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 990 kWh per year on a south-facing roof. We value self-used electricity at 25.6p 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: £804, Upfront: £10,173, Break-even: 12.6 yrs
| System | Annual output | Self-use | Exported | Bill saving | Export income | Annual benefit | Upfront cost | Break-even | 20-year net |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 kW | 1980 kWh | 792 kWh | 1188 kWh | £203 | £119 | £322 | £4,069 | 12.6 yrs | £2,366 |
| 3 kW | 2970 kWh | 1188 kWh | 1782 kWh | £304 | £178 | £483 | £6,104 | 12.6 yrs | £3,549 |
| 4 kW | 3959 kWh | 1584 kWh | 2376 kWh | £406 | £238 | £643 | £8,138 | 12.6 yrs | £4,732 |
| 5 kW | 4949 kWh | 1980 kWh | 2970 kWh | £507 | £297 | £804 | £10,173 | 12.6 yrs | £5,915 |
| 6 kW | 5939 kWh | 2376 kWh | 3563 kWh | £609 | £356 | £965 | £12,207 | 12.6 yrs | £7,098 |
| 7 kW | 6929 kWh | 2772 kWh | 4157 kWh | £710 | £416 | £1,126 | £14,242 | 12.6 yrs | £8,281 |
| 8 kW | 7919 kWh | 3168 kWh | 4751 kWh | £812 | £475 | £1,287 | £16,276 | 12.6 yrs | £9,463 |
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: £959, Upfront: £12,273, Break-even: 12.8 yrs
| System | Annual output | Self-use | Exported | Bill saving | Export income | Annual benefit | Upfront cost | Break-even | 20-year net |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 kW | 1980 kWh | 1188 kWh | 792 kWh | £304 | £79 | £384 | £6,169 | 16.1 yrs | £1,504 |
| 3 kW | 2970 kWh | 1782 kWh | 1188 kWh | £457 | £119 | £575 | £8,204 | 14.3 yrs | £3,305 |
| 4 kW | 3959 kWh | 2376 kWh | 1584 kWh | £609 | £158 | £767 | £10,238 | 13.3 yrs | £5,107 |
| 5 kW | 4949 kWh | 2970 kWh | 1980 kWh | £761 | £198 | £959 | £12,273 | 12.8 yrs | £6,909 |
| 6 kW | 5939 kWh | 3563 kWh | 2376 kWh | £913 | £238 | £1,151 | £14,307 | 12.4 yrs | £8,711 |
| 7 kW | 6929 kWh | 4157 kWh | 2772 kWh | £1,066 | £277 | £1,343 | £16,342 | 12.2 yrs | £10,513 |
| 8 kW | 7919 kWh | 4751 kWh | 3168 kWh | £1,218 | £317 | £1,535 | £18,376 | 12.0 yrs | £12,314 |
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: £1,036, Upfront: £13,673, 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 | 1980 kWh | 1386 kWh | 594 kWh | £355 | £59 | £415 | £7,569 | 18.3 yrs | £722 |
| 3 kW | 2970 kWh | 2079 kWh | 891 kWh | £533 | £89 | £622 | £9,604 | 15.4 yrs | £2,834 |
| 4 kW | 3959 kWh | 2772 kWh | 1188 kWh | £710 | £119 | £829 | £11,638 | 14.0 yrs | £4,945 |
| 5 kW | 4949 kWh | 3465 kWh | 1485 kWh | £888 | £148 | £1,036 | £13,673 | 13.2 yrs | £7,056 |
| 6 kW | 5939 kWh | 4157 kWh | 1782 kWh | £1,066 | £178 | £1,244 | £15,707 | 12.6 yrs | £9,167 |
| 7 kW | 6929 kWh | 4850 kWh | 2079 kWh | £1,243 | £208 | £1,451 | £17,742 | 12.2 yrs | £11,279 |
| 8 kW | 7919 kWh | 5543 kWh | 2376 kWh | £1,421 | £238 | £1,658 | £19,776 | 11.9 yrs | £13,390 |
