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Big Roof Britain Solar Payback Index Standing Charge Drag

Solar Panels in WS15 (Cannock Chase)

See if solar pays off for you in Cannock Chase — 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
13.3 years
After this, it's pure profit
Upfront Cost
£10,173
What you pay to get started
Annual Benefit
£768
What you save every year
Profit Over 25 Years
£9,020
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 Midlands, the current unit rate is 25.64p/kWh with a 53.00p/day standing charge. Your postcode’s south-facing sunshine yield is 945 kWh/kW — 2 above the regional median (942).

Read the full story

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 945 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.

Unit rate
25.6p/kWh
Standing charge
53.0p/day
Sunshine yield (south)
945 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: £768, Upfront: £10,173, Break-even: 13.3 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1889 kWh 756 kWh 1133 kWh £194 £113 £307 £4,069 13.3 yrs £2,073
3 kW 2834 kWh 1133 kWh 1700 kWh £291 £170 £461 £6,104 13.3 yrs £3,109
4 kW 3778 kWh 1511 kWh 2267 kWh £387 £227 £614 £8,138 13.3 yrs £4,145
5 kW 4723 kWh 1889 kWh 2834 kWh £484 £283 £768 £10,173 13.3 yrs £5,182
6 kW 5667 kWh 2267 kWh 3400 kWh £581 £340 £921 £12,207 13.3 yrs £6,218
7 kW 6612 kWh 2645 kWh 3967 kWh £678 £397 £1,075 £14,242 13.3 yrs £7,254
8 kW 7556 kWh 3022 kWh 4534 kWh £775 £453 £1,228 £16,276 13.3 yrs £8,291

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: £915, Upfront: £12,273, Break-even: 13.4 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1889 kWh 1133 kWh 756 kWh £291 £76 £366 £6,169 16.8 yrs £1,154
3 kW 2834 kWh 1700 kWh 1133 kWh £436 £113 £549 £8,204 14.9 yrs £2,782
4 kW 3778 kWh 2267 kWh 1511 kWh £581 £151 £732 £10,238 14.0 yrs £4,409
5 kW 4723 kWh 2834 kWh 1889 kWh £727 £189 £915 £12,273 13.4 yrs £6,036
6 kW 5667 kWh 3400 kWh 2267 kWh £872 £227 £1,099 £14,307 13.0 yrs £7,663
7 kW 6612 kWh 3967 kWh 2645 kWh £1,017 £264 £1,282 £16,342 12.8 yrs £9,291
8 kW 7556 kWh 4534 kWh 3022 kWh £1,162 £302 £1,465 £18,376 12.5 yrs £10,918

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: £989, Upfront: £13,673, Break-even: 13.8 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1889 kWh 1322 kWh 567 kWh £339 £57 £396 £7,569 19.1 yrs £345
3 kW 2834 kWh 1984 kWh 850 kWh £509 £85 £594 £9,604 16.2 yrs £2,268
4 kW 3778 kWh 2645 kWh 1133 kWh £678 £113 £791 £11,638 14.7 yrs £4,191
5 kW 4723 kWh 3306 kWh 1417 kWh £848 £142 £989 £13,673 13.8 yrs £6,113
6 kW 5667 kWh 3967 kWh 1700 kWh £1,017 £170 £1,187 £15,707 13.2 yrs £8,036
7 kW 6612 kWh 4628 kWh 1984 kWh £1,187 £198 £1,385 £17,742 12.8 yrs £9,959
8 kW 7556 kWh 5289 kWh 2267 kWh £1,356 £227 £1,583 £19,776 12.5 yrs £11,882

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: £1,011, Upfront: £15,423, Break-even: 15.2 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1889 kWh 1379 kWh 510 kWh £354 £51 £405 £9,319 23.0 yrs £-1,227
3 kW 2834 kWh 2069 kWh 765 kWh £530 £77 £607 £11,354 18.7 yrs £784
4 kW 3778 kWh 2758 kWh 1020 kWh £707 £102 £809 £13,388 16.5 yrs £2,795
5 kW 4723 kWh 3448 kWh 1275 kWh £884 £128 £1,011 £15,423 15.2 yrs £4,807
6 kW 5667 kWh 4137 kWh 1530 kWh £1,061 £153 £1,214 £17,457 14.4 yrs £6,818
7 kW 6612 kWh 4827 kWh 1785 kWh £1,238 £179 £1,416 £19,492 13.8 yrs £8,829
8 kW 7556 kWh 5516 kWh 2040 kWh £1,414 £204 £1,618 £21,526 13.3 yrs £10,841

