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Big Roof Britain Solar Payback Index Standing Charge Drag

Solar Panels in PR5 (South Ribble)

See if solar pays off for you in South Ribble — 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
14.0 years
After this, it's pure profit
Upfront Cost
£10,173
What you pay to get started
Annual Benefit
£724
What you save every year
Profit Over 25 Years
£7,928
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 North West, the current unit rate is 27.11p/kWh with a 51.16p/day standing charge. Your postcode’s south-facing sunshine yield is 860 kWh/kW — 10 below the regional median (870).

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 860 kWh per year on a south-facing roof. We value self-used electricity at 27.1p and exported surplus at a baseline 10p via SEG. Use the calculator above for your exact tariff.

Unit rate
27.1p/kWh
Standing charge
51.2p/day
Sunshine yield (south)
860 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: £724, Upfront: £10,173, Break-even: 14.0 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1719 kWh 688 kWh 1032 kWh £186 £103 £290 £4,069 14.0 yrs £1,723
3 kW 2579 kWh 1032 kWh 1547 kWh £280 £155 £434 £6,104 14.0 yrs £2,585
4 kW 3439 kWh 1376 kWh 2063 kWh £373 £206 £579 £8,138 14.0 yrs £3,447
5 kW 4298 kWh 1719 kWh 2579 kWh £466 £258 £724 £10,173 14.0 yrs £4,308
6 kW 5158 kWh 2063 kWh 3095 kWh £559 £309 £869 £12,207 14.0 yrs £5,170
7 kW 6018 kWh 2407 kWh 3611 kWh £653 £361 £1,014 £14,242 14.0 yrs £6,032
8 kW 6878 kWh 2751 kWh 4127 kWh £746 £413 £1,158 £16,276 14.0 yrs £6,893

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: £871, Upfront: £12,273, Break-even: 14.1 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1719 kWh 1032 kWh 688 kWh £280 £69 £348 £6,169 17.7 yrs £800
3 kW 2579 kWh 1547 kWh 1032 kWh £420 £103 £523 £8,204 15.7 yrs £2,250
4 kW 3439 kWh 2063 kWh 1376 kWh £559 £138 £697 £10,238 14.7 yrs £3,700
5 kW 4298 kWh 2579 kWh 1719 kWh £699 £172 £871 £12,273 14.1 yrs £5,150
6 kW 5158 kWh 3095 kWh 2063 kWh £839 £206 £1,045 £14,307 13.7 yrs £6,600
7 kW 6018 kWh 3611 kWh 2407 kWh £979 £241 £1,220 £16,342 13.4 yrs £8,050
8 kW 6878 kWh 4127 kWh 2751 kWh £1,119 £275 £1,394 £18,376 13.2 yrs £9,500

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: £945, Upfront: £13,673, 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 1719 kWh 1204 kWh 516 kWh £326 £52 £378 £7,569 20.0 yrs £-12
3 kW 2579 kWh 1805 kWh 774 kWh £489 £77 £567 £9,604 16.9 yrs £1,733
4 kW 3439 kWh 2407 kWh 1032 kWh £653 £103 £756 £11,638 15.4 yrs £3,477
5 kW 4298 kWh 3009 kWh 1290 kWh £816 £129 £945 £13,673 14.5 yrs £5,221
6 kW 5158 kWh 3611 kWh 1547 kWh £979 £155 £1,134 £15,707 13.9 yrs £6,965
7 kW 6018 kWh 4213 kWh 1805 kWh £1,142 £181 £1,323 £17,742 13.4 yrs £8,710
8 kW 6878 kWh 4814 kWh 2063 kWh £1,305 £206 £1,511 £19,776 13.1 yrs £10,454

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: £967, Upfront: £15,423, 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 1719 kWh 1255 kWh 464 kWh £340 £46 £387 £9,319 24.1 yrs £-1,585
3 kW 2579 kWh 1883 kWh 696 kWh £510 £70 £580 £11,354 19.6 yrs £247
4 kW 3439 kWh 2510 kWh 928 kWh £681 £93 £773 £13,388 17.3 yrs £2,080
5 kW 4298 kWh 3138 kWh 1161 kWh £851 £116 £967 £15,423 16.0 yrs £3,912
6 kW 5158 kWh 3765 kWh 1393 kWh £1,021 £139 £1,160 £17,457 15.0 yrs £5,745
7 kW 6018 kWh 4393 kWh 1625 kWh £1,191 £162 £1,353 £19,492 14.4 yrs £7,577
8 kW 6878 kWh 5021 kWh 1857 kWh £1,361 £186 £1,547 £21,526 13.9 yrs £9,410

