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Big Roof Britain Solar Payback Index Standing Charge Drag

Solar Panels in SR1 (Sunderland)

See if solar pays off for you in Sunderland — 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
13.7 years
After this, it's pure profit
Upfront Cost
£6,104
What you pay to get started
Annual Benefit
£444
What you save every year
Profit Over 25 Years
£5,002
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 Northern, the current unit rate is 25.43p/kWh with a 59.86p/day standing charge. Your postcode’s south-facing sunshine yield is 916 kWh/kW — 10 below the regional median (926).

Read the full story

A typical roof here lands around 3.0 kW, with most eligible homes comfortably fitting within 3–6 kW. Each kilowatt of panels produces roughly 916 kWh per year on a south-facing roof. We value self-used electricity at 25.4p and exported surplus at a baseline 10p via SEG. Use the calculator above for your exact tariff.

Unit rate
25.4p/kWh
Standing charge
59.9p/day
Sunshine yield (south)
916 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: £740, Upfront: £10,173, 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 1831 kWh 733 kWh 1099 kWh £186 £110 £296 £4,069 13.7 yrs £1,854
3 kW 2747 kWh 1099 kWh 1648 kWh £279 £165 £444 £6,104 13.7 yrs £2,781
4 kW 3663 kWh 1465 kWh 2198 kWh £373 £220 £592 £8,138 13.7 yrs £3,708
5 kW 4578 kWh 1831 kWh 2747 kWh £466 £275 £740 £10,173 13.7 yrs £4,635
6 kW 5494 kWh 2198 kWh 3296 kWh £559 £330 £888 £12,207 13.7 yrs £5,562
7 kW 6409 kWh 2564 kWh 3846 kWh £652 £385 £1,037 £14,242 13.7 yrs £6,489
8 kW 7325 kWh 2930 kWh 4395 kWh £745 £440 £1,185 £16,276 13.7 yrs £7,416

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: £882, Upfront: £12,273, Break-even: 13.9 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1831 kWh 1099 kWh 733 kWh £279 £73 £353 £6,169 17.5 yrs £884
3 kW 2747 kWh 1648 kWh 1099 kWh £419 £110 £529 £8,204 15.5 yrs £2,377
4 kW 3663 kWh 2198 kWh 1465 kWh £559 £147 £705 £10,238 14.5 yrs £3,869
5 kW 4578 kWh 2747 kWh 1831 kWh £699 £183 £882 £12,273 13.9 yrs £5,361
6 kW 5494 kWh 3296 kWh 2198 kWh £838 £220 £1,058 £14,307 13.5 yrs £6,853
7 kW 6409 kWh 3846 kWh 2564 kWh £978 £256 £1,234 £16,342 13.2 yrs £8,345
8 kW 7325 kWh 4395 kWh 2930 kWh £1,118 £293 £1,411 £18,376 13.0 yrs £9,837

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: £952, Upfront: £13,673, Break-even: 14.4 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1831 kWh 1282 kWh 549 kWh £326 £55 £381 £7,569 19.9 yrs £49
3 kW 2747 kWh 1923 kWh 824 kWh £489 £82 £571 £9,604 16.8 yrs £1,824
4 kW 3663 kWh 2564 kWh 1099 kWh £652 £110 £762 £11,638 15.3 yrs £3,599
5 kW 4578 kWh 3205 kWh 1373 kWh £815 £137 £952 £13,673 14.4 yrs £5,374
6 kW 5494 kWh 3846 kWh 1648 kWh £978 £165 £1,143 £15,707 13.7 yrs £7,148
7 kW 6409 kWh 4487 kWh 1923 kWh £1,141 £192 £1,333 £17,742 13.3 yrs £8,923
8 kW 7325 kWh 5128 kWh 2198 kWh £1,304 £220 £1,524 £19,776 13.0 yrs £10,698

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: £974, Upfront: £15,423, Break-even: 15.8 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1831 kWh 1337 kWh 494 kWh £340 £49 £389 £9,319 23.9 yrs £-1,531
3 kW 2747 kWh 2005 kWh 742 kWh £510 £74 £584 £11,354 19.4 yrs £329
4 kW 3663 kWh 2674 kWh 989 kWh £680 £99 £779 £13,388 17.2 yrs £2,188
5 kW 4578 kWh 3342 kWh 1236 kWh £850 £124 £974 £15,423 15.8 yrs £4,048
6 kW 5494 kWh 4011 kWh 1483 kWh £1,020 £148 £1,168 £17,457 14.9 yrs £5,907
7 kW 6409 kWh 4679 kWh 1731 kWh £1,190 £173 £1,363 £19,492 14.3 yrs £7,767
8 kW 7325 kWh 5347 kWh 1978 kWh £1,360 £198 £1,558 £21,526 13.8 yrs £9,626

