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 848 kWh per year on a south-facing roof. We value self-used electricity at 25.8p 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: £693, Upfront: £10,173, Break-even: 14.7 yrs
| System | Annual output | Self-use | Exported | Bill saving | Export income | Annual benefit | Upfront cost | Break-even | 20-year net |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 kW | 1696 kWh | 679 kWh | 1018 kWh | £175 | £102 | £277 | £4,069 | 14.7 yrs | £1,473 |
| 3 kW | 2544 kWh | 1018 kWh | 1527 kWh | £263 | £153 | £416 | £6,104 | 14.7 yrs | £2,210 |
| 4 kW | 3393 kWh | 1357 kWh | 2036 kWh | £351 | £204 | £554 | £8,138 | 14.7 yrs | £2,946 |
| 5 kW | 4241 kWh | 1696 kWh | 2544 kWh | £438 | £254 | £693 | £10,173 | 14.7 yrs | £3,683 |
| 6 kW | 5089 kWh | 2036 kWh | 3053 kWh | £526 | £305 | £831 | £12,207 | 14.7 yrs | £4,419 |
| 7 kW | 5937 kWh | 2375 kWh | 3562 kWh | £614 | £356 | £970 | £14,242 | 14.7 yrs | £5,156 |
| 8 kW | 6785 kWh | 2714 kWh | 4071 kWh | £701 | £407 | £1,108 | £16,276 | 14.7 yrs | £5,892 |
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: £827, Upfront: £12,273, Break-even: 14.8 yrs
| System | Annual output | Self-use | Exported | Bill saving | Export income | Annual benefit | Upfront cost | Break-even | 20-year net |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 kW | 1696 kWh | 1018 kWh | 679 kWh | £263 | £68 | £331 | £6,169 | 18.6 yrs | £448 |
| 3 kW | 2544 kWh | 1527 kWh | 1018 kWh | £394 | £102 | £496 | £8,204 | 16.5 yrs | £1,722 |
| 4 kW | 3393 kWh | 2036 kWh | 1357 kWh | £526 | £136 | £662 | £10,238 | 15.5 yrs | £2,996 |
| 5 kW | 4241 kWh | 2544 kWh | 1696 kWh | £657 | £170 | £827 | £12,273 | 14.8 yrs | £4,269 |
| 6 kW | 5089 kWh | 3053 kWh | 2036 kWh | £789 | £204 | £993 | £14,307 | 14.4 yrs | £5,543 |
| 7 kW | 5937 kWh | 3562 kWh | 2375 kWh | £920 | £237 | £1,158 | £16,342 | 14.1 yrs | £6,817 |
| 8 kW | 6785 kWh | 4071 kWh | 2714 kWh | £1,052 | £271 | £1,323 | £18,376 | 13.9 yrs | £8,091 |
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: £894, Upfront: £13,673, Break-even: 15.3 yrs
| System | Annual output | Self-use | Exported | Bill saving | Export income | Annual benefit | Upfront cost | Break-even | 20-year net |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 kW | 1696 kWh | 1187 kWh | 509 kWh | £307 | £51 | £358 | £7,569 | 21.2 yrs | £-415 |
| 3 kW | 2544 kWh | 1781 kWh | 763 kWh | £460 | £76 | £537 | £9,604 | 17.9 yrs | £1,128 |
| 4 kW | 3393 kWh | 2375 kWh | 1018 kWh | £614 | £102 | £715 | £11,638 | 16.3 yrs | £2,670 |
| 5 kW | 4241 kWh | 2968 kWh | 1272 kWh | £767 | £127 | £894 | £13,673 | 15.3 yrs | £4,213 |
| 6 kW | 5089 kWh | 3562 kWh | 1527 kWh | £920 | £153 | £1,073 | £15,707 | 14.6 yrs | £5,755 |
| 7 kW | 5937 kWh | 4156 kWh | 1781 kWh | £1,074 | £178 | £1,252 | £17,742 | 14.2 yrs | £7,298 |
| 8 kW | 6785 kWh | 4750 kWh | 2036 kWh | £1,227 | £204 | £1,431 | £19,776 | 13.8 yrs | £8,841 |
