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Big Roof Britain Solar Payback Index Standing Charge Drag

Solar Panels in NP23 (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
£772
What you save every year
Profit Over 25 Years
£9,115
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 922 kWh/kW — 46 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 922 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)
922 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: £772, 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 1844 kWh 738 kWh 1107 kWh £198 £111 £309 £4,069 13.2 yrs £2,103
3 kW 2767 kWh 1107 kWh 1660 kWh £297 £166 £463 £6,104 13.2 yrs £3,155
4 kW 3689 kWh 1476 kWh 2213 kWh £396 £221 £617 £8,138 13.2 yrs £4,206
5 kW 4611 kWh 1844 kWh 2767 kWh £495 £277 £772 £10,173 13.2 yrs £5,258
6 kW 5533 kWh 2213 kWh 3320 kWh £594 £332 £926 £12,207 13.2 yrs £6,309
7 kW 6455 kWh 2582 kWh 3873 kWh £693 £387 £1,080 £14,242 13.2 yrs £7,361
8 kW 7378 kWh 2951 kWh 4427 kWh £792 £443 £1,234 £16,276 13.2 yrs £8,413

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: £927, Upfront: £12,273, 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 1844 kWh 1107 kWh 738 kWh £297 £74 £371 £6,169 16.6 yrs £1,245
3 kW 2767 kWh 1660 kWh 1107 kWh £445 £111 £556 £8,204 14.8 yrs £2,917
4 kW 3689 kWh 2213 kWh 1476 kWh £594 £148 £741 £10,238 13.8 yrs £4,590
5 kW 4611 kWh 2767 kWh 1844 kWh £742 £184 £927 £12,273 13.2 yrs £6,262
6 kW 5533 kWh 3320 kWh 2213 kWh £891 £221 £1,112 £14,307 12.9 yrs £7,934
7 kW 6455 kWh 3873 kWh 2582 kWh £1,039 £258 £1,297 £16,342 12.6 yrs £9,607
8 kW 7378 kWh 4427 kWh 2951 kWh £1,188 £295 £1,483 £18,376 12.4 yrs £11,279

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: £1,004, Upfront: £13,673, Break-even: 13.6 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1844 kWh 1291 kWh 553 kWh £346 £55 £402 £7,569 18.8 yrs £466
3 kW 2767 kWh 1937 kWh 830 kWh £520 £83 £603 £9,604 15.9 yrs £2,448
4 kW 3689 kWh 2582 kWh 1107 kWh £693 £111 £803 £11,638 14.5 yrs £4,431
5 kW 4611 kWh 3228 kWh 1383 kWh £866 £138 £1,004 £13,673 13.6 yrs £6,414
6 kW 5533 kWh 3873 kWh 1660 kWh £1,039 £166 £1,205 £15,707 13.0 yrs £8,397
7 kW 6455 kWh 4519 kWh 1937 kWh £1,212 £194 £1,406 £17,742 12.6 yrs £10,380
8 kW 7378 kWh 5164 kWh 2213 kWh £1,386 £221 £1,607 £19,776 12.3 yrs £12,363

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: £1,028, Upfront: £15,423, Break-even: 15.0 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1844 kWh 1346 kWh 498 kWh £361 £50 £411 £9,319 22.7 yrs £-1,098
3 kW 2767 kWh 2020 kWh 747 kWh £542 £75 £617 £11,354 18.4 yrs £978
4 kW 3689 kWh 2693 kWh 996 kWh £722 £100 £822 £13,388 16.3 yrs £3,054
5 kW 4611 kWh 3366 kWh 1245 kWh £903 £124 £1,028 £15,423 15.0 yrs £5,130
6 kW 5533 kWh 4039 kWh 1494 kWh £1,084 £149 £1,233 £17,457 14.2 yrs £7,206
7 kW 6455 kWh 4712 kWh 1743 kWh £1,264 £174 £1,439 £19,492 13.5 yrs £9,282
8 kW 7378 kWh 5386 kWh 1992 kWh £1,445 £199 £1,644 £21,526 13.1 yrs £11,358

