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Big Roof Britain Solar Payback Index Standing Charge Drag

Solar Panels in WF17 (Kirklees)

See if solar pays off for you in Kirklees — 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
13.7 years
After this, it's pure profit
Upfront Cost
£8,138
What you pay to get started
Annual Benefit
£595
What you save every year
Profit Over 25 Years
£6,725
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 Yorkshire, the current unit rate is 25.33p/kWh with a 58.65p/day standing charge. Your postcode’s south-facing sunshine yield is 921 kWh/kW — 8 below the regional median (929).

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 921 kWh per year on a south-facing roof. We value self-used electricity at 25.3p and exported surplus at a baseline 10p via SEG. Use the calculator above for your exact tariff.

Unit rate
25.3p/kWh
Standing charge
58.6p/day
Sunshine yield (south)
921 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: £743, 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 1843 kWh 737 kWh 1106 kWh £187 £111 £297 £4,069 13.7 yrs £1,876
3 kW 2764 kWh 1106 kWh 1658 kWh £280 £166 £446 £6,104 13.7 yrs £2,814
4 kW 3685 kWh 1474 kWh 2211 kWh £373 £221 £595 £8,138 13.7 yrs £3,752
5 kW 4607 kWh 1843 kWh 2764 kWh £467 £276 £743 £10,173 13.7 yrs £4,690
6 kW 5528 kWh 2211 kWh 3317 kWh £560 £332 £892 £12,207 13.7 yrs £5,628
7 kW 6449 kWh 2580 kWh 3870 kWh £653 £387 £1,040 £14,242 13.7 yrs £6,566
8 kW 7370 kWh 2948 kWh 4422 kWh £747 £442 £1,189 £16,276 13.7 yrs £7,504

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: £884, 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 1843 kWh 1106 kWh 737 kWh £280 £74 £354 £6,169 17.4 yrs £906
3 kW 2764 kWh 1658 kWh 1106 kWh £420 £111 £531 £8,204 15.5 yrs £2,409
4 kW 3685 kWh 2211 kWh 1474 kWh £560 £147 £707 £10,238 14.5 yrs £3,912
5 kW 4607 kWh 2764 kWh 1843 kWh £700 £184 £884 £12,273 13.9 yrs £5,415
6 kW 5528 kWh 3317 kWh 2211 kWh £840 £221 £1,061 £14,307 13.5 yrs £6,918
7 kW 6449 kWh 3870 kWh 2580 kWh £980 £258 £1,238 £16,342 13.2 yrs £8,421
8 kW 7370 kWh 4422 kWh 2948 kWh £1,120 £295 £1,415 £18,376 13.0 yrs £9,924

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: £955, 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 1843 kWh 1290 kWh 553 kWh £327 £55 £382 £7,569 19.8 yrs £71
3 kW 2764 kWh 1935 kWh 829 kWh £490 £83 £573 £9,604 16.8 yrs £1,856
4 kW 3685 kWh 2580 kWh 1106 kWh £653 £111 £764 £11,638 15.2 yrs £3,642
5 kW 4607 kWh 3225 kWh 1382 kWh £817 £138 £955 £13,673 14.3 yrs £5,427
6 kW 5528 kWh 3870 kWh 1658 kWh £980 £166 £1,146 £15,707 13.7 yrs £7,213
7 kW 6449 kWh 4514 kWh 1935 kWh £1,144 £193 £1,337 £17,742 13.3 yrs £8,998
8 kW 7370 kWh 5159 kWh 2211 kWh £1,307 £221 £1,528 £19,776 12.9 yrs £10,783

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: £976, 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 1843 kWh 1345 kWh 498 kWh £341 £50 £390 £9,319 23.9 yrs £-1,510
3 kW 2764 kWh 2018 kWh 746 kWh £511 £75 £586 £11,354 19.4 yrs £361
4 kW 3685 kWh 2690 kWh 995 kWh £681 £100 £781 £13,388 17.1 yrs £2,231
5 kW 4607 kWh 3363 kWh 1244 kWh £852 £124 £976 £15,423 15.8 yrs £4,101
6 kW 5528 kWh 4035 kWh 1493 kWh £1,022 £149 £1,171 £17,457 14.9 yrs £5,971
7 kW 6449 kWh 4708 kWh 1741 kWh £1,193 £174 £1,367 £19,492 14.3 yrs £7,841
8 kW 7370 kWh 5380 kWh 1990 kWh £1,363 £199 £1,562 £21,526 13.8 yrs £9,711

