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Big Roof Britain Solar Payback Index Standing Charge Drag

Solar Panels in WS4 (Walsall)

See if solar pays off for you in Walsall — 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
13.4 years
After this, it's pure profit
Upfront Cost
£10,173
What you pay to get started
Annual Benefit
£758
What you save every year
Profit Over 25 Years
£8,782
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 933 kWh/kW — 9 below 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 933 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)
933 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: £758, Upfront: £10,173, 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 1866 kWh 746 kWh 1119 kWh £191 £112 £303 £4,069 13.4 yrs £1,996
3 kW 2798 kWh 1119 kWh 1679 kWh £287 £168 £455 £6,104 13.4 yrs £2,995
4 kW 3731 kWh 1492 kWh 2239 kWh £383 £224 £607 £8,138 13.4 yrs £3,993
5 kW 4664 kWh 1866 kWh 2798 kWh £478 £280 £758 £10,173 13.4 yrs £4,991
6 kW 5597 kWh 2239 kWh 3358 kWh £574 £336 £910 £12,207 13.4 yrs £5,989
7 kW 6530 kWh 2612 kWh 3918 kWh £670 £392 £1,061 £14,242 13.4 yrs £6,987
8 kW 7462 kWh 2985 kWh 4477 kWh £765 £448 £1,213 £16,276 13.4 yrs £7,985

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: £904, Upfront: £12,273, Break-even: 13.6 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1866 kWh 1119 kWh 746 kWh £287 £75 £362 £6,169 17.1 yrs £1,063
3 kW 2798 kWh 1679 kWh 1119 kWh £431 £112 £542 £8,204 15.1 yrs £2,645
4 kW 3731 kWh 2239 kWh 1492 kWh £574 £149 £723 £10,238 14.2 yrs £4,227
5 kW 4664 kWh 2798 kWh 1866 kWh £718 £187 £904 £12,273 13.6 yrs £5,809
6 kW 5597 kWh 3358 kWh 2239 kWh £861 £224 £1,085 £14,307 13.2 yrs £7,390
7 kW 6530 kWh 3918 kWh 2612 kWh £1,005 £261 £1,266 £16,342 12.9 yrs £8,972
8 kW 7462 kWh 4477 kWh 2985 kWh £1,148 £298 £1,446 £18,376 12.7 yrs £10,554

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: £977, Upfront: £13,673, Break-even: 14.0 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1866 kWh 1306 kWh 560 kWh £335 £56 £391 £7,569 19.4 yrs £247
3 kW 2798 kWh 1959 kWh 840 kWh £502 £84 £586 £9,604 16.4 yrs £2,121
4 kW 3731 kWh 2612 kWh 1119 kWh £670 £112 £782 £11,638 14.9 yrs £3,994
5 kW 4664 kWh 3265 kWh 1399 kWh £837 £140 £977 £13,673 14.0 yrs £5,868
6 kW 5597 kWh 3918 kWh 1679 kWh £1,005 £168 £1,172 £15,707 13.4 yrs £7,741
7 kW 6530 kWh 4571 kWh 1959 kWh £1,172 £196 £1,368 £17,742 13.0 yrs £9,615
8 kW 7462 kWh 5224 kWh 2239 kWh £1,339 £224 £1,563 £19,776 12.7 yrs £11,488

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: £999, Upfront: £15,423, Break-even: 15.4 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1866 kWh 1362 kWh 504 kWh £349 £50 £400 £9,319 23.3 yrs £-1,328
3 kW 2798 kWh 2043 kWh 756 kWh £524 £76 £599 £11,354 18.9 yrs £633
4 kW 3731 kWh 2724 kWh 1007 kWh £698 £101 £799 £13,388 16.8 yrs £2,594
5 kW 4664 kWh 3405 kWh 1259 kWh £873 £126 £999 £15,423 15.4 yrs £4,555
6 kW 5597 kWh 4086 kWh 1511 kWh £1,048 £151 £1,199 £17,457 14.6 yrs £6,516
7 kW 6530 kWh 4767 kWh 1763 kWh £1,222 £176 £1,398 £19,492 13.9 yrs £8,477
8 kW 7462 kWh 5447 kWh 2015 kWh £1,397 £201 £1,598 £21,526 13.5 yrs £10,438

