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Big Roof Britain Solar Payback Index Standing Charge Drag

Solar Panels in NP22 (Blaenau Gwent)

See if solar pays off for you in Blaenau Gwent — price, savings and payback in under a minute (official UK data).

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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
13.2 years
After this, it's pure profit
Upfront Cost
£10,173
What you pay to get started
Annual Benefit
£769
What you save every year
Profit Over 25 Years
£9,051
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 Wales, the current unit rate is 26.83p/kWh with a 51.69p/day standing charge. Your postcode’s south-facing sunshine yield is 919 kWh/kW — 49 below the regional median (968).

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 919 kWh per year on a south-facing roof. We value self-used electricity at 26.8p and exported surplus at a baseline 10p via SEG. Use the calculator above for your exact tariff.

Unit rate
26.8p/kWh
Standing charge
51.7p/day
Sunshine yield (south)
919 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: £769, Upfront: £10,173, 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 1838 kWh 735 kWh 1103 kWh £197 £110 £308 £4,069 13.2 yrs £2,083
3 kW 2757 kWh 1103 kWh 1654 kWh £296 £165 £461 £6,104 13.2 yrs £3,124
4 kW 3677 kWh 1471 kWh 2206 kWh £395 £221 £615 £8,138 13.2 yrs £4,165
5 kW 4596 kWh 1838 kWh 2757 kWh £493 £276 £769 £10,173 13.2 yrs £5,206
6 kW 5515 kWh 2206 kWh 3309 kWh £592 £331 £923 £12,207 13.2 yrs £6,248
7 kW 6434 kWh 2574 kWh 3860 kWh £690 £386 £1,077 £14,242 13.2 yrs £7,289
8 kW 7353 kWh 2941 kWh 4412 kWh £789 £441 £1,230 £16,276 13.2 yrs £8,330

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: £924, Upfront: £12,273, Break-even: 13.3 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1838 kWh 1103 kWh 735 kWh £296 £74 £369 £6,169 16.7 yrs £1,220
3 kW 2757 kWh 1654 kWh 1103 kWh £444 £110 £554 £8,204 14.8 yrs £2,880
4 kW 3677 kWh 2206 kWh 1471 kWh £592 £147 £739 £10,238 13.9 yrs £4,540
5 kW 4596 kWh 2757 kWh 1838 kWh £740 £184 £924 £12,273 13.3 yrs £6,200
6 kW 5515 kWh 3309 kWh 2206 kWh £888 £221 £1,108 £14,307 12.9 yrs £7,860
7 kW 6434 kWh 3860 kWh 2574 kWh £1,036 £257 £1,293 £16,342 12.6 yrs £9,520
8 kW 7353 kWh 4412 kWh 2941 kWh £1,184 £294 £1,478 £18,376 12.4 yrs £11,180

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: £1,001, Upfront: £13,673, Break-even: 13.7 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1838 kWh 1287 kWh 551 kWh £345 £55 £400 £7,569 18.9 yrs £439
3 kW 2757 kWh 1930 kWh 827 kWh £518 £83 £601 £9,604 16.0 yrs £2,408
4 kW 3677 kWh 2574 kWh 1103 kWh £690 £110 £801 £11,638 14.5 yrs £4,378
5 kW 4596 kWh 3217 kWh 1379 kWh £863 £138 £1,001 £13,673 13.7 yrs £6,347
6 kW 5515 kWh 3860 kWh 1654 kWh £1,036 £165 £1,201 £15,707 13.1 yrs £8,316
7 kW 6434 kWh 4504 kWh 1930 kWh £1,208 £193 £1,401 £17,742 12.7 yrs £10,286
8 kW 7353 kWh 5147 kWh 2206 kWh £1,381 £221 £1,602 £19,776 12.3 yrs £12,255

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: £1,024, Upfront: £15,423, Break-even: 15.1 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1838 kWh 1342 kWh 496 kWh £360 £50 £410 £9,319 22.7 yrs £-1,126
3 kW 2757 kWh 2013 kWh 744 kWh £540 £74 £615 £11,354 18.5 yrs £937
4 kW 3677 kWh 2684 kWh 993 kWh £720 £99 £819 £13,388 16.3 yrs £2,999
5 kW 4596 kWh 3355 kWh 1241 kWh £900 £124 £1,024 £15,423 15.1 yrs £5,061
6 kW 5515 kWh 4026 kWh 1489 kWh £1,080 £149 £1,229 £17,457 14.2 yrs £7,123
7 kW 6434 kWh 4697 kWh 1737 kWh £1,260 £174 £1,434 £19,492 13.6 yrs £9,186
8 kW 7353 kWh 5368 kWh 1985 kWh £1,440 £199 £1,639 £21,526 13.1 yrs £11,248

