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Big Roof Britain Solar Payback Index Standing Charge Drag

Solar Panels in GL16 (Forest of Dean)

See if solar pays off for you in Forest of Dean — 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
13.2 years
After this, it's pure profit
Upfront Cost
£10,173
What you pay to get started
Annual Benefit
£770
What you save every year
Profit Over 25 Years
£9,075
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 Midlands, the current unit rate is 25.64p/kWh with a 53.00p/day standing charge. Your postcode’s south-facing sunshine yield is 947 kWh/kW — 5 above the regional median (942).

Read the full story

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 947 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
53.0p/day
Sunshine yield (south)
947 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: £770, Upfront: £10,173, 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 1894 kWh 758 kWh 1137 kWh £194 £114 £308 £4,069 13.2 yrs £2,090
3 kW 2842 kWh 1137 kWh 1705 kWh £291 £170 £462 £6,104 13.2 yrs £3,135
4 kW 3789 kWh 1516 kWh 2273 kWh £389 £227 £616 £8,138 13.2 yrs £4,180
5 kW 4736 kWh 1894 kWh 2842 kWh £486 £284 £770 £10,173 13.2 yrs £5,225
6 kW 5683 kWh 2273 kWh 3410 kWh £583 £341 £924 £12,207 13.2 yrs £6,270
7 kW 6630 kWh 2652 kWh 3978 kWh £680 £398 £1,078 £14,242 13.2 yrs £7,315
8 kW 7578 kWh 3031 kWh 4547 kWh £777 £455 £1,232 £16,276 13.2 yrs £8,360

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: £918, Upfront: £12,273, Break-even: 13.4 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1894 kWh 1137 kWh 758 kWh £291 £76 £367 £6,169 16.8 yrs £1,175
3 kW 2842 kWh 1705 kWh 1137 kWh £437 £114 £551 £8,204 14.9 yrs £2,813
4 kW 3789 kWh 2273 kWh 1516 kWh £583 £152 £734 £10,238 13.9 yrs £4,451
5 kW 4736 kWh 2842 kWh 1894 kWh £729 £189 £918 £12,273 13.4 yrs £6,088
6 kW 5683 kWh 3410 kWh 2273 kWh £874 £227 £1,102 £14,307 13.0 yrs £7,726
7 kW 6630 kWh 3978 kWh 2652 kWh £1,020 £265 £1,285 £16,342 12.7 yrs £9,363
8 kW 7578 kWh 4547 kWh 3031 kWh £1,166 £303 £1,469 £18,376 12.5 yrs £11,001

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: £992, Upfront: £13,673, Break-even: 13.8 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1894 kWh 1326 kWh 568 kWh £340 £57 £397 £7,569 19.1 yrs £368
3 kW 2842 kWh 1989 kWh 852 kWh £510 £85 £595 £9,604 16.1 yrs £2,302
4 kW 3789 kWh 2652 kWh 1137 kWh £680 £114 £794 £11,638 14.7 yrs £4,236
5 kW 4736 kWh 3315 kWh 1421 kWh £850 £142 £992 £13,673 13.8 yrs £6,170
6 kW 5683 kWh 3978 kWh 1705 kWh £1,020 £170 £1,191 £15,707 13.2 yrs £8,104
7 kW 6630 kWh 4641 kWh 1989 kWh £1,190 £199 £1,389 £17,742 12.8 yrs £10,037
8 kW 7578 kWh 5304 kWh 2273 kWh £1,360 £227 £1,587 £19,776 12.5 yrs £11,971

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: £1,014, Upfront: £15,423, Break-even: 15.2 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1894 kWh 1383 kWh 511 kWh £355 £51 £406 £9,319 23.0 yrs £-1,204
3 kW 2842 kWh 2074 kWh 767 kWh £532 £77 £609 £11,354 18.7 yrs £818
4 kW 3789 kWh 2766 kWh 1023 kWh £709 £102 £811 £13,388 16.5 yrs £2,841
5 kW 4736 kWh 3457 kWh 1279 kWh £886 £128 £1,014 £15,423 15.2 yrs £4,864
6 kW 5683 kWh 4149 kWh 1534 kWh £1,064 £153 £1,217 £17,457 14.3 yrs £6,887
7 kW 6630 kWh 4840 kWh 1790 kWh £1,241 £179 £1,420 £19,492 13.7 yrs £8,910
8 kW 7578 kWh 5532 kWh 2046 kWh £1,418 £205 £1,623 £21,526 13.3 yrs £10,932

