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Solar Panels in SO5 (Eastleigh)

See if solar pays off for you in Eastleigh — 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
12.0 years
After this, it's pure profit
Upfront Cost
£10,173
What you pay to get started
Annual Benefit
£848
What you save every year
Profit Over 25 Years
£11,033
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, the current unit rate is 26.48p/kWh with a 44.62p/day standing charge. Your postcode’s south-facing sunshine yield is 1022 kWh/kW — 21 above the regional median (1001).

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 1022 kWh per year on a south-facing roof. We value self-used electricity at 26.5p and exported surplus at a baseline 10p via SEG. Use the calculator above for your exact tariff.

Unit rate
26.5p/kWh
Standing charge
44.6p/day
Sunshine yield (south)
1022 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: £848, Upfront: £10,173, Break-even: 12.0 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2045 kWh 818 kWh 1227 kWh £217 £123 £339 £4,069 12.0 yrs £2,717
3 kW 3067 kWh 1227 kWh 1840 kWh £325 £184 £509 £6,104 12.0 yrs £4,075
4 kW 4090 kWh 1636 kWh 2454 kWh £433 £245 £679 £8,138 12.0 yrs £5,433
5 kW 5112 kWh 2045 kWh 3067 kWh £541 £307 £848 £10,173 12.0 yrs £6,792
6 kW 6135 kWh 2454 kWh 3681 kWh £650 £368 £1,018 £12,207 12.0 yrs £8,150
7 kW 7157 kWh 2863 kWh 4294 kWh £758 £429 £1,188 £14,242 12.0 yrs £9,508
8 kW 8180 kWh 3272 kWh 4908 kWh £866 £491 £1,357 £16,276 12.0 yrs £10,867

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: £1,017, Upfront: £12,273, Break-even: 12.1 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2045 kWh 1227 kWh 818 kWh £325 £82 £407 £6,169 15.2 yrs £1,965
3 kW 3067 kWh 1840 kWh 1227 kWh £487 £123 £610 £8,204 13.4 yrs £3,997
4 kW 4090 kWh 2454 kWh 1636 kWh £650 £164 £813 £10,238 12.6 yrs £6,029
5 kW 5112 kWh 3067 kWh 2045 kWh £812 £204 £1,017 £12,273 12.1 yrs £8,062
6 kW 6135 kWh 3681 kWh 2454 kWh £975 £245 £1,220 £14,307 11.7 yrs £10,094
7 kW 7157 kWh 4294 kWh 2863 kWh £1,137 £286 £1,423 £16,342 11.5 yrs £12,126
8 kW 8180 kWh 4908 kWh 3272 kWh £1,300 £327 £1,627 £18,376 11.3 yrs £14,159

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: £1,101, Upfront: £13,673, Break-even: 12.4 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2045 kWh 1431 kWh 613 kWh £379 £61 £440 £7,569 17.2 yrs £1,239
3 kW 3067 kWh 2147 kWh 920 kWh £569 £92 £661 £9,604 14.5 yrs £3,608
4 kW 4090 kWh 2863 kWh 1227 kWh £758 £123 £881 £11,638 13.2 yrs £5,977
5 kW 5112 kWh 3579 kWh 1534 kWh £948 £153 £1,101 £13,673 12.4 yrs £8,347
6 kW 6135 kWh 4294 kWh 1840 kWh £1,137 £184 £1,321 £15,707 11.9 yrs £10,716
7 kW 7157 kWh 5010 kWh 2147 kWh £1,327 £215 £1,541 £17,742 11.5 yrs £13,085
8 kW 8180 kWh 5726 kWh 2454 kWh £1,516 £245 £1,762 £19,776 11.2 yrs £15,455

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: £1,126, Upfront: £15,423, 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 2045 kWh 1493 kWh 552 kWh £395 £55 £450 £9,319 20.7 yrs £-309
3 kW 3067 kWh 2239 kWh 828 kWh £593 £83 £676 £11,354 16.8 yrs £2,161
4 kW 4090 kWh 2986 kWh 1104 kWh £791 £110 £901 £13,388 14.9 yrs £4,632
5 kW 5112 kWh 3732 kWh 1380 kWh £988 £138 £1,126 £15,423 13.7 yrs £7,102
6 kW 6135 kWh 4478 kWh 1656 kWh £1,186 £166 £1,351 £17,457 12.9 yrs £9,573
7 kW 7157 kWh 5225 kWh 1932 kWh £1,383 £193 £1,577 £19,492 12.4 yrs £12,043
8 kW 8180 kWh 5971 kWh 2208 kWh £1,581 £221 £1,802 £21,526 11.9 yrs £14,514

