Solar explained to clever people by people who are not trying to be clever
Home Regions
Insights
Big Roof Britain Solar Payback Index Standing Charge Drag

Solar Panels in HG5 (North Yorkshire)

See if solar pays off for you in North Yorkshire — 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
13.5 years
After this, it's pure profit
Upfront Cost
£12,207
What you pay to get started
Annual Benefit
£907
What you save every year
Profit Over 25 Years
£10,456
After paying itself off, you're this much ahead

Ready to Get Started?

Get your free quote from Blue Ape Renewables. They'll connect you with MCS-certified installers in your area and handle all the paperwork.

Get Solar Quote →
4.8★ Trustpilot • Octopus Energy trusted partner • MCS certified • No obligation
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 Northern, the current unit rate is 25.43p/kWh with a 59.86p/day standing charge. Your postcode’s south-facing sunshine yield is 934 kWh/kW — 9 above the regional median (926).

Read the full story

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 934 kWh per year on a south-facing roof. We value self-used electricity at 25.4p and exported surplus at a baseline 10p via SEG. Use the calculator above for your exact tariff.

Unit rate
25.4p/kWh
Standing charge
59.9p/day
Sunshine yield (south)
934 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: £755, Upfront: £10,173, Break-even: 13.5 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1868 kWh 747 kWh 1121 kWh £190 £112 £302 £4,069 13.5 yrs £1,974
3 kW 2803 kWh 1121 kWh 1682 kWh £285 £168 £453 £6,104 13.5 yrs £2,962
4 kW 3737 kWh 1495 kWh 2242 kWh £380 £224 £604 £8,138 13.5 yrs £3,949
5 kW 4671 kWh 1868 kWh 2803 kWh £475 £280 £755 £10,173 13.5 yrs £4,936
6 kW 5606 kWh 2242 kWh 3363 kWh £570 £336 £907 £12,207 13.5 yrs £5,923
7 kW 6540 kWh 2616 kWh 3924 kWh £665 £392 £1,058 £14,242 13.5 yrs £6,911
8 kW 7474 kWh 2990 kWh 4484 kWh £760 £448 £1,209 £16,276 13.5 yrs £7,898

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: £900, Upfront: £12,273, Break-even: 13.6 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1868 kWh 1121 kWh 747 kWh £285 £75 £360 £6,169 17.1 yrs £1,028
3 kW 2803 kWh 1682 kWh 1121 kWh £428 £112 £540 £8,204 15.2 yrs £2,592
4 kW 3737 kWh 2242 kWh 1495 kWh £570 £149 £720 £10,238 14.2 yrs £4,155
5 kW 4671 kWh 2803 kWh 1868 kWh £713 £187 £900 £12,273 13.6 yrs £5,719
6 kW 5606 kWh 3363 kWh 2242 kWh £855 £224 £1,080 £14,307 13.3 yrs £7,283
7 kW 6540 kWh 3924 kWh 2616 kWh £998 £262 £1,259 £16,342 13.0 yrs £8,847
8 kW 7474 kWh 4484 kWh 2990 kWh £1,140 £299 £1,439 £18,376 12.8 yrs £10,411

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: £972, Upfront: £13,673, 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 1868 kWh 1308 kWh 561 kWh £333 £56 £389 £7,569 19.5 yrs £204
3 kW 2803 kWh 1962 kWh 841 kWh £499 £84 £583 £9,604 16.5 yrs £2,056
4 kW 3737 kWh 2616 kWh 1121 kWh £665 £112 £777 £11,638 15.0 yrs £3,909
5 kW 4671 kWh 3270 kWh 1401 kWh £832 £140 £972 £13,673 14.1 yrs £5,761
6 kW 5606 kWh 3924 kWh 1682 kWh £998 £168 £1,166 £15,707 13.5 yrs £7,613
7 kW 6540 kWh 4578 kWh 1962 kWh £1,164 £196 £1,360 £17,742 13.0 yrs £9,465
8 kW 7474 kWh 5232 kWh 2242 kWh £1,330 £224 £1,555 £19,776 12.7 yrs £11,317

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: £993, Upfront: £15,423, Break-even: 15.5 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1868 kWh 1364 kWh 504 kWh £347 £50 £397 £9,319 23.5 yrs £-1,373
3 kW 2803 kWh 2046 kWh 757 kWh £520 £76 £596 £11,354 19.1 yrs £566
4 kW 3737 kWh 2728 kWh 1009 kWh £694 £101 £795 £13,388 16.8 yrs £2,505
5 kW 4671 kWh 3410 kWh 1261 kWh £867 £126 £993 £15,423 15.5 yrs £4,443
6 kW 5606 kWh 4092 kWh 1513 kWh £1,041 £151 £1,192 £17,457 14.6 yrs £6,382
7 kW 6540 kWh 4774 kWh 1766 kWh £1,214 £177 £1,391 £19,492 14.0 yrs £8,321
8 kW 7474 kWh 5456 kWh 2018 kWh £1,387 £202 £1,589 £21,526 13.5 yrs £10,259

