 £134 £19,207 142.8 yrs £-16,518
7 kW 6275 kWh 4706 kWh 1569 kWh £0 £157 £157 £21,242 135.4 yrs £-18,104
8 kW 7172 kWh 5379 kWh 1793 kWh £0 £179 £179 £23,276 129.8 yrs £-19,690

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: £103, Upfront: £19,623, Break-even: 190.3 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1793 kWh 1381 kWh 412 kWh £0 £41 £41 £13,519 327.8 yrs £-12,694
3 kW 2689 kWh 2071 kWh 619 kWh £0 £62 £62 £15,554 251.5 yrs £-14,316
4 kW 3586 kWh 2761 kWh 825 kWh £0 £82 £82 £17,588 213.3 yrs £-15,939
5 kW 4482 kWh 3451 kWh 1031 kWh £0 £103 £103 £19,623 190.3 yrs £-17,561
6 kW 5379 kWh 4142 kWh 1237 kWh £0 £124 £124 £21,657 175.1 yrs £-19,183
7 kW 6275 kWh 4832 kWh 1443 kWh £0 £144 £144 £23,692 164.2 yrs £-20,805
8 kW 7172 kWh 5522 kWh 1649 kWh £0 £165 £165 £25,726 156.0 yrs £-22,427

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
896kWh/kW
A 1 kW system generates ~896 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

Mid and East Antrim (98%)|Antrim and Newtownabbey (2%)

Areas Covered

Castle, Whitehead South, Victoria, Greenisland, Love Lane, Boneybefore, Kilroot, Sunnylands + 4 more

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

BT37 (Antrim and Newtownabbey)
≈8.6 km away
Local sunshine: ~871 kWh/kWp · -3% vs BT38
BT18 (Ards and North Down)
≈9.7 km away
Local sunshine: ~918 kWh/kWp · +2% vs BT38
BT36 (Antrim and Newtownabbey)
≈11.1 km away
Local sunshine: ~879 kWh/kWp · -2% vs BT38
BT20 (Ards and North Down)
≈11.6 km away
Local sunshine: ~918 kWh/kWp · +2% vs BT38
BT39 (Antrim and Newtownabbey)
≈13.4 km away
Local sunshine: ~881 kWh/kWp · -2% vs BT38
BT19 (Ards and North Down)
≈13.5 km away
Local sunshine: ~956 kWh/kWp · +7% vs BT38

Similar sunshine across the UK

LA7 (Westmorland and Furness)
~896 kWh/kWp · -0% vs BT38
KA12 (North Ayrshire)
~897 kWh/kWp · +0% vs BT38
TD6 (Scottish Borders)
~897 kWh/kWp · +0% vs BT38