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 832 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: £679, Upfront: £10,173, 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 | 1664 kWh | 666 kWh | 998 kWh | £172 | £100 | £272 | £4,069 | 15.0 yrs | £1,367 |
| 3 kW | 2496 kWh | 998 kWh | 1497 kWh | £258 | £150 | £408 | £6,104 | 15.0 yrs | £2,050 |
| 4 kW | 3328 kWh | 1331 kWh | 1997 kWh | £344 | £200 | £544 | £8,138 | 15.0 yrs | £2,734 |
| 5 kW | 4159 kWh | 1664 kWh | 2496 kWh | £430 | £250 | £679 | £10,173 | 15.0 yrs | £3,417 |
| 6 kW | 4991 kWh | 1997 kWh | 2995 kWh | £516 | £299 | £815 | £12,207 | 15.0 yrs | £4,101 |
| 7 kW | 5823 kWh | 2329 kWh | 3494 kWh | £602 | £349 | £951 | £14,242 | 15.0 yrs | £4,784 |
| 8 kW | 6655 kWh | 2662 kWh | 3993 kWh | £688 | £399 | £1,087 | £16,276 | 15.0 yrs | £5,468 |
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: £811, Upfront: £12,273, Break-even: 15.1 yrs
| System | Annual output | Self-use | Exported | Bill saving | Export income | Annual benefit | Upfront cost | Break-even | 20-year net |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 kW | 1664 kWh | 998 kWh | 666 kWh | £258 | £67 | £325 | £6,169 | 19.0 yrs | £321 |
| 3 kW | 2496 kWh | 1497 kWh | 998 kWh | £387 | £100 | £487 | £8,204 | 16.9 yrs | £1,532 |
| 4 kW | 3328 kWh | 1997 kWh | 1331 kWh | £516 | £133 | £649 | £10,238 | 15.8 yrs | £2,742 |
| 5 kW | 4159 kWh | 2496 kWh | 1664 kWh | £645 | £166 | £811 | £12,273 | 15.1 yrs | £3,953 |
| 6 kW | 4991 kWh | 2995 kWh | 1997 kWh | £774 | £200 | £974 | £14,307 | 14.7 yrs | £5,163 |
| 7 kW | 5823 kWh | 3494 kWh | 2329 kWh | £903 | £233 | £1,136 | £16,342 | 14.4 yrs | £6,374 |
| 8 kW | 6655 kWh | 3993 kWh | 2662 kWh | £1,032 | £266 | £1,298 | £18,376 | 14.2 yrs | £7,584 |
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: £877, Upfront: £13,673, Break-even: 15.6 yrs
| System | Annual output | Self-use | Exported | Bill saving | Export income | Annual benefit | Upfront cost | Break-even | 20-year net |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 kW | 1664 kWh | 1165 kWh | 499 kWh | £301 | £50 | £351 | £7,569 | 21.6 yrs | £-552 |
| 3 kW | 2496 kWh | 1747 kWh | 749 kWh | £451 | £75 | £526 | £9,604 | 18.2 yrs | £922 |
| 4 kW | 3328 kWh | 2329 kWh | 998 kWh | £602 | £100 | £702 | £11,638 | 16.6 yrs | £2,396 |
| 5 kW | 4159 kWh | 2912 kWh | 1248 kWh | £752 | £125 | £877 | £13,673 | 15.6 yrs | £3,870 |
| 6 kW | 4991 kWh | 3494 kWh | 1497 kWh | £903 | £150 | £1,053 | £15,707 | 14.9 yrs | £5,344 |
| 7 kW | 5823 kWh | 4076 kWh | 1747 kWh | £1,053 | £175 | £1,228 | £17,742 | 14.4 yrs | £6,818 |
| 8 kW | 6655 kWh | 4659 kWh | 1997 kWh | £1,204 | £200 | £1,403 | £19,776 | 14.1 yrs | £8,293 |
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: £897, Upfront: £15,423, Break-even: 17.2 yrs
