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Big Roof Britain Solar Payback Index Standing Charge Drag

Solar Panels in DG3 (Dumfries and Galloway)

See if solar pays off for you in Dumfries and Galloway — 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
15.0 years
After this, it's pure profit
Upfront Cost
£12,207
What you pay to get started
Annual Benefit
£813
What you save every year
Profit Over 25 Years
£8,114
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 Southern Scotland, the current unit rate is 25.84p/kWh with a 56.55p/day standing charge. Your postcode’s south-facing sunshine yield is 829 kWh/kW — 20 below the regional median (850).

Read the full story

A typical roof here lands around 6.0 kW, with most eligible homes comfortably fitting within 3–6 kW. Each kilowatt of panels produces roughly 829 kWh per year on a south-facing roof. We value self-used electricity at 25.8p and exported surplus at a baseline 10p via SEG. Use the calculator above for your exact tariff.

Unit rate
25.8p/kWh
Standing charge
56.5p/day
Sunshine yield (south)
829 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: £677, Upfront: £10,173, 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 1659 kWh 663 kWh 995 kWh £171 £100 £271 £4,069 15.0 yrs £1,350
3 kW 2488 kWh 995 kWh 1493 kWh £257 £149 £406 £6,104 15.0 yrs £2,025
4 kW 3317 kWh 1327 kWh 1990 kWh £343 £199 £542 £8,138 15.0 yrs £2,700
5 kW 4146 kWh 1659 kWh 2488 kWh £429 £249 £677 £10,173 15.0 yrs £3,375
6 kW 4976 kWh 1990 kWh 2985 kWh £514 £299 £813 £12,207 15.0 yrs £4,050
7 kW 5805 kWh 2322 kWh 3483 kWh £600 £348 £948 £14,242 15.0 yrs £4,725
8 kW 6634 kWh 2654 kWh 3981 kWh £686 £398 £1,084 £16,276 15.0 yrs £5,400

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: £809, Upfront: £12,273, Break-even: 15.2 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1659 kWh 995 kWh 663 kWh £257 £66 £323 £6,169 19.1 yrs £301
3 kW 2488 kWh 1493 kWh 995 kWh £386 £100 £485 £8,204 16.9 yrs £1,501
4 kW 3317 kWh 1990 kWh 1327 kWh £514 £133 £647 £10,238 15.8 yrs £2,702
5 kW 4146 kWh 2488 kWh 1659 kWh £643 £166 £809 £12,273 15.2 yrs £3,902
6 kW 4976 kWh 2985 kWh 1990 kWh £771 £199 £970 £14,307 14.7 yrs £5,102
7 kW 5805 kWh 3483 kWh 2322 kWh £900 £232 £1,132 £16,342 14.4 yrs £6,303
8 kW 6634 kWh 3981 kWh 2654 kWh £1,029 £265 £1,294 £18,376 14.2 yrs £7,503

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: £874, Upfront: £13,673, Break-even: 15.6 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1659 kWh 1161 kWh 498 kWh £300 £50 £350 £7,569 21.6 yrs £-574
3 kW 2488 kWh 1742 kWh 746 kWh £450 £75 £525 £9,604 18.3 yrs £889
4 kW 3317 kWh 2322 kWh 995 kWh £600 £100 £700 £11,638 16.6 yrs £2,352
5 kW 4146 kWh 2903 kWh 1244 kWh £750 £124 £874 £13,673 15.6 yrs £3,816
6 kW 4976 kWh 3483 kWh 1493 kWh £900 £149 £1,049 £15,707 15.0 yrs £5,279
7 kW 5805 kWh 4064 kWh 1742 kWh £1,050 £174 £1,224 £17,742 14.5 yrs £6,742
8 kW 6634 kWh 4644 kWh 1990 kWh £1,200 £199 £1,399 £19,776 14.1 yrs £8,205

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: £894, Upfront: £15,423, 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 1659 kWh 1211 kWh 448 kWh £313 £45 £358 £9,319 26.1 yrs £-2,166
3 kW 2488 kWh 1816 kWh 672 kWh £469 £67 £536 £11,354 21.2 yrs £-624
4 kW 3317 kWh 2422 kWh 896 kWh £626 £90 £715 £13,388 18.7 yrs £918
5 kW 4146 kWh 3027 kWh 1120 kWh £782 £112 £894 £15,423 17.2 yrs £2,460
6 kW 4976 kWh 3632 kWh 1343 kWh £939 £134 £1,073 £17,457 16.3 yrs £4,002
7 kW 5805 kWh 4238 kWh 1567 kWh £1,095 £157 £1,252 £19,492 15.6 yrs £5,543
8 kW 6634 kWh 4843 kWh 1791 kWh £1,251 £179 £1,431 £21,526 15.0 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.