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: £1,013, Upfront: £17,173, Break-even: 16.9 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1866 kWh 1399 kWh 466 kWh £359 £47 £405 £11,069 27.3 yrs £-2,961
3 kW 2798 kWh 2099 kWh 700 kWh £538 £70 £608 £13,104 21.5 yrs £-942
4 kW 3731 kWh 2798 kWh 933 kWh £718 £93 £811 £15,138 18.7 yrs £1,078
5 kW 4664 kWh 3498 kWh 1166 kWh £897 £117 £1,013 £17,173 16.9 yrs £3,097
6 kW 5597 kWh 4198 kWh 1399 kWh £1,076 £140 £1,216 £19,207 15.8 yrs £5,116
7 kW 6530 kWh 4897 kWh 1632 kWh £1,256 £163 £1,419 £21,242 15.0 yrs £7,136
8 kW 7462 kWh 5597 kWh 1866 kWh £1,435 £187 £1,622 £23,276 14.4 yrs £9,155

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: £1,028, Upfront: £19,623, Break-even: 19.1 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1866 kWh 1436 kWh 429 kWh £368 £43 £411 £13,519 32.9 yrs £-5,294
3 kW 2798 kWh 2155 kWh 644 kWh £552 £64 £617 £15,554 25.2 yrs £-3,217
4 kW 3731 kWh 2873 kWh 858 kWh £737 £86 £822 £17,588 21.4 yrs £-1,139
5 kW 4664 kWh 3591 kWh 1073 kWh £921 £107 £1,028 £19,623 19.1 yrs £939
6 kW 5597 kWh 4309 kWh 1287 kWh £1,105 £129 £1,234 £21,657 17.6 yrs £3,017
7 kW 6530 kWh 5028 kWh 1502 kWh £1,289 £150 £1,439 £23,692 16.5 yrs £5,094
8 kW 7462 kWh 5746 kWh 1716 kWh £1,473 £172 £1,645 £25,726 15.6 yrs £7,172

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 WS4

Figures below are tailored to WS4 — click through for full league tables.

Big-Roof Britain Rank #1515 of 2182
4.7 kWp (UK avg 5.1 kWp)
~10 panels (≈430 W)
Solar Payback Index Rank #2050 of 2997
11.7 years (UK avg 11.3 years)
~£868 /yr • £10,173 upfront
Standing-Charge Drag Rank #1970 of 2997
22.3% (UK avg 21.7%) drag on savings
£193 fixed • ~£868 /yr value

Your Area at a Glance

Your Electricity Rate
25.64p/kWh
Daily Fixed Charge
53.00p/day
Local Sunshine
933kWh/kW
A 1 kW system generates ~933 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: 66% • Flats: 24% • Bungalows: 8% Based on 4,390 properties

Coverage

Walsall (100%)

Areas Covered

Rushall-Shelfield, St Matthew's, Pelsall, Aldridge Central and South, Blakenall

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

WS3 (Walsall)
≈2.4 km away
Local sunshine: ~933 kWh/kWp · -0% vs WS4
WS9 (Walsall)
≈2.7 km away
Local sunshine: ~937 kWh/kWp · +0% vs WS4
WS1 (Walsall)
≈2.9 km away
Local sunshine: ~933 kWh/kWp · +0% vs WS4
WS2 (Walsall)
≈3.6 km away
Local sunshine: ~931 kWh/kWp · -0% vs WS4
WS5 (Walsall)
≈4.6 km away
Local sunshine: ~933 kWh/kWp · -0% vs WS4
WS8 (Walsall)
≈4.7 km away
Local sunshine: ~938 kWh/kWp · +1% vs WS4

Similar sunshine across the UK

LL18 (Denbighshire)
~933 kWh/kWp · +0% vs WS4
NP13 (Blaenau Gwent)
~933 kWh/kWp · +0% vs WS4
TS12 (Redcar and Cleveland)
~933 kWh/kWp · +0% vs WS4