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: £988, Upfront: £17,173, Break-even: 17.4 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1831 kWh 1373 kWh 458 kWh £349 £46 £395 £11,069 28.0 yrs £-3,168
3 kW 2747 kWh 2060 kWh 687 kWh £524 £69 £593 £13,104 22.1 yrs £-1,252
4 kW 3663 kWh 2747 kWh 916 kWh £699 £92 £790 £15,138 19.2 yrs £664
5 kW 4578 kWh 3434 kWh 1145 kWh £873 £114 £988 £17,173 17.4 yrs £2,580
6 kW 5494 kWh 4120 kWh 1373 kWh £1,048 £137 £1,185 £19,207 16.2 yrs £4,496
7 kW 6409 kWh 4807 kWh 1602 kWh £1,222 £160 £1,383 £21,242 15.4 yrs £6,412
8 kW 7325 kWh 5494 kWh 1831 kWh £1,397 £183 £1,580 £23,276 14.7 yrs £8,328

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: £1,002, Upfront: £19,623, Break-even: 19.6 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1831 kWh 1410 kWh 421 kWh £359 £42 £401 £13,519 33.7 yrs £-5,505
3 kW 2747 kWh 2115 kWh 632 kWh £538 £63 £601 £15,554 25.9 yrs £-3,532
4 kW 3663 kWh 2820 kWh 842 kWh £717 £84 £801 £17,588 21.9 yrs £-1,560
5 kW 4578 kWh 3525 kWh 1053 kWh £896 £105 £1,002 £19,623 19.6 yrs £413
6 kW 5494 kWh 4230 kWh 1264 kWh £1,076 £126 £1,202 £21,657 18.0 yrs £2,385
7 kW 6409 kWh 4935 kWh 1474 kWh £1,255 £147 £1,402 £23,692 16.9 yrs £4,358
8 kW 7325 kWh 5640 kWh 1685 kWh £1,434 £168 £1,603 £25,726 16.1 yrs £6,330

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 SR1

Figures below are tailored to SR1 — click through for full league tables.

Big-Roof Britain Rank #2061 of 2182
4.0 kWp (UK avg 5.1 kWp)
~8 panels (≈430 W)
Solar Payback Index Rank #2354 of 2997
12.0 years (UK avg 11.3 years)
~£846 /yr • £10,173 upfront
Standing-Charge Drag Rank #2367 of 2997
25.8% (UK avg 21.7%) drag on savings
£218 fixed • ~£846 /yr value

Your Area at a Glance

Your Electricity Rate
25.43p/kWh
Daily Fixed Charge
59.86p/day
Local Sunshine
916kWh/kW
A 1 kW system generates ~916 kWh per year. A typical home uses ~2,700 kWh per year.
Typical System Size
3.0kW
For eligible homes in this area

⚠️ This area is predominantly flats. Many residents require freeholder approval for solar installations. System size shown reflects houses and bungalows only.

Local Property Data

Property Types

Houses: 16% • Flats: 75% • Bungalows: 8% Based on 5,132 properties

Coverage

Sunderland (100%)

Areas Covered

Hendon, Millfield, Southwick, St Michael's, Pallion, St Peter's

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 Northern

SR2 (Sunderland)
≈1.8 km away
Local sunshine: ~917 kWh/kWp · +0% vs SR1
SR6 (Sunderland)
≈2.7 km away
Local sunshine: ~913 kWh/kWp · -0% vs SR1
SR4 (Sunderland)
≈2.8 km away
Local sunshine: ~941 kWh/kWp · +3% vs SR1
SR9 (Sunderland)
≈2.9 km away
Local sunshine: ~904 kWh/kWp · -1% vs SR1
SR43 (Sunderland)
≈3.0 km away
Local sunshine: ~941 kWh/kWp · +3% vs SR1
SR5 (Sunderland)
≈3.1 km away
Local sunshine: ~916 kWh/kWp · +0% vs SR1

Similar sunshine across the UK

LS28 (Leeds)
~916 kWh/kWp · -0% vs SR1
CA15 (Cumberland)
~915 kWh/kWp · -0% vs SR1
HD8 (Kirklees)
~916 kWh/kWp · +0% vs SR1