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 861 kWh per year on a south-facing roof. We value self-used electricity at 27.1p 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: £725, Upfront: £10,173, Break-even: 14.0 yrs
| System | Annual output | Self-use | Exported | Bill saving | Export income | Annual benefit | Upfront cost | Break-even | 20-year net |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 kW | 1723 kWh | 689 kWh | 1034 kWh | £186 | £103 | £290 | £4,069 | 14.0 yrs | £1,727 |
| 3 kW | 2584 kWh | 1034 kWh | 1550 kWh | £280 | £155 | £435 | £6,104 | 14.0 yrs | £2,591 |
| 4 kW | 3445 kWh | 1378 kWh | 2067 kWh | £373 | £207 | £580 | £8,138 | 14.0 yrs | £3,454 |
| 5 kW | 4306 kWh | 1723 kWh | 2584 kWh | £466 | £258 | £725 | £10,173 | 14.0 yrs | £4,318 |
| 6 kW | 5168 kWh | 2067 kWh | 3101 kWh | £559 | £310 | £869 | £12,207 | 14.0 yrs | £5,181 |
| 7 kW | 6029 kWh | 2412 kWh | 3617 kWh | £653 | £362 | £1,014 | £14,242 | 14.0 yrs | £6,045 |
| 8 kW | 6890 kWh | 2756 kWh | 4134 kWh | £746 | £413 | £1,159 | £16,276 | 14.0 yrs | £6,908 |
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 | 1723 kWh | 1034 kWh | 689 kWh | £280 | £69 | £349 | £6,169 | 17.7 yrs | £803 |
| 3 kW | 2584 kWh | 1550 kWh | 1034 kWh | £420 | £103 | £523 | £8,204 | 15.7 yrs | £2,254 |
| 4 kW | 3445 kWh | 2067 kWh | 1378 kWh | £559 | £138 | £697 | £10,238 | 14.7 yrs | £3,705 |
| 5 kW | 4306 kWh | 2584 kWh | 1723 kWh | £699 | £172 | £871 | £12,273 | 14.1 yrs | £5,156 |
| 6 kW | 5168 kWh | 3101 kWh | 2067 kWh | £839 | £207 | £1,046 | £14,307 | 13.7 yrs | £6,608 |
| 7 kW | 6029 kWh | 3617 kWh | 2412 kWh | £979 | £241 | £1,220 | £16,342 | 13.4 yrs | £8,059 |
| 8 kW | 6890 kWh | 4134 kWh | 2756 kWh | £1,119 | £276 | £1,394 | £18,376 | 13.2 yrs | £9,510 |
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: £945, 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 | 1723 kWh | 1206 kWh | 517 kWh | £326 | £52 | £378 | £7,569 | 20.0 yrs | £-10 |
| 3 kW | 2584 kWh | 1809 kWh | 775 kWh | £489 | £78 | £567 | £9,604 | 16.9 yrs | £1,735 |
| 4 kW | 3445 kWh | 2412 kWh | 1034 kWh | £653 | £103 | £756 | £11,638 | 15.4 yrs | £3,481 |
| 5 kW | 4306 kWh | 3014 kWh | 1292 kWh | £816 | £129 | £945 | £13,673 | 14.5 yrs | £5,226 |
| 6 kW | 5168 kWh | 3617 kWh | 1550 kWh | £979 | £155 | £1,134 | £15,707 | 13.9 yrs | £6,971 |
| 7 kW | 6029 kWh | 4220 kWh | 1809 kWh | £1,142 | £181 | £1,323 | £17,742 | 13.4 yrs | £8,716 |
| 8 kW | 6890 kWh | 4823 kWh | 2067 kWh | £1,305 | £207 | £1,512 | £19,776 | 13.1 yrs | £10,461 |
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: £967, Upfront: £15,423, Break-even: 15.9 yrs
