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Solar Panels in EH18 (Midlothian)

See if solar pays off for you in Midlothian — 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
14.4 years
After this, it's pure profit
Upfront Cost
£12,207
What you pay to get started
Annual Benefit
£845
What you save every year
Profit Over 25 Years
£8,927
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 862 kWh/kW — 13 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 862 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)
862 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: £704, Upfront: £10,173, Break-even: 14.4 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1725 kWh 690 kWh 1035 kWh £178 £103 £282 £4,069 14.4 yrs £1,567
3 kW 2587 kWh 1035 kWh 1552 kWh £267 £155 £423 £6,104 14.4 yrs £2,350
4 kW 3450 kWh 1380 kWh 2070 kWh £357 £207 £564 £8,138 14.4 yrs £3,133
5 kW 4312 kWh 1725 kWh 2587 kWh £446 £259 £704 £10,173 14.4 yrs £3,917
6 kW 5175 kWh 2070 kWh 3105 kWh £535 £310 £845 £12,207 14.4 yrs £4,700
7 kW 6037 kWh 2415 kWh 3622 kWh £624 £362 £986 £14,242 14.4 yrs £5,483
8 kW 6900 kWh 2760 kWh 4140 kWh £713 £414 £1,127 £16,276 14.4 yrs £6,267

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: £841, Upfront: £12,273, Break-even: 14.6 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1725 kWh 1035 kWh 690 kWh £267 £69 £336 £6,169 18.3 yrs £560
3 kW 2587 kWh 1552 kWh 1035 kWh £401 £103 £505 £8,204 16.3 yrs £1,889
4 kW 3450 kWh 2070 kWh 1380 kWh £535 £138 £673 £10,238 15.2 yrs £3,219
5 kW 4312 kWh 2587 kWh 1725 kWh £669 £172 £841 £12,273 14.6 yrs £4,549
6 kW 5175 kWh 3105 kWh 2070 kWh £802 £207 £1,009 £14,307 14.2 yrs £5,879
7 kW 6037 kWh 3622 kWh 2415 kWh £936 £241 £1,177 £16,342 13.9 yrs £7,208
8 kW 6900 kWh 4140 kWh 2760 kWh £1,070 £276 £1,346 £18,376 13.7 yrs £8,538

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: £909, Upfront: £13,673, 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 1725 kWh 1207 kWh 517 kWh £312 £52 £364 £7,569 20.8 yrs £-294
3 kW 2587 kWh 1811 kWh 776 kWh £468 £78 £546 £9,604 17.6 yrs £1,309
4 kW 3450 kWh 2415 kWh 1035 kWh £624 £103 £728 £11,638 16.0 yrs £2,912
5 kW 4312 kWh 3019 kWh 1294 kWh £780 £129 £909 £13,673 15.0 yrs £4,515
6 kW 5175 kWh 3622 kWh 1552 kWh £936 £155 £1,091 £15,707 14.4 yrs £6,118
7 kW 6037 kWh 4226 kWh 1811 kWh £1,092 £181 £1,273 £17,742 13.9 yrs £7,721
8 kW 6900 kWh 4830 kWh 2070 kWh £1,248 £207 £1,455 £19,776 13.6 yrs £9,324

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: £930, Upfront: £15,423, Break-even: 16.6 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1725 kWh 1259 kWh 466 kWh £325 £47 £372 £9,319 25.1 yrs £-1,880
3 kW 2587 kWh 1889 kWh 699 kWh £488 £70 £558 £11,354 20.3 yrs £-195
4 kW 3450 kWh 2518 kWh 931 kWh £651 £93 £744 £13,388 18.0 yrs £1,490
5 kW 4312 kWh 3148 kWh 1164 kWh £813 £116 £930 £15,423 16.6 yrs £3,175
6 kW 5175 kWh 3778 kWh 1397 kWh £976 £140 £1,116 £17,457 15.6 yrs £4,860
7 kW 6037 kWh 4407 kWh 1630 kWh £1,139 £163 £1,302 £19,492 15.0 yrs £6,545
8 kW 6900 kWh 5037 kWh 1863 kWh £1,302 £186 £1,488 £21,526 14.5 yrs £8,230

