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Big Roof Britain Solar Payback Index Standing Charge Drag

Solar Panels in WV12 (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
£8,138
What you pay to get started
Annual Benefit
£605
What you save every year
Profit Over 25 Years
£6,989
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 931 kWh/kW — 11 below the regional median (942).

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 931 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)
931 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: £756, 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 1861 kWh 744 kWh 1117 kWh £191 £112 £303 £4,069 13.4 yrs £1,982
3 kW 2792 kWh 1117 kWh 1675 kWh £286 £168 £454 £6,104 13.4 yrs £2,973
4 kW 3722 kWh 1489 kWh 2233 kWh £382 £223 £605 £8,138 13.4 yrs £3,964
5 kW 4653 kWh 1861 kWh 2792 kWh £477 £279 £756 £10,173 13.4 yrs £4,955
6 kW 5583 kWh 2233 kWh 3350 kWh £573 £335 £908 £12,207 13.4 yrs £5,946
7 kW 6514 kWh 2606 kWh 3908 kWh £668 £391 £1,059 £14,242 13.4 yrs £6,937
8 kW 7445 kWh 2978 kWh 4467 kWh £764 £447 £1,210 £16,276 13.4 yrs £7,928

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: £902, 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 1861 kWh 1117 kWh 744 kWh £286 £74 £361 £6,169 17.1 yrs £1,046
3 kW 2792 kWh 1675 kWh 1117 kWh £429 £112 £541 £8,204 15.2 yrs £2,619
4 kW 3722 kWh 2233 kWh 1489 kWh £573 £149 £722 £10,238 14.2 yrs £4,192
5 kW 4653 kWh 2792 kWh 1861 kWh £716 £186 £902 £12,273 13.6 yrs £5,766
6 kW 5583 kWh 3350 kWh 2233 kWh £859 £223 £1,082 £14,307 13.2 yrs £7,339
7 kW 6514 kWh 3908 kWh 2606 kWh £1,002 £261 £1,263 £16,342 12.9 yrs £8,912
8 kW 7445 kWh 4467 kWh 2978 kWh £1,145 £298 £1,443 £18,376 12.7 yrs £10,485

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: £975, 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 1861 kWh 1303 kWh 558 kWh £334 £56 £390 £7,569 19.4 yrs £228
3 kW 2792 kWh 1954 kWh 838 kWh £501 £84 £585 £9,604 16.4 yrs £2,093
4 kW 3722 kWh 2606 kWh 1117 kWh £668 £112 £780 £11,638 14.9 yrs £3,957
5 kW 4653 kWh 3257 kWh 1396 kWh £835 £140 £975 £13,673 14.0 yrs £5,821
6 kW 5583 kWh 3908 kWh 1675 kWh £1,002 £168 £1,170 £15,707 13.4 yrs £7,685
7 kW 6514 kWh 4560 kWh 1954 kWh £1,169 £195 £1,365 £17,742 13.0 yrs £9,549
8 kW 7445 kWh 5211 kWh 2233 kWh £1,336 £223 £1,559 £19,776 12.7 yrs £11,414

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: £997, Upfront: £15,423, Break-even: 15.5 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1861 kWh 1359 kWh 503 kWh £348 £50 £399 £9,319 23.4 yrs £-1,347
3 kW 2792 kWh 2038 kWh 754 kWh £523 £75 £598 £11,354 19.0 yrs £605
4 kW 3722 kWh 2717 kWh 1005 kWh £697 £101 £797 £13,388 16.8 yrs £2,556
5 kW 4653 kWh 3397 kWh 1256 kWh £871 £126 £997 £15,423 15.5 yrs £4,508
6 kW 5583 kWh 4076 kWh 1508 kWh £1,045 £151 £1,196 £17,457 14.6 yrs £6,459
7 kW 6514 kWh 4755 kWh 1759 kWh £1,219 £176 £1,395 £19,492 14.0 yrs £8,411
8 kW 7445 kWh 5435 kWh 2010 kWh £1,393 £201 £1,594 £21,526 13.5 yrs £10,362

