Solar explained to clever people by people who are not trying to be clever

Solar Panels in LE6 (North West Leicestershire)

See if solar pays off for you in North West Leicestershire — 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
£777
What you save every year
Profit Over 25 Years
£9,240
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

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 957 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
49.1p/day
Sunshine yield (south)
957 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: £777, 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 1915 kWh 766 kWh 1149 kWh £196 £115 £311 £4,069 13.1 yrs £2,143
3 kW 2872 kWh 1149 kWh 1723 kWh £294 £172 £466 £6,104 13.1 yrs £3,215
4 kW 3830 kWh 1532 kWh 2298 kWh £391 £230 £621 £8,138 13.1 yrs £4,286
5 kW 4787 kWh 1915 kWh 2872 kWh £489 £287 £777 £10,173 13.1 yrs £5,358
6 kW 5745 kWh 2298 kWh 3447 kWh £587 £345 £932 £12,207 13.1 yrs £6,429
7 kW 6702 kWh 2681 kWh 4021 kWh £685 £402 £1,087 £14,242 13.1 yrs £7,501
8 kW 7660 kWh 3064 kWh 4596 kWh £783 £460 £1,242 £16,276 13.1 yrs £8,572

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: £925, Upfront: £12,273, Break-even: 13.3 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1915 kWh 1149 kWh 766 kWh £294 £77 £370 £6,169 16.7 yrs £1,234
3 kW 2872 kWh 1723 kWh 1149 kWh £440 £115 £555 £8,204 14.8 yrs £2,901
4 kW 3830 kWh 2298 kWh 1532 kWh £587 £153 £740 £10,238 13.8 yrs £4,568
5 kW 4787 kWh 2872 kWh 1915 kWh £734 £191 £925 £12,273 13.3 yrs £6,235
6 kW 5745 kWh 3447 kWh 2298 kWh £881 £230 £1,110 £14,307 12.9 yrs £7,902
7 kW 6702 kWh 4021 kWh 2681 kWh £1,027 £268 £1,296 £16,342 12.6 yrs £9,569
8 kW 7660 kWh 4596 kWh 3064 kWh £1,174 £306 £1,481 £18,376 12.4 yrs £11,237

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: £1,000, Upfront: £13,673, Break-even: 13.7 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1915 kWh 1340 kWh 574 kWh £342 £57 £400 £7,569 18.9 yrs £430
3 kW 2872 kWh 2011 kWh 862 kWh £514 £86 £600 £9,604 16.0 yrs £2,395
4 kW 3830 kWh 2681 kWh 1149 kWh £685 £115 £800 £11,638 14.5 yrs £4,359
5 kW 4787 kWh 3351 kWh 1436 kWh £856 £144 £1,000 £13,673 13.7 yrs £6,324
6 kW 5745 kWh 4021 kWh 1723 kWh £1,027 £172 £1,200 £15,707 13.1 yrs £8,289
7 kW 6702 kWh 4692 kWh 2011 kWh £1,199 £201 £1,400 £17,742 12.7 yrs £10,254
8 kW 7660 kWh 5362 kWh 2298 kWh £1,370 £230 £1,600 £19,776 12.4 yrs £12,219

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: £1,022, Upfront: £15,423, Break-even: 15.1 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1915 kWh 1398 kWh 517 kWh £357 £52 £409 £9,319 22.8 yrs £-1,142
3 kW 2872 kWh 2097 kWh 776 kWh £536 £78 £613 £11,354 18.5 yrs £913
4 kW 3830 kWh 2796 kWh 1034 kWh £714 £103 £818 £13,388 16.4 yrs £2,967
5 kW 4787 kWh 3495 kWh 1293 kWh £893 £129 £1,022 £15,423 15.1 yrs £5,021
6 kW 5745 kWh 4194 kWh 1551 kWh £1,071 £155 £1,227 £17,457 14.2 yrs £7,075
7 kW 6702 kWh 4893 kWh 1810 kWh £1,250 £181 £1,431 £19,492 13.6 yrs £9,129
8 kW 7660 kWh 5592 kWh 2068 kWh £1,429 £207 £1,635 £21,526 13.2 yrs £11,183

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: £1,037, Upfront: £17,173, Break-even: 16.6 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1915 kWh 1436 kWh 479 kWh £367 £48 £415 £11,069 26.7 yrs £-2,773
3 kW 2872 kWh 2154 kWh 718 kWh £550 £72 £622 £13,104 21.1 yrs £-659
4 kW 3830 kWh 2872 kWh 957 kWh £734 £96 £830 £15,138 18.2 yrs £1,455
5 kW 4787 kWh 3591 kWh 1197 kWh £917 £120 £1,037 £17,173 16.6 yrs £3,569
6 kW 5745 kWh 4309 kWh 1436 kWh £1,101 £144 £1,244 £19,207 15.4 yrs £5,682
7 kW 6702 kWh 5027 kWh 1676 kWh £1,284 £168 £1,452 £21,242 14.6 yrs £7,796
8 kW 7660 kWh 5745 kWh 1915 kWh £1,468 £191 £1,659 £23,276 14.0 yrs £9,910

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: £1,052, Upfront: £19,623, Break-even: 18.7 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1915 kWh 1475 kWh 440 kWh £377 £44 £421 £13,519 32.1 yrs £-5,103
3 kW 2872 kWh 2212 kWh 661 kWh £565 £66 £631 £15,554 24.6 yrs £-2,930
4 kW 3830 kWh 2949 kWh 881 kWh £753 £88 £842 £17,588 20.9 yrs £-757
5 kW 4787 kWh 3686 kWh 1101 kWh £942 £110 £1,052 £19,623 18.7 yrs £1,416
6 kW 5745 kWh 4424 kWh 1321 kWh £1,130 £132 £1,262 £21,657 17.2 yrs £3,590
7 kW 6702 kWh 5161 kWh 1542 kWh £1,319 £154 £1,473 £23,692 16.1 yrs £5,763
8 kW 7660 kWh 5898 kWh 1762 kWh £1,507 £176 £1,683 £25,726 15.3 yrs £7,936

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.

Your Area at a Glance

Your Electricity Rate
25.55p/kWh
Daily Fixed Charge
49.09p/day
Local Sunshine
957kWh/kW
A 1 kW system generates ~957 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: 74% • Flats: 4% • Bungalows: 20% Based on 2,725 properties

Coverage

North West Leicestershire (75%)|Hinckley and Bosworth (23%)|Charnwood (1%)|South Derbyshire (1%)

Areas Covered

Ratby, Bagworth and Thornton, Groby, Snibston North, Coalville West, Ashby Money Hill, Valley, Ashby Willesley + 6 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.