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 920 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.
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: £744, 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 | 1840 kWh | 736 kWh | 1104 kWh | £187 | £110 | £298 | £4,069 | 13.7 yrs | £1,884 |
| 3 kW | 2761 kWh | 1104 kWh | 1656 kWh | £281 | £166 | £446 | £6,104 | 13.7 yrs | £2,825 |
| 4 kW | 3681 kWh | 1472 kWh | 2208 kWh | £374 | £221 | £595 | £8,138 | 13.7 yrs | £3,767 |
| 5 kW | 4601 kWh | 1840 kWh | 2761 kWh | £468 | £276 | £744 | £10,173 | 13.7 yrs | £4,709 |
| 6 kW | 5521 kWh | 2208 kWh | 3313 kWh | £562 | £331 | £893 | £12,207 | 13.7 yrs | £5,651 |
| 7 kW | 6441 kWh | 2577 kWh | 3865 kWh | £655 | £386 | £1,042 | £14,242 | 13.7 yrs | £6,592 |
| 8 kW | 7362 kWh | 2945 kWh | 4417 kWh | £749 | £442 | £1,191 | £16,276 | 13.7 yrs | £7,534 |
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: £886, 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 | 1840 kWh | 1104 kWh | 736 kWh | £281 | £74 | £354 | £6,169 | 17.4 yrs | £919 |
| 3 kW | 2761 kWh | 1656 kWh | 1104 kWh | £421 | £110 | £532 | £8,204 | 15.4 yrs | £2,429 |
| 4 kW | 3681 kWh | 2208 kWh | 1472 kWh | £562 | £147 | £709 | £10,238 | 14.4 yrs | £3,939 |
| 5 kW | 4601 kWh | 2761 kWh | 1840 kWh | £702 | £184 | £886 | £12,273 | 13.9 yrs | £5,448 |
| 6 kW | 5521 kWh | 3313 kWh | 2208 kWh | £842 | £221 | £1,063 | £14,307 | 13.5 yrs | £6,958 |
| 7 kW | 6441 kWh | 3865 kWh | 2577 kWh | £983 | £258 | £1,240 | £16,342 | 13.2 yrs | £8,468 |
| 8 kW | 7362 kWh | 4417 kWh | 2945 kWh | £1,123 | £294 | £1,418 | £18,376 | 13.0 yrs | £9,978 |
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: £957, Upfront: £13,673, Break-even: 14.3 yrs
| System | Annual output | Self-use | Exported | Bill saving | Export income | Annual benefit | Upfront cost | Break-even | 20-year net |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 kW | 1840 kWh | 1288 kWh | 552 kWh | £328 | £55 | £383 | £7,569 | 19.8 yrs | £87 |
| 3 kW | 2761 kWh | 1932 kWh | 828 kWh | £491 | £83 | £574 | £9,604 | 16.7 yrs | £1,881 |
| 4 kW | 3681 kWh | 2577 kWh | 1104 kWh | £655 | £110 | £766 | £11,638 | 15.2 yrs | £3,675 |
| 5 kW | 4601 kWh | 3221 kWh | 1380 kWh | £819 | £138 | £957 | £13,673 | 14.3 yrs | £5,468 |
| 6 kW | 5521 kWh | 3865 kWh | 1656 kWh | £983 | £166 | £1,148 | £15,707 | 13.7 yrs | £7,262 |
| 7 kW | 6441 kWh | 4509 kWh | 1932 kWh | £1,147 | £193 | £1,340 | £17,742 | 13.2 yrs | £9,056 |
| 8 kW | 7362 kWh | 5153 kWh | 2208 kWh | £1,310 | £221 | £1,531 | £19,776 | 12.9 yrs | £10,849 |
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: £978, 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 | 1840 kWh | 1343 kWh | 497 kWh | £342 | £50 | £391 | £9,319 | 23.8 yrs | £-1,492 |
| 3 kW | 2761 kWh | 2015 kWh | 745 kWh | £512 | £75 | £587 | £11,354 | 19.3 yrs | £387 |
| 4 kW | 3681 kWh | 2687 kWh | 994 kWh | £683 | £99 | £783 | £13,388 | 17.1 yrs | £2,265 |
| 5 kW | 4601 kWh | 3359 kWh | 1242 kWh | £854 | £124 | £978 | £15,423 | 15.8 yrs | £4,144 |
| 6 kW | 5521 kWh | 4030 kWh | 1491 kWh | £1,025 | £149 | £1,174 | £17,457 | 14.9 yrs | £6,023 |
| 7 kW | 6441 kWh | 4702 kWh | 1739 kWh | £1,196 | £174 | £1,370 | £19,492 | 14.2 yrs | £7,902 |
| 8 kW | 7362 kWh | 5374 kWh | 1988 kWh | £1,367 | £199 | £1,565 | £21,526 | 13.8 yrs | £9,781 |
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: £993, Upfront: £17,173, Break-even: 17.3 yrs
| System | Annual output | Self-use | Exported | Bill saving | Export income | Annual benefit | Upfront cost | Break-even | 20-year net |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 kW | 1840 kWh | 1380 kWh | 460 kWh | £351 | £46 | £397 | £11,069 | 27.9 yrs | £-3,129 |
| 3 kW | 2761 kWh | 2070 kWh | 690 kWh | £527 | £69 | £596 | £13,104 | 22.0 yrs | £-1,193 |
| 4 kW | 3681 kWh | 2761 kWh | 920 kWh | £702 | £92 | £794 | £15,138 | 19.1 yrs | £743 |
| 5 kW | 4601 kWh | 3451 kWh | 1150 kWh | £878 | £115 | £993 | £17,173 | 17.3 yrs | £2,678 |
| 6 kW | 5521 kWh | 4141 kWh | 1380 kWh | £1,053 | £138 | £1,191 | £19,207 | 16.1 yrs | £4,614 |
| 7 kW | 6441 kWh | 4831 kWh | 1610 kWh | £1,229 | £161 | £1,390 | £21,242 | 15.3 yrs | £6,550 |
| 8 kW | 7362 kWh | 5521 kWh | 1840 kWh | £1,404 | £184 | £1,588 | £23,276 | 14.7 yrs | £8,485 |
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: £1,007, Upfront: £19,623, Break-even: 19.5 yrs
| System | Annual output | Self-use | Exported | Bill saving | Export income | Annual benefit | Upfront cost | Break-even | 20-year net |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 kW | 1840 kWh | 1417 kWh | 423 kWh | £360 | £42 | £403 | £13,519 | 33.6 yrs | £-5,465 |
| 3 kW | 2761 kWh | 2126 kWh | 635 kWh | £541 | £63 | £604 | £15,554 | 25.7 yrs | £-3,473 |
| 4 kW | 3681 kWh | 2834 kWh | 847 kWh | £721 | £85 | £805 | £17,588 | 21.8 yrs | £-1,480 |
| 5 kW | 4601 kWh | 3543 kWh | 1058 kWh | £901 | £106 | £1,007 | £19,623 | 19.5 yrs | £512 |
| 6 kW | 5521 kWh | 4251 kWh | 1270 kWh | £1,081 | £127 | £1,208 | £21,657 | 17.9 yrs | £2,505 |
| 7 kW | 6441 kWh | 4960 kWh | 1482 kWh | £1,261 | £148 | £1,409 | £23,692 | 16.8 yrs | £4,497 |
| 8 kW | 7362 kWh | 5668 kWh | 1693 kWh | £1,441 | £169 | £1,611 | £25,726 | 16.0 yrs | £6,490 |
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.