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Big Roof Britain Solar Payback Index Standing Charge Drag

Solar Panels in M5 (Salford)

See if solar pays off for you in Salford — 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
£439
What you save every year
Profit Over 25 Years
£4,869
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 869 kWh/kW — 2 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 869 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)
869 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: £731, 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 1737 kWh 695 kWh 1042 kWh £188 £104 £293 £4,069 13.9 yrs £1,783
3 kW 2606 kWh 1042 kWh 1563 kWh £283 £156 £439 £6,104 13.9 yrs £2,674
4 kW 3474 kWh 1390 kWh 2084 kWh £377 £208 £585 £8,138 13.9 yrs £3,566
5 kW 4343 kWh 1737 kWh 2606 kWh £471 £261 £731 £10,173 13.9 yrs £4,457
6 kW 5211 kWh 2084 kWh 3127 kWh £565 £313 £878 £12,207 13.9 yrs £5,349
7 kW 6080 kWh 2432 kWh 3648 kWh £659 £365 £1,024 £14,242 13.9 yrs £6,240
8 kW 6948 kWh 2779 kWh 4169 kWh £753 £417 £1,170 £16,276 13.9 yrs £7,131

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: £880, 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 1737 kWh 1042 kWh 695 kWh £283 £69 £352 £6,169 17.5 yrs £872
3 kW 2606 kWh 1563 kWh 1042 kWh £424 £104 £528 £8,204 15.5 yrs £2,358
4 kW 3474 kWh 2084 kWh 1390 kWh £565 £139 £704 £10,238 14.5 yrs £3,843
5 kW 4343 kWh 2606 kWh 1737 kWh £706 £174 £880 £12,273 13.9 yrs £5,329
6 kW 5211 kWh 3127 kWh 2084 kWh £848 £208 £1,056 £14,307 13.5 yrs £6,815
7 kW 6080 kWh 3648 kWh 2432 kWh £989 £243 £1,232 £16,342 13.3 yrs £8,301
8 kW 6948 kWh 4169 kWh 2779 kWh £1,130 £278 £1,408 £18,376 13.0 yrs £9,787

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: £954, 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 1737 kWh 1216 kWh 521 kWh £330 £52 £382 £7,569 19.8 yrs £66
3 kW 2606 kWh 1824 kWh 782 kWh £494 £78 £573 £9,604 16.8 yrs £1,849
4 kW 3474 kWh 2432 kWh 1042 kWh £659 £104 £764 £11,638 15.2 yrs £3,632
5 kW 4343 kWh 3040 kWh 1303 kWh £824 £130 £954 £13,673 14.3 yrs £5,415
6 kW 5211 kWh 3648 kWh 1563 kWh £989 £156 £1,145 £15,707 13.7 yrs £7,198
7 kW 6080 kWh 4256 kWh 1824 kWh £1,154 £182 £1,336 £17,742 13.3 yrs £8,981
8 kW 6948 kWh 4864 kWh 2084 kWh £1,319 £208 £1,527 £19,776 13.0 yrs £10,765

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: £977, 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 1737 kWh 1268 kWh 469 kWh £344 £47 £391 £9,319 23.9 yrs £-1,506
3 kW 2606 kWh 1902 kWh 704 kWh £516 £70 £586 £11,354 19.4 yrs £367
4 kW 3474 kWh 2536 kWh 938 kWh £688 £94 £781 £13,388 17.1 yrs £2,239
5 kW 4343 kWh 3170 kWh 1173 kWh £859 £117 £977 £15,423 15.8 yrs £4,111
6 kW 5211 kWh 3804 kWh 1407 kWh £1,031 £141 £1,172 £17,457 14.9 yrs £5,983
7 kW 6080 kWh 4438 kWh 1642 kWh £1,203 £164 £1,367 £19,492 14.3 yrs £7,856
8 kW 6948 kWh 5072 kWh 1876 kWh £1,375 £188 £1,563 £21,526 13.8 yrs £9,728

