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Big Roof Britain Solar Payback Index Standing Charge Drag

Solar Panels in M20 (Manchester)

See if solar pays off for you in Manchester — 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
13.9 years
After this, it's pure profit
Upfront Cost
£6,104
What you pay to get started
Annual Benefit
£440
What you save every year
Profit Over 25 Years
£4,887
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 870 kWh/kW — 0 below the regional median (870).

Read the full story

A typical roof here lands around 3.0 kW, with most eligible homes comfortably fitting within 3–6 kW. Each kilowatt of panels produces roughly 870 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)
870 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: £733, Upfront: £10,173, 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 1740 kWh 696 kWh 1044 kWh £189 £104 £293 £4,069 13.9 yrs £1,792
3 kW 2610 kWh 1044 kWh 1566 kWh £283 £157 £440 £6,104 13.9 yrs £2,689
4 kW 3480 kWh 1392 kWh 2088 kWh £377 £209 £586 £8,138 13.9 yrs £3,585
5 kW 4350 kWh 1740 kWh 2610 kWh £472 £261 £733 £10,173 13.9 yrs £4,481
6 kW 5220 kWh 2088 kWh 3132 kWh £566 £313 £879 £12,207 13.9 yrs £5,377
7 kW 6090 kWh 2436 kWh 3654 kWh £660 £365 £1,026 £14,242 13.9 yrs £6,273
8 kW 6960 kWh 2784 kWh 4176 kWh £755 £418 £1,172 £16,276 13.9 yrs £7,170

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: £882, Upfront: £12,273, 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 1740 kWh 1044 kWh 696 kWh £283 £70 £353 £6,169 17.5 yrs £883
3 kW 2610 kWh 1566 kWh 1044 kWh £425 £104 £529 £8,204 15.5 yrs £2,375
4 kW 3480 kWh 2088 kWh 1392 kWh £566 £139 £705 £10,238 14.5 yrs £3,866
5 kW 4350 kWh 2610 kWh 1740 kWh £708 £174 £882 £12,273 13.9 yrs £5,358
6 kW 5220 kWh 3132 kWh 2088 kWh £849 £209 £1,058 £14,307 13.5 yrs £6,850
7 kW 6090 kWh 3654 kWh 2436 kWh £991 £244 £1,234 £16,342 13.2 yrs £8,341
8 kW 6960 kWh 4176 kWh 2784 kWh £1,132 £278 £1,410 £18,376 13.0 yrs £9,833

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: £956, Upfront: £13,673, Break-even: 14.3 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1740 kWh 1218 kWh 522 kWh £330 £52 £382 £7,569 19.8 yrs £79
3 kW 2610 kWh 1827 kWh 783 kWh £495 £78 £574 £9,604 16.7 yrs £1,868
4 kW 3480 kWh 2436 kWh 1044 kWh £660 £104 £765 £11,638 15.2 yrs £3,657
5 kW 4350 kWh 3045 kWh 1305 kWh £825 £130 £956 £13,673 14.3 yrs £5,447
6 kW 5220 kWh 3654 kWh 1566 kWh £991 £157 £1,147 £15,707 13.7 yrs £7,236
7 kW 6090 kWh 4263 kWh 1827 kWh £1,156 £183 £1,338 £17,742 13.3 yrs £9,025
8 kW 6960 kWh 4872 kWh 2088 kWh £1,321 £209 £1,530 £19,776 12.9 yrs £10,814

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: £978, Upfront: £15,423, Break-even: 15.8 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1740 kWh 1270 kWh 470 kWh £344 £47 £391 £9,319 23.8 yrs £-1,493
3 kW 2610 kWh 1905 kWh 705 kWh £517 £70 £587 £11,354 19.3 yrs £386
4 kW 3480 kWh 2540 kWh 940 kWh £689 £94 £783 £13,388 17.1 yrs £2,264
5 kW 4350 kWh 3175 kWh 1174 kWh £861 £117 £978 £15,423 15.8 yrs £4,143
6 kW 5220 kWh 3810 kWh 1409 kWh £1,033 £141 £1,174 £17,457 14.9 yrs £6,022
7 kW 6090 kWh 4445 kWh 1644 kWh £1,205 £164 £1,370 £19,492 14.2 yrs £7,900
8 kW 6960 kWh 5081 kWh 1879 kWh £1,377 £188 £1,565 £21,526 13.8 yrs £9,779

