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 1020 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.
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: £853, Upfront: £10,173, Break-even: 11.9 yrs
| System | Annual output | Self-use | Exported | Bill saving | Export income | Annual benefit | Upfront cost | Break-even | 20-year net |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 kW | 2039 kWh | 816 kWh | 1224 kWh | £219 | £122 | £341 | £4,069 | 11.9 yrs | £2,754 |
| 3 kW | 3059 kWh | 1224 kWh | 1836 kWh | £328 | £184 | £512 | £6,104 | 11.9 yrs | £4,131 |
| 4 kW | 4079 kWh | 1632 kWh | 2447 kWh | £438 | £245 | £682 | £8,138 | 11.9 yrs | £5,508 |
| 5 kW | 5099 kWh | 2039 kWh | 3059 kWh | £547 | £306 | £853 | £10,173 | 11.9 yrs | £6,885 |
| 6 kW | 6118 kWh | 2447 kWh | 3671 kWh | £656 | £367 | £1,023 | £12,207 | 11.9 yrs | £8,263 |
| 7 kW | 7138 kWh | 2855 kWh | 4283 kWh | £766 | £428 | £1,194 | £14,242 | 11.9 yrs | £9,640 |
| 8 kW | 8158 kWh | 3263 kWh | 4895 kWh | £875 | £489 | £1,365 | £16,276 | 11.9 yrs | £11,017 |
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: £1,024, Upfront: £12,273, 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 | 2039 kWh | 1224 kWh | 816 kWh | £328 | £82 | £410 | £6,169 | 15.1 yrs | £2,026 |
| 3 kW | 3059 kWh | 1836 kWh | 1224 kWh | £492 | £122 | £615 | £8,204 | 13.3 yrs | £4,090 |
| 4 kW | 4079 kWh | 2447 kWh | 1632 kWh | £656 | £163 | £820 | £10,238 | 12.5 yrs | £6,153 |
| 5 kW | 5099 kWh | 3059 kWh | 2039 kWh | £820 | £204 | £1,024 | £12,273 | 12.0 yrs | £8,216 |
| 6 kW | 6118 kWh | 3671 kWh | 2447 kWh | £985 | £245 | £1,229 | £14,307 | 11.6 yrs | £10,279 |
| 7 kW | 7138 kWh | 4283 kWh | 2855 kWh | £1,149 | £286 | £1,434 | £16,342 | 11.4 yrs | £12,342 |
| 8 kW | 8158 kWh | 4895 kWh | 3263 kWh | £1,313 | £326 | £1,639 | £18,376 | 11.2 yrs | £14,405 |
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: £1,110, Upfront: £13,673, Break-even: 12.3 yrs
| System | Annual output | Self-use | Exported | Bill saving | Export income | Annual benefit | Upfront cost | Break-even | 20-year net |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 kW | 2039 kWh | 1428 kWh | 612 kWh | £383 | £61 | £444 | £7,569 | 17.0 yrs | £1,312 |
| 3 kW | 3059 kWh | 2141 kWh | 918 kWh | £574 | £92 | £666 | £9,604 | 14.4 yrs | £3,719 |
| 4 kW | 4079 kWh | 2855 kWh | 1224 kWh | £766 | £122 | £888 | £11,638 | 13.1 yrs | £6,125 |
| 5 kW | 5099 kWh | 3569 kWh | 1530 kWh | £957 | £153 | £1,110 | £13,673 | 12.3 yrs | £8,531 |
| 6 kW | 6118 kWh | 4283 kWh | 1836 kWh | £1,149 | £184 | £1,332 | £15,707 | 11.8 yrs | £10,937 |
| 7 kW | 7138 kWh | 4997 kWh | 2141 kWh | £1,340 | £214 | £1,554 | £17,742 | 11.4 yrs | £13,343 |
| 8 kW | 8158 kWh | 5710 kWh | 2447 kWh | £1,532 | £245 | £1,776 | £19,776 | 11.1 yrs | £15,750 |