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: £944, Upfront: £17,173, Break-even: 18.2 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1725 kWh 1294 kWh 431 kWh £334 £43 £377 £11,069 29.3 yrs £-3,521
3 kW 2587 kWh 1941 kWh 647 kWh £501 £65 £566 £13,104 23.1 yrs £-1,781
4 kW 3450 kWh 2587 kWh 862 kWh £669 £86 £755 £15,138 20.1 yrs £-42
5 kW 4312 kWh 3234 kWh 1078 kWh £836 £108 £944 £17,173 18.2 yrs £1,698
6 kW 5175 kWh 3881 kWh 1294 kWh £1,003 £129 £1,132 £19,207 17.0 yrs £3,438
7 kW 6037 kWh 4528 kWh 1509 kWh £1,170 £151 £1,321 £21,242 16.1 yrs £5,177
8 kW 6900 kWh 5175 kWh 1725 kWh £1,337 £172 £1,510 £23,276 15.4 yrs £6,917

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: £957, Upfront: £19,623, Break-even: 20.5 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1725 kWh 1328 kWh 397 kWh £343 £40 £383 £13,519 35.3 yrs £-5,861
3 kW 2587 kWh 1992 kWh 595 kWh £515 £60 £574 £15,554 27.1 yrs £-4,067
4 kW 3450 kWh 2656 kWh 793 kWh £686 £79 £766 £17,588 23.0 yrs £-2,273
5 kW 4312 kWh 3320 kWh 992 kWh £858 £99 £957 £19,623 20.5 yrs £-479
6 kW 5175 kWh 3985 kWh 1190 kWh £1,030 £119 £1,149 £21,657 18.9 yrs £1,316
7 kW 6037 kWh 4649 kWh 1389 kWh £1,201 £139 £1,340 £23,692 17.7 yrs £3,110
8 kW 6900 kWh 5313 kWh 1587 kWh £1,373 £159 £1,532 £25,726 16.8 yrs £4,904

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 EH18

Figures below are tailored to EH18 — click through for full league tables.

Solar Payback Index Rank #2667 of 2997
12.6 years (UK avg 11.3 years)
~£968 /yr • £12,207 upfront
Standing-Charge Drag Rank #1661 of 2997
21.3% (UK avg 21.7%) drag on savings
£206 fixed • ~£968 /yr value

Your Area at a Glance

Your Electricity Rate
25.84p/kWh
Daily Fixed Charge
56.55p/day
Local Sunshine
862kWh/kW
A 1 kW system generates ~862 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

Midlothian (99%)|City of Edinburgh (1%)

Areas Covered

Bonnyrigg, Midlothian East, Midlothian West, Liberton/Gilmerton

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

EH19 (Midlothian)
≈1.2 km away
Local sunshine: ~883 kWh/kWp · +2% vs EH18
EH20 (Midlothian)
≈2.1 km away
Local sunshine: ~883 kWh/kWp · +2% vs EH18
EH24 (Midlothian)
≈2.8 km away
Local sunshine: ~884 kWh/kWp · +2% vs EH18
EH17 (City of Edinburgh)
≈3.4 km away
Local sunshine: ~884 kWh/kWp · +2% vs EH18
EH25 (Midlothian)
≈3.6 km away
Local sunshine: ~886 kWh/kWp · +3% vs EH18
EH22 (Midlothian)
≈4.1 km away
Local sunshine: ~881 kWh/kWp · +2% vs EH18

Similar sunshine across the UK

AB53 (Aberdeenshire)
~862 kWh/kWp · +0% vs EH18
M45 (Bury)
~862 kWh/kWp · -0% vs EH18
M25 (Bury)
~862 kWh/kWp · -0% vs EH18