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Big Roof Britain Solar Payback Index Standing Charge Drag

Solar Panels in GL17 (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
12.8 years
After this, it's pure profit
Upfront Cost
£10,173
What you pay to get started
Annual Benefit
£793
What you save every year
Profit Over 25 Years
£9,661
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 976 kWh/kW — 34 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 976 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)
976 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: £793, Upfront: £10,173, Break-even: 12.8 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1952 kWh 781 kWh 1171 kWh £200 £117 £317 £4,069 12.8 yrs £2,278
3 kW 2928 kWh 1171 kWh 1757 kWh £300 £176 £476 £6,104 12.8 yrs £3,416
4 kW 3904 kWh 1562 kWh 2342 kWh £400 £234 £635 £8,138 12.8 yrs £4,555
5 kW 4880 kWh 1952 kWh 2928 kWh £501 £293 £793 £10,173 12.8 yrs £5,694
6 kW 5856 kWh 2342 kWh 3514 kWh £601 £351 £952 £12,207 12.8 yrs £6,833
7 kW 6832 kWh 2733 kWh 4099 kWh £701 £410 £1,111 £14,242 12.8 yrs £7,972
8 kW 7808 kWh 3123 kWh 4685 kWh £801 £468 £1,269 £16,276 12.8 yrs £9,110

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: £946, Upfront: £12,273, 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 1952 kWh 1171 kWh 781 kWh £300 £78 £378 £6,169 16.3 yrs £1,399
3 kW 2928 kWh 1757 kWh 1171 kWh £450 £117 £568 £8,204 14.5 yrs £3,148
4 kW 3904 kWh 2342 kWh 1562 kWh £601 £156 £757 £10,238 13.5 yrs £4,898
5 kW 4880 kWh 2928 kWh 1952 kWh £751 £195 £946 £12,273 13.0 yrs £6,647
6 kW 5856 kWh 3514 kWh 2342 kWh £901 £234 £1,135 £14,307 12.6 yrs £8,396
7 kW 6832 kWh 4099 kWh 2733 kWh £1,051 £273 £1,324 £16,342 12.3 yrs £10,146
8 kW 7808 kWh 4685 kWh 3123 kWh £1,201 £312 £1,514 £18,376 12.1 yrs £11,895

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: £1,022, Upfront: £13,673, 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 1952 kWh 1366 kWh 586 kWh £350 £59 £409 £7,569 18.5 yrs £609
3 kW 2928 kWh 2050 kWh 878 kWh £526 £88 £613 £9,604 15.7 yrs £2,664
4 kW 3904 kWh 2733 kWh 1171 kWh £701 £117 £818 £11,638 14.2 yrs £4,719
5 kW 4880 kWh 3416 kWh 1464 kWh £876 £146 £1,022 £13,673 13.4 yrs £6,774
6 kW 5856 kWh 4099 kWh 1757 kWh £1,051 £176 £1,227 £15,707 12.8 yrs £8,828
7 kW 6832 kWh 4783 kWh 2050 kWh £1,226 £205 £1,431 £17,742 12.4 yrs £10,883
8 kW 7808 kWh 5466 kWh 2342 kWh £1,401 £234 £1,636 £19,776 12.1 yrs £12,938

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: £1,045, Upfront: £15,423, 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 1952 kWh 1425 kWh 527 kWh £365 £53 £418 £9,319 22.3 yrs £-957
3 kW 2928 kWh 2138 kWh 791 kWh £548 £79 £627 £11,354 18.1 yrs £1,189
4 kW 3904 kWh 2850 kWh 1054 kWh £731 £105 £836 £13,388 16.0 yrs £3,335
5 kW 4880 kWh 3563 kWh 1318 kWh £913 £132 £1,045 £15,423 14.8 yrs £5,481
6 kW 5856 kWh 4275 kWh 1581 kWh £1,096 £158 £1,254 £17,457 13.9 yrs £7,628
7 kW 6832 kWh 4988 kWh 1845 kWh £1,279 £184 £1,463 £19,492 13.3 yrs £9,774
8 kW 7808 kWh 5700 kWh 2108 kWh £1,461 £211 £1,672 £21,526 12.9 yrs £11,920