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: £1,143, Upfront: £17,173, 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 2045 kWh 1534 kWh 511 kWh £406 £51 £457 £11,069 24.2 yrs £-1,924
3 kW 3067 kWh 2300 kWh 767 kWh £609 £77 £686 £13,104 19.1 yrs £614
4 kW 4090 kWh 3067 kWh 1022 kWh £812 £102 £914 £15,138 16.6 yrs £3,151
5 kW 5112 kWh 3834 kWh 1278 kWh £1,015 £128 £1,143 £17,173 15.0 yrs £5,689
6 kW 6135 kWh 4601 kWh 1534 kWh £1,218 £153 £1,372 £19,207 14.0 yrs £8,227
7 kW 7157 kWh 5368 kWh 1789 kWh £1,421 £179 £1,600 £21,242 13.3 yrs £10,765
8 kW 8180 kWh 6135 kWh 2045 kWh £1,624 £204 £1,829 £23,276 12.7 yrs £13,303

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: £1,160, Upfront: £19,623, Break-even: 16.9 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2045 kWh 1575 kWh 470 kWh £417 £47 £464 £13,519 29.1 yrs £-4,240
3 kW 3067 kWh 2362 kWh 705 kWh £625 £71 £696 £15,554 22.3 yrs £-1,634
4 kW 4090 kWh 3149 kWh 941 kWh £834 £94 £928 £17,588 19.0 yrs £971
5 kW 5112 kWh 3936 kWh 1176 kWh £1,042 £118 £1,160 £19,623 16.9 yrs £3,576
6 kW 6135 kWh 4724 kWh 1411 kWh £1,251 £141 £1,392 £21,657 15.6 yrs £6,181
7 kW 7157 kWh 5511 kWh 1646 kWh £1,459 £165 £1,624 £23,692 14.6 yrs £8,787
8 kW 8180 kWh 6298 kWh 1881 kWh £1,668 £188 £1,856 £25,726 13.9 yrs £11,392

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 SO5

Figures below are tailored to SO5 — click through for full league tables.

Solar Payback Index Rank #440 of 2997
10.4 years (UK avg 11.3 years)
~£975 /yr • £10,173 upfront
Standing-Charge Drag Rank #670 of 2997
16.7% (UK avg 21.7%) drag on savings
£163 fixed • ~£975 /yr value

Your Area at a Glance

Your Electricity Rate
26.48p/kWh
Daily Fixed Charge
44.62p/day
Local Sunshine
1022kWh/kW
A 1 kW system generates ~1022 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

No EPC data available for this outcode

Coverage

Eastleigh (67%)|Test Valley (32%)|Winchester (1%)|New Forest (1%)

Areas Covered

Chandler's Ford, Hiltingbury, Eastleigh Central, Bishopstoke, Eastleigh South, Eastleigh North, Fair Oak & Horton Heath, Romsey Abbey + 4 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 Southern

SO53 (Eastleigh)
≈0.6 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,024 kWh/kWp · +0% vs SO5
SO50 (Eastleigh)
≈1.8 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,024 kWh/kWp · +0% vs SO5
SO97 (Eastleigh)
≈3.5 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,038 kWh/kWp · +2% vs SO5
SO52 (Test Valley)
≈4.7 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,025 kWh/kWp · +0% vs SO5
SO17 (Southampton)
≈6.0 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,031 kWh/kWp · +1% vs SO5
SO16 (Southampton)
≈6.3 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,031 kWh/kWp · +1% vs SO5

Similar sunshine across the UK

CM4 (Brentwood)
~1,023 kWh/kWp · +0% vs SO5
TR8 (Cornwall)
~1,023 kWh/kWp · +0% vs SO5
DA1 (Dartford)
~1,022 kWh/kWp · -0% vs SO5