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: £1,040, Upfront: £17,173, Break-even: 16.5 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1838 kWh 1379 kWh 460 kWh £370 £46 £416 £11,069 26.6 yrs £-2,752
3 kW 2757 kWh 2068 kWh 689 kWh £555 £69 £624 £13,104 21.0 yrs £-628
4 kW 3677 kWh 2757 kWh 919 kWh £740 £92 £832 £15,138 18.2 yrs £1,496
5 kW 4596 kWh 3447 kWh 1149 kWh £925 £115 £1,040 £17,173 16.5 yrs £3,620
6 kW 5515 kWh 4136 kWh 1379 kWh £1,110 £138 £1,248 £19,207 15.4 yrs £5,745
7 kW 6434 kWh 4825 kWh 1608 kWh £1,295 £161 £1,456 £21,242 14.6 yrs £7,869
8 kW 7353 kWh 5515 kWh 1838 kWh £1,480 £184 £1,663 £23,276 14.0 yrs £9,993

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: £1,055, Upfront: £19,623, 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 1838 kWh 1415 kWh 423 kWh £380 £42 £422 £13,519 32.0 yrs £-5,078
3 kW 2757 kWh 2123 kWh 634 kWh £570 £63 £633 £15,554 24.6 yrs £-2,892
4 kW 3677 kWh 2831 kWh 846 kWh £760 £85 £844 £17,588 20.8 yrs £-706
5 kW 4596 kWh 3539 kWh 1057 kWh £949 £106 £1,055 £19,623 18.6 yrs £1,480
6 kW 5515 kWh 4246 kWh 1268 kWh £1,139 £127 £1,266 £21,657 17.1 yrs £3,666
7 kW 6434 kWh 4954 kWh 1480 kWh £1,329 £148 £1,477 £23,692 16.0 yrs £5,852
8 kW 7353 kWh 5662 kWh 1691 kWh £1,519 £169 £1,688 £25,726 15.2 yrs £8,038

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 NP22

Figures below are tailored to NP22 — click through for full league tables.

Big-Roof Britain Rank #1239 of 2182
4.9 kWp (UK avg 5.1 kWp)
~10 panels (≈430 W)
Solar Payback Index Rank #1798 of 2997
11.5 years (UK avg 11.3 years)
~£885 /yr • £10,173 upfront
Standing-Charge Drag Rank #1658 of 2997
21.3% (UK avg 21.7%) drag on savings
£189 fixed • ~£885 /yr value

Your Area at a Glance

Your Electricity Rate
26.83p/kWh
Daily Fixed Charge
51.69p/day
Local Sunshine
919kWh/kW
A 1 kW system generates ~919 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: 75% • Flats: 14% • Bungalows: 10% Based on 5,151 properties

Coverage

Blaenau Gwent (70%)|Caerphilly (30%)

Areas Covered

Tredegar, Sirhowy, Twyn Carno, Moriah and Pontlottyn, Georgetown, Rassau and Garnlydan

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 Wales

NP23 (Blaenau Gwent)
≈3.5 km away
Local sunshine: ~922 kWh/kWp · +0% vs NP22
NP3 (Blaenau Gwent)
≈5.2 km away
Local sunshine: ~928 kWh/kWp · +1% vs NP22
NP24 (Caerphilly)
≈5.7 km away
Local sunshine: ~881 kWh/kWp · -4% vs NP22
NP2 (Caerphilly)
≈7.7 km away
Local sunshine: ~918 kWh/kWp · -0% vs NP22
CF48 (Merthyr Tydfil)
≈7.9 km away
Local sunshine: ~899 kWh/kWp · -2% vs NP22
NP13 (Blaenau Gwent)
≈8.8 km away
Local sunshine: ~933 kWh/kWp · +2% vs NP22

Similar sunshine across the UK

LS7 (Leeds)
~919 kWh/kWp · +0% vs NP22
NE11 (Gateshead)
~919 kWh/kWp · +0% vs NP22
L39 (West Lancashire)
~919 kWh/kWp · -0% vs NP22