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: £1,029, Upfront: £17,173, Break-even: 16.7 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1894 kWh 1421 kWh 474 kWh £364 £47 £412 £11,069 26.9 yrs £-2,836
3 kW 2842 kWh 2131 kWh 710 kWh £546 £71 £617 £13,104 21.2 yrs £-754
4 kW 3789 kWh 2842 kWh 947 kWh £729 £95 £823 £15,138 18.4 yrs £1,328
5 kW 4736 kWh 3552 kWh 1184 kWh £911 £118 £1,029 £17,173 16.7 yrs £3,410
6 kW 5683 kWh 4262 kWh 1421 kWh £1,093 £142 £1,235 £19,207 15.6 yrs £5,492
7 kW 6630 kWh 4973 kWh 1658 kWh £1,275 £166 £1,441 £21,242 14.7 yrs £7,574
8 kW 7578 kWh 5683 kWh 1894 kWh £1,457 £189 £1,647 £23,276 14.1 yrs £9,657

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: £1,044, Upfront: £19,623, Break-even: 18.8 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1894 kWh 1459 kWh 436 kWh £374 £44 £418 £13,519 32.4 yrs £-5,167
3 kW 2842 kWh 2188 kWh 654 kWh £561 £65 £626 £15,554 24.8 yrs £-3,026
4 kW 3789 kWh 2917 kWh 871 kWh £748 £87 £835 £17,588 21.1 yrs £-885
5 kW 4736 kWh 3647 kWh 1089 kWh £935 £109 £1,044 £19,623 18.8 yrs £1,257
6 kW 5683 kWh 4376 kWh 1307 kWh £1,122 £131 £1,253 £21,657 17.3 yrs £3,398
7 kW 6630 kWh 5105 kWh 1525 kWh £1,309 £153 £1,462 £23,692 16.2 yrs £5,539
8 kW 7578 kWh 5835 kWh 1743 kWh £1,496 £174 £1,670 £25,726 15.4 yrs £7,681

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 GL16

Figures below are tailored to GL16 — click through for full league tables.

Big-Roof Britain Rank #770 of 2182
5.3 kWp (UK avg 5.1 kWp)
~11 panels (≈430 W)
Solar Payback Index Rank #1763 of 2997
11.5 years (UK avg 11.3 years)
~£881 /yr • £10,173 upfront
Standing-Charge Drag Rank #1875 of 2997
22.0% (UK avg 21.7%) drag on savings
£193 fixed • ~£881 /yr value

Your Area at a Glance

Your Electricity Rate
25.64p/kWh
Daily Fixed Charge
53.00p/day
Local Sunshine
947kWh/kW
A 1 kW system generates ~947 kWh per year. A typical home uses ~2,700 kWh per year.
Typical System Size
5.0kW
For houses & bungalows in this area

Local Property Data

Property Types

Houses: 67% • Flats: 11% • Bungalows: 21% Based on 3,799 properties

Coverage

Forest of Dean (100%)

Areas Covered

Coleford, Berry Hill, Newland & Sling, Bream, Cinderford West, Wyesham

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 Midlands

GL14 (Forest of Dean)
≈8.8 km away
Local sunshine: ~977 kWh/kWp · +3% vs GL16
GL15 (Forest of Dean)
≈8.9 km away
Local sunshine: ~980 kWh/kWp · +3% vs GL16
GL17 (Forest of Dean)
≈11.1 km away
Local sunshine: ~976 kWh/kWp · +3% vs GL16
HR9 (Herefordshire, County of)
≈13.5 km away
Local sunshine: ~965 kWh/kWp · +2% vs GL16
GL13 (Stroud)
≈15.4 km away
Local sunshine: ~985 kWh/kWp · +4% vs GL16
GL11 (Stroud)
≈20.8 km away
Local sunshine: ~959 kWh/kWp · +1% vs GL16

Similar sunshine across the UK

DN7 (Doncaster)
~947 kWh/kWp · -0% vs GL16
YO18 (North Yorkshire)
~947 kWh/kWp · +0% vs GL16
DN5 (Doncaster)
~947 kWh/kWp · -0% vs GL16