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: £1,008, Upfront: £17,173, Break-even: 17.0 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1868 kWh 1401 kWh 467 kWh £356 £47 £403 £11,069 27.5 yrs £-3,007
3 kW 2803 kWh 2102 kWh 701 kWh £535 £70 £605 £13,104 21.7 yrs £-1,011
4 kW 3737 kWh 2803 kWh 934 kWh £713 £93 £806 £15,138 18.8 yrs £985
5 kW 4671 kWh 3503 kWh 1168 kWh £891 £117 £1,008 £17,173 17.0 yrs £2,982
6 kW 5606 kWh 4204 kWh 1401 kWh £1,069 £140 £1,209 £19,207 15.9 yrs £4,978
7 kW 6540 kWh 4905 kWh 1635 kWh £1,247 £163 £1,411 £21,242 15.1 yrs £6,974
8 kW 7474 kWh 5606 kWh 1868 kWh £1,425 £187 £1,612 £23,276 14.4 yrs £8,970

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: £1,022, Upfront: £19,623, Break-even: 19.2 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1868 kWh 1439 kWh 430 kWh £366 £43 £409 £13,519 33.1 yrs £-5,342
3 kW 2803 kWh 2158 kWh 645 kWh £549 £64 £613 £15,554 25.4 yrs £-3,288
4 kW 3737 kWh 2877 kWh 860 kWh £732 £86 £818 £17,588 21.5 yrs £-1,234
5 kW 4671 kWh 3597 kWh 1074 kWh £915 £107 £1,022 £19,623 19.2 yrs £820
6 kW 5606 kWh 4316 kWh 1289 kWh £1,098 £129 £1,227 £21,657 17.7 yrs £2,874
7 kW 6540 kWh 5036 kWh 1504 kWh £1,281 £150 £1,431 £23,692 16.6 yrs £4,928
8 kW 7474 kWh 5755 kWh 1719 kWh £1,463 £172 £1,635 £25,726 15.7 yrs £6,982

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 HG5

Figures below are tailored to HG5 — click through for full league tables.

Big-Roof Britain Rank #740 of 2182
5.3 kWp (UK avg 5.1 kWp)
~11 panels (≈430 W)
Solar Payback Index Rank #2113 of 2997
11.8 years (UK avg 11.3 years)
~£1,036 /yr • £12,207 upfront
Standing-Charge Drag Rank #1625 of 2997
21.1% (UK avg 21.7%) drag on savings
£218 fixed • ~£1,036 /yr value

Your Area at a Glance

Your Electricity Rate
25.43p/kWh
Daily Fixed Charge
59.86p/day
Local Sunshine
934kWh/kW
A 1 kW system generates ~934 kWh per year. A typical home uses ~2,700 kWh per year.
Typical System Size
6.0kW
For houses & bungalows in this area

Local Property Data

Property Types

Houses: 76% • Flats: 13% • Bungalows: 10% Based on 5,395 properties

Coverage

North Yorkshire (100%)

Areas Covered

Knaresborough West, Knaresborough East, Boroughbridge & Claro, Spofforth with Lower Wharfedale & Tockwith, Ouseburn, Stray, Woodlands & Hookstone, Wathvale & Bishop Monkton

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 Northern

HG1 (North Yorkshire)
≈4.5 km away
Local sunshine: ~932 kWh/kWp · -0% vs HG5
HG2 (North Yorkshire)
≈4.8 km away
Local sunshine: ~927 kWh/kWp · -1% vs HG5
HG3 (North Yorkshire)
≈7.7 km away
Local sunshine: ~938 kWh/kWp · +0% vs HG5
YO5 (North Yorkshire)
≈9.7 km away
Local sunshine: ~948 kWh/kWp · +1% vs HG5
YO51 (North Yorkshire)
≈10.1 km away
Local sunshine: ~934 kWh/kWp · -0% vs HG5
HG4 (North Yorkshire)
≈14.6 km away
Local sunshine: ~930 kWh/kWp · -0% vs HG5

Similar sunshine across the UK

LL72 (Isle of Anglesey)
~934 kWh/kWp · -0% vs HG5
L7 (Liverpool)
~934 kWh/kWp · -0% vs HG5
L13 (Liverpool)
~934 kWh/kWp · +0% vs HG5