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Big Roof Britain Solar Payback Index Standing Charge Drag

Solar Panels in TN17 (Tunbridge Wells)

See if solar pays off for you in Tunbridge Wells — 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
11.6 years
After this, it's pure profit
Upfront Cost
£12,207
What you pay to get started
Annual Benefit
£1,052
What you save every year
Profit Over 25 Years
£14,096
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 South East, the current unit rate is 26.92p/kWh with a 47.60p/day standing charge. Your postcode’s south-facing sunshine yield is 1046 kWh/kW — 17 above the regional median (1029).

Read the full story

A typical roof here lands around 6.0 kW, with most eligible homes comfortably fitting within 3–6 kW. Each kilowatt of panels produces roughly 1046 kWh per year on a south-facing roof. We value self-used electricity at 26.9p and exported surplus at a baseline 10p via SEG. Use the calculator above for your exact tariff.

Unit rate
26.9p/kWh
Standing charge
47.6p/day
Sunshine yield (south)
1046 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: £877, Upfront: £10,173, Break-even: 11.6 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2092 kWh 837 kWh 1255 kWh £225 £125 £351 £4,069 11.6 yrs £2,945
3 kW 3137 kWh 1255 kWh 1882 kWh £338 £188 £526 £6,104 11.6 yrs £4,418
4 kW 4183 kWh 1673 kWh 2510 kWh £450 £251 £701 £8,138 11.6 yrs £5,890
5 kW 5229 kWh 2092 kWh 3137 kWh £563 £314 £877 £10,173 11.6 yrs £7,363
6 kW 6275 kWh 2510 kWh 3765 kWh £676 £376 £1,052 £12,207 11.6 yrs £8,836
7 kW 7320 kWh 2928 kWh 4392 kWh £788 £439 £1,227 £14,242 11.6 yrs £10,308
8 kW 8366 kWh 3346 kWh 5020 kWh £901 £502 £1,403 £16,276 11.6 yrs £11,781

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: £1,054, Upfront: £12,273, Break-even: 11.6 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2092 kWh 1255 kWh 837 kWh £338 £84 £421 £6,169 14.6 yrs £2,261
3 kW 3137 kWh 1882 kWh 1255 kWh £507 £125 £632 £8,204 13.0 yrs £4,441
4 kW 4183 kWh 2510 kWh 1673 kWh £676 £167 £843 £10,238 12.1 yrs £6,622
5 kW 5229 kWh 3137 kWh 2092 kWh £845 £209 £1,054 £12,273 11.6 yrs £8,802
6 kW 6275 kWh 3765 kWh 2510 kWh £1,013 £251 £1,264 £14,307 11.3 yrs £10,982
7 kW 7320 kWh 4392 kWh 2928 kWh £1,182 £293 £1,475 £16,342 11.1 yrs £13,163
8 kW 8366 kWh 5020 kWh 3346 kWh £1,351 £335 £1,686 £18,376 10.9 yrs £15,343

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: £1,142, Upfront: £13,673, 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 2092 kWh 1464 kWh 627 kWh £394 £63 £457 £7,569 16.6 yrs £1,569
3 kW 3137 kWh 2196 kWh 941 kWh £591 £94 £685 £9,604 14.0 yrs £4,103
4 kW 4183 kWh 2928 kWh 1255 kWh £788 £125 £914 £11,638 12.7 yrs £6,637
5 kW 5229 kWh 3660 kWh 1569 kWh £985 £157 £1,142 £13,673 12.0 yrs £9,171
6 kW 6275 kWh 4392 kWh 1882 kWh £1,182 £188 £1,371 £15,707 11.5 yrs £11,706
7 kW 7320 kWh 5124 kWh 2196 kWh £1,379 £220 £1,599 £17,742 11.1 yrs £14,240
8 kW 8366 kWh 5856 kWh 2510 kWh £1,577 £251 £1,828 £19,776 10.8 yrs £16,774

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: £1,169, Upfront: £15,423, Break-even: 13.2 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2092 kWh 1527 kWh 565 kWh £411 £56 £467 £9,319 19.9 yrs £31
3 kW 3137 kWh 2290 kWh 847 kWh £617 £85 £701 £11,354 16.2 yrs £2,671
4 kW 4183 kWh 3054 kWh 1129 kWh £822 £113 £935 £13,388 14.3 yrs £5,312
5 kW 5229 kWh 3817 kWh 1412 kWh £1,028 £141 £1,169 £15,423 13.2 yrs £7,952
6 kW 6275 kWh 4581 kWh 1694 kWh £1,233 £169 £1,402 £17,457 12.4 yrs £10,593
7 kW 7320 kWh 5344 kWh 1977 kWh £1,439 £198 £1,636 £19,492 11.9 yrs £13,233
8 kW 8366 kWh 6107 kWh 2259 kWh £1,644 £226 £1,870 £21,526 11.5 yrs £15,874