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: £914, Upfront: £15,423, Break-even: 16.9 yrs
| System | Annual output | Self-use | Exported | Bill saving | Export income | Annual benefit | Upfront cost | Break-even | 20-year net |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 kW | 1696 kWh | 1238 kWh | 458 kWh | £320 | £46 | £366 | £9,319 | 25.5 yrs | £-2,004 |
| 3 kW | 2544 kWh | 1857 kWh | 687 kWh | £480 | £69 | £549 | £11,354 | 20.7 yrs | £-380 |
| 4 kW | 3393 kWh | 2477 kWh | 916 kWh | £640 | £92 | £732 | £13,388 | 18.3 yrs | £1,243 |
| 5 kW | 4241 kWh | 3096 kWh | 1145 kWh | £800 | £114 | £914 | £15,423 | 16.9 yrs | £2,866 |
| 6 kW | 5089 kWh | 3715 kWh | 1374 kWh | £960 | £137 | £1,097 | £17,457 | 15.9 yrs | £4,489 |
| 7 kW | 5937 kWh | 4334 kWh | 1603 kWh | £1,120 | £160 | £1,280 | £19,492 | 15.2 yrs | £6,112 |
| 8 kW | 6785 kWh | 4953 kWh | 1832 kWh | £1,280 | £183 | £1,463 | £21,526 | 14.7 yrs | £7,735 |
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: £928, Upfront: £17,173, Break-even: 18.5 yrs
| System | Annual output | Self-use | Exported | Bill saving | Export income | Annual benefit | Upfront cost | Break-even | 20-year net |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 kW | 1696 kWh | 1272 kWh | 424 kWh | £329 | £42 | £371 | £11,069 | 29.8 yrs | £-3,646 |
| 3 kW | 2544 kWh | 1908 kWh | 636 kWh | £493 | £64 | £557 | £13,104 | 23.5 yrs | £-1,969 |
| 4 kW | 3393 kWh | 2544 kWh | 848 kWh | £657 | £85 | £742 | £15,138 | 20.4 yrs | £-292 |
| 5 kW | 4241 kWh | 3180 kWh | 1060 kWh | £822 | £106 | £928 | £17,173 | 18.5 yrs | £1,385 |
| 6 kW | 5089 kWh | 3817 kWh | 1272 kWh | £986 | £127 | £1,113 | £19,207 | 17.3 yrs | £3,061 |
| 7 kW | 5937 kWh | 4453 kWh | 1484 kWh | £1,151 | £148 | £1,299 | £21,242 | 16.4 yrs | £4,738 |
| 8 kW | 6785 kWh | 5089 kWh | 1696 kWh | £1,315 | £170 | £1,485 | £23,276 | 15.7 yrs | £6,415 |
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: £941, Upfront: £19,623, Break-even: 20.8 yrs
| System | Annual output | Self-use | Exported | Bill saving | Export income | Annual benefit | Upfront cost | Break-even | 20-year net |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 kW | 1696 kWh | 1306 kWh | 390 kWh | £338 | £39 | £377 | £13,519 | 35.9 yrs | £-5,989 |
| 3 kW | 2544 kWh | 1959 kWh | 585 kWh | £506 | £59 | £565 | £15,554 | 27.5 yrs | £-4,258 |
| 4 kW | 3393 kWh | 2612 kWh | 780 kWh | £675 | £78 | £753 | £17,588 | 23.4 yrs | £-2,527 |
| 5 kW | 4241 kWh | 3265 kWh | 975 kWh | £844 | £98 | £941 | £19,623 | 20.8 yrs | £-797 |
| 6 kW | 5089 kWh | 3918 kWh | 1170 kWh | £1,013 | £117 | £1,130 | £21,657 | 19.2 yrs | £934 |
| 7 kW | 5937 kWh | 4571 kWh | 1365 kWh | £1,181 | £137 | £1,318 | £23,692 | 18.0 yrs | £2,665 |
| 8 kW | 6785 kWh | 5224 kWh | 1561 kWh | £1,350 | £156 | £1,506 | £25,726 | 17.1 yrs | £4,395 |
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.