A typical roof here lands around 6.0 kW, with most eligible homes comfortably fitting within 3–6 kW. Each kilowatt of panels produces roughly 843 kWh per year on a south-facing roof. We value self-used electricity at 25.8p and exported surplus at a baseline 10p via SEG. Use the calculator above for your exact tariff.
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: £689, Upfront: £10,173, Break-even: 14.8 yrs
| System | Annual output | Self-use | Exported | Bill saving | Export income | Annual benefit | Upfront cost | Break-even | 20-year net |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 kW | 1686 kWh | 675 kWh | 1012 kWh | £174 | £101 | £275 | £4,069 | 14.8 yrs | £1,440 |
| 3 kW | 2529 kWh | 1012 kWh | 1518 kWh | £261 | £152 | £413 | £6,104 | 14.8 yrs | £2,161 |
| 4 kW | 3373 kWh | 1349 kWh | 2024 kWh | £349 | £202 | £551 | £8,138 | 14.8 yrs | £2,881 |
| 5 kW | 4216 kWh | 1686 kWh | 2529 kWh | £436 | £253 | £689 | £10,173 | 14.8 yrs | £3,601 |
| 6 kW | 5059 kWh | 2024 kWh | 3035 kWh | £523 | £304 | £826 | £12,207 | 14.8 yrs | £4,321 |
| 7 kW | 5902 kWh | 2361 kWh | 3541 kWh | £610 | £354 | £964 | £14,242 | 14.8 yrs | £5,042 |
| 8 kW | 6745 kWh | 2698 kWh | 4047 kWh | £697 | £405 | £1,102 | £16,276 | 14.8 yrs | £5,762 |
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: £822, Upfront: £12,273, Break-even: 14.9 yrs
| System | Annual output | Self-use | Exported | Bill saving | Export income | Annual benefit | Upfront cost | Break-even | 20-year net |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 kW | 1686 kWh | 1012 kWh | 675 kWh | £261 | £67 | £329 | £6,169 | 18.8 yrs | £409 |
| 3 kW | 2529 kWh | 1518 kWh | 1012 kWh | £392 | £101 | £493 | £8,204 | 16.6 yrs | £1,663 |
| 4 kW | 3373 kWh | 2024 kWh | 1349 kWh | £523 | £135 | £658 | £10,238 | 15.6 yrs | £2,918 |
| 5 kW | 4216 kWh | 2529 kWh | 1686 kWh | £654 | £169 | £822 | £12,273 | 14.9 yrs | £4,172 |
| 6 kW | 5059 kWh | 3035 kWh | 2024 kWh | £784 | £202 | £987 | £14,307 | 14.5 yrs | £5,427 |
| 7 kW | 5902 kWh | 3541 kWh | 2361 kWh | £915 | £236 | £1,151 | £16,342 | 14.2 yrs | £6,681 |
| 8 kW | 6745 kWh | 4047 kWh | 2698 kWh | £1,046 | £270 | £1,316 | £18,376 | 14.0 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.
