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 995 kWh per year on a south-facing roof. We value self-used electricity at 26.9p 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: £835, Upfront: £10,173, Break-even: 12.2 yrs
| System | Annual output | Self-use | Exported | Bill saving | Export income | Annual benefit | Upfront cost | Break-even | 20-year net |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 kW | 1991 kWh | 796 kWh | 1195 kWh | £214 | £119 | £334 | £4,069 | 12.2 yrs | £2,607 |
| 3 kW | 2986 kWh | 1195 kWh | 1792 kWh | £322 | £179 | £501 | £6,104 | 12.2 yrs | £3,911 |
| 4 kW | 3982 kWh | 1593 kWh | 2389 kWh | £429 | £239 | £668 | £8,138 | 12.2 yrs | £5,215 |
| 5 kW | 4977 kWh | 1991 kWh | 2986 kWh | £536 | £299 | £835 | £10,173 | 12.2 yrs | £6,519 |
| 6 kW | 5973 kWh | 2389 kWh | 3584 kWh | £643 | £358 | £1,001 | £12,207 | 12.2 yrs | £7,822 |
| 7 kW | 6968 kWh | 2787 kWh | 4181 kWh | £750 | £418 | £1,168 | £14,242 | 12.2 yrs | £9,126 |
| 8 kW | 7963 kWh | 3185 kWh | 4778 kWh | £857 | £478 | £1,335 | £16,276 | 12.2 yrs | £10,430 |
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: £1,003, Upfront: £12,273, Break-even: 12.2 yrs
| System | Annual output | Self-use | Exported | Bill saving | Export income | Annual benefit | Upfront cost | Break-even | 20-year net |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 kW | 1991 kWh | 1195 kWh | 796 kWh | £322 | £80 | £401 | £6,169 | 15.4 yrs | £1,855 |
| 3 kW | 2986 kWh | 1792 kWh | 1195 kWh | £482 | £119 | £602 | £8,204 | 13.6 yrs | £3,832 |
| 4 kW | 3982 kWh | 2389 kWh | 1593 kWh | £643 | £159 | £802 | £10,238 | 12.8 yrs | £5,810 |
| 5 kW | 4977 kWh | 2986 kWh | 1991 kWh | £804 | £199 | £1,003 | £12,273 | 12.2 yrs | £7,787 |
| 6 kW | 5973 kWh | 3584 kWh | 2389 kWh | £965 | £239 | £1,204 | £14,307 | 11.9 yrs | £9,765 |
| 7 kW | 6968 kWh | 4181 kWh | 2787 kWh | £1,125 | £279 | £1,404 | £16,342 | 11.6 yrs | £11,742 |
| 8 kW | 7963 kWh | 4778 kWh | 3185 kWh | £1,286 | £319 | £1,605 | £18,376 | 11.5 yrs | £13,719 |
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: £1,087, Upfront: £13,673, Break-even: 12.6 yrs
| System | Annual output | Self-use | Exported | Bill saving | Export income | Annual benefit | Upfront cost | Break-even | 20-year net |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 kW | 1991 kWh | 1394 kWh | 597 kWh | £375 | £60 | £435 | £7,569 | 17.4 yrs | £1,129 |
| 3 kW | 2986 kWh | 2090 kWh | 896 kWh | £563 | £90 | £652 | £9,604 | 14.7 yrs | £3,443 |
| 4 kW | 3982 kWh | 2787 kWh | 1195 kWh | £750 | £119 | £870 | £11,638 | 13.4 yrs | £5,757 |
| 5 kW | 4977 kWh | 3484 kWh | 1493 kWh | £938 | £149 | £1,087 | £13,673 | 12.6 yrs | £8,071 |
| 6 kW | 5973 kWh | 4181 kWh | 1792 kWh | £1,125 | £179 | £1,305 | £15,707 | 12.0 yrs | £10,386 |
| 7 kW | 6968 kWh | 4878 kWh | 2090 kWh | £1,313 | £209 | £1,522 | £17,742 | 11.7 yrs | £12,700 |
