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Solar Panels in AB34 (Aberdeenshire)

See if solar pays off for you in Aberdeenshire — 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
14.5 years
After this, it's pure profit
Upfront Cost
£8,138
What you pay to get started
Annual Benefit
£560
What you save every year
Profit Over 25 Years
£5,867
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 832 kWh/kW — 17 above the regional median (815).

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 832 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)
832 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: £700, Upfront: £10,173, Break-even: 14.5 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1665 kWh 666 kWh 999 kWh £180 £100 £280 £4,069 14.5 yrs £1,533
3 kW 2497 kWh 999 kWh 1498 kWh £270 £150 £420 £6,104 14.5 yrs £2,300
4 kW 3330 kWh 1332 kWh 1998 kWh £360 £200 £560 £8,138 14.5 yrs £3,066
5 kW 4162 kWh 1665 kWh 2497 kWh £451 £250 £700 £10,173 14.5 yrs £3,833
6 kW 4995 kWh 1998 kWh 2997 kWh £541 £300 £840 £12,207 14.5 yrs £4,599
7 kW 5827 kWh 2331 kWh 3496 kWh £631 £350 £980 £14,242 14.5 yrs £5,366
8 kW 6660 kWh 2664 kWh 3996 kWh £721 £400 £1,120 £16,276 14.5 yrs £6,132

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: £842, Upfront: £12,273, Break-even: 14.6 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1665 kWh 999 kWh 666 kWh £270 £67 £337 £6,169 18.3 yrs £569
3 kW 2497 kWh 1498 kWh 999 kWh £405 £100 £505 £8,204 16.2 yrs £1,904
4 kW 3330 kWh 1998 kWh 1332 kWh £541 £133 £674 £10,238 15.2 yrs £3,238
5 kW 4162 kWh 2497 kWh 1665 kWh £676 £166 £842 £12,273 14.6 yrs £4,573
6 kW 4995 kWh 2997 kWh 1998 kWh £811 £200 £1,011 £14,307 14.2 yrs £5,908
7 kW 5827 kWh 3496 kWh 2331 kWh £946 £233 £1,179 £16,342 13.9 yrs £7,242
8 kW 6660 kWh 3996 kWh 2664 kWh £1,081 £266 £1,348 £18,376 13.6 yrs £8,577

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: £913, Upfront: £13,673, Break-even: 15.0 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1665 kWh 1165 kWh 499 kWh £315 £50 £365 £7,569 20.7 yrs £-263
3 kW 2497 kWh 1748 kWh 749 kWh £473 £75 £548 £9,604 17.5 yrs £1,356
4 kW 3330 kWh 2331 kWh 999 kWh £631 £100 £731 £11,638 15.9 yrs £2,975
5 kW 4162 kWh 2914 kWh 1249 kWh £788 £125 £913 £13,673 15.0 yrs £4,593
6 kW 4995 kWh 3496 kWh 1498 kWh £946 £150 £1,096 £15,707 14.3 yrs £6,212
7 kW 5827 kWh 4079 kWh 1748 kWh £1,104 £175 £1,279 £17,742 13.9 yrs £7,831
8 kW 6660 kWh 4662 kWh 1998 kWh £1,261 £200 £1,461 £19,776 13.5 yrs £9,449

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: £935, Upfront: £15,423, Break-even: 16.5 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1665 kWh 1215 kWh 450 kWh £329 £45 £374 £9,319 24.9 yrs £-1,842
3 kW 2497 kWh 1823 kWh 674 kWh £493 £67 £561 £11,354 20.2 yrs £-138
4 kW 3330 kWh 2431 kWh 899 kWh £658 £90 £748 £13,388 17.9 yrs £1,565
5 kW 4162 kWh 3038 kWh 1124 kWh £822 £112 £935 £15,423 16.5 yrs £3,269
6 kW 4995 kWh 3646 kWh 1349 kWh £987 £135 £1,122 £17,457 15.6 yrs £4,973
7 kW 5827 kWh 4254 kWh 1573 kWh £1,151 £157 £1,308 £19,492 14.9 yrs £6,677
8 kW 6660 kWh 4862 kWh 1798 kWh £1,316 £180 £1,495 £21,526 14.4 yrs £8,381

