Solar explained to clever people by people who are not trying to be clever
Home Regions
Insights
Big Roof Britain Solar Payback Index Standing Charge Drag

Solar Panels in WF2 (Wakefield)

See if solar pays off for you in Wakefield — 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
13.5 years
After this, it's pure profit
Upfront Cost
£8,138
What you pay to get started
Annual Benefit
£601
What you save every year
Profit Over 25 Years
£6,895
After paying itself off, you're this much ahead

Ready to Get Started?

Get your free quote from Blue Ape Renewables. They'll connect you with MCS-certified installers in your area and handle all the paperwork.

Get Solar Quote →
4.8★ Trustpilot • Octopus Energy trusted partner • MCS certified • No obligation
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 932 kWh/kW — 3 above 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 932 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)
932 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: £752, Upfront: £10,173, Break-even: 13.5 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1864 kWh 746 kWh 1118 kWh £189 £112 £301 £4,069 13.5 yrs £1,944
3 kW 2796 kWh 1118 kWh 1677 kWh £283 £168 £451 £6,104 13.5 yrs £2,916
4 kW 3728 kWh 1491 kWh 2237 kWh £378 £224 £601 £8,138 13.5 yrs £3,889
5 kW 4659 kWh 1864 kWh 2796 kWh £472 £280 £752 £10,173 13.5 yrs £4,861
6 kW 5591 kWh 2237 kWh 3355 kWh £567 £335 £902 £12,207 13.5 yrs £5,833
7 kW 6523 kWh 2609 kWh 3914 kWh £661 £391 £1,052 £14,242 13.5 yrs £6,805
8 kW 7455 kWh 2982 kWh 4473 kWh £755 £447 £1,203 £16,276 13.5 yrs £7,777

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: £895, Upfront: £12,273, 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 1864 kWh 1118 kWh 746 kWh £283 £75 £358 £6,169 17.2 yrs £987
3 kW 2796 kWh 1677 kWh 1118 kWh £425 £112 £537 £8,204 15.3 yrs £2,531
4 kW 3728 kWh 2237 kWh 1491 kWh £567 £149 £716 £10,238 14.3 yrs £4,074
5 kW 4659 kWh 2796 kWh 1864 kWh £708 £186 £895 £12,273 13.7 yrs £5,618
6 kW 5591 kWh 3355 kWh 2237 kWh £850 £224 £1,073 £14,307 13.3 yrs £7,161
7 kW 6523 kWh 3914 kWh 2609 kWh £991 £261 £1,252 £16,342 13.0 yrs £8,705
8 kW 7455 kWh 4473 kWh 2982 kWh £1,133 £298 £1,431 £18,376 12.8 yrs £10,249

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: £966, Upfront: £13,673, Break-even: 14.2 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1864 kWh 1305 kWh 559 kWh £330 £56 £386 £7,569 19.6 yrs £159
3 kW 2796 kWh 1957 kWh 839 kWh £496 £84 £580 £9,604 16.6 yrs £1,988
4 kW 3728 kWh 2609 kWh 1118 kWh £661 £112 £773 £11,638 15.1 yrs £3,817
5 kW 4659 kWh 3262 kWh 1398 kWh £826 £140 £966 £13,673 14.2 yrs £5,646
6 kW 5591 kWh 3914 kWh 1677 kWh £991 £168 £1,159 £15,707 13.6 yrs £7,476
7 kW 6523 kWh 4566 kWh 1957 kWh £1,157 £196 £1,352 £17,742 13.1 yrs £9,305
8 kW 7455 kWh 5219 kWh 2237 kWh £1,322 £224 £1,546 £19,776 12.8 yrs £11,134

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: £987, Upfront: £15,423, Break-even: 15.6 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1864 kWh 1361 kWh 503 kWh £345 £50 £395 £9,319 23.6 yrs £-1,420
3 kW 2796 kWh 2041 kWh 755 kWh £517 £75 £592 £11,354 19.2 yrs £495
4 kW 3728 kWh 2721 kWh 1006 kWh £689 £101 £790 £13,388 16.9 yrs £2,410
5 kW 4659 kWh 3401 kWh 1258 kWh £862 £126 £987 £15,423 15.6 yrs £4,325
6 kW 5591 kWh 4082 kWh 1510 kWh £1,034 £151 £1,185 £17,457 14.7 yrs £6,240
7 kW 6523 kWh 4762 kWh 1761 kWh £1,206 £176 £1,382 £19,492 14.1 yrs £8,155
8 kW 7455 kWh 5442 kWh 2013 kWh £1,379 £201 £1,580 £21,526 13.6 yrs £10,070