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: £990, 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 1843 kWh 1382 kWh 461 kWh £350 £46 £396 £11,069 27.9 yrs £-3,147
3 kW 2764 kWh 2073 kWh 691 kWh £525 £69 £594 £13,104 22.1 yrs £-1,220
4 kW 3685 kWh 2764 kWh 921 kWh £700 £92 £792 £15,138 19.1 yrs £707
5 kW 4607 kWh 3455 kWh 1152 kWh £875 £115 £990 £17,173 17.3 yrs £2,633
6 kW 5528 kWh 4146 kWh 1382 kWh £1,050 £138 £1,188 £19,207 16.2 yrs £4,560
7 kW 6449 kWh 4837 kWh 1612 kWh £1,225 £161 £1,386 £21,242 15.3 yrs £6,487
8 kW 7370 kWh 5528 kWh 1843 kWh £1,400 £184 £1,584 £23,276 14.7 yrs £8,413

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: £1,004, 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 1843 kWh 1419 kWh 424 kWh £359 £42 £402 £13,519 33.6 yrs £-5,484
3 kW 2764 kWh 2128 kWh 636 kWh £539 £64 £603 £15,554 25.8 yrs £-3,501
4 kW 3685 kWh 2838 kWh 848 kWh £719 £85 £804 £17,588 21.9 yrs £-1,517
5 kW 4607 kWh 3547 kWh 1060 kWh £898 £106 £1,004 £19,623 19.5 yrs £466
6 kW 5528 kWh 4256 kWh 1271 kWh £1,078 £127 £1,205 £21,657 18.0 yrs £2,449
7 kW 6449 kWh 4966 kWh 1483 kWh £1,258 £148 £1,406 £23,692 16.8 yrs £4,432
8 kW 7370 kWh 5675 kWh 1695 kWh £1,438 £170 £1,607 £25,726 16.0 yrs £6,415

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 WF17

Figures below are tailored to WF17 — click through for full league tables.

Big-Roof Britain Rank #1689 of 2182
4.5 kWp (UK avg 5.1 kWp)
~9 panels (≈430 W)
Solar Payback Index Rank #2371 of 2997
12.0 years (UK avg 11.3 years)
~£679 /yr • £8,138 upfront
Standing-Charge Drag Rank #2688 of 2997
31.5% (UK avg 21.7%) drag on savings
£214 fixed • ~£679 /yr value

Your Area at a Glance

Your Electricity Rate
25.33p/kWh
Daily Fixed Charge
58.65p/day
Local Sunshine
921kWh/kW
A 1 kW system generates ~921 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: 72% • Flats: 21% • Bungalows: 6% Based on 10,403 properties

Coverage

Kirklees (100%)

Areas Covered

Batley East, Batley West, Birstall and Birkenshaw, Heckmondwike, Dewsbury East, Lindley, Morley South

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 Yorkshire

WF16 (Kirklees)
≈2.1 km away
Local sunshine: ~922 kWh/kWp · +0% vs WF17
WF13 (Kirklees)
≈2.4 km away
Local sunshine: ~932 kWh/kWp · +1% vs WF17
WF12 (Kirklees)
≈3.2 km away
Local sunshine: ~920 kWh/kWp · -0% vs WF17
WF15 (Kirklees)
≈3.6 km away
Local sunshine: ~922 kWh/kWp · +0% vs WF17
LS27 (Leeds)
≈4.5 km away
Local sunshine: ~923 kWh/kWp · +0% vs WF17
BD19 (Kirklees)
≈5.0 km away
Local sunshine: ~920 kWh/kWp · -0% vs WF17

Similar sunshine across the UK

SA47 (Ceredigion)
~921 kWh/kWp · +0% vs WF17
TS4 (Middlesbrough)
~921 kWh/kWp · +0% vs WF17
TS1 (Middlesbrough)
~921 kWh/kWp · +0% vs WF17