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Solar Panels in EH15 (City of Edinburgh)

See if solar pays off for you in City of Edinburgh — 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
14.3 years
After this, it's pure profit
Upfront Cost
£12,207
What you pay to get started
Annual Benefit
£852
What you save every year
Profit Over 25 Years
£9,089
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 869 kWh/kW — 19 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 869 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)
869 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: £710, Upfront: £10,173, 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 1738 kWh 695 kWh 1043 kWh £180 £104 £284 £4,069 14.3 yrs £1,610
3 kW 2607 kWh 1043 kWh 1564 kWh £269 £156 £426 £6,104 14.3 yrs £2,415
4 kW 3476 kWh 1391 kWh 2086 kWh £359 £209 £568 £8,138 14.3 yrs £3,220
5 kW 4345 kWh 1738 kWh 2607 kWh £449 £261 £710 £10,173 14.3 yrs £4,025
6 kW 5214 kWh 2086 kWh 3129 kWh £539 £313 £852 £12,207 14.3 yrs £4,830
7 kW 6084 kWh 2433 kWh 3650 kWh £629 £365 £994 £14,242 14.3 yrs £5,635
8 kW 6953 kWh 2781 kWh 4172 kWh £719 £417 £1,136 £16,276 14.3 yrs £6,440

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: £848, Upfront: £12,273, 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 1738 kWh 1043 kWh 695 kWh £269 £70 £339 £6,169 18.2 yrs £611
3 kW 2607 kWh 1564 kWh 1043 kWh £404 £104 £509 £8,204 16.1 yrs £1,967
4 kW 3476 kWh 2086 kWh 1391 kWh £539 £139 £678 £10,238 15.1 yrs £3,322
5 kW 4345 kWh 2607 kWh 1738 kWh £674 £174 £848 £12,273 14.5 yrs £4,678
6 kW 5214 kWh 3129 kWh 2086 kWh £808 £209 £1,017 £14,307 14.1 yrs £6,034
7 kW 6084 kWh 3650 kWh 2433 kWh £943 £243 £1,187 £16,342 13.8 yrs £7,389
8 kW 6953 kWh 4172 kWh 2781 kWh £1,078 £278 £1,356 £18,376 13.6 yrs £8,745

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: £916, Upfront: £13,673, Break-even: 14.9 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1738 kWh 1217 kWh 521 kWh £314 £52 £367 £7,569 20.6 yrs £-238
3 kW 2607 kWh 1825 kWh 782 kWh £472 £78 £550 £9,604 17.5 yrs £1,393
4 kW 3476 kWh 2433 kWh 1043 kWh £629 £104 £733 £11,638 15.9 yrs £3,024
5 kW 4345 kWh 3042 kWh 1304 kWh £786 £130 £916 £13,673 14.9 yrs £4,655
6 kW 5214 kWh 3650 kWh 1564 kWh £943 £156 £1,100 £15,707 14.3 yrs £6,286
7 kW 6084 kWh 4258 kWh 1825 kWh £1,100 £183 £1,283 £17,742 13.8 yrs £7,916
8 kW 6953 kWh 4867 kWh 2086 kWh £1,258 £209 £1,466 £19,776 13.5 yrs £9,547

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: £937, 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 1738 kWh 1269 kWh 469 kWh £328 £47 £375 £9,319 24.9 yrs £-1,823
3 kW 2607 kWh 1903 kWh 704 kWh £492 £70 £562 £11,354 20.2 yrs £-109
4 kW 3476 kWh 2538 kWh 939 kWh £656 £94 £750 £13,388 17.9 yrs £1,604
5 kW 4345 kWh 3172 kWh 1173 kWh £820 £117 £937 £15,423 16.5 yrs £3,318
6 kW 5214 kWh 3807 kWh 1408 kWh £984 £141 £1,124 £17,457 15.5 yrs £5,031
7 kW 6084 kWh 4441 kWh 1643 kWh £1,148 £164 £1,312 £19,492 14.9 yrs £6,745
8 kW 6953 kWh 5075 kWh 1877 kWh £1,311 £188 £1,499 £21,526 14.4 yrs £8,458

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: £951, 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 1738 kWh 1304 kWh 435 kWh £337 £43 £380 £11,069 29.1 yrs £-3,463
3 kW 2607 kWh 1955 kWh 652 kWh £505 £65 £570 £13,104 23.0 yrs £-1,694
4 kW 3476 kWh 2607 kWh 869 kWh £674 £87 £761 £15,138 19.9 yrs £74
5 kW 4345 kWh 3259 kWh 1086 kWh £842 £109 £951 £17,173 18.1 yrs £1,843
6 kW 5214 kWh 3911 kWh 1304 kWh £1,011 £130 £1,141 £19,207 16.8 yrs £3,612
7 kW 6084 kWh 4563 kWh 1521 kWh £1,179 £152 £1,331 £21,242 16.0 yrs £5,380
8 kW 6953 kWh 5214 kWh 1738 kWh £1,347 £174 £1,521 £23,276 15.3 yrs £7,149

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: £965, Upfront: £19,623, Break-even: 20.3 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1738 kWh 1338 kWh 400 kWh £346 £40 £386 £13,519 35.0 yrs £-5,803
3 kW 2607 kWh 2008 kWh 600 kWh £519 £60 £579 £15,554 26.9 yrs £-3,979
4 kW 3476 kWh 2677 kWh 800 kWh £692 £80 £772 £17,588 22.8 yrs £-2,155
5 kW 4345 kWh 3346 kWh 999 kWh £865 £100 £965 £19,623 20.3 yrs £-332
6 kW 5214 kWh 4015 kWh 1199 kWh £1,038 £120 £1,157 £21,657 18.7 yrs £1,492
7 kW 6084 kWh 4684 kWh 1399 kWh £1,210 £140 £1,350 £23,692 17.5 yrs £3,316
8 kW 6953 kWh 5354 kWh 1599 kWh £1,383 £160 £1,543 £25,726 16.7 yrs £5,139

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 EH15

Figures below are tailored to EH15 — click through for full league tables.

Solar Payback Index Rank #2636 of 2997
12.5 years (UK avg 11.3 years)
~£976 /yr • £12,207 upfront
Standing-Charge Drag Rank #1631 of 2997
21.1% (UK avg 21.7%) drag on savings
£206 fixed • ~£976 /yr value

Your Area at a Glance

Your Electricity Rate
25.84p/kWh
Daily Fixed Charge
56.55p/day
Local Sunshine
869kWh/kW
A 1 kW system generates ~869 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

Portobello/Craigmillar, Craigentinny/Duddingston

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

EH16 (City of Edinburgh)
≈3.5 km away
Local sunshine: ~883 kWh/kWp · +2% vs EH15
EH7 (City of Edinburgh)
≈4.0 km away
Local sunshine: ~852 kWh/kWp · -2% vs EH15
EH8 (City of Edinburgh)
≈4.0 km away
Local sunshine: ~870 kWh/kWp · +0% vs EH15
EH99 (City of Edinburgh)
≈4.1 km away
Local sunshine: ~851 kWh/kWp · -2% vs EH15
EH21 (East Lothian)
≈4.1 km away
Local sunshine: ~893 kWh/kWp · +3% vs EH15
EH1 (City of Edinburgh)
≈4.8 km away
Local sunshine: ~878 kWh/kWp · +1% vs EH15

Similar sunshine across the UK

BL3 (Bolton)
~869 kWh/kWp · +0% vs EH15
PA67 (Argyll and Bute)
~869 kWh/kWp · +0% vs EH15
PA78 (Argyll and Bute)
~869 kWh/kWp · -0% vs EH15