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: £1,002, Upfront: £17,173, Break-even: 17.1 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1864 kWh 1398 kWh 466 kWh £354 £47 £401 £11,069 27.6 yrs £-3,056
3 kW 2796 kWh 2097 kWh 699 kWh £531 £70 £601 £13,104 21.8 yrs £-1,084
4 kW 3728 kWh 2796 kWh 932 kWh £708 £93 £801 £15,138 18.9 yrs £889
5 kW 4659 kWh 3495 kWh 1165 kWh £885 £116 £1,002 £17,173 17.1 yrs £2,861
6 kW 5591 kWh 4194 kWh 1398 kWh £1,062 £140 £1,202 £19,207 16.0 yrs £4,833
7 kW 6523 kWh 4892 kWh 1631 kWh £1,239 £163 £1,402 £21,242 15.1 yrs £6,805
8 kW 7455 kWh 5591 kWh 1864 kWh £1,416 £186 £1,603 £23,276 14.5 yrs £8,777

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: £1,016, Upfront: £19,623, Break-even: 19.3 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1864 kWh 1435 kWh 429 kWh £364 £43 £406 £13,519 33.3 yrs £-5,391
3 kW 2796 kWh 2153 kWh 643 kWh £545 £64 £610 £15,554 25.5 yrs £-3,362
4 kW 3728 kWh 2870 kWh 857 kWh £727 £86 £813 £17,588 21.6 yrs £-1,333
5 kW 4659 kWh 3588 kWh 1072 kWh £909 £107 £1,016 £19,623 19.3 yrs £696
6 kW 5591 kWh 4305 kWh 1286 kWh £1,091 £129 £1,219 £21,657 17.8 yrs £2,726
7 kW 6523 kWh 5023 kWh 1500 kWh £1,272 £150 £1,422 £23,692 16.7 yrs £4,755
8 kW 7455 kWh 5740 kWh 1715 kWh £1,454 £171 £1,626 £25,726 15.8 yrs £6,784

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 WF2

Figures below are tailored to WF2 — click through for full league tables.

Big-Roof Britain Rank #1512 of 2182
4.7 kWp (UK avg 5.1 kWp)
~10 panels (≈430 W)
Solar Payback Index Rank #2168 of 2997
11.8 years (UK avg 11.3 years)
~£687 /yr • £8,138 upfront
Standing-Charge Drag Rank #2662 of 2997
31.2% (UK avg 21.7%) drag on savings
£214 fixed • ~£687 /yr value

Your Area at a Glance

Your Electricity Rate
25.33p/kWh
Daily Fixed Charge
58.65p/day
Local Sunshine
932kWh/kW
A 1 kW system generates ~932 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: 69% • Flats: 20% • Bungalows: 10% Based on 20,239 properties

Coverage

Wakefield (100%)

Areas Covered

Wakefield North, Wakefield West, Wakefield South, Wrenthorpe and Outwood West, Crofton, Ryhill and Walton, Wakefield East, Wakefield Rural + 1 more

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

WF1 (Wakefield)
≈1.2 km away
Local sunshine: ~932 kWh/kWp · -0% vs WF2
WF90 (Wakefield)
≈1.6 km away
Local sunshine: ~935 kWh/kWp · +0% vs WF2
WF4 (Wakefield)
≈2.9 km away
Local sunshine: ~941 kWh/kWp · +1% vs WF2
WF5 (Wakefield)
≈4.2 km away
Local sunshine: ~931 kWh/kWp · -0% vs WF2
WF3 (Leeds)
≈5.3 km away
Local sunshine: ~926 kWh/kWp · -1% vs WF2
WF6 (Wakefield)
≈7.1 km away
Local sunshine: ~941 kWh/kWp · +1% vs WF2

Similar sunshine across the UK

HG1 (North Yorkshire)
~932 kWh/kWp · +0% vs WF2
NE6 (Newcastle upon Tyne)
~932 kWh/kWp · +0% vs WF2
NE2 (Newcastle upon Tyne)
~932 kWh/kWp · +0% vs WF2