| System | Annual output | Self-use | Exported | Bill saving | Export income | Annual benefit | Upfront cost | Break-even | 20-year net |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 kW | 1723 kWh | 1257 kWh | 465 kWh | £340 | £47 | £387 | £9,319 | 24.1 yrs | £-1,583 |
| 3 kW | 2584 kWh | 1886 kWh | 698 kWh | £510 | £70 | £580 | £11,354 | 19.6 yrs | £250 |
| 4 kW | 3445 kWh | 2515 kWh | 930 kWh | £681 | £93 | £774 | £13,388 | 17.3 yrs | £2,083 |
| 5 kW | 4306 kWh | 3144 kWh | 1163 kWh | £851 | £116 | £967 | £15,423 | 15.9 yrs | £3,916 |
| 6 kW | 5168 kWh | 3772 kWh | 1395 kWh | £1,021 | £140 | £1,160 | £17,457 | 15.0 yrs | £5,750 |
| 7 kW | 6029 kWh | 4401 kWh | 1628 kWh | £1,191 | £163 | £1,354 | £19,492 | 14.4 yrs | £7,583 |
| 8 kW | 6890 kWh | 5030 kWh | 1860 kWh | £1,361 | £186 | £1,547 | £21,526 | 13.9 yrs | £9,416 |
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: £982, Upfront: £17,173, Break-even: 17.5 yrs
| System | Annual output | Self-use | Exported | Bill saving | Export income | Annual benefit | Upfront cost | Break-even | 20-year net |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 kW | 1723 kWh | 1292 kWh | 431 kWh | £350 | £43 | £393 | £11,069 | 28.2 yrs | £-3,216 |
| 3 kW | 2584 kWh | 1938 kWh | 646 kWh | £524 | £65 | £589 | £13,104 | 22.2 yrs | £-1,324 |
| 4 kW | 3445 kWh | 2584 kWh | 861 kWh | £699 | £86 | £785 | £15,138 | 19.3 yrs | £568 |
| 5 kW | 4306 kWh | 3230 kWh | 1077 kWh | £874 | £108 | £982 | £17,173 | 17.5 yrs | £2,460 |
| 6 kW | 5168 kWh | 3876 kWh | 1292 kWh | £1,049 | £129 | £1,178 | £19,207 | 16.3 yrs | £4,352 |
| 7 kW | 6029 kWh | 4522 kWh | 1507 kWh | £1,224 | £151 | £1,374 | £21,242 | 15.5 yrs | £6,244 |
| 8 kW | 6890 kWh | 5168 kWh | 1723 kWh | £1,398 | £172 | £1,571 | £23,276 | 14.8 yrs | £8,137 |
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: £996, Upfront: £19,623, Break-even: 19.7 yrs
| System | Annual output | Self-use | Exported | Bill saving | Export income | Annual benefit | Upfront cost | Break-even | 20-year net |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 kW | 1723 kWh | 1326 kWh | 396 kWh | £359 | £40 | £399 | £13,519 | 33.9 yrs | £-5,548 |
| 3 kW | 2584 kWh | 1990 kWh | 594 kWh | £538 | £59 | £598 | £15,554 | 26.0 yrs | £-3,597 |
| 4 kW | 3445 kWh | 2653 kWh | 792 kWh | £718 | £79 | £797 | £17,588 | 22.1 yrs | £-1,647 |
| 5 kW | 4306 kWh | 3316 kWh | 990 kWh | £897 | £99 | £996 | £19,623 | 19.7 yrs | £304 |
| 6 kW | 5168 kWh | 3979 kWh | 1189 kWh | £1,077 | £119 | £1,196 | £21,657 | 18.1 yrs | £2,255 |
| 7 kW | 6029 kWh | 4642 kWh | 1387 kWh | £1,256 | £139 | £1,395 | £23,692 | 17.0 yrs | £4,206 |
| 8 kW | 6890 kWh | 5305 kWh | 1585 kWh | £1,436 | £158 | £1,594 | £25,726 | 16.1 yrs | £6,157 |
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.