Independent solar numbers for your postcode using official UK data
Home Regions Guides Compare quotes Solar assistant
Insights
Big Roof Britain Solar Payback Index Standing Charge Drag Roof Direction Penalty Winter Solar Reality Seasonal Solar Output

Solar panel cost in City of Edinburgh (EH2)

See realistic solar installation costs, savings and payback for EH2 (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
£861
What you save every year
Profit Over 25 Years
£11,761
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: 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 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 25.9p 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)
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: £718, 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 1757 kWh 703 kWh 1054 kWh £182 £105 £287 £3,256 11.3 yrs £2,485
3 kW 2635 kWh 1054 kWh 1581 kWh £272 £158 £431 £4,883 11.3 yrs £3,728
4 kW 3513 kWh 1405 kWh 2108 kWh £363 £211 £574 £6,511 11.3 yrs £4,970
5 kW 4392 kWh 1757 kWh 2635 kWh £454 £263 £718 £8,139 11.3 yrs £6,213
6 kW 5270 kWh 2108 kWh 3162 kWh £545 £316 £861 £9,767 11.3 yrs £7,455
7 kW 6148 kWh 2459 kWh 3689 kWh £636 £369 £1,005 £11,394 11.3 yrs £8,698
8 kW 7026 kWh 2811 kWh 4216 kWh £727 £422 £1,148 £13,022 11.3 yrs £9,940

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: £857, Upfront: £10,239, Break-even: 12.0 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 £5,356 15.6 yrs £1,499
3 kW 2635 kWh 1581 kWh 1054 kWh £409 £105 £514 £6,983 13.6 yrs £3,298
4 kW 3513 kWh 2108 kWh 1405 kWh £545 £141 £685 £8,611 12.6 yrs £5,098
5 kW 4392 kWh 2635 kWh 1757 kWh £681 £176 £857 £10,239 12.0 yrs £6,897
6 kW 5270 kWh 3162 kWh 2108 kWh £817 £211 £1,028 £11,867 11.5 yrs £8,696
7 kW 6148 kWh 3689 kWh 2459 kWh £954 £246 £1,200 £13,494 11.2 yrs £10,496
8 kW 7026 kWh 4216 kWh 2811 kWh £1,090 £281 £1,371 £15,122 11.0 yrs £12,295

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: £926, Upfront: £11,639, Break-even: 12.6 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 £371 £6,756 18.2 yrs £656
3 kW 2635 kWh 1844 kWh 790 kWh £477 £79 £556 £8,383 15.1 yrs £2,733
4 kW 3513 kWh 2459 kWh 1054 kWh £636 £105 £741 £10,011 13.5 yrs £4,811
5 kW 4392 kWh 3074 kWh 1317 kWh £795 £132 £926 £11,639 12.6 yrs £6,889
6 kW 5270 kWh 3689 kWh 1581 kWh £954 £158 £1,112 £13,267 11.9 yrs £8,967
7 kW 6148 kWh 4304 kWh 1844 kWh £1,113 £184 £1,297 £14,894 11.5 yrs £11,045
8 kW 7026 kWh 4919 kWh 2108 kWh £1,271 £211 £1,482 £16,522 11.1 yrs £13,123

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: £947, 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 1757 kWh 1282 kWh 474 kWh £331 £47 £379 £8,506 22.4 yrs £-927
3 kW 2635 kWh 1923 kWh 711 kWh £497 £71 £568 £10,133 17.8 yrs £1,234
4 kW 3513 kWh 2565 kWh 949 kWh £663 £95 £758 £11,761 15.5 yrs £3,395
5 kW 4392 kWh 3206 kWh 1186 kWh £829 £119 £947 £13,389 14.1 yrs £5,557
6 kW 5270 kWh 3847 kWh 1423 kWh £994 £142 £1,137 £15,017 13.2 yrs £7,718
7 kW 6148 kWh 4488 kWh 1660 kWh £1,160 £166 £1,326 £16,644 12.6 yrs £9,880
8 kW 7026 kWh 5129 kWh 1897 kWh £1,326 £190 £1,516 £18,272 12.1 yrs £12,041

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: £961, 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 1757 kWh 1317 kWh 439 kWh £341 £44 £384 £10,256 26.7 yrs £-2,566
3 kW 2635 kWh 1976 kWh 659 kWh £511 £66 £577 £11,883 20.6 yrs £-349
4 kW 3513 kWh 2635 kWh 878 kWh £681 £88 £769 £13,511 17.6 yrs £1,868
5 kW 4392 kWh 3294 kWh 1098 kWh £851 £110 £961 £15,139 15.7 yrs £4,085
6 kW 5270 kWh 3952 kWh 1317 kWh £1,022 £132 £1,153 £16,767 14.5 yrs £6,302
7 kW 6148 kWh 4611 kWh 1537 kWh £1,192 £154 £1,346 £18,394 13.7 yrs £8,519
8 kW 7026 kWh 5270 kWh 1757 kWh £1,362 £176 £1,538 £20,022 13.0 yrs £10,736

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: £975, Upfront: £17,589, Break-even: 18.0 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 £12,706 32.6 yrs £-4,905
3 kW 2635 kWh 2029 kWh 606 kWh £524 £61 £585 £14,333 24.5 yrs £-2,632
4 kW 3513 kWh 2705 kWh 808 kWh £699 £81 £780 £15,961 20.5 yrs £-359
5 kW 4392 kWh 3381 kWh 1010 kWh £874 £101 £975 £17,589 18.0 yrs £1,914
6 kW 5270 kWh 4058 kWh 1212 kWh £1,049 £121 £1,170 £19,217 16.4 yrs £4,186
7 kW 6148 kWh 4734 kWh 1414 kWh £1,224 £141 £1,365 £20,844 15.3 yrs £6,459
8 kW 7026 kWh 5410 kWh 1616 kWh £1,399 £162 £1,560 £22,472 14.4 yrs £8,732

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.

Compare solar quotes before you sign

Check what MCS certification means

Understand DNO, G98 and G99 export limits

New quote check

Want a quote sanity check for EH2?

Share the first part of your postcode and a few basics. We’ll help you check whether system size, battery, export and paperwork assumptions look sensible before you commit to installer conversations.

This is a practical sanity-check request, not an instant quote promise. The Blue Ape quote route above remains available if you already want installer introductions.

Request a quote sanity check →

Insights for EH2

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

Solar Payback Index Rank #2199 of 2996
11.3 years (UK avg 10.8 years)
~£861 /yr • £9,767 upfront
Standing-Charge Drag Rank #1768 of 2996
27.2% (UK avg 26.6%) drag on savings
£234 fixed • ~£861 /yr value
Aspect Penalty View ranking →
East −22.1% West −21.5%
Typical output loss versus a south-facing roof (lower is better)

Seasonal solar output in EH2

Monthly generation per kilowatt of solar panels

kWh 28 Jan 45 Feb 77 Mar 103 Apr 116 May 108 Jun 110 Jul 99 Aug 80 Sep 55 Oct 37 Nov 22 Dec
Best month Worst month Winter (Dec–Feb) Other months

Winter output: 43.5% 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 32 kWh per month; the average month produces around 73 kWh. So a typical 4 kW home system would generate roughly 127 kWh in winter, or 293 kWh in an average month.

Your Area at a Glance

Your Electricity Rate
25.85p/kWh
Daily Fixed Charge
64.17p/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, 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

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