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: £1,043, 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 1844 kWh 1383 kWh 461 kWh £371 £46 £417 £11,069 26.5 yrs £-2,724
3 kW 2767 kWh 2075 kWh 692 kWh £557 £69 £626 £13,104 20.9 yrs £-586
4 kW 3689 kWh 2767 kWh 922 kWh £742 £92 £835 £15,138 18.1 yrs £1,552
5 kW 4611 kWh 3458 kWh 1153 kWh £928 £115 £1,043 £17,173 16.5 yrs £3,690
6 kW 5533 kWh 4150 kWh 1383 kWh £1,113 £138 £1,252 £19,207 15.3 yrs £5,828
7 kW 6455 kWh 4842 kWh 1614 kWh £1,299 £161 £1,460 £21,242 14.5 yrs £7,966
8 kW 7378 kWh 5533 kWh 1844 kWh £1,485 £184 £1,669 £23,276 13.9 yrs £10,104

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: £1,059, Upfront: £19,623, Break-even: 18.5 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1844 kWh 1420 kWh 424 kWh £381 £42 £423 £13,519 31.9 yrs £-5,050
3 kW 2767 kWh 2130 kWh 636 kWh £572 £64 £635 £15,554 24.5 yrs £-2,850
4 kW 3689 kWh 2840 kWh 848 kWh £762 £85 £847 £17,588 20.8 yrs £-650
5 kW 4611 kWh 3551 kWh 1061 kWh £953 £106 £1,059 £19,623 18.5 yrs £1,551
6 kW 5533 kWh 4261 kWh 1273 kWh £1,143 £127 £1,270 £21,657 17.0 yrs £3,751
7 kW 6455 kWh 4971 kWh 1485 kWh £1,334 £148 £1,482 £23,692 16.0 yrs £5,951
8 kW 7378 kWh 5681 kWh 1697 kWh £1,524 £170 £1,694 £25,726 15.2 yrs £8,151

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 NP23

Figures below are tailored to NP23 — click through for full league tables.

Big-Roof Britain Rank #1308 of 2182
4.8 kWp (UK avg 5.1 kWp)
~10 panels (≈430 W)
Solar Payback Index Rank #1799 of 2997
11.5 years (UK avg 11.3 years)
~£888 /yr • £10,173 upfront
Standing-Charge Drag Rank #1644 of 2997
21.2% (UK avg 21.7%) drag on savings
£189 fixed • ~£888 /yr value

Your Area at a Glance

Your Electricity Rate
26.83p/kWh
Daily Fixed Charge
51.69p/day
Local Sunshine
922kWh/kW
A 1 kW system generates ~922 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: 80% • Flats: 14% • Bungalows: 5% Based on 6,852 properties

Coverage

Blaenau Gwent (100%)

Areas Covered

Ebbw Vale South, Brynmawr, Beaufort, Ebbw Vale North, Nantyglo, Rassau and Garnlydan, Cwm, Llanelly + 1 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 Wales

NP3 (Blaenau Gwent)
≈2.5 km away
Local sunshine: ~928 kWh/kWp · +1% vs NP23
NP22 (Blaenau Gwent)
≈3.5 km away
Local sunshine: ~919 kWh/kWp · -0% vs NP23
NP13 (Blaenau Gwent)
≈7.5 km away
Local sunshine: ~933 kWh/kWp · +1% vs NP23
NP24 (Caerphilly)
≈7.8 km away
Local sunshine: ~881 kWh/kWp · -5% vs NP23
NP8 (Powys)
≈9.2 km away
Local sunshine: ~953 kWh/kWp · +3% vs NP23
NP2 (Caerphilly)
≈9.3 km away
Local sunshine: ~918 kWh/kWp · -0% vs NP23

Similar sunshine across the UK

L32 (Knowsley)
~922 kWh/kWp · +0% vs NP23
L33 (Knowsley)
~922 kWh/kWp · +0% vs NP23
NE8 (Gateshead)
~922 kWh/kWp · +0% vs NP23