Solar explained to clever people by people who are not trying to be clever
Home Regions
Insights
Big Roof Britain Solar Payback Index Standing Charge Drag

Solar Panels in AB39 (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
13.6 years
After this, it's pure profit
Upfront Cost
£10,173
What you pay to get started
Annual Benefit
£747
What you save every year
Profit Over 25 Years
£8,512
After paying itself off, you're this much ahead

Ready to Get Started?

Get your free quote from Blue Ape Renewables. They'll connect you with MCS-certified installers in your area and handle all the paperwork.

Get Solar Quote →
4.8★ Trustpilot • Octopus Energy trusted partner • MCS certified • No obligation
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 888 kWh/kW — 73 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 888 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)
888 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: £747, Upfront: £10,173, 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 1777 kWh 711 kWh 1066 kWh £192 £107 £299 £4,069 13.6 yrs £1,910
3 kW 2665 kWh 1066 kWh 1599 kWh £289 £160 £448 £6,104 13.6 yrs £2,865
4 kW 3554 kWh 1422 kWh 2132 kWh £385 £213 £598 £8,138 13.6 yrs £3,820
5 kW 4442 kWh 1777 kWh 2665 kWh £481 £267 £747 £10,173 13.6 yrs £4,775
6 kW 5331 kWh 2132 kWh 3198 kWh £577 £320 £897 £12,207 13.6 yrs £5,730
7 kW 6219 kWh 2488 kWh 3732 kWh £673 £373 £1,046 £14,242 13.6 yrs £6,685
8 kW 7108 kWh 2843 kWh 4265 kWh £769 £426 £1,196 £16,276 13.6 yrs £7,640

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: £899, Upfront: £12,273, Break-even: 13.7 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1777 kWh 1066 kWh 711 kWh £289 £71 £360 £6,169 17.2 yrs £1,023
3 kW 2665 kWh 1599 kWh 1066 kWh £433 £107 £539 £8,204 15.2 yrs £2,584
4 kW 3554 kWh 2132 kWh 1422 kWh £577 £142 £719 £10,238 14.2 yrs £4,145
5 kW 4442 kWh 2665 kWh 1777 kWh £721 £178 £899 £12,273 13.7 yrs £5,707
6 kW 5331 kWh 3198 kWh 2132 kWh £866 £213 £1,079 £14,307 13.3 yrs £7,268
7 kW 6219 kWh 3732 kWh 2488 kWh £1,010 £249 £1,259 £16,342 13.0 yrs £8,829
8 kW 7108 kWh 4265 kWh 2843 kWh £1,154 £284 £1,438 £18,376 12.8 yrs £10,390

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 1777 kWh 1244 kWh 533 kWh £337 £53 £390 £7,569 19.4 yrs £229
3 kW 2665 kWh 1866 kWh 800 kWh £505 £80 £585 £9,604 16.4 yrs £2,093
4 kW 3554 kWh 2488 kWh 1066 kWh £673 £107 £780 £11,638 14.9 yrs £3,958
5 kW 4442 kWh 3110 kWh 1333 kWh £841 £133 £975 £13,673 14.0 yrs £5,822
6 kW 5331 kWh 3732 kWh 1599 kWh £1,010 £160 £1,170 £15,707 13.4 yrs £7,687
7 kW 6219 kWh 4354 kWh 1866 kWh £1,178 £187 £1,365 £17,742 13.0 yrs £9,551
8 kW 7108 kWh 4975 kWh 2132 kWh £1,346 £213 £1,560 £19,776 12.7 yrs £11,416

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 1777 kWh 1297 kWh 480 kWh £351 £48 £399 £9,319 23.4 yrs £-1,339
3 kW 2665 kWh 1946 kWh 720 kWh £527 £72 £598 £11,354 19.0 yrs £616
4 kW 3554 kWh 2594 kWh 960 kWh £702 £96 £798 £13,388 16.8 yrs £2,572
5 kW 4442 kWh 3243 kWh 1199 kWh £878 £120 £997 £15,423 15.5 yrs £4,527
6 kW 5331 kWh 3891 kWh 1439 kWh £1,053 £144 £1,197 £17,457 14.6 yrs £6,482
7 kW 6219 kWh 4540 kWh 1679 kWh £1,229 £168 £1,396 £19,492 14.0 yrs £8,438
8 kW 7108 kWh 5189 kWh 1919 kWh £1,404 £192 £1,596 £21,526 13.5 yrs £10,393

