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Solar Panels in EH21 (East Lothian)

See if solar pays off for you in East Lothian — 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
14.0 years
After this, it's pure profit
Upfront Cost
£12,207
What you pay to get started
Annual Benefit
£875
What you save every year
Profit Over 25 Years
£9,668
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 893 kWh/kW — 43 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 893 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)
893 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: £729, Upfront: £10,173, Break-even: 14.0 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1785 kWh 714 kWh 1071 kWh £185 £107 £292 £4,069 14.0 yrs £1,764
3 kW 2678 kWh 1071 kWh 1607 kWh £277 £161 £438 £6,104 14.0 yrs £2,647
4 kW 3571 kWh 1428 kWh 2143 kWh £369 £214 £583 £8,138 14.0 yrs £3,529
5 kW 4464 kWh 1785 kWh 2678 kWh £461 £268 £729 £10,173 14.0 yrs £4,411
6 kW 5356 kWh 2143 kWh 3214 kWh £554 £321 £875 £12,207 14.0 yrs £5,293
7 kW 6249 kWh 2500 kWh 3749 kWh £646 £375 £1,021 £14,242 14.0 yrs £6,176
8 kW 7142 kWh 2857 kWh 4285 kWh £738 £429 £1,167 £16,276 14.0 yrs £7,058

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: £871, Upfront: £12,273, 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 1785 kWh 1071 kWh 714 kWh £277 £71 £348 £6,169 17.7 yrs £796
3 kW 2678 kWh 1607 kWh 1071 kWh £415 £107 £522 £8,204 15.7 yrs £2,244
4 kW 3571 kWh 2143 kWh 1428 kWh £554 £143 £696 £10,238 14.7 yrs £3,691
5 kW 4464 kWh 2678 kWh 1785 kWh £692 £179 £871 £12,273 14.1 yrs £5,139
6 kW 5356 kWh 3214 kWh 2143 kWh £830 £214 £1,045 £14,307 13.7 yrs £6,587
7 kW 6249 kWh 3749 kWh 2500 kWh £969 £250 £1,219 £16,342 13.4 yrs £8,035
8 kW 7142 kWh 4285 kWh 2857 kWh £1,107 £286 £1,393 £18,376 13.2 yrs £9,483

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: £941, Upfront: £13,673, 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 1785 kWh 1250 kWh 536 kWh £323 £54 £377 £7,569 20.1 yrs £-39
3 kW 2678 kWh 1875 kWh 803 kWh £484 £80 £565 £9,604 17.0 yrs £1,692
4 kW 3571 kWh 2500 kWh 1071 kWh £646 £107 £753 £11,638 15.5 yrs £3,423
5 kW 4464 kWh 3125 kWh 1339 kWh £807 £134 £941 £13,673 14.5 yrs £5,153
6 kW 5356 kWh 3749 kWh 1607 kWh £969 £161 £1,130 £15,707 13.9 yrs £6,884
7 kW 6249 kWh 4374 kWh 1875 kWh £1,130 £187 £1,318 £17,742 13.5 yrs £8,615
8 kW 7142 kWh 4999 kWh 2143 kWh £1,292 £214 £1,506 £19,776 13.1 yrs £10,345

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: £963, Upfront: £15,423, Break-even: 16.0 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1785 kWh 1303 kWh 482 kWh £337 £48 £385 £9,319 24.2 yrs £-1,619
3 kW 2678 kWh 1955 kWh 723 kWh £505 £72 £578 £11,354 19.7 yrs £197
4 kW 3571 kWh 2607 kWh 964 kWh £674 £96 £770 £13,388 17.4 yrs £2,012
5 kW 4464 kWh 3258 kWh 1205 kWh £842 £121 £963 £15,423 16.0 yrs £3,828
6 kW 5356 kWh 3910 kWh 1446 kWh £1,010 £145 £1,155 £17,457 15.1 yrs £5,643
7 kW 6249 kWh 4562 kWh 1687 kWh £1,179 £169 £1,348 £19,492 14.5 yrs £7,459
8 kW 7142 kWh 5214 kWh 1928 kWh £1,347 £193 £1,540 £21,526 14.0 yrs £9,274

