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Big Roof Britain Solar Payback Index Standing Charge Drag

Solar Panels in L39 (West Lancashire)

See if solar pays off for you in West Lancashire — 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
13.1 years
After this, it's pure profit
Upfront Cost
£10,173
What you pay to get started
Annual Benefit
£774
What you save every year
Profit Over 25 Years
£9,177
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 North West, the current unit rate is 27.11p/kWh with a 51.16p/day standing charge. Your postcode’s south-facing sunshine yield is 919 kWh/kW — 49 above the regional median (870).

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 919 kWh per year on a south-facing roof. We value self-used electricity at 27.1p and exported surplus at a baseline 10p via SEG. Use the calculator above for your exact tariff.

Unit rate
27.1p/kWh
Standing charge
51.2p/day
Sunshine yield (south)
919 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: £774, Upfront: £10,173, Break-even: 13.1 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1838 kWh 735 kWh 1103 kWh £199 £110 £310 £4,069 13.1 yrs £2,123
3 kW 2757 kWh 1103 kWh 1654 kWh £299 £165 £464 £6,104 13.1 yrs £3,184
4 kW 3676 kWh 1470 kWh 2206 kWh £399 £221 £619 £8,138 13.1 yrs £4,246
5 kW 4595 kWh 1838 kWh 2757 kWh £498 £276 £774 £10,173 13.1 yrs £5,307
6 kW 5514 kWh 2206 kWh 3308 kWh £598 £331 £929 £12,207 13.1 yrs £6,368
7 kW 6433 kWh 2573 kWh 3860 kWh £698 £386 £1,084 £14,242 13.1 yrs £7,430
8 kW 7352 kWh 2941 kWh 4411 kWh £797 £441 £1,238 £16,276 13.1 yrs £8,491

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: £931, Upfront: £12,273, 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 1838 kWh 1103 kWh 735 kWh £299 £74 £372 £6,169 16.6 yrs £1,281
3 kW 2757 kWh 1654 kWh 1103 kWh £448 £110 £559 £8,204 14.7 yrs £2,971
4 kW 3676 kWh 2206 kWh 1470 kWh £598 £147 £745 £10,238 13.7 yrs £4,661
5 kW 4595 kWh 2757 kWh 1838 kWh £747 £184 £931 £12,273 13.2 yrs £6,352
6 kW 5514 kWh 3308 kWh 2206 kWh £897 £221 £1,117 £14,307 12.8 yrs £8,042
7 kW 6433 kWh 3860 kWh 2573 kWh £1,046 £257 £1,304 £16,342 12.5 yrs £9,732
8 kW 7352 kWh 4411 kWh 2941 kWh £1,196 £294 £1,490 £18,376 12.3 yrs £11,423

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: £1,010, Upfront: £13,673, 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 1838 kWh 1287 kWh 551 kWh £349 £55 £404 £7,569 18.7 yrs £510
3 kW 2757 kWh 1930 kWh 827 kWh £523 £83 £606 £9,604 15.9 yrs £2,514
4 kW 3676 kWh 2573 kWh 1103 kWh £698 £110 £808 £11,638 14.4 yrs £4,519
5 kW 4595 kWh 3216 kWh 1378 kWh £872 £138 £1,010 £13,673 13.5 yrs £6,524
6 kW 5514 kWh 3860 kWh 1654 kWh £1,046 £165 £1,212 £15,707 13.0 yrs £8,529
7 kW 6433 kWh 4503 kWh 1930 kWh £1,221 £193 £1,414 £17,742 12.5 yrs £10,534
8 kW 7352 kWh 5146 kWh 2206 kWh £1,395 £221 £1,616 £19,776 12.2 yrs £12,539

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: £1,033, Upfront: £15,423, Break-even: 14.9 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1838 kWh 1342 kWh 496 kWh £364 £50 £413 £9,319 22.5 yrs £-1,052
3 kW 2757 kWh 2013 kWh 744 kWh £546 £74 £620 £11,354 18.3 yrs £1,047
4 kW 3676 kWh 2683 kWh 993 kWh £727 £99 £827 £13,388 16.2 yrs £3,147
5 kW 4595 kWh 3354 kWh 1241 kWh £909 £124 £1,033 £15,423 14.9 yrs £5,246
6 kW 5514 kWh 4025 kWh 1489 kWh £1,091 £149 £1,240 £17,457 14.1 yrs £7,345
7 kW 6433 kWh 4696 kWh 1737 kWh £1,273 £174 £1,447 £19,492 13.5 yrs £9,444
8 kW 7352 kWh 5367 kWh 1985 kWh £1,455 £199 £1,653 £21,526 13.0 yrs £11,543

