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Big Roof Britain Solar Payback Index Standing Charge Drag

Solar Panels in DE45 (Derbyshire Dales)

See if solar pays off for you in Derbyshire Dales — 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
13.9 years
After this, it's pure profit
Upfront Cost
£12,207
What you pay to get started
Annual Benefit
£877
What you save every year
Profit Over 25 Years
£9,708
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 East Midlands, the current unit rate is 25.55p/kWh with a 49.09p/day standing charge. Your postcode’s south-facing sunshine yield is 901 kWh/kW — 67 below the regional median (968).

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 901 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.

Unit rate
25.6p/kWh
Standing charge
49.1p/day
Sunshine yield (south)
901 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: £731, Upfront: £10,173, Break-even: 13.9 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1802 kWh 721 kWh 1081 kWh £184 £108 £292 £4,069 13.9 yrs £1,775
3 kW 2702 kWh 1081 kWh 1621 kWh £276 £162 £438 £6,104 13.9 yrs £2,663
4 kW 3603 kWh 1441 kWh 2162 kWh £368 £216 £584 £8,138 13.9 yrs £3,550
5 kW 4504 kWh 1802 kWh 2702 kWh £460 £270 £731 £10,173 13.9 yrs £4,438
6 kW 5405 kWh 2162 kWh 3243 kWh £552 £324 £877 £12,207 13.9 yrs £5,325
7 kW 6305 kWh 2522 kWh 3783 kWh £644 £378 £1,023 £14,242 13.9 yrs £6,213
8 kW 7206 kWh 2882 kWh 4324 kWh £736 £432 £1,169 £16,276 13.9 yrs £7,100

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: £871, Upfront: £12,273, Break-even: 14.1 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1802 kWh 1081 kWh 721 kWh £276 £72 £348 £6,169 17.7 yrs £796
3 kW 2702 kWh 1621 kWh 1081 kWh £414 £108 £522 £8,204 15.7 yrs £2,243
4 kW 3603 kWh 2162 kWh 1441 kWh £552 £144 £696 £10,238 14.7 yrs £3,691
5 kW 4504 kWh 2702 kWh 1802 kWh £690 £180 £871 £12,273 14.1 yrs £5,139
6 kW 5405 kWh 3243 kWh 2162 kWh £829 £216 £1,045 £14,307 13.7 yrs £6,587
7 kW 6305 kWh 3783 kWh 2522 kWh £967 £252 £1,219 £16,342 13.4 yrs £8,035
8 kW 7206 kWh 4324 kWh 2882 kWh £1,105 £288 £1,393 £18,376 13.2 yrs £9,483

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: £941, Upfront: £13,673, Break-even: 14.5 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1802 kWh 1261 kWh 540 kWh £322 £54 £376 £7,569 20.1 yrs £-44
3 kW 2702 kWh 1892 kWh 811 kWh £483 £81 £564 £9,604 17.0 yrs £1,684
4 kW 3603 kWh 2522 kWh 1081 kWh £644 £108 £752 £11,638 15.5 yrs £3,412
5 kW 4504 kWh 3153 kWh 1351 kWh £806 £135 £941 £13,673 14.5 yrs £5,140
6 kW 5405 kWh 3783 kWh 1621 kWh £967 £162 £1,129 £15,707 13.9 yrs £6,868
7 kW 6305 kWh 4414 kWh 1892 kWh £1,128 £189 £1,317 £17,742 13.5 yrs £8,596
8 kW 7206 kWh 5044 kWh 2162 kWh £1,289 £216 £1,505 £19,776 13.1 yrs £10,324

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: £962, Upfront: £15,423, Break-even: 16.0 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1802 kWh 1315 kWh 486 kWh £336 £49 £385 £9,319 24.2 yrs £-1,626
3 kW 2702 kWh 1973 kWh 730 kWh £504 £73 £577 £11,354 19.7 yrs £186
4 kW 3603 kWh 2630 kWh 973 kWh £672 £97 £769 £13,388 17.4 yrs £1,998
5 kW 4504 kWh 3288 kWh 1216 kWh £840 £122 £962 £15,423 16.0 yrs £3,810
6 kW 5405 kWh 3945 kWh 1459 kWh £1,008 £146 £1,154 £17,457 15.1 yrs £5,622
7 kW 6305 kWh 4603 kWh 1702 kWh £1,176 £170 £1,346 £19,492 14.5 yrs £7,434
8 kW 7206 kWh 5260 kWh 1946 kWh £1,344 £195 £1,539 £21,526 14.0 yrs £9,246