| System | Annual output | Self-use | Exported | Bill saving | Export income | Annual benefit | Upfront cost | Break-even | 20-year net |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 kW | 1664 kWh | 1215 kWh | 449 kWh | £314 | £45 | £359 | £9,319 | 26.0 yrs | £-2,144 |
| 3 kW | 2496 kWh | 1822 kWh | 674 kWh | £471 | £67 | £538 | £11,354 | 21.1 yrs | £-591 |
| 4 kW | 3328 kWh | 2429 kWh | 898 kWh | £628 | £90 | £718 | £13,388 | 18.7 yrs | £963 |
| 5 kW | 4159 kWh | 3036 kWh | 1123 kWh | £785 | £112 | £897 | £15,423 | 17.2 yrs | £2,516 |
| 6 kW | 4991 kWh | 3644 kWh | 1348 kWh | £942 | £135 | £1,076 | £17,457 | 16.2 yrs | £4,069 |
| 7 kW | 5823 kWh | 4251 kWh | 1572 kWh | £1,098 | £157 | £1,256 | £19,492 | 15.5 yrs | £5,622 |
| 8 kW | 6655 kWh | 4858 kWh | 1797 kWh | £1,255 | £180 | £1,435 | £21,526 | 15.0 yrs | £7,175 |
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: £910, Upfront: £17,173, Break-even: 18.9 yrs
| System | Annual output | Self-use | Exported | Bill saving | Export income | Annual benefit | Upfront cost | Break-even | 20-year net |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 kW | 1664 kWh | 1248 kWh | 416 kWh | £322 | £42 | £364 | £11,069 | 30.4 yrs | £-3,788 |
| 3 kW | 2496 kWh | 1872 kWh | 624 kWh | £484 | £62 | £546 | £13,104 | 24.0 yrs | £-2,182 |
| 4 kW | 3328 kWh | 2496 kWh | 832 kWh | £645 | £83 | £728 | £15,138 | 20.8 yrs | £-577 |
| 5 kW | 4159 kWh | 3120 kWh | 1040 kWh | £806 | £104 | £910 | £17,173 | 18.9 yrs | £1,029 |
| 6 kW | 4991 kWh | 3744 kWh | 1248 kWh | £967 | £125 | £1,092 | £19,207 | 17.6 yrs | £2,635 |
| 7 kW | 5823 kWh | 4367 kWh | 1456 kWh | £1,129 | £146 | £1,274 | £21,242 | 16.7 yrs | £4,241 |
| 8 kW | 6655 kWh | 4991 kWh | 1664 kWh | £1,290 | £166 | £1,456 | £23,276 | 16.0 yrs | £5,847 |
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: £923, Upfront: £19,623, Break-even: 21.3 yrs
| System | Annual output | Self-use | Exported | Bill saving | Export income | Annual benefit | Upfront cost | Break-even | 20-year net |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 kW | 1664 kWh | 1281 kWh | 383 kWh | £331 | £38 | £369 | £13,519 | 36.6 yrs | £-6,133 |
| 3 kW | 2496 kWh | 1922 kWh | 574 kWh | £497 | £57 | £554 | £15,554 | 28.1 yrs | £-4,474 |
| 4 kW | 3328 kWh | 2562 kWh | 765 kWh | £662 | £77 | £739 | £17,588 | 23.8 yrs | £-2,816 |
| 5 kW | 4159 kWh | 3203 kWh | 957 kWh | £828 | £96 | £923 | £19,623 | 21.3 yrs | £-1,157 |
| 6 kW | 4991 kWh | 3843 kWh | 1148 kWh | £993 | £115 | £1,108 | £21,657 | 19.5 yrs | £501 |
| 7 kW | 5823 kWh | 4484 kWh | 1339 kWh | £1,159 | £134 | £1,293 | £23,692 | 18.3 yrs | £2,160 |
| 8 kW | 6655 kWh | 5124 kWh | 1531 kWh | £1,324 | £153 | £1,477 | £25,726 | 17.4 yrs | £3,818 |
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.