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: £993, Upfront: £17,173, Break-even: 17.3 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1740 kWh 1305 kWh 435 kWh £354 £43 £397 £11,069 27.9 yrs £-3,124
3 kW 2610 kWh 1957 kWh 652 kWh £531 £65 £596 £13,104 22.0 yrs £-1,186
4 kW 3480 kWh 2610 kWh 870 kWh £708 £87 £795 £15,138 19.1 yrs £753
5 kW 4350 kWh 3262 kWh 1087 kWh £884 £109 £993 £17,173 17.3 yrs £2,691
6 kW 5220 kWh 3915 kWh 1305 kWh £1,061 £130 £1,192 £19,207 16.1 yrs £4,629
7 kW 6090 kWh 4567 kWh 1522 kWh £1,238 £152 £1,390 £21,242 15.3 yrs £6,567
8 kW 6960 kWh 5220 kWh 1740 kWh £1,415 £174 £1,589 £23,276 14.6 yrs £8,505

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: £1,008, Upfront: £19,623, Break-even: 19.5 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1740 kWh 1340 kWh 400 kWh £363 £40 £403 £13,519 33.5 yrs £-5,455
3 kW 2610 kWh 2010 kWh 600 kWh £545 £60 £605 £15,554 25.7 yrs £-3,457
4 kW 3480 kWh 2679 kWh 800 kWh £726 £80 £806 £17,588 21.8 yrs £-1,459
5 kW 4350 kWh 3349 kWh 1000 kWh £908 £100 £1,008 £19,623 19.5 yrs £539
6 kW 5220 kWh 4019 kWh 1201 kWh £1,090 £120 £1,210 £21,657 17.9 yrs £2,536
7 kW 6090 kWh 4689 kWh 1401 kWh £1,271 £140 £1,411 £23,692 16.8 yrs £4,534
8 kW 6960 kWh 5359 kWh 1601 kWh £1,453 £160 £1,613 £25,726 16.0 yrs £6,532

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 M20

Figures below are tailored to M20 — click through for full league tables.

Big-Roof Britain Rank #1888 of 2182
4.3 kWp (UK avg 5.1 kWp)
~9 panels (≈430 W)
Solar Payback Index Rank #2322 of 2997
12.0 years (UK avg 11.3 years)
~£844 /yr • £10,173 upfront
Standing-Charge Drag Rank #1880 of 2997
22.1% (UK avg 21.7%) drag on savings
£187 fixed • ~£844 /yr value

Your Area at a Glance

Your Electricity Rate
27.11p/kWh
Daily Fixed Charge
51.16p/day
Local Sunshine
870kWh/kW
A 1 kW system generates ~870 kWh per year. A typical home uses ~2,700 kWh per year.
Typical System Size
3.0kW
For houses & bungalows in this area

⚠️ This area is predominantly flats. Many residents require freeholder approval for solar installations. System size shown reflects houses and bungalows only.

Local Property Data

Property Types

Houses: 47% • Flats: 50% • Bungalows: 1% Based on 16,011 properties

Coverage

Manchester (100%)

Areas Covered

Didsbury West, Old Moat, Didsbury East, Withington, Burnage, Chorlton Park, Northenden

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

M14 (Manchester)
≈2.3 km away
Local sunshine: ~870 kWh/kWp · +0% vs M20
M52 (Manchester)
≈2.4 km away
Local sunshine: ~871 kWh/kWp · +0% vs M20
M19 (Manchester)
≈2.9 km away
Local sunshine: ~861 kWh/kWp · -1% vs M20
M21 (Manchester)
≈3.4 km away
Local sunshine: ~877 kWh/kWp · +1% vs M20
SK4 (Stockport)
≈3.8 km away
Local sunshine: ~859 kWh/kWp · -1% vs M20
M16 (Trafford)
≈4.1 km away
Local sunshine: ~868 kWh/kWp · -0% vs M20

Similar sunshine across the UK

EH8 (City of Edinburgh)
~870 kWh/kWp · -0% vs M20
LL26 (Conwy)
~870 kWh/kWp · +0% vs M20
EH48 (West Lothian)
~870 kWh/kWp · +0% vs M20