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Solar Panels in EH2 (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
14.2 years
After this, it's pure profit
Upfront Cost
£12,207
What you pay to get started
Annual Benefit
£861
What you save every year
Profit Over 25 Years
£9,315
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 878 kWh/kW — 29 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 878 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)
878 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: £717, Upfront: £10,173, Break-even: 14.2 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1757 kWh 703 kWh 1054 kWh £182 £105 £287 £4,069 14.2 yrs £1,670
3 kW 2635 kWh 1054 kWh 1581 kWh £272 £158 £430 £6,104 14.2 yrs £2,505
4 kW 3513 kWh 1405 kWh 2108 kWh £363 £211 £574 £8,138 14.2 yrs £3,340
5 kW 4392 kWh 1757 kWh 2635 kWh £454 £263 £717 £10,173 14.2 yrs £4,176
6 kW 5270 kWh 2108 kWh 3162 kWh £545 £316 £861 £12,207 14.2 yrs £5,011
7 kW 6148 kWh 2459 kWh 3689 kWh £635 £369 £1,004 £14,242 14.2 yrs £5,846
8 kW 7026 kWh 2811 kWh 4216 kWh £726 £422 £1,148 £16,276 14.2 yrs £6,681

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: £857, 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 1757 kWh 1054 kWh 703 kWh £272 £70 £343 £6,169 18.0 yrs £683
3 kW 2635 kWh 1581 kWh 1054 kWh £409 £105 £514 £8,204 16.0 yrs £2,075
4 kW 3513 kWh 2108 kWh 1405 kWh £545 £141 £685 £10,238 14.9 yrs £3,466
5 kW 4392 kWh 2635 kWh 1757 kWh £681 £176 £857 £12,273 14.3 yrs £4,858
6 kW 5270 kWh 3162 kWh 2108 kWh £817 £211 £1,028 £14,307 13.9 yrs £6,250
7 kW 6148 kWh 3689 kWh 2459 kWh £953 £246 £1,199 £16,342 13.6 yrs £7,641
8 kW 7026 kWh 4216 kWh 2811 kWh £1,089 £281 £1,370 £18,376 13.4 yrs £9,033

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: £926, Upfront: £13,673, Break-even: 14.8 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1757 kWh 1230 kWh 527 kWh £318 £53 £370 £7,569 20.4 yrs £-160
3 kW 2635 kWh 1844 kWh 790 kWh £477 £79 £556 £9,604 17.3 yrs £1,510
4 kW 3513 kWh 2459 kWh 1054 kWh £635 £105 £741 £11,638 15.7 yrs £3,179
5 kW 4392 kWh 3074 kWh 1317 kWh £794 £132 £926 £13,673 14.8 yrs £4,849
6 kW 5270 kWh 3689 kWh 1581 kWh £953 £158 £1,111 £15,707 14.1 yrs £6,519
7 kW 6148 kWh 4304 kWh 1844 kWh £1,112 £184 £1,297 £17,742 13.7 yrs £8,189
8 kW 7026 kWh 4919 kWh 2108 kWh £1,271 £211 £1,482 £19,776 13.3 yrs £9,859

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: £947, Upfront: £15,423, Break-even: 16.3 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1757 kWh 1282 kWh 474 kWh £331 £47 £379 £9,319 24.6 yrs £-1,743
3 kW 2635 kWh 1923 kWh 711 kWh £497 £71 £568 £11,354 20.0 yrs £10
4 kW 3513 kWh 2565 kWh 949 kWh £663 £95 £758 £13,388 17.7 yrs £1,763
5 kW 4392 kWh 3206 kWh 1186 kWh £828 £119 £947 £15,423 16.3 yrs £3,517
6 kW 5270 kWh 3847 kWh 1423 kWh £994 £142 £1,136 £17,457 15.4 yrs £5,270
7 kW 6148 kWh 4488 kWh 1660 kWh £1,160 £166 £1,326 £19,492 14.7 yrs £7,023
8 kW 7026 kWh 5129 kWh 1897 kWh £1,325 £190 £1,515 £21,526 14.2 yrs £8,777

