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Big Roof Britain Solar Payback Index Standing Charge Drag

Solar Panels in ME15 (Maidstone)

See if solar pays off for you in Maidstone — 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
11.6 years
After this, it's pure profit
Upfront Cost
£10,173
What you pay to get started
Annual Benefit
£876
What you save every year
Profit Over 25 Years
£11,717
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 South East, the current unit rate is 26.92p/kWh with a 47.60p/day standing charge. Your postcode’s south-facing sunshine yield is 1044 kWh/kW — 15 above the regional median (1029).

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 1044 kWh per year on a south-facing roof. We value self-used electricity at 26.9p and exported surplus at a baseline 10p via SEG. Use the calculator above for your exact tariff.

Unit rate
26.9p/kWh
Standing charge
47.6p/day
Sunshine yield (south)
1044 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: £876, Upfront: £10,173, Break-even: 11.6 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2089 kWh 835 kWh 1253 kWh £225 £125 £350 £4,069 11.6 yrs £2,936
3 kW 3133 kWh 1253 kWh 1880 kWh £337 £188 £525 £6,104 11.6 yrs £4,403
4 kW 4177 kWh 1671 kWh 2506 kWh £450 £251 £700 £8,138 11.6 yrs £5,871
5 kW 5222 kWh 2089 kWh 3133 kWh £562 £313 £876 £10,173 11.6 yrs £7,339
6 kW 6266 kWh 2506 kWh 3760 kWh £675 £376 £1,051 £12,207 11.6 yrs £8,807
7 kW 7310 kWh 2924 kWh 4386 kWh £787 £439 £1,226 £14,242 11.6 yrs £10,274
8 kW 8355 kWh 3342 kWh 5013 kWh £900 £501 £1,401 £16,276 11.6 yrs £11,742

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: £1,052, Upfront: £12,273, Break-even: 11.7 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2089 kWh 1253 kWh 835 kWh £337 £84 £421 £6,169 14.7 yrs £2,249
3 kW 3133 kWh 1880 kWh 1253 kWh £506 £125 £631 £8,204 13.0 yrs £4,424
4 kW 4177 kWh 2506 kWh 1671 kWh £675 £167 £842 £10,238 12.2 yrs £6,598
5 kW 5222 kWh 3133 kWh 2089 kWh £843 £209 £1,052 £12,273 11.7 yrs £8,773
6 kW 6266 kWh 3760 kWh 2506 kWh £1,012 £251 £1,263 £14,307 11.3 yrs £10,947
7 kW 7310 kWh 4386 kWh 2924 kWh £1,181 £292 £1,473 £16,342 11.1 yrs £13,122
8 kW 8355 kWh 5013 kWh 3342 kWh £1,349 £334 £1,684 £18,376 10.9 yrs £15,296

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: £1,141, Upfront: £13,673, Break-even: 12.0 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2089 kWh 1462 kWh 627 kWh £394 £63 £456 £7,569 16.6 yrs £1,556
3 kW 3133 kWh 2193 kWh 940 kWh £590 £94 £684 £9,604 14.0 yrs £4,084
4 kW 4177 kWh 2924 kWh 1253 kWh £787 £125 £912 £11,638 12.8 yrs £6,612
5 kW 5222 kWh 3655 kWh 1566 kWh £984 £157 £1,141 £13,673 12.0 yrs £9,140
6 kW 6266 kWh 4386 kWh 1880 kWh £1,181 £188 £1,369 £15,707 11.5 yrs £11,668
7 kW 7310 kWh 5117 kWh 2193 kWh £1,378 £219 £1,597 £17,742 11.1 yrs £14,196
8 kW 8355 kWh 5848 kWh 2506 kWh £1,574 £251 £1,825 £19,776 10.8 yrs £16,724

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: £1,167, Upfront: £15,423, 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 2089 kWh 1525 kWh 564 kWh £410 £56 £467 £9,319 20.0 yrs £18
3 kW 3133 kWh 2287 kWh 846 kWh £616 £85 £700 £11,354 16.2 yrs £2,652
4 kW 4177 kWh 3049 kWh 1128 kWh £821 £113 £934 £13,388 14.3 yrs £5,286
5 kW 5222 kWh 3812 kWh 1410 kWh £1,026 £141 £1,167 £15,423 13.2 yrs £7,920
6 kW 6266 kWh 4574 kWh 1692 kWh £1,231 £169 £1,401 £17,457 12.5 yrs £10,554
7 kW 7310 kWh 5337 kWh 1974 kWh £1,437 £197 £1,634 £19,492 11.9 yrs £13,188
8 kW 8355 kWh 6099 kWh 2256 kWh £1,642 £226 £1,867 £21,526 11.5 yrs £15,822

