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Big Roof Britain Solar Payback Index Standing Charge Drag

Solar Panels in M8 (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
14.2 years
After this, it's pure profit
Upfront Cost
£10,173
What you pay to get started
Annual Benefit
£718
What you save every year
Profit Over 25 Years
£7,789
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 853 kWh/kW — 17 below 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 853 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)
853 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: £718, Upfront: £10,173, Break-even: 14.2 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1706 kWh 682 kWh 1024 kWh £185 £102 £287 £4,069 14.2 yrs £1,679
3 kW 2559 kWh 1024 kWh 1536 kWh £278 £154 £431 £6,104 14.2 yrs £2,518
4 kW 3412 kWh 1365 kWh 2047 kWh £370 £205 £575 £8,138 14.2 yrs £3,358
5 kW 4265 kWh 1706 kWh 2559 kWh £463 £256 £718 £10,173 14.2 yrs £4,197
6 kW 5119 kWh 2047 kWh 3071 kWh £555 £307 £862 £12,207 14.2 yrs £5,036
7 kW 5972 kWh 2389 kWh 3583 kWh £648 £358 £1,006 £14,242 14.2 yrs £5,876
8 kW 6825 kWh 2730 kWh 4095 kWh £740 £409 £1,150 £16,276 14.2 yrs £6,715

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: £864, Upfront: £12,273, Break-even: 14.2 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1706 kWh 1024 kWh 682 kWh £278 £68 £346 £6,169 17.8 yrs £746
3 kW 2559 kWh 1536 kWh 1024 kWh £416 £102 £519 £8,204 15.8 yrs £2,170
4 kW 3412 kWh 2047 kWh 1365 kWh £555 £136 £692 £10,238 14.8 yrs £3,593
5 kW 4265 kWh 2559 kWh 1706 kWh £694 £171 £864 £12,273 14.2 yrs £5,016
6 kW 5119 kWh 3071 kWh 2047 kWh £833 £205 £1,037 £14,307 13.8 yrs £6,439
7 kW 5972 kWh 3583 kWh 2389 kWh £971 £239 £1,210 £16,342 13.5 yrs £7,863
8 kW 6825 kWh 4095 kWh 2730 kWh £1,110 £273 £1,383 £18,376 13.3 yrs £9,286

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: £937, Upfront: £13,673, Break-even: 14.6 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1706 kWh 1194 kWh 512 kWh £324 £51 £375 £7,569 20.2 yrs £-70
3 kW 2559 kWh 1791 kWh 768 kWh £486 £77 £562 £9,604 17.1 yrs £1,645
4 kW 3412 kWh 2389 kWh 1024 kWh £648 £102 £750 £11,638 15.5 yrs £3,361
5 kW 4265 kWh 2986 kWh 1280 kWh £809 £128 £937 £13,673 14.6 yrs £5,076
6 kW 5119 kWh 3583 kWh 1536 kWh £971 £154 £1,125 £15,707 14.0 yrs £6,791
7 kW 5972 kWh 4180 kWh 1791 kWh £1,133 £179 £1,312 £17,742 13.5 yrs £8,506
8 kW 6825 kWh 4777 kWh 2047 kWh £1,295 £205 £1,500 £19,776 13.2 yrs £10,221

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: £959, Upfront: £15,423, Break-even: 16.1 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1706 kWh 1246 kWh 461 kWh £338 £46 £384 £9,319 24.3 yrs £-1,645
3 kW 2559 kWh 1868 kWh 691 kWh £506 £69 £576 £11,354 19.7 yrs £158
4 kW 3412 kWh 2491 kWh 921 kWh £675 £92 £767 £13,388 17.4 yrs £1,961
5 kW 4265 kWh 3114 kWh 1152 kWh £844 £115 £959 £15,423 16.1 yrs £3,764
6 kW 5119 kWh 3737 kWh 1382 kWh £1,013 £138 £1,151 £17,457 15.2 yrs £5,566
7 kW 5972 kWh 4359 kWh 1612 kWh £1,182 £161 £1,343 £19,492 14.5 yrs £7,369
8 kW 6825 kWh 4982 kWh 1843 kWh £1,351 £184 £1,535 £21,526 14.0 yrs £9,172

