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Solar panel cost in City of Edinburgh (EH12)

See realistic solar installation costs, savings and payback for EH12 (City of Edinburgh) in under a minute using official UK data. Start with the calculator, then get a no-obligation quote from an MCS-certified installer. You can also ask the SolarByPostcode assistant to sanity-check your roof, bills and plans.

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
11.3 years
After this, it's pure profit
Upfront Cost
£9,767
What you pay to get started
Annual Benefit
£865
What you save every year
Profit Over 25 Years
£11,869
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: The official cost per kW is lower above 4 kW, so a 5–6 kW system can pay back a little faster than a 3–4 kW system on otherwise identical assumptions.
  • 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

Panel costs: Uses March 2026 TIC mean installation costs: £1,827/kW up to 4 kW and £1,628/kW above 4 kW.

Other costs: Battery prices are modelled at £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 25.85p/kWh with a 64.17p/day standing charge. Your postcode’s south-facing sunshine yield is 883 kWh/kW — 33 above 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 883 kWh per year on a south-facing roof. We value self-used electricity at 25.9p and exported surplus at a baseline 10p via SEG. Use the calculator above for your exact tariff.

Unit rate
25.9p/kWh
Standing charge
64.2p/day
Sunshine yield (south)
883 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: £721, Upfront: £8,139, Break-even: 11.3 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1765 kWh 706 kWh 1059 kWh £183 £106 £288 £3,256 11.3 yrs £2,514
3 kW 2648 kWh 1059 kWh 1589 kWh £274 £159 £433 £4,883 11.3 yrs £3,771
4 kW 3531 kWh 1412 kWh 2119 kWh £365 £212 £577 £6,511 11.3 yrs £5,028
5 kW 4414 kWh 1765 kWh 2648 kWh £456 £265 £721 £8,139 11.3 yrs £6,285
6 kW 5296 kWh 2119 kWh 3178 kWh £548 £318 £865 £9,767 11.3 yrs £7,542
7 kW 6179 kWh 2472 kWh 3707 kWh £639 £371 £1,010 £11,394 11.3 yrs £8,799
8 kW 7062 kWh 2825 kWh 4237 kWh £730 £424 £1,154 £13,022 11.3 yrs £10,056

Assumptions: south-facing, sensible tilt; self-use shares from site rules; export at 10p baseline. Costs: panels £/kW = 1,628, battery £/kWh = 700.

3 kWh battery 5 kW example → Annual benefit: £861, Upfront: £10,239, Break-even: 11.9 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1765 kWh 1059 kWh 706 kWh £274 £71 £344 £5,356 15.5 yrs £1,533
3 kW 2648 kWh 1589 kWh 1059 kWh £411 £106 £517 £6,983 13.5 yrs £3,350
4 kW 3531 kWh 2119 kWh 1412 kWh £548 £141 £689 £8,611 12.5 yrs £5,166
5 kW 4414 kWh 2648 kWh 1765 kWh £685 £177 £861 £10,239 11.9 yrs £6,983
6 kW 5296 kWh 3178 kWh 2119 kWh £821 £212 £1,033 £11,867 11.5 yrs £8,800
7 kW 6179 kWh 3707 kWh 2472 kWh £958 £247 £1,206 £13,494 11.2 yrs £10,616
8 kW 7062 kWh 4237 kWh 2825 kWh £1,095 £282 £1,378 £15,122 11.0 yrs £12,433

Assumptions: south-facing, sensible tilt; self-use shares from site rules; export at 10p baseline. Costs: panels £/kW = 1,628, battery £/kWh = 700.

5 kWh battery 5 kW example → Annual benefit: £931, Upfront: £11,639, Break-even: 12.5 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1765 kWh 1236 kWh 530 kWh £319 £53 £372 £6,756 18.1 yrs £693
3 kW 2648 kWh 1854 kWh 794 kWh £479 £79 £559 £8,383 15.0 yrs £2,789
4 kW 3531 kWh 2472 kWh 1059 kWh £639 £106 £745 £10,011 13.4 yrs £4,886
5 kW 4414 kWh 3090 kWh 1324 kWh £799 £132 £931 £11,639 12.5 yrs £6,982
6 kW 5296 kWh 3707 kWh 1589 kWh £958 £159 £1,117 £13,267 11.9 yrs £9,079
7 kW 6179 kWh 4325 kWh 1854 kWh £1,118 £185 £1,303 £14,894 11.4 yrs £11,175
8 kW 7062 kWh 4943 kWh 2119 kWh £1,278 £212 £1,490 £16,522 11.1 yrs £13,271

Assumptions: south-facing, sensible tilt; self-use shares from site rules; export at 10p baseline. Costs: panels £/kW = 1,628, battery £/kWh = 700.

7.5 kWh battery 5 kW example → Annual benefit: £952, Upfront: £13,389, Break-even: 14.1 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1765 kWh 1289 kWh 477 kWh £333 £48 £381 £8,506 22.3 yrs £-889
3 kW 2648 kWh 1933 kWh 715 kWh £500 £72 £571 £10,133 17.7 yrs £1,291
4 kW 3531 kWh 2578 kWh 953 kWh £666 £95 £762 £11,761 15.4 yrs £3,472
5 kW 4414 kWh 3222 kWh 1192 kWh £833 £119 £952 £13,389 14.1 yrs £5,652
6 kW 5296 kWh 3866 kWh 1430 kWh £999 £143 £1,142 £15,017 13.1 yrs £7,832
7 kW 6179 kWh 4511 kWh 1668 kWh £1,166 £167 £1,333 £16,644 12.5 yrs £10,013
8 kW 7062 kWh 5155 kWh 1907 kWh £1,333 £191 £1,523 £18,272 12.0 yrs £12,193

Assumptions: south-facing, sensible tilt; self-use shares from site rules; export at 10p baseline. Costs: panels £/kW = 1,628, battery £/kWh = 700.