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: £1,136, Upfront: £15,423, 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 | 2039 kWh | 1489 kWh | 551 kWh | £399 | £55 | £454 | £9,319 | 20.5 yrs | £-232 |
| 3 kW | 3059 kWh | 2233 kWh | 826 kWh | £599 | £83 | £682 | £11,354 | 16.7 yrs | £2,277 |
| 4 kW | 4079 kWh | 2978 kWh | 1101 kWh | £799 | £110 | £909 | £13,388 | 14.7 yrs | £4,786 |
| 5 kW | 5099 kWh | 3722 kWh | 1377 kWh | £998 | £138 | £1,136 | £15,423 | 13.6 yrs | £7,296 |
| 6 kW | 6118 kWh | 4466 kWh | 1652 kWh | £1,198 | £165 | £1,363 | £17,457 | 12.8 yrs | £9,805 |
| 7 kW | 7138 kWh | 5211 kWh | 1927 kWh | £1,398 | £193 | £1,590 | £19,492 | 12.3 yrs | £12,314 |
| 8 kW | 8158 kWh | 5955 kWh | 2203 kWh | £1,597 | £220 | £1,817 | £21,526 | 11.8 yrs | £14,823 |
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: £1,153, Upfront: £17,173, Break-even: 14.9 yrs
| System | Annual output | Self-use | Exported | Bill saving | Export income | Annual benefit | Upfront cost | Break-even | 20-year net |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 kW | 2039 kWh | 1530 kWh | 510 kWh | £410 | £51 | £461 | £11,069 | 24.0 yrs | £-1,845 |
| 3 kW | 3059 kWh | 2294 kWh | 765 kWh | £615 | £76 | £692 | £13,104 | 18.9 yrs | £733 |
| 4 kW | 4079 kWh | 3059 kWh | 1020 kWh | £820 | £102 | £922 | £15,138 | 16.4 yrs | £3,311 |
| 5 kW | 5099 kWh | 3824 kWh | 1275 kWh | £1,026 | £127 | £1,153 | £17,173 | 14.9 yrs | £5,889 |
| 6 kW | 6118 kWh | 4589 kWh | 1530 kWh | £1,231 | £153 | £1,384 | £19,207 | 13.9 yrs | £8,466 |
| 7 kW | 7138 kWh | 5354 kWh | 1785 kWh | £1,436 | £178 | £1,614 | £21,242 | 13.2 yrs | £11,044 |
| 8 kW | 8158 kWh | 6118 kWh | 2039 kWh | £1,641 | £204 | £1,845 | £23,276 | 12.6 yrs | £13,622 |
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: £1,170, Upfront: £19,623, Break-even: 16.8 yrs
| System | Annual output | Self-use | Exported | Bill saving | Export income | Annual benefit | Upfront cost | Break-even | 20-year net |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 kW | 2039 kWh | 1570 kWh | 469 kWh | £421 | £47 | £468 | £13,519 | 28.9 yrs | £-4,157 |
| 3 kW | 3059 kWh | 2356 kWh | 704 kWh | £632 | £70 | £702 | £15,554 | 22.2 yrs | £-1,511 |
| 4 kW | 4079 kWh | 3141 kWh | 938 kWh | £842 | £94 | £936 | £17,588 | 18.8 yrs | £1,135 |
| 5 kW | 5099 kWh | 3926 kWh | 1173 kWh | £1,053 | £117 | £1,170 | £19,623 | 16.8 yrs | £3,782 |
| 6 kW | 6118 kWh | 4711 kWh | 1407 kWh | £1,264 | £141 | £1,404 | £21,657 | 15.4 yrs | £6,428 |
| 7 kW | 7138 kWh | 5496 kWh | 1642 kWh | £1,474 | £164 | £1,638 | £23,692 | 14.5 yrs | £9,074 |
| 8 kW | 8158 kWh | 6282 kWh | 1876 kWh | £1,685 | £188 | £1,872 | £25,726 | 13.7 yrs | £11,721 |
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.