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: £1,026, Upfront: £17,173, Break-even: 16.7 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1889 kWh 1417 kWh 472 kWh £363 £47 £410 £11,069 27.0 yrs £-2,859
3 kW 2834 kWh 2125 kWh 708 kWh £545 £71 £616 £13,104 21.3 yrs £-789
4 kW 3778 kWh 2834 kWh 945 kWh £727 £94 £821 £15,138 18.4 yrs £1,282
5 kW 4723 kWh 3542 kWh 1181 kWh £908 £118 £1,026 £17,173 16.7 yrs £3,352
6 kW 5667 kWh 4250 kWh 1417 kWh £1,090 £142 £1,231 £19,207 15.6 yrs £5,423
7 kW 6612 kWh 4959 kWh 1653 kWh £1,271 £165 £1,437 £21,242 14.8 yrs £7,493
8 kW 7556 kWh 5667 kWh 1889 kWh £1,453 £189 £1,642 £23,276 14.2 yrs £9,563

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: £1,041, Upfront: £19,623, Break-even: 18.8 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1889 kWh 1455 kWh 434 kWh £373 £43 £416 £13,519 32.5 yrs £-5,191
3 kW 2834 kWh 2182 kWh 652 kWh £559 £65 £625 £15,554 24.9 yrs £-3,061
4 kW 3778 kWh 2909 kWh 869 kWh £746 £87 £833 £17,588 21.1 yrs £-932
5 kW 4723 kWh 3636 kWh 1086 kWh £932 £109 £1,041 £19,623 18.8 yrs £1,198
6 kW 5667 kWh 4364 kWh 1303 kWh £1,119 £130 £1,249 £21,657 17.3 yrs £3,327
7 kW 6612 kWh 5091 kWh 1521 kWh £1,305 £152 £1,457 £23,692 16.3 yrs £5,457
8 kW 7556 kWh 5818 kWh 1738 kWh £1,492 £174 £1,666 £25,726 15.4 yrs £7,586

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 WS15

Figures below are tailored to WS15 — click through for full league tables.

Big-Roof Britain Rank #1268 of 2182
4.9 kWp (UK avg 5.1 kWp)
~10 panels (≈430 W)
Solar Payback Index Rank #1921 of 2997
11.6 years (UK avg 11.3 years)
~£879 /yr • £10,173 upfront
Standing-Charge Drag Rank #1843 of 2997
22.0% (UK avg 21.7%) drag on savings
£193 fixed • ~£879 /yr value

Your Area at a Glance

Your Electricity Rate
25.64p/kWh
Daily Fixed Charge
53.00p/day
Local Sunshine
945kWh/kW
A 1 kW system generates ~945 kWh per year. A typical home uses ~2,700 kWh per year.
Typical System Size
5.0kW
For houses & bungalows in this area

Local Property Data

Property Types

Houses: 73% • Flats: 13% • Bungalows: 14% Based on 9,027 properties

Coverage

Cannock Chase (63%)|Lichfield (28%)|East Staffordshire (8%)|Stafford (1%)

Areas Covered

Western Springs, Etching Hill & the Heath, Brereton & Ravenhill, Armitage with Handsacre, Colton & the Ridwares, Bagots & Needwood, Longdon, Hednesford Hills & Rawnsley + 2 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 Midlands

WS12 (Cannock Chase)
≈7.9 km away
Local sunshine: ~927 kWh/kWp · -2% vs WS15
WS7 (Lichfield)
≈8.8 km away
Local sunshine: ~938 kWh/kWp · -1% vs WS15
WS11 (Cannock Chase)
≈9.8 km away
Local sunshine: ~929 kWh/kWp · -2% vs WS15
WS13 (Lichfield)
≈10.9 km away
Local sunshine: ~954 kWh/kWp · +1% vs WS15
ST18 (Stafford)
≈11.3 km away
Local sunshine: ~925 kWh/kWp · -2% vs WS15
ST17 (Stafford)
≈12.3 km away
Local sunshine: ~920 kWh/kWp · -3% vs WS15

Similar sunshine across the UK

CH26 (Wirral)
~945 kWh/kWp · -0% vs WS15
YO8 (North Yorkshire)
~945 kWh/kWp · +0% vs WS15
DG9 (Dumfries and Galloway)
~945 kWh/kWp · +0% vs WS15