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: £1,060, Upfront: £17,173, Break-even: 16.2 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1952 kWh 1464 kWh 488 kWh £375 £49 £424 £11,069 26.1 yrs £-2,585
3 kW 2928 kWh 2196 kWh 732 kWh £563 £73 £636 £13,104 20.6 yrs £-378
4 kW 3904 kWh 2928 kWh 976 kWh £751 £98 £848 £15,138 17.8 yrs £1,829
5 kW 4880 kWh 3660 kWh 1220 kWh £938 £122 £1,060 £17,173 16.2 yrs £4,037
6 kW 5856 kWh 4392 kWh 1464 kWh £1,126 £146 £1,273 £19,207 15.1 yrs £6,244
7 kW 6832 kWh 5124 kWh 1708 kWh £1,314 £171 £1,485 £21,242 14.3 yrs £8,452
8 kW 7808 kWh 5856 kWh 1952 kWh £1,502 £195 £1,697 £23,276 13.7 yrs £10,659

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: £1,076, Upfront: £19,623, Break-even: 18.2 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1952 kWh 1503 kWh 449 kWh £385 £45 £430 £13,519 31.4 yrs £-4,913
3 kW 2928 kWh 2255 kWh 673 kWh £578 £67 £645 £15,554 24.1 yrs £-2,645
4 kW 3904 kWh 3006 kWh 898 kWh £771 £90 £861 £17,588 20.4 yrs £-376
5 kW 4880 kWh 3758 kWh 1122 kWh £963 £112 £1,076 £19,623 18.2 yrs £1,892
6 kW 5856 kWh 4509 kWh 1347 kWh £1,156 £135 £1,291 £21,657 16.8 yrs £4,161
7 kW 6832 kWh 5261 kWh 1571 kWh £1,349 £157 £1,506 £23,692 15.7 yrs £6,429
8 kW 7808 kWh 6012 kWh 1796 kWh £1,542 £180 £1,721 £25,726 14.9 yrs £8,697

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 GL17

Figures below are tailored to GL17 — click through for full league tables.

Big-Roof Britain Rank #595 of 2182
5.5 kWp (UK avg 5.1 kWp)
~12 panels (≈430 W)
Solar Payback Index Rank #1522 of 2997
11.2 years (UK avg 11.3 years)
~£908 /yr • £10,173 upfront
Standing-Charge Drag Rank #1666 of 2997
21.3% (UK avg 21.7%) drag on savings
£193 fixed • ~£908 /yr value

Your Area at a Glance

Your Electricity Rate
25.64p/kWh
Daily Fixed Charge
53.00p/day
Local Sunshine
976kWh/kW
A 1 kW system generates ~976 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: 77% • Flats: 4% • Bungalows: 18% Based on 2,756 properties

Coverage

Forest of Dean (99%)|Herefordshire, County of (1%)

Areas Covered

Mitcheldean, Ruardean & Drybrook, Lydbrook, Longhope & Huntley, Cinderford East, Westbury-on-Severn, Newent & Taynton, Penyard + 3 more

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)
≈4.0 km away
Local sunshine: ~977 kWh/kWp · +0% vs GL17
HR9 (Herefordshire, County of)
≈8.3 km away
Local sunshine: ~965 kWh/kWp · -1% vs GL17
GL18 (Forest of Dean)
≈10.0 km away
Local sunshine: ~984 kWh/kWp · +1% vs GL17
GL16 (Forest of Dean)
≈11.1 km away
Local sunshine: ~947 kWh/kWp · -3% vs GL17
GL15 (Forest of Dean)
≈14.6 km away
Local sunshine: ~980 kWh/kWp · +0% vs GL17
GL2 (Gloucester)
≈15.6 km away
Local sunshine: ~969 kWh/kWp · -1% vs GL17

Similar sunshine across the UK

LL69 (Isle of Anglesey)
~976 kWh/kWp · +0% vs GL17
LN6 (Lincoln)
~976 kWh/kWp · +0% vs GL17
EX22 (Torridge)
~976 kWh/kWp · -0% vs GL17