Solar explained to clever people by people who are not trying to be clever

Solar Panels in BT66 (Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon)

See if solar pays off for you in Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon — 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
38.3 years
After this, it's pure profit
Upfront Cost
£12,207
What you pay to get started
Annual Benefit
£319
What you save every year
Profit Over 25 Years
£-4,234
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

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 886 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)
886 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: £266, Upfront: £10,173, Break-even: 38.3 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1772 kWh 709 kWh 1063 kWh £0 £106 £106 £4,069 38.3 yrs £-1,943
3 kW 2658 kWh 1063 kWh 1595 kWh £0 £159 £159 £6,104 38.3 yrs £-2,914
4 kW 3543 kWh 1417 kWh 2126 kWh £0 £213 £213 £8,138 38.3 yrs £-3,886
5 kW 4429 kWh 1772 kWh 2658 kWh £0 £266 £266 £10,173 38.3 yrs £-4,857
6 kW 5315 kWh 2126 kWh 3189 kWh £0 £319 £319 £12,207 38.3 yrs £-5,829
7 kW 6201 kWh 2480 kWh 3721 kWh £0 £372 £372 £14,242 38.3 yrs £-6,800
8 kW 7087 kWh 2835 kWh 4252 kWh £0 £425 £425 £16,276 38.3 yrs £-7,772

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: £177, Upfront: £12,273, Break-even: 69.3 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1772 kWh 1063 kWh 709 kWh £0 £71 £71 £6,169 87.0 yrs £-4,752
3 kW 2658 kWh 1595 kWh 1063 kWh £0 £106 £106 £8,204 77.2 yrs £-6,077
4 kW 3543 kWh 2126 kWh 1417 kWh £0 £142 £142 £10,238 72.2 yrs £-7,403
5 kW 4429 kWh 2658 kWh 1772 kWh £0 £177 £177 £12,273 69.3 yrs £-8,729
6 kW 5315 kWh 3189 kWh 2126 kWh £0 £213 £213 £14,307 67.3 yrs £-10,055
7 kW 6201 kWh 3721 kWh 2480 kWh £0 £248 £248 £16,342 65.9 yrs £-11,381
8 kW 7087 kWh 4252 kWh 2835 kWh £0 £283 £283 £18,376 64.8 yrs £-12,707

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: £133, Upfront: £13,673, Break-even: 102.9 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1772 kWh 1240 kWh 532 kWh £0 £53 £53 £7,569 142.4 yrs £-6,506
3 kW 2658 kWh 1860 kWh 797 kWh £0 £80 £80 £9,604 120.5 yrs £-8,009
4 kW 3543 kWh 2480 kWh 1063 kWh £0 £106 £106 £11,638 109.5 yrs £-9,512
5 kW 4429 kWh 3100 kWh 1329 kWh £0 £133 £133 £13,673 102.9 yrs £-11,015
6 kW 5315 kWh 3721 kWh 1595 kWh £0 £159 £159 £15,707 98.5 yrs £-12,518
7 kW 6201 kWh 4341 kWh 1860 kWh £0 £186 £186 £17,742 95.4 yrs £-14,021
8 kW 7087 kWh 4961 kWh 2126 kWh £0 £213 £213 £19,776 93.0 yrs £-15,524

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: £120, Upfront: £15,423, Break-even: 129.0 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1772 kWh 1293 kWh 478 kWh £0 £48 £48 £9,319 194.8 yrs £-8,362
3 kW 2658 kWh 1940 kWh 718 kWh £0 £72 £72 £11,354 158.2 yrs £-9,918
4 kW 3543 kWh 2587 kWh 957 kWh £0 £96 £96 £13,388 139.9 yrs £-11,475
5 kW 4429 kWh 3233 kWh 1196 kWh £0 £120 £120 £15,423 129.0 yrs £-13,031
6 kW 5315 kWh 3880 kWh 1435 kWh £0 £144 £144 £17,457 121.6 yrs £-14,587
7 kW 6201 kWh 4527 kWh 1674 kWh £0 £167 £167 £19,492 116.4 yrs £-16,143
8 kW 7087 kWh 5173 kWh 1913 kWh £0 £191 £191 £21,526 112.5 yrs £-17,699

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: £111, Upfront: £17,173, Break-even: 155.1 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1772 kWh 1329 kWh 443 kWh £0 £44 £44 £11,069 249.9 yrs £-10,183
3 kW 2658 kWh 1993 kWh 664 kWh £0 £66 £66 £13,104 197.2 yrs £-11,775
4 kW 3543 kWh 2658 kWh 886 kWh £0 £89 £89 £15,138 170.9 yrs £-13,366
5 kW 4429 kWh 3322 kWh 1107 kWh £0 £111 £111 £17,173 155.1 yrs £-14,958
6 kW 5315 kWh 3986 kWh 1329 kWh £0 £133 £133 £19,207 144.5 yrs £-16,550
7 kW 6201 kWh 4651 kWh 1550 kWh £0 £155 £155 £21,242 137.0 yrs £-18,141
8 kW 7087 kWh 5315 kWh 1772 kWh £0 £177 £177 £23,276 131.4 yrs £-19,733

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: £102, Upfront: £19,623, Break-even: 192.6 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1772 kWh 1364 kWh 407 kWh £0 £41 £41 £13,519 331.8 yrs £-12,704
3 kW 2658 kWh 2046 kWh 611 kWh £0 £61 £61 £15,554 254.5 yrs £-14,331
4 kW 3543 kWh 2728 kWh 815 kWh £0 £81 £81 £17,588 215.8 yrs £-15,958
5 kW 4429 kWh 3411 kWh 1019 kWh £0 £102 £102 £19,623 192.6 yrs £-17,585
6 kW 5315 kWh 4093 kWh 1222 kWh £0 £122 £122 £21,657 177.2 yrs £-19,212
7 kW 6201 kWh 4775 kWh 1426 kWh £0 £143 £143 £23,692 166.1 yrs £-20,839
8 kW 7087 kWh 5457 kWh 1630 kWh £0 £163 £163 £25,726 157.8 yrs £-22,466

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
886kWh/kW
A 1 kW system generates ~886 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

Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon (100%)

Areas Covered

Shankill, Mourneview, Knocknashane, Waringstown, Derrytrasna, Donaghcloney, Lough Road, Magheralin + 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.