5 kWh battery 5 kW example → Annual benefit: £889, Upfront: £13,673, Break-even: 15.4 yrs
| System | Annual output | Self-use | Exported | Bill saving | Export income | Annual benefit | Upfront cost | Break-even | 20-year net |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 kW | 1686 kWh | 1180 kWh | 506 kWh | £305 | £51 | £356 | £7,569 | 21.3 yrs | £-457 |
| 3 kW | 2529 kWh | 1771 kWh | 759 kWh | £458 | £76 | £533 | £9,604 | 18.0 yrs | £1,065 |
| 4 kW | 3373 kWh | 2361 kWh | 1012 kWh | £610 | £101 | £711 | £11,638 | 16.4 yrs | £2,586 |
| 5 kW | 4216 kWh | 2951 kWh | 1265 kWh | £763 | £126 | £889 | £13,673 | 15.4 yrs | £4,108 |
| 6 kW | 5059 kWh | 3541 kWh | 1518 kWh | £915 | £152 | £1,067 | £15,707 | 14.7 yrs | £5,629 |
| 7 kW | 5902 kWh | 4131 kWh | 1771 kWh | £1,068 | £177 | £1,245 | £17,742 | 14.3 yrs | £7,151 |
| 8 kW | 6745 kWh | 4722 kWh | 2024 kWh | £1,220 | £202 | £1,422 | £19,776 | 13.9 yrs | £8,672 |
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: £909, Upfront: £15,423, Break-even: 17.0 yrs
| System | Annual output | Self-use | Exported | Bill saving | Export income | Annual benefit | Upfront cost | Break-even | 20-year net |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 kW | 1686 kWh | 1231 kWh | 455 kWh | £318 | £46 | £364 | £9,319 | 25.6 yrs | £-2,047 |
| 3 kW | 2529 kWh | 1846 kWh | 683 kWh | £477 | £68 | £545 | £11,354 | 20.8 yrs | £-445 |
| 4 kW | 3373 kWh | 2462 kWh | 911 kWh | £636 | £91 | £727 | £13,388 | 18.4 yrs | £1,157 |
| 5 kW | 4216 kWh | 3077 kWh | 1138 kWh | £795 | £114 | £909 | £15,423 | 17.0 yrs | £2,758 |
| 6 kW | 5059 kWh | 3693 kWh | 1366 kWh | £954 | £137 | £1,091 | £17,457 | 16.0 yrs | £4,360 |
| 7 kW | 5902 kWh | 4308 kWh | 1594 kWh | £1,113 | £159 | £1,273 | £19,492 | 15.3 yrs | £5,962 |
| 8 kW | 6745 kWh | 4924 kWh | 1821 kWh | £1,272 | £182 | £1,454 | £21,526 | 14.8 yrs | £7,564 |
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: £922, Upfront: £17,173, Break-even: 18.6 yrs
| System | Annual output | Self-use | Exported | Bill saving | Export income | Annual benefit | Upfront cost | Break-even | 20-year net |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 kW | 1686 kWh | 1265 kWh | 422 kWh | £327 | £42 | £369 | £11,069 | 30.0 yrs | £-3,690 |
| 3 kW | 2529 kWh | 1897 kWh | 632 kWh | £490 | £63 | £553 | £13,104 | 23.7 yrs | £-2,035 |
| 4 kW | 3373 kWh | 2529 kWh | 843 kWh | £654 | £84 | £738 | £15,138 | 20.5 yrs | £-380 |
| 5 kW | 4216 kWh | 3162 kWh | 1054 kWh | £817 | £105 | £922 | £17,173 | 18.6 yrs | £1,276 |
| 6 kW | 5059 kWh | 3794 kWh | 1265 kWh | £980 | £126 | £1,107 | £19,207 | 17.4 yrs | £2,931 |
| 7 kW | 5902 kWh | 4427 kWh | 1476 kWh | £1,144 | £148 | £1,291 | £21,242 | 16.4 yrs | £4,586 |
| 8 kW | 6745 kWh | 5059 kWh | 1686 kWh | £1,307 | £169 | £1,476 | £23,276 | 15.8 yrs | £6,241 |
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: £936, Upfront: £19,623, Break-even: 21.0 yrs
| System | Annual output | Self-use | Exported | Bill saving | Export income | Annual benefit | Upfront cost | Break-even | 20-year net |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 kW | 1686 kWh | 1298 kWh | 388 kWh | £336 | £39 | £374 | £13,519 | 36.1 yrs | £-6,033 |
| 3 kW | 2529 kWh | 1948 kWh | 582 kWh | £503 | £58 | £561 | £15,554 | 27.7 yrs | £-4,324 |
| 4 kW | 3373 kWh | 2597 kWh | 776 kWh | £671 | £78 | £749 | £17,588 | 23.5 yrs | £-2,616 |
| 5 kW | 4216 kWh | 3246 kWh | 970 kWh | £839 | £97 | £936 | £19,623 | 21.0 yrs | £-907 |
| 6 kW | 5059 kWh | 3895 kWh | 1164 kWh | £1,007 | £116 | £1,123 | £21,657 | 19.3 yrs | £801 |
| 7 kW | 5902 kWh | 4545 kWh | 1357 kWh | £1,174 | £136 | £1,310 | £23,692 | 18.1 yrs | £2,510 |
| 8 kW | 6745 kWh | 5194 kWh | 1551 kWh | £1,342 | £155 | £1,497 | £25,726 | 17.2 yrs | £4,218 |
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.