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: £974, Upfront: £17,173, Break-even: 17.6 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1706 kWh 1280 kWh 427 kWh £347 £43 £390 £11,069 28.4 yrs £-3,278
3 kW 2559 kWh 1919 kWh 640 kWh £520 £64 £584 £13,104 22.4 yrs £-1,417
4 kW 3412 kWh 2559 kWh 853 kWh £694 £85 £779 £15,138 19.4 yrs £445
5 kW 4265 kWh 3199 kWh 1066 kWh £867 £107 £974 £17,173 17.6 yrs £2,306
6 kW 5119 kWh 3839 kWh 1280 kWh £1,041 £128 £1,169 £19,207 16.4 yrs £4,167
7 kW 5972 kWh 4479 kWh 1493 kWh £1,214 £149 £1,363 £21,242 15.6 yrs £6,028
8 kW 6825 kWh 5119 kWh 1706 kWh £1,388 £171 £1,558 £23,276 14.9 yrs £7,889

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: £989, Upfront: £19,623, Break-even: 19.9 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1706 kWh 1314 kWh 392 kWh £356 £39 £395 £13,519 34.2 yrs £-5,611
3 kW 2559 kWh 1971 kWh 589 kWh £534 £59 £593 £15,554 26.2 yrs £-3,691
4 kW 3412 kWh 2628 kWh 785 kWh £712 £78 £791 £17,588 22.2 yrs £-1,772
5 kW 4265 kWh 3284 kWh 981 kWh £890 £98 £989 £19,623 19.9 yrs £148
6 kW 5119 kWh 3941 kWh 1177 kWh £1,068 £118 £1,186 £21,657 18.3 yrs £2,067
7 kW 5972 kWh 4598 kWh 1373 kWh £1,247 £137 £1,384 £23,692 17.1 yrs £3,987
8 kW 6825 kWh 5255 kWh 1570 kWh £1,425 £157 £1,582 £25,726 16.3 yrs £5,906

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 M8

Figures below are tailored to M8 — click through for full league tables.

Big-Roof Britain Rank #1907 of 2182
4.3 kWp (UK avg 5.1 kWp)
~9 panels (≈430 W)
Solar Payback Index Rank #2571 of 2997
12.3 years (UK avg 11.3 years)
~£828 /yr • £10,173 upfront
Standing-Charge Drag Rank #2026 of 2997
22.6% (UK avg 21.7%) drag on savings
£187 fixed • ~£828 /yr value

Your Area at a Glance

Your Electricity Rate
27.11p/kWh
Daily Fixed Charge
51.16p/day
Local Sunshine
853kWh/kW
A 1 kW system generates ~853 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: 59% • Flats: 39% • Bungalows: 2% Based on 9,450 properties

Coverage

Manchester (94%)|Salford (5%)|Bury (1%)

Areas Covered

Cheetham, Crumpsall, Kersal & Broughton Park, Broughton, Harpurhey, Higher Blackley, Sedgley

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

M7 (Salford)
≈1.2 km away
Local sunshine: ~862 kWh/kWp · +1% vs M8
M61 (Manchester)
≈2.4 km away
Local sunshine: ~861 kWh/kWp · +1% vs M8
M60 (Manchester)
≈2.4 km away
Local sunshine: ~861 kWh/kWp · +1% vs M8
M99 (Manchester)
≈2.4 km away
Local sunshine: ~861 kWh/kWp · +1% vs M8
M9 (Manchester)
≈2.6 km away
Local sunshine: ~856 kWh/kWp · +0% vs M8
M4 (Manchester)
≈2.6 km away
Local sunshine: ~861 kWh/kWp · +1% vs M8

Similar sunshine across the UK

FK2 (Falkirk)
~853 kWh/kWp · -0% vs M8
AB52 (Aberdeenshire)
~853 kWh/kWp · -0% vs M8
FK13 (Clackmannanshire)
~852 kWh/kWp · -0% vs M8