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: £992, 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 1737 kWh 1303 kWh 434 kWh £353 £43 £397 £11,069 27.9 yrs £-3,137
3 kW 2606 kWh 1954 kWh 651 kWh £530 £65 £595 £13,104 22.0 yrs £-1,205
4 kW 3474 kWh 2606 kWh 869 kWh £706 £87 £793 £15,138 19.1 yrs £727
5 kW 4343 kWh 3257 kWh 1086 kWh £883 £109 £992 £17,173 17.3 yrs £2,658
6 kW 5211 kWh 3908 kWh 1303 kWh £1,060 £130 £1,190 £19,207 16.1 yrs £4,590
7 kW 6080 kWh 4560 kWh 1520 kWh £1,236 £152 £1,388 £21,242 15.3 yrs £6,522
8 kW 6948 kWh 5211 kWh 1737 kWh £1,413 £174 £1,586 £23,276 14.7 yrs £8,453

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: £1,006, 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 1737 kWh 1338 kWh 400 kWh £363 £40 £403 £13,519 33.6 yrs £-5,468
3 kW 2606 kWh 2006 kWh 599 kWh £544 £60 £604 £15,554 25.8 yrs £-3,477
4 kW 3474 kWh 2675 kWh 799 kWh £725 £80 £805 £17,588 21.8 yrs £-1,486
5 kW 4343 kWh 3344 kWh 999 kWh £907 £100 £1,006 £19,623 19.5 yrs £506
6 kW 5211 kWh 4013 kWh 1199 kWh £1,088 £120 £1,208 £21,657 17.9 yrs £2,497
7 kW 6080 kWh 4681 kWh 1398 kWh £1,269 £140 £1,409 £23,692 16.8 yrs £4,488
8 kW 6948 kWh 5350 kWh 1598 kWh £1,450 £160 £1,610 £25,726 16.0 yrs £6,479

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 M5

Figures below are tailored to M5 — click through for full league tables.

Big-Roof Britain Rank #2145 of 2182
3.7 kWp (UK avg 5.1 kWp)
~8 panels (≈430 W)
Solar Payback Index Rank #2415 of 2997
12.1 years (UK avg 11.3 years)
~£674 /yr • £8,138 upfront
Standing-Charge Drag Rank #2489 of 2997
27.7% (UK avg 21.7%) drag on savings
£187 fixed • ~£674 /yr value

Your Area at a Glance

Your Electricity Rate
27.11p/kWh
Daily Fixed Charge
51.16p/day
Local Sunshine
869kWh/kW
A 1 kW system generates ~869 kWh per year. A typical home uses ~2,700 kWh per year.
Typical System Size
3.0kW
For eligible homes 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: 26% • Flats: 72% • Bungalows: 1% Based on 13,051 properties

Coverage

Salford (100%)

Areas Covered

Pendleton & Charlestown, Ordsall, Weaste & Seedley, Quays

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

M50 (Salford)
≈0.7 km away
Local sunshine: ~875 kWh/kWp · +1% vs M5
M6 (Salford)
≈1.4 km away
Local sunshine: ~869 kWh/kWp · +0% vs M5
M3 (Manchester)
≈1.9 km away
Local sunshine: ~861 kWh/kWp · -1% vs M5
M2 (Manchester)
≈2.4 km away
Local sunshine: ~861 kWh/kWp · -1% vs M5
M15 (Manchester)
≈2.4 km away
Local sunshine: ~861 kWh/kWp · -1% vs M5
M17 (Trafford)
≈2.8 km away
Local sunshine: ~868 kWh/kWp · -0% vs M5

Similar sunshine across the UK

BT29 (Antrim and Newtownabbey)
~869 kWh/kWp · +0% vs M5
PA61 (Argyll and Bute)
~869 kWh/kWp · +0% vs M5
AB99 (Aberdeen City)
~869 kWh/kWp · +0% vs M5