Solar explained to clever people by people who are not trying to be clever

Solar Panels in TA6 (Somerset)

See if solar pays off for you in Somerset — 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
11.9 years
After this, it's pure profit
Upfront Cost
£8,138
What you pay to get started
Annual Benefit
£682
What you save every year
Profit Over 25 Years
£8,920
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

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 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.

Unit rate
26.8p/kWh
Standing charge
54.0p/day
Sunshine yield (south)
1020 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: £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.

Your Area at a Glance

Your Electricity Rate
26.82p/kWh
Daily Fixed Charge
54.03p/day
Local Sunshine
1020kWh/kW
A 1 kW system generates ~1020 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: 21% • Bungalows: 7% Based on 16,209 properties

Coverage

Somerset (100%)

Areas Covered

Bridgwater South, Bridgwater North & Central, Bridgwater East & Bawdrip, Bridgwater West, North Petherton, Cannington, Huntspill

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.