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Big Roof Britain Solar Payback Index Standing Charge Drag

Solar Panels in BT40 (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
38.5 years
After this, it's pure profit
Upfront Cost
£12,207
What you pay to get started
Annual Benefit
£317
What you save every year
Profit Over 25 Years
£-4,287
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 880 kWh/kW — 111 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 880 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)
880 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: £264, Upfront: £10,173, Break-even: 38.5 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1760 kWh 704 kWh 1056 kWh £0 £106 £106 £4,069 38.5 yrs £-1,957
3 kW 2640 kWh 1056 kWh 1584 kWh £0 £158 £158 £6,104 38.5 yrs £-2,935
4 kW 3520 kWh 1408 kWh 2112 kWh £0 £211 £211 £8,138 38.5 yrs £-3,914
5 kW 4400 kWh 1760 kWh 2640 kWh £0 £264 £264 £10,173 38.5 yrs £-4,892
6 kW 5280 kWh 2112 kWh 3168 kWh £0 £317 £317 £12,207 38.5 yrs £-5,871
7 kW 6160 kWh 2464 kWh 3696 kWh £0 £370 £370 £14,242 38.5 yrs £-6,849
8 kW 7040 kWh 2816 kWh 4224 kWh £0 £422 £422 £16,276 38.5 yrs £-7,828

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: £176, Upfront: £12,273, Break-even: 69.7 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1760 kWh 1056 kWh 704 kWh £0 £70 £70 £6,169 87.6 yrs £-4,761
3 kW 2640 kWh 1584 kWh 1056 kWh £0 £106 £106 £8,204 77.7 yrs £-6,091
4 kW 3520 kWh 2112 kWh 1408 kWh £0 £141 £141 £10,238 72.7 yrs £-7,422
5 kW 4400 kWh 2640 kWh 1760 kWh £0 £176 £176 £12,273 69.7 yrs £-8,752
6 kW 5280 kWh 3168 kWh 2112 kWh £0 £211 £211 £14,307 67.7 yrs £-10,083
7 kW 6160 kWh 3696 kWh 2464 kWh £0 £246 £246 £16,342 66.3 yrs £-11,413
8 kW 7040 kWh 4224 kWh 2816 kWh £0 £282 £282 £18,376 65.3 yrs £-12,744

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: £132, Upfront: £13,673, Break-even: 103.6 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1760 kWh 1232 kWh 528 kWh £0 £53 £53 £7,569 143.3 yrs £-6,513
3 kW 2640 kWh 1848 kWh 792 kWh £0 £79 £79 £9,604 121.2 yrs £-8,019
4 kW 3520 kWh 2464 kWh 1056 kWh £0 £106 £106 £11,638 110.2 yrs £-9,526
5 kW 4400 kWh 3080 kWh 1320 kWh £0 £132 £132 £13,673 103.6 yrs £-11,032
6 kW 5280 kWh 3696 kWh 1584 kWh £0 £158 £158 £15,707 99.2 yrs £-12,539
7 kW 6160 kWh 4312 kWh 1848 kWh £0 £185 £185 £17,742 96.0 yrs £-14,045
8 kW 7040 kWh 4928 kWh 2112 kWh £0 £211 £211 £19,776 93.6 yrs £-15,552

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: £119, Upfront: £15,423, Break-even: 129.8 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1760 kWh 1285 kWh 475 kWh £0 £48 £48 £9,319 196.1 yrs £-8,369
3 kW 2640 kWh 1927 kWh 713 kWh £0 £71 £71 £11,354 159.3 yrs £-9,928
4 kW 3520 kWh 2570 kWh 950 kWh £0 £95 £95 £13,388 140.9 yrs £-11,487
5 kW 4400 kWh 3212 kWh 1188 kWh £0 £119 £119 £15,423 129.8 yrs £-13,046
6 kW 5280 kWh 3855 kWh 1426 kWh £0 £143 £143 £17,457 122.4 yrs £-14,606
7 kW 6160 kWh 4497 kWh 1663 kWh £0 £166 £166 £19,492 117.2 yrs £-16,165
8 kW 7040 kWh 5140 kWh 1901 kWh £0 £190 £190 £21,526 113.2 yrs £-17,724

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: £110, Upfront: £17,173, Break-even: 156.1 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1760 kWh 1320 kWh 440 kWh £0 £44 £44 £11,069 251.6 yrs £-10,189
3 kW 2640 kWh 1980 kWh 660 kWh £0 £66 £66 £13,104 198.5 yrs £-11,783
4 kW 3520 kWh 2640 kWh 880 kWh £0 £88 £88 £15,138 172.0 yrs £-13,378
5 kW 4400 kWh 3300 kWh 1100 kWh £0 £110 £110 £17,173 156.1 yrs £-14,972
6 kW 5280 kWh 3960 kWh 1320 kWh £0 £132 £132 £19,207 145.5 yrs £-16,567
7 kW 6160 kWh 4620 kWh 1540 kWh £0 £154 £154 £21,242 137.9 yrs £-18,161
8 kW 7040 kWh 5280 kWh 1760 kWh £0 £176 £176 £23,276 132.2 yrs £-19,756

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: £101, Upfront: £19,623, Break-even: 193.9 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1760 kWh 1355 kWh 405 kWh £0 £40 £40 £13,519 333.9 yrs £-12,709
3 kW 2640 kWh 2033 kWh 607 kWh £0 £61 £61 £15,554 256.1 yrs £-14,339
4 kW 3520 kWh 2711 kWh 810 kWh £0 £81 £81 £17,588 217.2 yrs £-15,969
5 kW 4400 kWh 3388 kWh 1012 kWh £0 £101 £101 £19,623 193.9 yrs £-17,598
6 kW 5280 kWh 4066 kWh 1214 kWh £0 £121 £121 £21,657 178.3 yrs £-19,228
7 kW 6160 kWh 4744 kWh 1417 kWh £0 £142 £142 £23,692 167.2 yrs £-20,858
8 kW 7040 kWh 5421 kWh 1619 kWh £0 £162 £162 £25,726 158.9 yrs £-22,487

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
880kWh/kW
A 1 kW system generates ~880 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 (100%)

Areas Covered

Curran and Inver, Kilwaughter, Gardenmore, Cairncastle, The Maidens, Islandmagee, Ballycarry and Glynn, Craigyhill + 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

BT38 (Mid and East Antrim)
≈14.0 km away
Local sunshine: ~896 kWh/kWp · +2% vs BT40
BT39 (Antrim and Newtownabbey)
≈16.4 km away
Local sunshine: ~881 kWh/kWp · +0% vs BT40
BT37 (Antrim and Newtownabbey)
≈20.2 km away
Local sunshine: ~871 kWh/kWp · -1% vs BT40
BT36 (Antrim and Newtownabbey)
≈21.0 km away
Local sunshine: ~879 kWh/kWp · -0% vs BT40
BT18 (Ards and North Down)
≈23.5 km away
Local sunshine: ~918 kWh/kWp · +4% vs BT40
BT20 (Ards and North Down)
≈23.6 km away
Local sunshine: ~918 kWh/kWp · +4% vs BT40

Similar sunshine across the UK

SY24 (Ceredigion)
~880 kWh/kWp · -0% vs BT40
KA13 (North Ayrshire)
~880 kWh/kWp · -0% vs BT40
PA48 (Argyll and Bute)
~880 kWh/kWp · +0% vs BT40