10 kWh battery 5 kW example → Annual benefit: £966, Upfront: £15,139, 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 1765 kWh 1324 kWh 441 kWh £342 £44 £386 £10,256 26.5 yrs £-2,527
3 kW 2648 kWh 1986 kWh 662 kWh £513 £66 £580 £11,883 20.5 yrs £-291
4 kW 3531 kWh 2648 kWh 883 kWh £685 £88 £773 £13,511 17.5 yrs £1,945
5 kW 4414 kWh 3310 kWh 1103 kWh £856 £110 £966 £15,139 15.7 yrs £4,182
6 kW 5296 kWh 3972 kWh 1324 kWh £1,027 £132 £1,159 £16,767 14.5 yrs £6,418
7 kW 6179 kWh 4634 kWh 1545 kWh £1,198 £154 £1,352 £18,394 13.6 yrs £8,654
8 kW 7062 kWh 5296 kWh 1765 kWh £1,369 £177 £1,546 £20,022 13.0 yrs £10,891

Assumptions: south-facing, sensible tilt; self-use shares from site rules; export at 10p baseline. Costs: panels £/kW = 1,628, battery £/kWh = 700.

13.5 kWh battery 5 kW example → Annual benefit: £980, Upfront: £17,589, Break-even: 17.9 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1765 kWh 1359 kWh 406 kWh £351 £41 £392 £12,706 32.4 yrs £-4,865
3 kW 2648 kWh 2039 kWh 609 kWh £527 £61 £588 £14,333 24.4 yrs £-2,573
4 kW 3531 kWh 2719 kWh 812 kWh £703 £81 £784 £15,961 20.4 yrs £-281
5 kW 4414 kWh 3398 kWh 1015 kWh £879 £102 £980 £17,589 17.9 yrs £2,012
6 kW 5296 kWh 4078 kWh 1218 kWh £1,054 £122 £1,176 £19,217 16.3 yrs £4,304
7 kW 6179 kWh 4758 kWh 1421 kWh £1,230 £142 £1,372 £20,844 15.2 yrs £6,596
8 kW 7062 kWh 5438 kWh 1624 kWh £1,406 £162 £1,568 £22,472 14.3 yrs £8,888

Assumptions: south-facing, sensible tilt; self-use shares from site rules; export at 10p baseline. Costs: panels £/kW = 1,628, 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.

Before you request quotes in City of Edinburgh

Use the numbers above to sanity-check installer quotes. The main things to compare are system size, battery assumptions, payback claims, MCS certification, DNO paperwork and export assumptions.

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Understand DNO, G98 and G99 export limits

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Insights for EH12

Figures below are tailored to EH12 — click through for full league tables.

Solar Payback Index Rank #2195 of 2996
11.3 years (UK avg 10.8 years)
~£866 /yr • £9,767 upfront
Standing-Charge Drag Rank #1727 of 2996
27.0% (UK avg 26.6%) drag on savings
£234 fixed • ~£866 /yr value
Aspect Penalty View ranking →
East −21.4% West −21.4%
Typical output loss versus a south-facing roof (lower is better)

Seasonal solar output in EH12

Monthly generation per kilowatt of solar panels

kWh 28 Jan 45 Feb 76 Mar 104 Apr 117 May 109 Jun 111 Jul 99 Aug 81 Sep 55 Oct 37 Nov 21 Dec
Best month Worst month Winter (Dec–Feb) Other months

Winter output: 42.4% of an average month (Dec–Feb)

Best / worst month: May / Dec

These figures show output per kilowatt (kW) of panels installed. In winter, a 1 kW system here produces about 31 kWh per month; the average month produces around 74 kWh. So a typical 4 kW home system would generate roughly 125 kWh in winter, or 294 kWh in an average month.

Your Area at a Glance

Your Electricity Rate
25.85p/kWh
Daily Fixed Charge
64.17p/day
Local Sunshine
883kWh/kW
A 1 kW system generates ~883 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

City of Edinburgh (100%)

Areas Covered

Corstorphine/Murrayfield, Drum Brae/Gyle, City Centre, Almond, Pentland Hills, Southside/Newington

Data Sources & Assumptions

Solar yield: PVGIS (EU Joint Research Centre), January 2025 data

Electricity rates: Ofgem price cap, Q3 2026

Installation costs: DESNZ/MCS data, March 2026 (TIC)

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

EH91 (City of Edinburgh)
≈2.6 km away
Local sunshine: ~882 kWh/kWp · -0% vs EH12
EH4 (City of Edinburgh)
≈2.7 km away
Local sunshine: ~892 kWh/kWp · +1% vs EH12
EH11 (City of Edinburgh)
≈2.9 km away
Local sunshine: ~894 kWh/kWp · +1% vs EH12
EH14 (City of Edinburgh)
≈3.1 km away
Local sunshine: ~894 kWh/kWp · +1% vs EH12
EH95 (City of Edinburgh)
≈4.4 km away
Local sunshine: ~890 kWh/kWp · +1% vs EH12
EH3 (City of Edinburgh)
≈4.9 km away
Local sunshine: ~892 kWh/kWp · +1% vs EH12

Similar sunshine across the UK

CW12 (Cheshire East)
~883 kWh/kWp · +0% vs EH12
BD23 (North Yorkshire)
~883 kWh/kWp · +0% vs EH12
M41 (Trafford)
~882 kWh/kWp · -0% vs EH12