10 kWh battery 5 kW example → Annual benefit: £907, Upfront: £17,173, Break-even: 18.9 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1659 kWh 1244 kWh 415 kWh £321 £41 £363 £11,069 30.5 yrs £-3,811
3 kW 2488 kWh 1866 kWh 622 kWh £482 £62 £544 £13,104 24.1 yrs £-2,217
4 kW 3317 kWh 2488 kWh 829 kWh £643 £83 £726 £15,138 20.9 yrs £-622
5 kW 4146 kWh 3110 kWh 1037 kWh £804 £104 £907 £17,173 18.9 yrs £972
6 kW 4976 kWh 3732 kWh 1244 kWh £964 £124 £1,089 £19,207 17.6 yrs £2,567
7 kW 5805 kWh 4354 kWh 1451 kWh £1,125 £145 £1,270 £21,242 16.7 yrs £4,161
8 kW 6634 kWh 4976 kWh 1659 kWh £1,286 £166 £1,452 £23,276 16.0 yrs £5,756

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: £920, Upfront: £19,623, Break-even: 21.3 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1659 kWh 1277 kWh 381 kWh £330 £38 £368 £13,519 36.7 yrs £-6,156
3 kW 2488 kWh 1916 kWh 572 kWh £495 £57 £552 £15,554 28.2 yrs £-4,509
4 kW 3317 kWh 2554 kWh 763 kWh £660 £76 £736 £17,588 23.9 yrs £-2,862
5 kW 4146 kWh 3193 kWh 954 kWh £825 £95 £920 £19,623 21.3 yrs £-1,215
6 kW 4976 kWh 3831 kWh 1144 kWh £990 £114 £1,104 £21,657 19.6 yrs £432
7 kW 5805 kWh 4470 kWh 1335 kWh £1,155 £134 £1,289 £23,692 18.4 yrs £2,079
8 kW 6634 kWh 5108 kWh 1526 kWh £1,320 £153 £1,473 £25,726 17.5 yrs £3,726

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 DG3

Figures below are tailored to DG3 — click through for full league tables.

Solar Payback Index Rank #2828 of 2997
13.1 years (UK avg 11.3 years)
~£931 /yr • £12,207 upfront
Standing-Charge Drag Rank #1941 of 2997
22.2% (UK avg 21.7%) drag on savings
£206 fixed • ~£931 /yr value

Your Area at a Glance

Your Electricity Rate
25.84p/kWh
Daily Fixed Charge
56.55p/day
Local Sunshine
829kWh/kW
A 1 kW system generates ~829 kWh per year. A typical home uses ~2,700 kWh per year.
Typical System Size
6.0kW
For houses & bungalows in this area

Local Property Data

Property Types

No EPC data available for this outcode

Coverage

Dumfries and Galloway (100%)

Areas Covered

Mid and Upper Nithsdale, Dee and Glenkens

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 Southern Scotland

DG4 (Dumfries and Galloway)
≈18.5 km away
Local sunshine: ~829 kWh/kWp · -0% vs DG3
DG2 (Dumfries and Galloway)
≈20.7 km away
Local sunshine: ~881 kWh/kWp · +6% vs DG3
DG1 (Dumfries and Galloway)
≈21.8 km away
Local sunshine: ~881 kWh/kWp · +6% vs DG3
DG10 (Dumfries and Galloway)
≈23.1 km away
Local sunshine: ~794 kWh/kWp · -4% vs DG3
DG11 (Dumfries and Galloway)
≈29.3 km away
Local sunshine: ~875 kWh/kWp · +6% vs DG3
DG5 (Dumfries and Galloway)
≈34.5 km away
Local sunshine: ~918 kWh/kWp · +11% vs DG3

Similar sunshine across the UK

IV18 (Highland)
~829 kWh/kWp · +0% vs DG3
SK13 (High Peak)
~830 kWh/kWp · +0% vs DG3
PA62 (Argyll and Bute)
~829 kWh/kWp · -0% vs DG3