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Big Roof Britain Solar Payback Index Standing Charge Drag

Solar Panels in PL19 (West Devon)

See if solar pays off for you in West Devon — 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
12.8 years
After this, it's pure profit
Upfront Cost
£12,207
What you pay to get started
Annual Benefit
£955
What you save every year
Profit Over 25 Years
£11,665
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 Southern Western, the current unit rate is 26.82p/kWh with a 54.03p/day standing charge. Your postcode’s south-facing sunshine yield is 951 kWh/kW — 62 below the regional median (1013).

Read the full story

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 951 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
54.0p/day
Sunshine yield (south)
951 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: £796, Upfront: £10,173, Break-even: 12.8 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1903 kWh 761 kWh 1142 kWh £204 £114 £318 £4,069 12.8 yrs £2,297
3 kW 2854 kWh 1142 kWh 1713 kWh £306 £171 £477 £6,104 12.8 yrs £3,445
4 kW 3806 kWh 1522 kWh 2283 kWh £408 £228 £637 £8,138 12.8 yrs £4,594
5 kW 4757 kWh 1903 kWh 2854 kWh £510 £285 £796 £10,173 12.8 yrs £5,742
6 kW 5708 kWh 2283 kWh 3425 kWh £612 £343 £955 £12,207 12.8 yrs £6,891
7 kW 6660 kWh 2664 kWh 3996 kWh £714 £400 £1,114 £14,242 12.8 yrs £8,039
8 kW 7611 kWh 3044 kWh 4567 kWh £817 £457 £1,273 £16,276 12.8 yrs £9,188

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: £956, Upfront: £12,273, Break-even: 12.8 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1903 kWh 1142 kWh 761 kWh £306 £76 £382 £6,169 16.1 yrs £1,477
3 kW 2854 kWh 1713 kWh 1142 kWh £459 £114 £573 £8,204 14.3 yrs £3,266
4 kW 3806 kWh 2283 kWh 1522 kWh £612 £152 £765 £10,238 13.4 yrs £5,054
5 kW 4757 kWh 2854 kWh 1903 kWh £765 £190 £956 £12,273 12.8 yrs £6,843
6 kW 5708 kWh 3425 kWh 2283 kWh £919 £228 £1,147 £14,307 12.5 yrs £8,632
7 kW 6660 kWh 3996 kWh 2664 kWh £1,072 £266 £1,338 £16,342 12.2 yrs £10,420
8 kW 7611 kWh 4567 kWh 3044 kWh £1,225 £304 £1,529 £18,376 12.0 yrs £12,209

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: £1,036, Upfront: £13,673, 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 1903 kWh 1332 kWh 571 kWh £357 £57 £414 £7,569 18.3 yrs £717
3 kW 2854 kWh 1998 kWh 856 kWh £536 £86 £621 £9,604 15.5 yrs £2,826
4 kW 3806 kWh 2664 kWh 1142 kWh £714 £114 £829 £11,638 14.0 yrs £4,935
5 kW 4757 kWh 3330 kWh 1427 kWh £893 £143 £1,036 £13,673 13.2 yrs £7,043
6 kW 5708 kWh 3996 kWh 1713 kWh £1,072 £171 £1,243 £15,707 12.6 yrs £9,152
7 kW 6660 kWh 4662 kWh 1998 kWh £1,250 £200 £1,450 £17,742 12.2 yrs £11,261
8 kW 7611 kWh 5328 kWh 2283 kWh £1,429 £228 £1,657 £19,776 11.9 yrs £13,369

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: £1,060, Upfront: £15,423, 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 1903 kWh 1389 kWh 514 kWh £373 £51 £424 £9,319 22.0 yrs £-841
3 kW 2854 kWh 2084 kWh 771 kWh £559 £77 £636 £11,354 17.9 yrs £1,364
4 kW 3806 kWh 2778 kWh 1028 kWh £745 £103 £848 £13,388 15.8 yrs £3,569
5 kW 4757 kWh 3473 kWh 1284 kWh £931 £128 £1,060 £15,423 14.6 yrs £5,773
6 kW 5708 kWh 4167 kWh 1541 kWh £1,118 £154 £1,272 £17,457 13.7 yrs £7,978
7 kW 6660 kWh 4862 kWh 1798 kWh £1,304 £180 £1,484 £19,492 13.1 yrs £10,183
8 kW 7611 kWh 5556 kWh 2055 kWh £1,490 £206 £1,696 £21,526 12.7 yrs £12,387

