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Big Roof Britain Solar Payback Index Standing Charge Drag

Solar Panels in S20 (Sheffield)

See if solar pays off for you in Sheffield — 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
13.4 years
After this, it's pure profit
Upfront Cost
£8,138
What you pay to get started
Annual Benefit
£608
What you save every year
Profit Over 25 Years
£7,066
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 Yorkshire, the current unit rate is 25.33p/kWh with a 58.65p/day standing charge. Your postcode’s south-facing sunshine yield is 942 kWh/kW — 13 above the regional median (929).

Read the full story

A typical roof here lands around 4.0 kW, with most eligible homes comfortably fitting within 3–6 kW. Each kilowatt of panels produces roughly 942 kWh per year on a south-facing roof. We value self-used electricity at 25.3p and exported surplus at a baseline 10p via SEG. Use the calculator above for your exact tariff.

Unit rate
25.3p/kWh
Standing charge
58.6p/day
Sunshine yield (south)
942 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: £760, Upfront: £10,173, Break-even: 13.4 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1885 kWh 754 kWh 1131 kWh £191 £113 £304 £4,069 13.4 yrs £2,013
3 kW 2827 kWh 1131 kWh 1696 kWh £286 £170 £456 £6,104 13.4 yrs £3,019
4 kW 3770 kWh 1508 kWh 2262 kWh £382 £226 £608 £8,138 13.4 yrs £4,025
5 kW 4712 kWh 1885 kWh 2827 kWh £477 £283 £760 £10,173 13.4 yrs £5,032
6 kW 5655 kWh 2262 kWh 3393 kWh £573 £339 £912 £12,207 13.4 yrs £6,038
7 kW 6597 kWh 2639 kWh 3958 kWh £668 £396 £1,064 £14,242 13.4 yrs £7,044
8 kW 7540 kWh 3016 kWh 4524 kWh £764 £452 £1,216 £16,276 13.4 yrs £8,051

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: £905, Upfront: £12,273, 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 1885 kWh 1131 kWh 754 kWh £286 £75 £362 £6,169 17.0 yrs £1,069
3 kW 2827 kWh 1696 kWh 1131 kWh £430 £113 £543 £8,204 15.1 yrs £2,653
4 kW 3770 kWh 2262 kWh 1508 kWh £573 £151 £724 £10,238 14.1 yrs £4,237
5 kW 4712 kWh 2827 kWh 1885 kWh £716 £188 £905 £12,273 13.6 yrs £5,821
6 kW 5655 kWh 3393 kWh 2262 kWh £859 £226 £1,086 £14,307 13.2 yrs £7,406
7 kW 6597 kWh 3958 kWh 2639 kWh £1,003 £264 £1,267 £16,342 12.9 yrs £8,990
8 kW 7540 kWh 4524 kWh 3016 kWh £1,146 £302 £1,448 £18,376 12.7 yrs £10,574

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: £977, Upfront: £13,673, 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 1885 kWh 1319 kWh 565 kWh £334 £57 £391 £7,569 19.4 yrs £246
3 kW 2827 kWh 1979 kWh 848 kWh £501 £85 £586 £9,604 16.4 yrs £2,120
4 kW 3770 kWh 2639 kWh 1131 kWh £668 £113 £782 £11,638 14.9 yrs £3,993
5 kW 4712 kWh 3299 kWh 1414 kWh £836 £141 £977 £13,673 14.0 yrs £5,866
6 kW 5655 kWh 3958 kWh 1696 kWh £1,003 £170 £1,172 £15,707 13.4 yrs £7,739
7 kW 6597 kWh 4618 kWh 1979 kWh £1,170 £198 £1,368 £17,742 13.0 yrs £9,613
8 kW 7540 kWh 5278 kWh 2262 kWh £1,337 £226 £1,563 £19,776 12.7 yrs £11,486

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: £999, Upfront: £15,423, 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 1885 kWh 1376 kWh 509 kWh £349 £51 £399 £9,319 23.3 yrs £-1,330
3 kW 2827 kWh 2064 kWh 763 kWh £523 £76 £599 £11,354 18.9 yrs £630
4 kW 3770 kWh 2752 kWh 1018 kWh £697 £102 £799 £13,388 16.8 yrs £2,590
5 kW 4712 kWh 3440 kWh 1272 kWh £871 £127 £999 £15,423 15.4 yrs £4,550
6 kW 5655 kWh 4128 kWh 1527 kWh £1,046 £153 £1,198 £17,457 14.6 yrs £6,510
7 kW 6597 kWh 4816 kWh 1781 kWh £1,220 £178 £1,398 £19,492 13.9 yrs £8,470
8 kW 7540 kWh 5504 kWh 2036 kWh £1,394 £204 £1,598 £21,526 13.5 yrs £10,429

