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 962 kWh per year on a south-facing roof. We value self-used electricity at 25.6p and exported surplus at a baseline 10p via SEG. Use the calculator above for your exact tariff.
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: £780, Upfront: £10,173, Break-even: 13.0 yrs
| System | Annual output | Self-use | Exported | Bill saving | Export income | Annual benefit | Upfront cost | Break-even | 20-year net |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 kW | 1923 kWh | 769 kWh | 1154 kWh | £197 | £115 | £312 | £4,069 | 13.0 yrs | £2,169 |
| 3 kW | 2885 kWh | 1154 kWh | 1731 kWh | £295 | £173 | £468 | £6,104 | 13.0 yrs | £3,254 |
| 4 kW | 3846 kWh | 1538 kWh | 2308 kWh | £393 | £231 | £624 | £8,138 | 13.0 yrs | £4,339 |
| 5 kW | 4808 kWh | 1923 kWh | 2885 kWh | £491 | £288 | £780 | £10,173 | 13.0 yrs | £5,423 |
| 6 kW | 5769 kWh | 2308 kWh | 3461 kWh | £590 | £346 | £936 | £12,207 | 13.0 yrs | £6,508 |
| 7 kW | 6731 kWh | 2692 kWh | 4038 kWh | £688 | £404 | £1,092 | £14,242 | 13.0 yrs | £7,593 |
| 8 kW | 7692 kWh | 3077 kWh | 4615 kWh | £786 | £462 | £1,248 | £16,276 | 13.0 yrs | £8,677 |
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: £929, Upfront: £12,273, Break-even: 13.2 yrs
| System | Annual output | Self-use | Exported | Bill saving | Export income | Annual benefit | Upfront cost | Break-even | 20-year net |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 kW | 1923 kWh | 1154 kWh | 769 kWh | £295 | £77 | £372 | £6,169 | 16.6 yrs | £1,265 |
| 3 kW | 2885 kWh | 1731 kWh | 1154 kWh | £442 | £115 | £558 | £8,204 | 14.7 yrs | £2,948 |
| 4 kW | 3846 kWh | 2308 kWh | 1538 kWh | £590 | £154 | £743 | £10,238 | 13.8 yrs | £4,631 |
| 5 kW | 4808 kWh | 2885 kWh | 1923 kWh | £737 | £192 | £929 | £12,273 | 13.2 yrs | £6,314 |
| 6 kW | 5769 kWh | 3461 kWh | 2308 kWh | £884 | £231 | £1,115 | £14,307 | 12.8 yrs | £7,996 |
| 7 kW | 6731 kWh | 4038 kWh | 2692 kWh | £1,032 | £269 | £1,301 | £16,342 | 12.6 yrs | £9,679 |
| 8 kW | 7692 kWh | 4615 kWh | 3077 kWh | £1,179 | £308 | £1,487 | £18,376 | 12.4 yrs | £11,362 |
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: £1,004, Upfront: £13,673, Break-even: 13.6 yrs
| System | Annual output | Self-use | Exported | Bill saving | Export income | Annual benefit | Upfront cost | Break-even | 20-year net |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 kW | 1923 kWh | 1346 kWh | 577 kWh | £344 | £58 | £402 | £7,569 | 18.8 yrs | £464 |
| 3 kW | 2885 kWh | 2019 kWh | 865 kWh | £516 | £87 | £602 | £9,604 | 15.9 yrs | £2,445 |
| 4 kW | 3846 kWh | 2692 kWh | 1154 kWh | £688 | £115 | £803 | £11,638 | 14.5 yrs | £4,427 |
| 5 kW | 4808 kWh | 3365 kWh | 1442 kWh | £860 | £144 | £1,004 | £13,673 | 13.6 yrs | £6,409 |
| 6 kW | 5769 kWh | 4038 kWh | 1731 kWh | £1,032 | £173 | £1,205 | £15,707 | 13.0 yrs | £8,391 |
| 7 kW | 6731 kWh | 4711 kWh | 2019 kWh | £1,204 | £202 | £1,406 | £17,742 | 12.6 yrs | £10,372 |