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: 17.0 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1777 kWh 1333 kWh 444 kWh £361 £44 £405 £11,069 27.3 yrs £-2,968
3 kW 2665 kWh 1999 kWh 666 kWh £541 £67 £608 £13,104 21.6 yrs £-952
4 kW 3554 kWh 2665 kWh 888 kWh £721 £89 £810 £15,138 18.7 yrs £1,064
5 kW 4442 kWh 3332 kWh 1111 kWh £902 £111 £1,013 £17,173 17.0 yrs £3,080
6 kW 5331 kWh 3998 kWh 1333 kWh £1,082 £133 £1,215 £19,207 15.8 yrs £5,096
7 kW 6219 kWh 4664 kWh 1555 kWh £1,262 £155 £1,418 £21,242 15.0 yrs £7,112
8 kW 7108 kWh 5331 kWh 1777 kWh £1,443 £178 £1,620 £23,276 14.4 yrs £9,128

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 1777 kWh 1368 kWh 409 kWh £370 £41 £411 £13,519 32.9 yrs £-5,297
3 kW 2665 kWh 2052 kWh 613 kWh £555 £61 £617 £15,554 25.2 yrs £-3,220
4 kW 3554 kWh 2736 kWh 817 kWh £740 £82 £822 £17,588 21.4 yrs £-1,143
5 kW 4442 kWh 3421 kWh 1022 kWh £926 £102 £1,028 £19,623 19.1 yrs £933
6 kW 5331 kWh 4105 kWh 1226 kWh £1,111 £123 £1,233 £21,657 17.6 yrs £3,010
7 kW 6219 kWh 4789 kWh 1430 kWh £1,296 £143 £1,439 £23,692 16.5 yrs £5,087
8 kW 7108 kWh 5473 kWh 1635 kWh £1,481 £163 £1,644 £25,726 15.6 yrs £7,163

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 AB39

Figures below are tailored to AB39 — click through for full league tables.

Solar Payback Index Rank #2089 of 2997
11.8 years (UK avg 11.3 years)
~£689 /yr • £8,138 upfront
Standing-Charge Drag Rank #2743 of 2997
32.3% (UK avg 21.7%) drag on savings
£223 fixed • ~£689 /yr value

Your Area at a Glance

Your Electricity Rate
27.06p/kWh
Daily Fixed Charge
61.00p/day
Local Sunshine
888kWh/kW
A 1 kW system generates ~888 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

Aberdeenshire (100%)

Areas Covered

Stonehaven and Lower Deeside, North Kincardine, Mearns

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

AB14 (Aberdeen City)
≈15.3 km away
Local sunshine: ~893 kWh/kWp · +1% vs AB39
AB13 (Aberdeen City)
≈15.9 km away
Local sunshine: ~893 kWh/kWp · +0% vs AB39
AB12 (Aberdeen City)
≈17.6 km away
Local sunshine: ~874 kWh/kWp · -2% vs AB39
AB99 (Aberdeen City)
≈17.7 km away
Local sunshine: ~869 kWh/kWp · -2% vs AB39
AB1 (Aberdeen City)
≈19.3 km away
Local sunshine: ~893 kWh/kWp · +0% vs AB39
AB15 (Aberdeen City)
≈19.7 km away
Local sunshine: ~892 kWh/kWp · +0% vs AB39

Similar sunshine across the UK

BT32 (Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon)
~889 kWh/kWp · +0% vs AB39
EH9 (City of Edinburgh)
~889 kWh/kWp · +0% vs AB39
SA48 (Ceredigion)
~888 kWh/kWp · -0% vs AB39