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: £1,013, Upfront: £17,173, 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 1885 kWh 1414 kWh 471 kWh £358 £47 £405 £11,069 27.3 yrs £-2,965
3 kW 2827 kWh 2121 kWh 707 kWh £537 £71 £608 £13,104 21.6 yrs £-947
4 kW 3770 kWh 2827 kWh 942 kWh £716 £94 £810 £15,138 18.7 yrs £1,071
5 kW 4712 kWh 3534 kWh 1178 kWh £895 £118 £1,013 £17,173 17.0 yrs £3,089
6 kW 5655 kWh 4241 kWh 1414 kWh £1,074 £141 £1,216 £19,207 15.8 yrs £5,106
7 kW 6597 kWh 4948 kWh 1649 kWh £1,253 £165 £1,418 £21,242 15.0 yrs £7,124
8 kW 7540 kWh 5655 kWh 1885 kWh £1,432 £188 £1,621 £23,276 14.4 yrs £9,142

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: £1,028, Upfront: £19,623, Break-even: 19.1 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1885 kWh 1451 kWh 434 kWh £368 £43 £411 £13,519 32.9 yrs £-5,299
3 kW 2827 kWh 2177 kWh 650 kWh £551 £65 £617 £15,554 25.2 yrs £-3,223
4 kW 3770 kWh 2903 kWh 867 kWh £735 £87 £822 £17,588 21.4 yrs £-1,148
5 kW 4712 kWh 3629 kWh 1084 kWh £919 £108 £1,028 £19,623 19.1 yrs £928
6 kW 5655 kWh 4354 kWh 1301 kWh £1,103 £130 £1,233 £21,657 17.6 yrs £3,003
7 kW 6597 kWh 5080 kWh 1517 kWh £1,287 £152 £1,439 £23,692 16.5 yrs £5,079
8 kW 7540 kWh 5806 kWh 1734 kWh £1,471 £173 £1,644 £25,726 15.6 yrs £7,154

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 S20

Figures below are tailored to S20 — click through for full league tables.

Big-Roof Britain Rank #1548 of 2182
4.6 kWp (UK avg 5.1 kWp)
~10 panels (≈430 W)
Solar Payback Index Rank #2015 of 2997
11.7 years (UK avg 11.3 years)
~£695 /yr • £8,138 upfront
Standing-Charge Drag Rank #2649 of 2997
30.8% (UK avg 21.7%) drag on savings
£214 fixed • ~£695 /yr value

Your Area at a Glance

Your Electricity Rate
25.33p/kWh
Daily Fixed Charge
58.65p/day
Local Sunshine
942kWh/kW
A 1 kW system generates ~942 kWh per year. A typical home uses ~2,700 kWh per year.
Typical System Size
4.0kW
For houses & bungalows in this area

Local Property Data

Property Types

Houses: 71% • Flats: 15% • Bungalows: 13% Based on 6,549 properties

Coverage

Sheffield (100%)

Areas Covered

Mosborough, Beighton, Aughton & Swallownest

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 Yorkshire

S19 (Sheffield)
≈0.4 km away
Local sunshine: ~935 kWh/kWp · -1% vs S20
S31 (Rotherham)
≈3.5 km away
Local sunshine: ~946 kWh/kWp · +0% vs S20
S13 (Sheffield)
≈4.3 km away
Local sunshine: ~932 kWh/kWp · -1% vs S20
S26 (Rotherham)
≈4.6 km away
Local sunshine: ~953 kWh/kWp · +1% vs S20
S12 (Sheffield)
≈5.0 km away
Local sunshine: ~929 kWh/kWp · -1% vs S20
S14 (Sheffield)
≈6.7 km away
Local sunshine: ~924 kWh/kWp · -2% vs S20

Similar sunshine across the UK

B13 (Birmingham)
~942 kWh/kWp · +0% vs S20
NG6 (Nottingham)
~942 kWh/kWp · -0% vs S20
B28 (Birmingham)
~943 kWh/kWp · +0% vs S20