| 8 kW | 7692 kWh | 5385 kWh | 2308 kWh | £1,376 | £231 | £1,607 | £19,776 | 12.3 yrs | £12,354 |
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: £1,026, Upfront: £15,423, Break-even: 15.0 yrs
| System | Annual output | Self-use | Exported | Bill saving | Export income | Annual benefit | Upfront cost | Break-even | 20-year net |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 kW | 1923 kWh | 1404 kWh | 519 kWh | £359 | £52 | £411 | £9,319 | 22.7 yrs | £-1,107 |
| 3 kW | 2885 kWh | 2106 kWh | 779 kWh | £538 | £78 | £616 | £11,354 | 18.4 yrs | £964 |
| 4 kW | 3846 kWh | 2808 kWh | 1038 kWh | £717 | £104 | £821 | £13,388 | 16.3 yrs | £3,036 |
| 5 kW | 4808 kWh | 3510 kWh | 1298 kWh | £897 | £130 | £1,026 | £15,423 | 15.0 yrs | £5,107 |
| 6 kW | 5769 kWh | 4211 kWh | 1558 kWh | £1,076 | £156 | £1,232 | £17,457 | 14.2 yrs | £7,179 |
| 7 kW | 6731 kWh | 4913 kWh | 1817 kWh | £1,255 | £182 | £1,437 | £19,492 | 13.6 yrs | £9,250 |
| 8 kW | 7692 kWh | 5615 kWh | 2077 kWh | £1,435 | £208 | £1,642 | £21,526 | 13.1 yrs | £11,322 |
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: £1,041, Upfront: £17,173, Break-even: 16.5 yrs
| System | Annual output | Self-use | Exported | Bill saving | Export income | Annual benefit | Upfront cost | Break-even | 20-year net |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 kW | 1923 kWh | 1442 kWh | 481 kWh | £369 | £48 | £417 | £11,069 | 26.6 yrs | £-2,737 |
| 3 kW | 2885 kWh | 2163 kWh | 721 kWh | £553 | £72 | £625 | £13,104 | 21.0 yrs | £-606 |
| 4 kW | 3846 kWh | 2885 kWh | 962 kWh | £737 | £96 | £833 | £15,138 | 18.2 yrs | £1,525 |
| 5 kW | 4808 kWh | 3606 kWh | 1202 kWh | £921 | £120 | £1,041 | £17,173 | 16.5 yrs | £3,656 |
| 6 kW | 5769 kWh | 4327 kWh | 1442 kWh | £1,106 | £144 | £1,250 | £19,207 | 15.4 yrs | £5,788 |
| 7 kW | 6731 kWh | 5048 kWh | 1683 kWh | £1,290 | £168 | £1,458 | £21,242 | 14.6 yrs | £7,919 |
| 8 kW | 7692 kWh | 5769 kWh | 1923 kWh | £1,474 | £192 | £1,666 | £23,276 | 14.0 yrs | £10,050 |
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: £1,056, Upfront: £19,623, Break-even: 18.6 yrs
| System | Annual output | Self-use | Exported | Bill saving | Export income | Annual benefit | Upfront cost | Break-even | 20-year net |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 kW | 1923 kWh | 1481 kWh | 442 kWh | £378 | £44 | £423 | £13,519 | 32.0 yrs | £-5,068 |
| 3 kW | 2885 kWh | 2221 kWh | 663 kWh | £567 | £66 | £634 | £15,554 | 24.5 yrs | £-2,877 |
| 4 kW | 3846 kWh | 2961 kWh | 885 kWh | £757 | £88 | £845 | £17,588 | 20.8 yrs | £-686 |
| 5 kW | 4808 kWh | 3702 kWh | 1106 kWh | £946 | £111 | £1,056 | £19,623 | 18.6 yrs | £1,505 |
| 6 kW | 5769 kWh | 4442 kWh | 1327 kWh | £1,135 | £133 | £1,268 | £21,657 | 17.1 yrs | £3,696 |
| 7 kW | 6731 kWh | 5183 kWh | 1548 kWh | £1,324 | £155 | £1,479 | £23,692 | 16.0 yrs | £5,888 |
| 8 kW | 7692 kWh | 5923 kWh | 1769 kWh | £1,513 | £177 | £1,690 | £25,726 | 15.2 yrs | £8,079 |
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.