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: £1,186, Upfront: £17,173, Break-even: 14.5 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2092 kWh 1569 kWh 523 kWh £422 £52 £475 £11,069 23.3 yrs £-1,578
3 kW 3137 kWh 2353 kWh 784 kWh £633 £78 £712 £13,104 18.4 yrs £1,134
4 kW 4183 kWh 3137 kWh 1046 kWh £845 £105 £949 £15,138 15.9 yrs £3,845
5 kW 5229 kWh 3922 kWh 1307 kWh £1,056 £131 £1,186 £17,173 14.5 yrs £6,556
6 kW 6275 kWh 4706 kWh 1569 kWh £1,267 £157 £1,424 £19,207 13.5 yrs £9,267
7 kW 7320 kWh 5490 kWh 1830 kWh £1,478 £183 £1,661 £21,242 12.8 yrs £11,979
8 kW 8366 kWh 6275 kWh 2092 kWh £1,689 £209 £1,898 £23,276 12.3 yrs £14,690

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: £1,204, Upfront: £19,623, Break-even: 16.3 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 2092 kWh 1611 kWh 481 kWh £434 £48 £482 £13,519 28.1 yrs £-3,886
3 kW 3137 kWh 2416 kWh 722 kWh £650 £72 £722 £15,554 21.5 yrs £-1,104
4 kW 4183 kWh 3221 kWh 962 kWh £867 £96 £963 £17,588 18.3 yrs £1,678
5 kW 5229 kWh 4026 kWh 1203 kWh £1,084 £120 £1,204 £19,623 16.3 yrs £4,460
6 kW 6275 kWh 4832 kWh 1443 kWh £1,301 £144 £1,445 £21,657 15.0 yrs £7,242
7 kW 7320 kWh 5637 kWh 1684 kWh £1,517 £168 £1,686 £23,692 14.1 yrs £10,024
8 kW 8366 kWh 6442 kWh 1924 kWh £1,734 £192 £1,927 £25,726 13.4 yrs £12,806

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 TN17

Figures below are tailored to TN17 — click through for full league tables.

Big-Roof Britain Rank #457 of 2182
5.7 kWp (UK avg 5.1 kWp)
~12 panels (≈430 W)
Solar Payback Index Rank #246 of 2997
10.1 years (UK avg 11.3 years)
~£1,211 /yr • £12,207 upfront
Standing-Charge Drag Rank #133 of 2997
14.3% (UK avg 21.7%) drag on savings
£174 fixed • ~£1,211 /yr value

Your Area at a Glance

Your Electricity Rate
26.92p/kWh
Daily Fixed Charge
47.60p/day
Local Sunshine
1046kWh/kW
A 1 kW system generates ~1046 kWh per year. A typical home uses ~2,700 kWh per year.
Typical System Size
6.0kW
For houses & bungalows in this area

Local Property Data

Property Types

Houses: 73% • Flats: 12% • Bungalows: 14% Based on 3,729 properties

Coverage

Tunbridge Wells (90%)|Ashford (10%)

Areas Covered

Cranbrook, Sissinghurst & Frittenden, Rural Tunbridge Wells, Hawkhurst, Sandhurst & Benenden, Rolvenden & Tenterden West, Staplehurst, Biddenden

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 South East

TN18 (Tunbridge Wells)
≈5.8 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,076 kWh/kWp · +3% vs TN17
TN30 (Ashford)
≈11.2 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,094 kWh/kWp · +5% vs TN17
TN12 (Tunbridge Wells)
≈11.8 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,056 kWh/kWp · +1% vs TN17
TN19 (Rother)
≈12.1 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,052 kWh/kWp · +1% vs TN17
TN32 (Rother)
≈13.1 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,073 kWh/kWp · +3% vs TN17
TN27 (Ashford)
≈13.4 km away
Local sunshine: ~1,042 kWh/kWp · -0% vs TN17

Similar sunshine across the UK

PL13 (Cornwall)
~1,046 kWh/kWp · +0% vs TN17
CO3 (Colchester)
~1,047 kWh/kWp · +0% vs TN17
SS6 (Rochford)
~1,047 kWh/kWp · +0% vs TN17