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 EH16 (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
14.1 years
After this, it's pure profit
Upfront Cost
£12,207
What you pay to get started
Annual Benefit
£866
What you save every year
Profit Over 25 Years
£9,431
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 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 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 25.8p 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)
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: £10,173, 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 1766 kWh 706 kWh 1060 kWh £183 £106 £289 £4,069 14.1 yrs £1,701
3 kW 2649 kWh 1060 kWh 1589 kWh £274 £159 £433 £6,104 14.1 yrs £2,552
4 kW 3532 kWh 1413 kWh 2119 kWh £365 £212 £577 £8,138 14.1 yrs £3,402
5 kW 4415 kWh 1766 kWh 2649 kWh £456 £265 £721 £10,173 14.1 yrs £4,253
6 kW 5298 kWh 2119 kWh 3179 kWh £548 £318 £866 £12,207 14.1 yrs £5,103
7 kW 6181 kWh 2472 kWh 3709 kWh £639 £371 £1,010 £14,242 14.1 yrs £5,954
8 kW 7064 kWh 2826 kWh 4239 kWh £730 £424 £1,154 £16,276 14.1 yrs £6,804

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: £861, Upfront: £12,273, 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 1766 kWh 1060 kWh 706 kWh £274 £71 £344 £6,169 17.9 yrs £720
3 kW 2649 kWh 1589 kWh 1060 kWh £411 £106 £517 £8,204 15.9 yrs £2,130
4 kW 3532 kWh 2119 kWh 1413 kWh £548 £141 £689 £10,238 14.9 yrs £3,540
5 kW 4415 kWh 2649 kWh 1766 kWh £685 £177 £861 £12,273 14.3 yrs £4,950
6 kW 5298 kWh 3179 kWh 2119 kWh £821 £212 £1,033 £14,307 13.8 yrs £6,360
7 kW 6181 kWh 3709 kWh 2472 kWh £958 £247 £1,206 £16,342 13.6 yrs £7,770
8 kW 7064 kWh 4239 kWh 2826 kWh £1,095 £283 £1,378 £18,376 13.3 yrs £9,180

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: £931, Upfront: £13,673, Break-even: 14.7 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1766 kWh 1236 kWh 530 kWh £319 £53 £372 £7,569 20.3 yrs £-120
3 kW 2649 kWh 1854 kWh 795 kWh £479 £79 £559 £9,604 17.2 yrs £1,569
4 kW 3532 kWh 2472 kWh 1060 kWh £639 £106 £745 £11,638 15.6 yrs £3,259
5 kW 4415 kWh 3091 kWh 1325 kWh £799 £132 £931 £13,673 14.7 yrs £4,949
6 kW 5298 kWh 3709 kWh 1589 kWh £958 £159 £1,117 £15,707 14.1 yrs £6,639
7 kW 6181 kWh 4327 kWh 1854 kWh £1,118 £185 £1,303 £17,742 13.6 yrs £8,328
8 kW 7064 kWh 4945 kWh 2119 kWh £1,278 £212 £1,490 £19,776 13.3 yrs £10,018

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: £952, Upfront: £15,423, Break-even: 16.2 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1766 kWh 1289 kWh 477 kWh £333 £48 £381 £9,319 24.5 yrs £-1,703
3 kW 2649 kWh 1934 kWh 715 kWh £500 £72 £571 £11,354 19.9 yrs £71
4 kW 3532 kWh 2578 kWh 954 kWh £666 £95 £762 £13,388 17.6 yrs £1,845
5 kW 4415 kWh 3223 kWh 1192 kWh £833 £119 £952 £15,423 16.2 yrs £3,618
6 kW 5298 kWh 3868 kWh 1431 kWh £999 £143 £1,142 £17,457 15.3 yrs £5,392
7 kW 6181 kWh 4512 kWh 1669 kWh £1,166 £167 £1,333 £19,492 14.6 yrs £7,166
8 kW 7064 kWh 5157 kWh 1907 kWh £1,333 £191 £1,523 £21,526 14.1 yrs £8,939

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: £966, Upfront: £17,173, Break-even: 17.8 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1766 kWh 1325 kWh 442 kWh £342 £44 £386 £11,069 28.6 yrs £-3,341
3 kW 2649 kWh 1987 kWh 662 kWh £513 £66 £580 £13,104 22.6 yrs £-1,511
4 kW 3532 kWh 2649 kWh 883 kWh £685 £88 £773 £15,138 19.6 yrs £319
5 kW 4415 kWh 3311 kWh 1104 kWh £856 £110 £966 £17,173 17.8 yrs £2,148
6 kW 5298 kWh 3974 kWh 1325 kWh £1,027 £132 £1,159 £19,207 16.6 yrs £3,978
7 kW 6181 kWh 4636 kWh 1545 kWh £1,198 £155 £1,352 £21,242 15.7 yrs £5,807
8 kW 7064 kWh 5298 kWh 1766 kWh £1,369 £177 £1,546 £23,276 15.1 yrs £7,637

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: £980, Upfront: £19,623, Break-even: 20.0 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1766 kWh 1360 kWh 406 kWh £351 £41 £392 £13,519 34.5 yrs £-5,679
3 kW 2649 kWh 2040 kWh 609 kWh £527 £61 £588 £15,554 26.5 yrs £-3,793
4 kW 3532 kWh 2720 kWh 812 kWh £703 £81 £784 £17,588 22.4 yrs £-1,908
5 kW 4415 kWh 3400 kWh 1015 kWh £878 £102 £980 £19,623 20.0 yrs £-22
6 kW 5298 kWh 4080 kWh 1219 kWh £1,054 £122 £1,176 £21,657 18.4 yrs £1,863
7 kW 6181 kWh 4760 kWh 1422 kWh £1,230 £142 £1,372 £23,692 17.3 yrs £3,749
8 kW 7064 kWh 5439 kWh 1625 kWh £1,406 £162 £1,568 £25,726 16.4 yrs £5,635

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 EH16

Figures below are tailored to EH16 — click through for full league tables.

Solar Payback Index Rank #2550 of 2997
12.3 years (UK avg 11.3 years)
~£991 /yr • £12,207 upfront
Standing-Charge Drag Rank #1582 of 2997
20.8% (UK avg 21.7%) drag on savings
£206 fixed • ~£991 /yr value

Your Area at a Glance

Your Electricity Rate
25.84p/kWh
Daily Fixed Charge
56.55p/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

Liberton/Gilmerton, Southside/Newington, Portobello/Craigmillar, Dalkeith

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

EH9 (City of Edinburgh)
≈2.2 km away
Local sunshine: ~889 kWh/kWp · +1% vs EH16
EH17 (City of Edinburgh)
≈2.8 km away
Local sunshine: ~884 kWh/kWp · +0% vs EH16
EH8 (City of Edinburgh)
≈2.8 km away
Local sunshine: ~870 kWh/kWp · -2% vs EH16
EH99 (City of Edinburgh)
≈3.0 km away
Local sunshine: ~851 kWh/kWp · -4% vs EH16
EH1 (City of Edinburgh)
≈3.3 km away
Local sunshine: ~878 kWh/kWp · -1% vs EH16
EH10 (City of Edinburgh)
≈3.4 km away
Local sunshine: ~894 kWh/kWp · +1% vs EH16

Similar sunshine across the UK

BD23 (North Yorkshire)
~883 kWh/kWp · -0% vs EH16
CW12 (Cheshire East)
~883 kWh/kWp · -0% vs EH16
BT10 (Belfast)
~884 kWh/kWp · +0% vs EH16