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: £1,185, Upfront: £17,173, Break-even: 14.5 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2089 kWh 1566 kWh 522 kWh £422 £52 £474 £11,069 23.4 yrs £-1,591
3 kW 3133 kWh 2350 kWh 783 kWh £633 £78 £711 £13,104 18.4 yrs £1,114
4 kW 4177 kWh 3133 kWh 1044 kWh £843 £104 £948 £15,138 16.0 yrs £3,819
5 kW 5222 kWh 3916 kWh 1305 kWh £1,054 £131 £1,185 £17,173 14.5 yrs £6,523
6 kW 6266 kWh 4699 kWh 1566 kWh £1,265 £157 £1,422 £19,207 13.5 yrs £9,228
7 kW 7310 kWh 5483 kWh 1828 kWh £1,476 £183 £1,659 £21,242 12.8 yrs £11,933
8 kW 8355 kWh 6266 kWh 2089 kWh £1,687 £209 £1,896 £23,276 12.3 yrs £14,637

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: £1,202, Upfront: £19,623, Break-even: 16.3 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2089 kWh 1608 kWh 480 kWh £433 £48 £481 £13,519 28.1 yrs £-3,899
3 kW 3133 kWh 2412 kWh 721 kWh £649 £72 £721 £15,554 21.6 yrs £-1,124
4 kW 4177 kWh 3217 kWh 961 kWh £866 £96 £962 £17,588 18.3 yrs £1,651
5 kW 5222 kWh 4021 kWh 1201 kWh £1,082 £120 £1,202 £19,623 16.3 yrs £4,427
6 kW 6266 kWh 4825 kWh 1441 kWh £1,299 £144 £1,443 £21,657 15.0 yrs £7,202
7 kW 7310 kWh 5629 kWh 1681 kWh £1,515 £168 £1,683 £23,692 14.1 yrs £9,977
8 kW 8355 kWh 6433 kWh 1922 kWh £1,732 £192 £1,924 £25,726 13.4 yrs £12,753

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 ME15

Figures below are tailored to ME15 — click through for full league tables.

Big-Roof Britain Rank #1674 of 2182
4.5 kWp (UK avg 5.1 kWp)
~10 panels (≈430 W)
Solar Payback Index Rank #228 of 2997
10.1 years (UK avg 11.3 years)
~£1,008 /yr • £10,173 upfront
Standing-Charge Drag Rank #807 of 2997
17.2% (UK avg 21.7%) drag on savings
£174 fixed • ~£1,008 /yr value

Your Area at a Glance

Your Electricity Rate
26.92p/kWh
Daily Fixed Charge
47.60p/day
Local Sunshine
1044kWh/kW
A 1 kW system generates ~1044 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: 61% • Flats: 29% • Bungalows: 8% Based on 15,861 properties

Coverage

Maidstone (100%)

Areas Covered

Shepway, Park Wood & Mangravet, High Street, Loose & Linton, Tovil, Penenden Heath, Coxheath & Farleigh, Bearsted & Downswood + 4 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.

Compare nearby areas

Nearby in South East

ME14 (Maidstone)
≈2.7 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,024 kWh/kWp · -2% vs ME15
ME99 (Maidstone)
≈2.8 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,017 kWh/kWp · -3% vs ME15
ME16 (Maidstone)
≈3.1 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,027 kWh/kWp · -2% vs ME15
ME17 (Maidstone)
≈5.0 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,034 kWh/kWp · -1% vs ME15
ME18 (Maidstone)
≈7.6 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,032 kWh/kWp · -1% vs ME15
ME20 (Tonbridge and Malling)
≈7.7 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,030 kWh/kWp · -1% vs ME15

Similar sunshine across the UK

SA3 (Swansea)
~1,044 kWh/kWp · -0% vs ME15
TQ3 (Torbay)
~1,044 kWh/kWp · -0% vs ME15
SS13 (Basildon)
~1,043 kWh/kWp · -0% vs ME15