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Solar Panels in AB12 (Aberdeen City)

See if solar pays off for you in Aberdeen City — 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
13.8 years
After this, it's pure profit
Upfront Cost
£10,173
What you pay to get started
Annual Benefit
£735
What you save every year
Profit Over 25 Years
£8,203
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 Northern Scotland, the current unit rate is 27.06p/kWh with a 61.00p/day standing charge. Your postcode’s south-facing sunshine yield is 874 kWh/kW — 59 above the regional median (815).

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 874 kWh per year on a south-facing roof. We value self-used electricity at 27.1p and exported surplus at a baseline 10p via SEG. Use the calculator above for your exact tariff.

Unit rate
27.1p/kWh
Standing charge
61.0p/day
Sunshine yield (south)
874 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: £735, Upfront: £10,173, 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 1748 kWh 699 kWh 1049 kWh £189 £105 £294 £4,069 13.8 yrs £1,811
3 kW 2621 kWh 1049 kWh 1573 kWh £284 £157 £441 £6,104 13.8 yrs £2,717
4 kW 3495 kWh 1398 kWh 2097 kWh £378 £210 £588 £8,138 13.8 yrs £3,623
5 kW 4369 kWh 1748 kWh 2621 kWh £473 £262 £735 £10,173 13.8 yrs £4,528
6 kW 5243 kWh 2097 kWh 3146 kWh £567 £315 £882 £12,207 13.8 yrs £5,434
7 kW 6117 kWh 2447 kWh 3670 kWh £662 £367 £1,029 £14,242 13.8 yrs £6,340
8 kW 6990 kWh 2796 kWh 4194 kWh £757 £419 £1,176 £16,276 13.8 yrs £7,245

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 1748 kWh 1049 kWh 699 kWh £284 £70 £354 £6,169 17.4 yrs £904
3 kW 2621 kWh 1573 kWh 1049 kWh £426 £105 £530 £8,204 15.5 yrs £2,406
4 kW 3495 kWh 2097 kWh 1398 kWh £567 £140 £707 £10,238 14.5 yrs £3,908
5 kW 4369 kWh 2621 kWh 1748 kWh £709 £175 £884 £12,273 13.9 yrs £5,410
6 kW 5243 kWh 3146 kWh 2097 kWh £851 £210 £1,061 £14,307 13.5 yrs £6,912
7 kW 6117 kWh 3670 kWh 2447 kWh £993 £245 £1,238 £16,342 13.2 yrs £8,414
8 kW 6990 kWh 4194 kWh 2796 kWh £1,135 £280 £1,415 £18,376 13.0 yrs £9,915

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: £959, 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 1748 kWh 1223 kWh 524 kWh £331 £52 £383 £7,569 19.7 yrs £100
3 kW 2621 kWh 1835 kWh 786 kWh £497 £79 £575 £9,604 16.7 yrs £1,900
4 kW 3495 kWh 2447 kWh 1049 kWh £662 £105 £767 £11,638 15.2 yrs £3,700
5 kW 4369 kWh 3058 kWh 1311 kWh £828 £131 £959 £13,673 14.3 yrs £5,500
6 kW 5243 kWh 3670 kWh 1573 kWh £993 £157 £1,150 £15,707 13.7 yrs £7,300
7 kW 6117 kWh 4282 kWh 1835 kWh £1,159 £183 £1,342 £17,742 13.2 yrs £9,101
8 kW 6990 kWh 4893 kWh 2097 kWh £1,324 £210 £1,534 £19,776 12.9 yrs £10,901

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: £981, Upfront: £15,423, Break-even: 15.7 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1748 kWh 1276 kWh 472 kWh £345 £47 £392 £9,319 23.7 yrs £-1,471
3 kW 2621 kWh 1914 kWh 708 kWh £518 £71 £589 £11,354 19.3 yrs £419
4 kW 3495 kWh 2551 kWh 944 kWh £690 £94 £785 £13,388 17.1 yrs £2,308
5 kW 4369 kWh 3189 kWh 1180 kWh £863 £118 £981 £15,423 15.7 yrs £4,198
6 kW 5243 kWh 3827 kWh 1416 kWh £1,036 £142 £1,177 £17,457 14.8 yrs £6,087
7 kW 6117 kWh 4465 kWh 1651 kWh £1,208 £165 £1,373 £19,492 14.2 yrs £7,977
8 kW 6990 kWh 5103 kWh 1887 kWh £1,381 £189 £1,570 £21,526 13.7 yrs £9,866