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: £981, Upfront: £17,173, Break-even: 17.5 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1719 kWh 1290 kWh 430 kWh £350 £43 £393 £11,069 28.2 yrs £-3,217
3 kW 2579 kWh 1934 kWh 645 kWh £524 £64 £589 £13,104 22.3 yrs £-1,326
4 kW 3439 kWh 2579 kWh 860 kWh £699 £86 £785 £15,138 19.3 yrs £565
5 kW 4298 kWh 3224 kWh 1075 kWh £874 £107 £981 £17,173 17.5 yrs £2,457
6 kW 5158 kWh 3869 kWh 1290 kWh £1,049 £129 £1,178 £19,207 16.3 yrs £4,348
7 kW 6018 kWh 4513 kWh 1504 kWh £1,224 £150 £1,374 £21,242 15.5 yrs £6,239
8 kW 6878 kWh 5158 kWh 1719 kWh £1,398 £172 £1,570 £23,276 14.8 yrs £8,130

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: £996, Upfront: £19,623, Break-even: 19.7 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1719 kWh 1324 kWh 395 kWh £359 £40 £398 £13,519 33.9 yrs £-5,550
3 kW 2579 kWh 1986 kWh 593 kWh £538 £59 £598 £15,554 26.0 yrs £-3,600
4 kW 3439 kWh 2648 kWh 791 kWh £718 £79 £797 £17,588 22.1 yrs £-1,649
5 kW 4298 kWh 3310 kWh 989 kWh £897 £99 £996 £19,623 19.7 yrs £301
6 kW 5158 kWh 3972 kWh 1186 kWh £1,077 £119 £1,195 £21,657 18.1 yrs £2,251
7 kW 6018 kWh 4634 kWh 1384 kWh £1,256 £138 £1,395 £23,692 17.0 yrs £4,201
8 kW 6878 kWh 5296 kWh 1582 kWh £1,436 £158 £1,594 £25,726 16.1 yrs £6,151

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 PR5

Figures below are tailored to PR5 — click through for full league tables.

Big-Roof Britain Rank #1217 of 2182
4.9 kWp (UK avg 5.1 kWp)
~10 panels (≈430 W)
Solar Payback Index Rank #2520 of 2997
12.2 years (UK avg 11.3 years)
~£834 /yr • £10,173 upfront
Standing-Charge Drag Rank #1997 of 2997
22.4% (UK avg 21.7%) drag on savings
£187 fixed • ~£834 /yr value

Your Area at a Glance

Your Electricity Rate
27.11p/kWh
Daily Fixed Charge
51.16p/day
Local Sunshine
860kWh/kW
A 1 kW system generates ~860 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: 73% • Flats: 12% • Bungalows: 13% Based on 9,450 properties

Coverage

South Ribble (86%)|Chorley (14%)

Areas Covered

Bamber Bridge East, Lostock Hall, Broadfield, St Ambrose, Samlesbury & Walton, Clayton East, Brindle & Hoghton, Leyland Central + 6 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 North West

PR25 (South Ribble)
≈2.6 km away
Local sunshine: ~898 kWh/kWp · +4% vs PR5
PR26 (South Ribble)
≈4.4 km away
Local sunshine: ~891 kWh/kWp · +4% vs PR5
PR0 (Preston)
≈4.6 km away
Local sunshine: ~884 kWh/kWp · +3% vs PR5
PR1 (Preston)
≈4.8 km away
Local sunshine: ~891 kWh/kWp · +4% vs PR5
PR2 (Preston)
≈6.9 km away
Local sunshine: ~894 kWh/kWp · +4% vs PR5
PR7 (Chorley)
≈7.9 km away
Local sunshine: ~862 kWh/kWp · +0% vs PR5

Similar sunshine across the UK

EH23 (Midlothian)
~860 kWh/kWp · -0% vs PR5
LL23 (Gwynedd)
~860 kWh/kWp · -0% vs PR5
BT54 (Causeway Coast and Glens)
~860 kWh/kWp · +0% vs PR5