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: £1,011, Upfront: £17,173, Break-even: 17.0 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1861 kWh 1396 kWh 465 kWh £358 £47 £404 £11,069 27.4 yrs £-2,981
3 kW 2792 kWh 2094 kWh 698 kWh £537 £70 £607 £13,104 21.6 yrs £-971
4 kW 3722 kWh 2792 kWh 931 kWh £716 £93 £809 £15,138 18.7 yrs £1,039
5 kW 4653 kWh 3490 kWh 1163 kWh £895 £116 £1,011 £17,173 17.0 yrs £3,049
6 kW 5583 kWh 4188 kWh 1396 kWh £1,074 £140 £1,213 £19,207 15.8 yrs £5,058
7 kW 6514 kWh 4885 kWh 1628 kWh £1,253 £163 £1,415 £21,242 15.0 yrs £7,068
8 kW 7445 kWh 5583 kWh 1861 kWh £1,432 £186 £1,618 £23,276 14.4 yrs £9,078

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: £1,026, 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 1861 kWh 1433 kWh 428 kWh £367 £43 £410 £13,519 33.0 yrs £-5,314
3 kW 2792 kWh 2150 kWh 642 kWh £551 £64 £615 £15,554 25.3 yrs £-3,246
4 kW 3722 kWh 2866 kWh 856 kWh £735 £86 £820 £17,588 21.4 yrs £-1,178
5 kW 4653 kWh 3583 kWh 1070 kWh £919 £107 £1,026 £19,623 19.1 yrs £890
6 kW 5583 kWh 4299 kWh 1284 kWh £1,102 £128 £1,231 £21,657 17.6 yrs £2,958
7 kW 6514 kWh 5016 kWh 1498 kWh £1,286 £150 £1,436 £23,692 16.5 yrs £5,026
8 kW 7445 kWh 5732 kWh 1712 kWh £1,470 £171 £1,641 £25,726 15.7 yrs £7,094

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 WV12

Figures below are tailored to WV12 — click through for full league tables.

Big-Roof Britain Rank #1846 of 2182
4.4 kWp (UK avg 5.1 kWp)
~9 panels (≈430 W)
Solar Payback Index Rank #2177 of 2997
11.8 years (UK avg 11.3 years)
~£692 /yr • £8,138 upfront
Standing-Charge Drag Rank #2561 of 2997
28.0% (UK avg 21.7%) drag on savings
£193 fixed • ~£692 /yr value

Your Area at a Glance

Your Electricity Rate
25.64p/kWh
Daily Fixed Charge
53.00p/day
Local Sunshine
931kWh/kW
A 1 kW system generates ~931 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: 68% • Flats: 24% • Bungalows: 7% Based on 5,213 properties

Coverage

Walsall (86%)|Wolverhampton (14%)

Areas Covered

Short Heath, Willenhall North, Wednesfield South, Wednesfield North, Bloxwich West

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

WV11 (Wolverhampton)
≈1.8 km away
Local sunshine: ~933 kWh/kWp · +0% vs WV12
WV13 (Walsall)
≈2.6 km away
Local sunshine: ~931 kWh/kWp · +0% vs WV12
WS2 (Walsall)
≈3.4 km away
Local sunshine: ~931 kWh/kWp · +0% vs WV12
WS3 (Walsall)
≈3.7 km away
Local sunshine: ~933 kWh/kWp · +0% vs WV12
WS1 (Walsall)
≈4.8 km away
Local sunshine: ~933 kWh/kWp · +0% vs WV12
WV10 (Wolverhampton)
≈5.0 km away
Local sunshine: ~928 kWh/kWp · -0% vs WV12

Similar sunshine across the UK

L41 (Wirral)
~931 kWh/kWp · -0% vs WV12
L67 (Liverpool)
~931 kWh/kWp · -0% vs WV12
LL75 (Isle of Anglesey)
~931 kWh/kWp · +0% vs WV12