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: £996, Upfront: £17,173, Break-even: 17.2 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1748 kWh 1311 kWh 437 kWh £355 £44 £398 £11,069 27.8 yrs £-3,102
3 kW 2621 kWh 1966 kWh 655 kWh £532 £66 £598 £13,104 21.9 yrs £-1,153
4 kW 3495 kWh 2621 kWh 874 kWh £709 £87 £797 £15,138 19.0 yrs £797
5 kW 4369 kWh 3277 kWh 1092 kWh £887 £109 £996 £17,173 17.2 yrs £2,746
6 kW 5243 kWh 3932 kWh 1311 kWh £1,064 £131 £1,195 £19,207 16.1 yrs £4,695
7 kW 6117 kWh 4587 kWh 1529 kWh £1,241 £153 £1,394 £21,242 15.2 yrs £6,644
8 kW 6990 kWh 5243 kWh 1748 kWh £1,419 £175 £1,593 £23,276 14.6 yrs £8,593

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: £1,011, Upfront: £19,623, Break-even: 19.4 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1748 kWh 1346 kWh 402 kWh £364 £40 £404 £13,519 33.4 yrs £-5,432
3 kW 2621 kWh 2018 kWh 603 kWh £546 £60 £606 £15,554 25.6 yrs £-3,424
4 kW 3495 kWh 2691 kWh 804 kWh £728 £80 £809 £17,588 21.7 yrs £-1,415
5 kW 4369 kWh 3364 kWh 1005 kWh £910 £100 £1,011 £19,623 19.4 yrs £594
6 kW 5243 kWh 4037 kWh 1206 kWh £1,092 £121 £1,213 £21,657 17.9 yrs £2,603
7 kW 6117 kWh 4710 kWh 1407 kWh £1,274 £141 £1,415 £23,692 16.7 yrs £4,611
8 kW 6990 kWh 5383 kWh 1608 kWh £1,457 £161 £1,617 £25,726 15.9 yrs £6,620

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 AB12

Figures below are tailored to AB12 — click through for full league tables.

Solar Payback Index Rank #2284 of 2997
12.0 years (UK avg 11.3 years)
~£677 /yr • £8,138 upfront
Standing-Charge Drag Rank #2765 of 2997
32.9% (UK avg 21.7%) drag on savings
£223 fixed • ~£677 /yr value

Your Area at a Glance

Your Electricity Rate
27.06p/kWh
Daily Fixed Charge
61.00p/day
Local Sunshine
874kWh/kW
A 1 kW system generates ~874 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

No EPC data available for this outcode

Coverage

Aberdeen City (75%)|Aberdeenshire (25%)

Areas Covered

Kincorth/Nigg/Cove, North Kincardine, George St/Harbour, Torry/Ferryhill

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 Northern Scotland

AB99 (Aberdeen City)
≈0.2 km away
Local sunshine: ~869 kWh/kWp · -1% vs AB12
AB1 (Aberdeen City)
≈2.6 km away
Local sunshine: ~893 kWh/kWp · +2% vs AB12
AB11 (Aberdeen City)
≈3.0 km away
Local sunshine: ~869 kWh/kWp · -1% vs AB12
AB10 (Aberdeen City)
≈3.0 km away
Local sunshine: ~869 kWh/kWp · -0% vs AB12
AB9 (Aberdeen City)
≈3.9 km away
Local sunshine: ~892 kWh/kWp · +2% vs AB12
AB25 (Aberdeen City)
≈4.7 km away
Local sunshine: ~892 kWh/kWp · +2% vs AB12

Similar sunshine across the UK

TD5 (Scottish Borders)
~874 kWh/kWp · -0% vs AB12
KY3 (Fife)
~874 kWh/kWp · +0% vs AB12
SA9 (Powys)
~873 kWh/kWp · -0% vs AB12