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: £961, Upfront: £17,173, 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 1757 kWh 1317 kWh 439 kWh £340 £44 £384 £11,069 28.8 yrs £-3,382
3 kW 2635 kWh 1976 kWh 659 kWh £511 £66 £577 £13,104 22.7 yrs £-1,573
4 kW 3513 kWh 2635 kWh 878 kWh £681 £88 £769 £15,138 19.7 yrs £236
5 kW 4392 kWh 3294 kWh 1098 kWh £851 £110 £961 £17,173 17.9 yrs £2,045
6 kW 5270 kWh 3952 kWh 1317 kWh £1,021 £132 £1,153 £19,207 16.7 yrs £3,854
7 kW 6148 kWh 4611 kWh 1537 kWh £1,192 £154 £1,345 £21,242 15.8 yrs £5,663
8 kW 7026 kWh 5270 kWh 1757 kWh £1,362 £176 £1,537 £23,276 15.1 yrs £7,472

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: £975, Upfront: £19,623, Break-even: 20.1 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1757 kWh 1353 kWh 404 kWh £350 £40 £390 £13,519 34.7 yrs £-5,721
3 kW 2635 kWh 2029 kWh 606 kWh £524 £61 £585 £15,554 26.6 yrs £-3,856
4 kW 3513 kWh 2705 kWh 808 kWh £699 £81 £780 £17,588 22.6 yrs £-1,992
5 kW 4392 kWh 3381 kWh 1010 kWh £874 £101 £975 £19,623 20.1 yrs £-127
6 kW 5270 kWh 4058 kWh 1212 kWh £1,049 £121 £1,170 £21,657 18.5 yrs £1,738
7 kW 6148 kWh 4734 kWh 1414 kWh £1,223 £141 £1,365 £23,692 17.4 yrs £3,602
8 kW 7026 kWh 5410 kWh 1616 kWh £1,398 £162 £1,560 £25,726 16.5 yrs £5,467

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 EH2

Figures below are tailored to EH2 — click through for full league tables.

Solar Payback Index Rank #2597 of 2997
12.4 years (UK avg 11.3 years)
~£986 /yr • £12,207 upfront
Standing-Charge Drag Rank #1597 of 2997
20.9% (UK avg 21.7%) drag on savings
£206 fixed • ~£986 /yr value

Your Area at a Glance

Your Electricity Rate
25.84p/kWh
Daily Fixed Charge
56.55p/day
Local Sunshine
878kWh/kW
A 1 kW system generates ~878 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

City Centre, Leith Walk, Corstorphine/Murrayfield, Linlithgow, Forth, Inverleith, Leith

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

EH3 (City of Edinburgh)
≈0.5 km away
Local sunshine: ~892 kWh/kWp · +2% vs EH2
EH1 (City of Edinburgh)
≈0.8 km away
Local sunshine: ~878 kWh/kWp · -0% vs EH2
EH99 (City of Edinburgh)
≈1.5 km away
Local sunshine: ~851 kWh/kWp · -3% vs EH2
EH8 (City of Edinburgh)
≈1.5 km away
Local sunshine: ~870 kWh/kWp · -1% vs EH2
EH7 (City of Edinburgh)
≈2.0 km away
Local sunshine: ~852 kWh/kWp · -3% vs EH2
EH9 (City of Edinburgh)
≈2.2 km away
Local sunshine: ~889 kWh/kWp · +1% vs EH2

Similar sunshine across the UK

LD5 (Powys)
~878 kWh/kWp · +0% vs EH2
BT68 (Mid Ulster)
~878 kWh/kWp · -0% vs EH2
KA27 (North Ayrshire)
~879 kWh/kWp · +0% vs EH2