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: £977, Upfront: £17,173, Break-even: 17.6 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1785 kWh 1339 kWh 446 kWh £346 £45 £391 £11,069 28.3 yrs £-3,256
3 kW 2678 kWh 2009 kWh 670 kWh £519 £67 £586 £13,104 22.4 yrs £-1,384
4 kW 3571 kWh 2678 kWh 893 kWh £692 £89 £781 £15,138 19.4 yrs £488
5 kW 4464 kWh 3348 kWh 1116 kWh £865 £112 £977 £17,173 17.6 yrs £2,360
6 kW 5356 kWh 4017 kWh 1339 kWh £1,038 £134 £1,172 £19,207 16.4 yrs £4,232
7 kW 6249 kWh 4687 kWh 1562 kWh £1,211 £156 £1,367 £21,242 15.5 yrs £6,105
8 kW 7142 kWh 5356 kWh 1785 kWh £1,384 £179 £1,563 £23,276 14.9 yrs £7,977

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: £991, Upfront: £19,623, Break-even: 19.8 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1785 kWh 1375 kWh 411 kWh £355 £41 £396 £13,519 34.1 yrs £-5,593
3 kW 2678 kWh 2062 kWh 616 kWh £533 £62 £594 £15,554 26.2 yrs £-3,664
4 kW 3571 kWh 2750 kWh 821 kWh £710 £82 £793 £17,588 22.2 yrs £-1,735
5 kW 4464 kWh 3437 kWh 1027 kWh £888 £103 £991 £19,623 19.8 yrs £193
6 kW 5356 kWh 4124 kWh 1232 kWh £1,066 £123 £1,189 £21,657 18.2 yrs £2,122
7 kW 6249 kWh 4812 kWh 1437 kWh £1,243 £144 £1,387 £23,692 17.1 yrs £4,050
8 kW 7142 kWh 5499 kWh 1643 kWh £1,421 £164 £1,585 £25,726 16.2 yrs £5,979

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 EH21

Figures below are tailored to EH21 — click through for full league tables.

Solar Payback Index Rank #2473 of 2997
12.2 years (UK avg 11.3 years)
~£1,002 /yr • £12,207 upfront
Standing-Charge Drag Rank #1522 of 2997
20.6% (UK avg 21.7%) drag on savings
£206 fixed • ~£1,002 /yr value

Your Area at a Glance

Your Electricity Rate
25.84p/kWh
Daily Fixed Charge
56.55p/day
Local Sunshine
893kWh/kW
A 1 kW system generates ~893 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

East Lothian (96%)|City of Edinburgh (4%)

Areas Covered

Musselburgh, Tranent, Wallyford and Macmerry, Portobello/Craigmillar, Preston, Seton and Gosford, 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

EH15 (City of Edinburgh)
≈4.1 km away
Local sunshine: ~869 kWh/kWp · -3% vs EH21
EH32 (East Lothian)
≈5.7 km away
Local sunshine: ~897 kWh/kWp · +1% vs EH21
EH22 (Midlothian)
≈5.8 km away
Local sunshine: ~881 kWh/kWp · -1% vs EH21
EH33 (East Lothian)
≈6.0 km away
Local sunshine: ~912 kWh/kWp · +2% vs EH21
EH16 (City of Edinburgh)
≈6.8 km away
Local sunshine: ~883 kWh/kWp · -1% vs EH21
EH17 (City of Edinburgh)
≈7.0 km away
Local sunshine: ~884 kWh/kWp · -1% vs EH21

Similar sunshine across the UK

S32 (Derbyshire Dales)
~893 kWh/kWp · +0% vs EH21
BT9 (Belfast)
~893 kWh/kWp · +0% vs EH21
BT12 (Belfast)
~893 kWh/kWp · -0% vs EH21