A typical roof here lands around 5.0 kW, with most eligible homes comfortably fitting within 3–6 kW. Each kilowatt of panels produces roughly 969 kWh per year on a south-facing roof. We value self-used electricity at 25.3p 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: £782, 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 | 1938 kWh | 775 kWh | 1163 kWh | £196 | £116 | £313 | £4,069 | 13.0 yrs | £2,183 |
| 3 kW | 2907 kWh | 1163 kWh | 1744 kWh | £295 | £174 | £469 | £6,104 | 13.0 yrs | £3,275 |
| 4 kW | 3876 kWh | 1550 kWh | 2325 kWh | £393 | £233 | £625 | £8,138 | 13.0 yrs | £4,366 |
| 5 kW | 4844 kWh | 1938 kWh | 2907 kWh | £491 | £291 | £782 | £10,173 | 13.0 yrs | £5,458 |
| 6 kW | 5813 kWh | 2325 kWh | 3488 kWh | £589 | £349 | £938 | £12,207 | 13.0 yrs | £6,549 |
| 7 kW | 6782 kWh | 2713 kWh | 4069 kWh | £687 | £407 | £1,094 | £14,242 | 13.0 yrs | £7,641 |
| 8 kW | 7751 kWh | 3100 kWh | 4651 kWh | £785 | £465 | £1,250 | £16,276 | 13.0 yrs | £8,732 |
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: £930, 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 | 1938 kWh | 1163 kWh | 775 kWh | £295 | £78 | £372 | £6,169 | 16.6 yrs | £1,271 |
| 3 kW | 2907 kWh | 1744 kWh | 1163 kWh | £442 | £116 | £558 | £8,204 | 14.7 yrs | £2,957 |
| 4 kW | 3876 kWh | 2325 kWh | 1550 kWh | £589 | £155 | £744 | £10,238 | 13.8 yrs | £4,643 |
| 5 kW | 4844 kWh | 2907 kWh | 1938 kWh | £736 | £194 | £930 | £12,273 | 13.2 yrs | £6,328 |
| 6 kW | 5813 kWh | 3488 kWh | 2325 kWh | £884 | £233 | £1,116 | £14,307 | 12.8 yrs | £8,014 |
| 7 kW | 6782 kWh | 4069 kWh | 2713 kWh | £1,031 | £271 | £1,302 | £16,342 | 12.6 yrs | £9,699 |
| 8 kW | 7751 kWh | 4651 kWh | 3100 kWh | £1,178 | £310 | £1,488 | £18,376 | 12.3 yrs | £11,385 |
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 | 1938 kWh | 1356 kWh | 581 kWh | £344 | £58 | £402 | £7,569 | 18.8 yrs | £465 |
| 3 kW | 2907 kWh | 2035 kWh | 872 kWh | £515 | £87 | £603 | £9,604 | 15.9 yrs | £2,448 |
| 4 kW | 3876 kWh | 2713 kWh | 1163 kWh | £687 | £116 | £803 | £11,638 | 14.5 yrs | £4,431 |
| 5 kW | 4844 kWh | 3391 kWh | 1453 kWh | £859 | £145 | £1,004 | £13,673 | 13.6 yrs | £6,414 |
| 6 kW | 5813 kWh | 4069 kWh | 1744 kWh | £1,031 | £174 | £1,205 | £15,707 | 13.0 yrs | £8,396 |
| 7 kW | 6782 kWh | 4748 kWh | 2035 kWh | £1,203 | £203 | £1,406 | £17,742 | 12.6 yrs | £10,379 |
| 8 kW | 7751 kWh | 5426 kWh | 2325 kWh | £1,374 | £233 | £1,607 | £19,776 | 12.3 yrs | £12,362 |
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: £1,027, 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 | 1938 kWh | 1415 kWh | 523 kWh | £358 | £52 | £411 | £9,319 | 22.7 yrs | £-1,106 |
| 3 kW | 2907 kWh | 2122 kWh | 785 kWh | £537 | £78 | £616 | £11,354 | 18.4 yrs | £965 |
| 4 kW | 3876 kWh | 2829 kWh | 1046 kWh | £717 | £105 | £821 | £13,388 | 16.3 yrs | £3,037 |
| 5 kW | 4844 kWh | 3536 kWh | 1308 kWh | £896 | £131 | £1,027 | £15,423 | 15.0 yrs | £5,109 |
| 6 kW | 5813 kWh | 4244 kWh | 1570 kWh | £1,075 | £157 | £1,232 | £17,457 | 14.2 yrs | £7,181 |
| 7 kW | 6782 kWh | 4951 kWh | 1831 kWh | £1,254 | £183 | £1,437 | £19,492 | 13.6 yrs | £9,253 |
| 8 kW | 7751 kWh | 5658 kWh | 2093 kWh | £1,433 | £209 | £1,643 | £21,526 | 13.1 yrs | £11,325 |
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 | 1938 kWh | 1453 kWh | 484 kWh | £368 | £48 | £417 | £11,069 | 26.6 yrs | £-2,738 |
| 3 kW | 2907 kWh | 2180 kWh | 727 kWh | £552 | £73 | £625 | £13,104 | 21.0 yrs | £-606 |
| 4 kW | 3876 kWh | 2907 kWh | 969 kWh | £736 | £97 | £833 | £15,138 | 18.2 yrs | £1,525 |
| 5 kW | 4844 kWh | 3633 kWh | 1211 kWh | £920 | £121 | £1,041 | £17,173 | 16.5 yrs | £3,656 |
| 6 kW | 5813 kWh | 4360 kWh | 1453 kWh | £1,104 | £145 | £1,250 | £19,207 | 15.4 yrs | £5,787 |
| 7 kW | 6782 kWh | 5087 kWh | 1696 kWh | £1,288 | £170 | £1,458 | £21,242 | 14.6 yrs | £7,919 |
| 8 kW | 7751 kWh | 5813 kWh | 1938 kWh | £1,473 | £194 | £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 | 1938 kWh | 1492 kWh | 446 kWh | £378 | £45 | £423 | £13,519 | 32.0 yrs | £-5,069 |
| 3 kW | 2907 kWh | 2238 kWh | 669 kWh | £567 | £67 | £634 | £15,554 | 24.5 yrs | £-2,878 |
| 4 kW | 3876 kWh | 2984 kWh | 891 kWh | £756 | £89 | £845 | £17,588 | 20.8 yrs | £-687 |
| 5 kW | 4844 kWh | 3730 kWh | 1114 kWh | £945 | £111 | £1,056 | £19,623 | 18.6 yrs | £1,503 |
| 6 kW | 5813 kWh | 4476 kWh | 1337 kWh | £1,134 | £134 | £1,268 | £21,657 | 17.1 yrs | £3,694 |
| 7 kW | 6782 kWh | 5222 kWh | 1560 kWh | £1,323 | £156 | £1,479 | £23,692 | 16.0 yrs | £5,885 |
| 8 kW | 7751 kWh | 5968 kWh | 1783 kWh | £1,512 | £178 | £1,690 | £25,726 | 15.2 yrs | £8,075 |
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.