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: £976, Upfront: £17,173, Break-even: 17.6 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1802 kWh 1351 kWh 450 kWh £345 £45 £390 £11,069 28.4 yrs £-3,264
3 kW 2702 kWh 2027 kWh 676 kWh £518 £68 £585 £13,104 22.4 yrs £-1,396
4 kW 3603 kWh 2702 kWh 901 kWh £690 £90 £781 £15,138 19.4 yrs £472
5 kW 4504 kWh 3378 kWh 1126 kWh £863 £113 £976 £17,173 17.6 yrs £2,340
6 kW 5405 kWh 4053 kWh 1351 kWh £1,036 £135 £1,171 £19,207 16.4 yrs £4,208
7 kW 6305 kWh 4729 kWh 1576 kWh £1,208 £158 £1,366 £21,242 15.6 yrs £6,076
8 kW 7206 kWh 5405 kWh 1802 kWh £1,381 £180 £1,561 £23,276 14.9 yrs £7,944

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: £990, Upfront: £19,623, Break-even: 19.8 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1802 kWh 1387 kWh 414 kWh £354 £41 £396 £13,519 34.2 yrs £-5,602
3 kW 2702 kWh 2081 kWh 622 kWh £532 £62 £594 £15,554 26.2 yrs £-3,678
4 kW 3603 kWh 2774 kWh 829 kWh £709 £83 £792 £17,588 22.2 yrs £-1,754
5 kW 4504 kWh 3468 kWh 1036 kWh £886 £104 £990 £19,623 19.8 yrs £170
6 kW 5405 kWh 4162 kWh 1243 kWh £1,063 £124 £1,188 £21,657 18.2 yrs £2,094
7 kW 6305 kWh 4855 kWh 1450 kWh £1,240 £145 £1,385 £23,692 17.1 yrs £4,018
8 kW 7206 kWh 5549 kWh 1657 kWh £1,418 £166 £1,583 £25,726 16.2 yrs £5,942

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.

Insights for DE45

Figures below are tailored to DE45 — click through for full league tables.

Big-Roof Britain Rank #601 of 2182
5.5 kWp (UK avg 5.1 kWp)
~12 panels (≈430 W)
Solar Payback Index Rank #2468 of 2997
12.2 years (UK avg 11.3 years)
~£1,003 /yr • £12,207 upfront
Standing-Charge Drag Rank #967 of 2997
17.9% (UK avg 21.7%) drag on savings
£179 fixed • ~£1,003 /yr value

Your Area at a Glance

Your Electricity Rate
25.55p/kWh
Daily Fixed Charge
49.09p/day
Local Sunshine
901kWh/kW
A 1 kW system generates ~901 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

Houses: 71% • Flats: 13% • Bungalows: 16% Based on 2,401 properties

Coverage

Derbyshire Dales (100%)

Areas Covered

Bakewell, Youlgrave, Chatsworth, Calver & Longstone, Bonsall & Winster

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 East Midlands

S32 (Derbyshire Dales)
≈8.2 km away
Local sunshine: ~893 kWh/kWp · -1% vs DE45
DE4 (Derbyshire Dales)
≈11.0 km away
Local sunshine: ~900 kWh/kWp · -0% vs DE45
S40 (Chesterfield)
≈16.0 km away
Local sunshine: ~933 kWh/kWp · +4% vs DE45
S49 (Chesterfield)
≈16.2 km away
Local sunshine: ~933 kWh/kWp · +4% vs DE45
S41 (Chesterfield)
≈16.9 km away
Local sunshine: ~935 kWh/kWp · +4% vs DE45
S42 (North East Derbyshire)
≈17.4 km away
Local sunshine: ~935 kWh/kWp · +4% vs DE45

Similar sunshine across the UK

WN3 (Wigan)
~901 kWh/kWp · -0% vs DE45
WN1 (Wigan)
~901 kWh/kWp · +0% vs DE45
LA5 (Lancaster)
~901 kWh/kWp · +0% vs DE45