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: £1,076, Upfront: £17,173, Break-even: 16.0 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1903 kWh 1427 kWh 476 kWh £383 £48 £430 £11,069 25.7 yrs £-2,463
3 kW 2854 kWh 2141 kWh 714 kWh £574 £71 £645 £13,104 20.3 yrs £-194
4 kW 3806 kWh 2854 kWh 951 kWh £765 £95 £861 £15,138 17.6 yrs £2,075
5 kW 4757 kWh 3568 kWh 1189 kWh £957 £119 £1,076 £17,173 16.0 yrs £4,343
6 kW 5708 kWh 4281 kWh 1427 kWh £1,148 £143 £1,291 £19,207 14.9 yrs £6,612
7 kW 6660 kWh 4995 kWh 1665 kWh £1,340 £166 £1,506 £21,242 14.1 yrs £8,881
8 kW 7611 kWh 5708 kWh 1903 kWh £1,531 £190 £1,721 £23,276 13.5 yrs £11,149

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: £1,092, Upfront: £19,623, Break-even: 18.0 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1903 kWh 1465 kWh 438 kWh £393 £44 £437 £13,519 31.0 yrs £-4,785
3 kW 2854 kWh 2198 kWh 656 kWh £589 £66 £655 £15,554 23.7 yrs £-2,452
4 kW 3806 kWh 2930 kWh 875 kWh £786 £88 £873 £17,588 20.1 yrs £-119
5 kW 4757 kWh 3663 kWh 1094 kWh £982 £109 £1,092 £19,623 18.0 yrs £2,213
6 kW 5708 kWh 4395 kWh 1313 kWh £1,179 £131 £1,310 £21,657 16.5 yrs £4,546
7 kW 6660 kWh 5128 kWh 1532 kWh £1,375 £153 £1,529 £23,692 15.5 yrs £6,879
8 kW 7611 kWh 5861 kWh 1751 kWh £1,572 £175 £1,747 £25,726 14.7 yrs £9,211

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 PL19

Figures below are tailored to PL19 — click through for full league tables.

Big-Roof Britain Rank #635 of 2182
5.4 kWp (UK avg 5.1 kWp)
~11 panels (≈430 W)
Solar Payback Index Rank #1452 of 2997
11.1 years (UK avg 11.3 years)
~£1,099 /yr • £12,207 upfront
Standing-Charge Drag Rank #946 of 2997
17.9% (UK avg 21.7%) drag on savings
£197 fixed • ~£1,099 /yr value

Your Area at a Glance

Your Electricity Rate
26.82p/kWh
Daily Fixed Charge
54.03p/day
Local Sunshine
951kWh/kW
A 1 kW system generates ~951 kWh per year. A typical home uses ~2,700 kWh per year.
Typical System Size
6.0kW
For houses & bungalows in this area

Local Property Data

Property Types

Houses: 68% • Flats: 17% • Bungalows: 14% Based on 4,671 properties

Coverage

West Devon (100%)

Areas Covered

Tavistock North, Tavistock South West, Milton Ford, Tavistock South East, Mary Tavy, Bere Ferrers, Dartmoor, Tamarside

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 Southern Western

PL18 (Cornwall)
≈6.3 km away
Local sunshine: ~976 kWh/kWp · +3% vs PL19
PL20 (West Devon)
≈6.9 km away
Local sunshine: ~986 kWh/kWp · +4% vs PL19
PL17 (Cornwall)
≈12.6 km away
Local sunshine: ~996 kWh/kWp · +5% vs PL19
PL16 (West Devon)
≈14.0 km away
Local sunshine: ~962 kWh/kWp · +1% vs PL19
PL6 (Plymouth)
≈14.6 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,042 kWh/kWp · +9% vs PL19
PL5 (Plymouth)
≈15.4 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,076 kWh/kWp · +13% vs PL19

Similar sunshine across the UK

B40 (Solihull)
~951 kWh/kWp · -0% vs PL19
NE32 (South Tyneside)
~952 kWh/kWp · +0% vs PL19
NE35 (South Tyneside)
~952 kWh/kWp · +0% vs PL19