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: £949, Upfront: £17,173, Break-even: 18.1 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1665 kWh 1249 kWh 416 kWh £338 £42 £380 £11,069 29.2 yrs £-3,479
3 kW 2497 kWh 1873 kWh 624 kWh £507 £62 £569 £13,104 23.0 yrs £-1,718
4 kW 3330 kWh 2497 kWh 832 kWh £676 £83 £759 £15,138 19.9 yrs £43
5 kW 4162 kWh 3122 kWh 1041 kWh £845 £104 £949 £17,173 18.1 yrs £1,803
6 kW 4995 kWh 3746 kWh 1249 kWh £1,014 £125 £1,139 £19,207 16.9 yrs £3,564
7 kW 5827 kWh 4370 kWh 1457 kWh £1,183 £146 £1,328 £21,242 16.0 yrs £5,325
8 kW 6660 kWh 4995 kWh 1665 kWh £1,352 £166 £1,518 £23,276 15.3 yrs £7,085

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: £963, Upfront: £19,623, Break-even: 20.4 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1665 kWh 1282 kWh 383 kWh £347 £38 £385 £13,519 35.1 yrs £-5,815
3 kW 2497 kWh 1923 kWh 574 kWh £520 £57 £578 £15,554 26.9 yrs £-3,998
4 kW 3330 kWh 2564 kWh 766 kWh £694 £77 £770 £17,588 22.8 yrs £-2,180
5 kW 4162 kWh 3205 kWh 957 kWh £867 £96 £963 £19,623 20.4 yrs £-363
6 kW 4995 kWh 3846 kWh 1149 kWh £1,041 £115 £1,156 £21,657 18.7 yrs £1,455
7 kW 5827 kWh 4487 kWh 1340 kWh £1,214 £134 £1,348 £23,692 17.6 yrs £3,272
8 kW 6660 kWh 5128 kWh 1532 kWh £1,388 £153 £1,541 £25,726 16.7 yrs £5,090

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 AB34

Figures below are tailored to AB34 — click through for full league tables.

Solar Payback Index Rank #2662 of 2997
12.6 years (UK avg 11.3 years)
~£645 /yr • £8,138 upfront
Standing-Charge Drag Rank #2820 of 2997
34.5% (UK avg 21.7%) drag on savings
£223 fixed • ~£645 /yr value

Your Area at a Glance

Your Electricity Rate
27.06p/kWh
Daily Fixed Charge
61.00p/day
Local Sunshine
832kWh/kW
A 1 kW system generates ~832 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

No EPC data available for this outcode

Coverage

Aberdeenshire (100%)

Areas Covered

Aboyne, Upper Deeside and Donside, Banchory and Mid Deeside

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

AB35 (Aberdeenshire)
≈15.5 km away
Local sunshine: ~780 kWh/kWp · -6% vs AB34
AB3 (Aberdeenshire)
≈16.5 km away
Local sunshine: ~920 kWh/kWp · +11% vs AB34
AB33 (Aberdeenshire)
≈17.7 km away
Local sunshine: ~830 kWh/kWp · -0% vs AB34
AB31 (Aberdeenshire)
≈18.4 km away
Local sunshine: ~896 kWh/kWp · +8% vs AB34
AB36 (Aberdeenshire)
≈21.1 km away
Local sunshine: ~830 kWh/kWp · -0% vs AB34
AB32 (Aberdeenshire)
≈31.3 km away
Local sunshine: ~892 kWh/kWp · +7% vs AB34

Similar sunshine across the UK

G44 (Glasgow City)
~832 kWh/kWp · +0% vs AB34
G46 (East Renfrewshire)
~833 kWh/kWp · +0% vs AB34
G61 (East Dunbartonshire)
~832 kWh/kWp · -0% vs AB34