| 8 kW | 7963 kWh | 5574 kWh | 2389 kWh | £1,501 | £239 | £1,740 | £19,776 | 11.4 yrs | £15,014 |
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: £1,112, Upfront: £15,423, Break-even: 13.9 yrs
| System | Annual output | Self-use | Exported | Bill saving | Export income | Annual benefit | Upfront cost | Break-even | 20-year net |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 kW | 1991 kWh | 1453 kWh | 538 kWh | £391 | £54 | £445 | £9,319 | 20.9 yrs | £-419 |
| 3 kW | 2986 kWh | 2180 kWh | 806 kWh | £587 | £81 | £667 | £11,354 | 17.0 yrs | £1,996 |
| 4 kW | 3982 kWh | 2907 kWh | 1075 kWh | £782 | £108 | £890 | £13,388 | 15.0 yrs | £4,411 |
| 5 kW | 4977 kWh | 3633 kWh | 1344 kWh | £978 | £134 | £1,112 | £15,423 | 13.9 yrs | £6,827 |
| 6 kW | 5973 kWh | 4360 kWh | 1613 kWh | £1,174 | £161 | £1,335 | £17,457 | 13.1 yrs | £9,242 |
| 7 kW | 6968 kWh | 5087 kWh | 1881 kWh | £1,369 | £188 | £1,557 | £19,492 | 12.5 yrs | £11,657 |
| 8 kW | 7963 kWh | 5813 kWh | 2150 kWh | £1,565 | £215 | £1,780 | £21,526 | 12.1 yrs | £14,073 |
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: £1,129, Upfront: £17,173, 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 | 1991 kWh | 1493 kWh | 498 kWh | £402 | £50 | £452 | £11,069 | 24.5 yrs | £-2,035 |
| 3 kW | 2986 kWh | 2240 kWh | 747 kWh | £603 | £75 | £678 | £13,104 | 19.3 yrs | £448 |
| 4 kW | 3982 kWh | 2986 kWh | 995 kWh | £804 | £100 | £903 | £15,138 | 16.8 yrs | £2,931 |
| 5 kW | 4977 kWh | 3733 kWh | 1244 kWh | £1,005 | £124 | £1,129 | £17,173 | 15.2 yrs | £5,414 |
| 6 kW | 5973 kWh | 4479 kWh | 1493 kWh | £1,206 | £149 | £1,355 | £19,207 | 14.2 yrs | £7,896 |
| 7 kW | 6968 kWh | 5226 kWh | 1742 kWh | £1,407 | £174 | £1,581 | £21,242 | 13.4 yrs | £10,379 |
| 8 kW | 7963 kWh | 5973 kWh | 1991 kWh | £1,608 | £199 | £1,807 | £23,276 | 12.9 yrs | £12,862 |
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: £1,146, Upfront: £19,623, Break-even: 17.1 yrs
| System | Annual output | Self-use | Exported | Bill saving | Export income | Annual benefit | Upfront cost | Break-even | 20-year net |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 kW | 1991 kWh | 1533 kWh | 458 kWh | £413 | £46 | £458 | £13,519 | 29.5 yrs | £-4,350 |
| 3 kW | 2986 kWh | 2299 kWh | 687 kWh | £619 | £69 | £688 | £15,554 | 22.6 yrs | £-1,800 |
| 4 kW | 3982 kWh | 3066 kWh | 916 kWh | £825 | £92 | £917 | £17,588 | 19.2 yrs | £750 |
| 5 kW | 4977 kWh | 3832 kWh | 1145 kWh | £1,032 | £114 | £1,146 | £19,623 | 17.1 yrs | £3,300 |
| 6 kW | 5973 kWh | 4599 kWh | 1374 kWh | £1,238 | £137 | £1,375 | £21,657 | 15.7 yrs | £5,850 |
| 7 kW | 6968 kWh | 5365 kWh | 1603 kWh | £1,444 | £160 | £1,605 | £23,692 | 14.8 yrs | £8,401 |
| 8 kW | 7963 kWh | 6132 kWh | 1832 kWh | £1,651 | £183 | £1,834 | £25,726 | 14.0 yrs | £10,951 |
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.