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: £1,060, Upfront: £15,423, Break-even: 14.6 yrs
| System | Annual output | Self-use | Exported | Bill saving | Export income | Annual benefit | Upfront cost | Break-even | 20-year net |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 kW | 1980 kWh | 1445 kWh | 535 kWh | £370 | £53 | £424 | £9,319 | 22.0 yrs | £-842 |
| 3 kW | 2970 kWh | 2168 kWh | 802 kWh | £556 | £80 | £636 | £11,354 | 17.9 yrs | £1,362 |
| 4 kW | 3959 kWh | 2890 kWh | 1069 kWh | £741 | £107 | £848 | £13,388 | 15.8 yrs | £3,566 |
| 5 kW | 4949 kWh | 3613 kWh | 1336 kWh | £926 | £134 | £1,060 | £15,423 | 14.6 yrs | £5,770 |
| 6 kW | 5939 kWh | 4336 kWh | 1604 kWh | £1,111 | £160 | £1,272 | £17,457 | 13.7 yrs | £7,974 |
| 7 kW | 6929 kWh | 5058 kWh | 1871 kWh | £1,296 | £187 | £1,483 | £19,492 | 13.1 yrs | £10,178 |
| 8 kW | 7919 kWh | 5781 kWh | 2138 kWh | £1,482 | £214 | £1,695 | £21,526 | 12.7 yrs | £12,382 |
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: £1,075, Upfront: £17,173, Break-even: 16.0 yrs
| System | Annual output | Self-use | Exported | Bill saving | Export income | Annual benefit | Upfront cost | Break-even | 20-year net |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 kW | 1980 kWh | 1485 kWh | 495 kWh | £381 | £49 | £430 | £11,069 | 25.7 yrs | £-2,468 |
| 3 kW | 2970 kWh | 2227 kWh | 742 kWh | £571 | £74 | £645 | £13,104 | 20.3 yrs | £-202 |
| 4 kW | 3959 kWh | 2970 kWh | 990 kWh | £761 | £99 | £860 | £15,138 | 17.6 yrs | £2,064 |
| 5 kW | 4949 kWh | 3712 kWh | 1237 kWh | £951 | £124 | £1,075 | £17,173 | 16.0 yrs | £4,330 |
| 6 kW | 5939 kWh | 4454 kWh | 1485 kWh | £1,142 | £148 | £1,290 | £19,207 | 14.9 yrs | £6,596 |
| 7 kW | 6929 kWh | 5197 kWh | 1732 kWh | £1,332 | £173 | £1,505 | £21,242 | 14.1 yrs | £8,862 |
| 8 kW | 7919 kWh | 5939 kWh | 1980 kWh | £1,522 | £198 | £1,720 | £23,276 | 13.5 yrs | £11,127 |
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: £1,091, Upfront: £19,623, Break-even: 18.0 yrs
| System | Annual output | Self-use | Exported | Bill saving | Export income | Annual benefit | Upfront cost | Break-even | 20-year net |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 kW | 1980 kWh | 1524 kWh | 455 kWh | £391 | £46 | £436 | £13,519 | 31.0 yrs | £-4,794 |
| 3 kW | 2970 kWh | 2287 kWh | 683 kWh | £586 | £68 | £654 | £15,554 | 23.8 yrs | £-2,467 |
| 4 kW | 3959 kWh | 3049 kWh | 911 kWh | £781 | £91 | £872 | £17,588 | 20.2 yrs | £-139 |
| 5 kW | 4949 kWh | 3811 kWh | 1138 kWh | £977 | £114 | £1,091 | £19,623 | 18.0 yrs | £2,189 |
| 6 kW | 5939 kWh | 4573 kWh | 1366 kWh | £1,172 | £137 | £1,309 | £21,657 | 16.5 yrs | £4,517 |
| 7 kW | 6929 kWh | 5335 kWh | 1594 kWh | £1,367 | £159 | £1,527 | £23,692 | 15.5 yrs | £6,845 |
| 8 kW | 7919 kWh | 6098 kWh | 1821 kWh | £1,563 | £182 | £1,745 | £25,726 | 14.7 yrs | £9,173 |
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.