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: £1,049, Upfront: £17,173, Break-even: 16.4 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1838 kWh 1378 kWh 459 kWh £374 £46 £420 £11,069 26.4 yrs £-2,676
3 kW 2757 kWh 2068 kWh 689 kWh £561 £69 £629 £13,104 20.8 yrs £-514
4 kW 3676 kWh 2757 kWh 919 kWh £747 £92 £839 £15,138 18.0 yrs £1,648
5 kW 4595 kWh 3446 kWh 1149 kWh £934 £115 £1,049 £17,173 16.4 yrs £3,810
6 kW 5514 kWh 4135 kWh 1378 kWh £1,121 £138 £1,259 £19,207 15.3 yrs £5,972
7 kW 6433 kWh 4825 kWh 1608 kWh £1,308 £161 £1,469 £21,242 14.5 yrs £8,134
8 kW 7352 kWh 5514 kWh 1838 kWh £1,495 £184 £1,679 £23,276 13.9 yrs £10,296

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: £1,065, Upfront: £19,623, Break-even: 18.4 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1838 kWh 1415 kWh 423 kWh £384 £42 £426 £13,519 31.7 yrs £-5,000
3 kW 2757 kWh 2123 kWh 634 kWh £576 £63 £639 £15,554 24.3 yrs £-2,775
4 kW 3676 kWh 2830 kWh 845 kWh £767 £85 £852 £17,588 20.6 yrs £-550
5 kW 4595 kWh 3538 kWh 1057 kWh £959 £106 £1,065 £19,623 18.4 yrs £1,675
6 kW 5514 kWh 4246 kWh 1268 kWh £1,151 £127 £1,278 £21,657 16.9 yrs £3,900
7 kW 6433 kWh 4953 kWh 1480 kWh £1,343 £148 £1,491 £23,692 15.9 yrs £6,125
8 kW 7352 kWh 5661 kWh 1691 kWh £1,535 £169 £1,704 £25,726 15.1 yrs £8,350

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 L39

Figures below are tailored to L39 — click through for full league tables.

Big-Roof Britain Rank #652 of 2182
5.4 kWp (UK avg 5.1 kWp)
~11 panels (≈430 W)
Solar Payback Index Rank #1692 of 2997
11.4 years (UK avg 11.3 years)
~£892 /yr • £10,173 upfront
Standing-Charge Drag Rank #1601 of 2997
20.9% (UK avg 21.7%) drag on savings
£187 fixed • ~£892 /yr value

Your Area at a Glance

Your Electricity Rate
27.11p/kWh
Daily Fixed Charge
51.16p/day
Local Sunshine
919kWh/kW
A 1 kW system generates ~919 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: 66% • Flats: 20% • Bungalows: 13% Based on 7,004 properties

Coverage

West Lancashire (100%)

Areas Covered

Ormskirk West, Aughton & Holborn, Ormskirk East, Rural South, Rural West, Rainford

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 North West

L40 (West Lancashire)
≈4.3 km away
Local sunshine: ~917 kWh/kWp · -0% vs L39
WN8 (West Lancashire)
≈7.8 km away
Local sunshine: ~909 kWh/kWp · -1% vs L39
WN5 (Wigan)
≈13.8 km away
Local sunshine: ~905 kWh/kWp · -2% vs L39
WN6 (Wigan)
≈14.9 km away
Local sunshine: ~885 kWh/kWp · -4% vs L39
WN3 (Wigan)
≈16.5 km away
Local sunshine: ~901 kWh/kWp · -2% vs L39
WN1 (Wigan)
≈16.9 km away
Local sunshine: ~901 kWh/kWp · -2% vs L39

Similar sunshine across the UK

SY6 (Shropshire)
~919 kWh/kWp · -0% vs L39
NP22 (Blaenau Gwent)
~919 kWh/kWp · +0% vs L39
NE18 (Northumberland)
~919 kWh/kWp · -0% vs L39