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Solar Panels in EH27 (West Lothian)

See if solar pays off for you in West Lothian — price, savings and payback in under a minute (official UK data).

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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
14.6 years
After this, it's pure profit
Upfront Cost
£12,207
What you pay to get started
Annual Benefit
£835
What you save every year
Profit Over 25 Years
£8,672
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 852 kWh/kW — 2 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 852 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)
852 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: £696, Upfront: £10,173, 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 1704 kWh 682 kWh 1022 kWh £176 £102 £278 £4,069 14.6 yrs £1,499
3 kW 2556 kWh 1022 kWh 1534 kWh £264 £153 £418 £6,104 14.6 yrs £2,248
4 kW 3408 kWh 1363 kWh 2045 kWh £352 £204 £557 £8,138 14.6 yrs £2,998
5 kW 4260 kWh 1704 kWh 2556 kWh £440 £256 £696 £10,173 14.6 yrs £3,747
6 kW 5112 kWh 2045 kWh 3067 kWh £528 £307 £835 £12,207 14.6 yrs £4,496
7 kW 5965 kWh 2386 kWh 3579 kWh £616 £358 £974 £14,242 14.6 yrs £5,246
8 kW 6817 kWh 2727 kWh 4090 kWh £705 £409 £1,114 £16,276 14.6 yrs £5,995

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: £831, Upfront: £12,273, 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 1704 kWh 1022 kWh 682 kWh £264 £68 £332 £6,169 18.6 yrs £479
3 kW 2556 kWh 1534 kWh 1022 kWh £396 £102 £499 £8,204 16.5 yrs £1,768
4 kW 3408 kWh 2045 kWh 1363 kWh £528 £136 £665 £10,238 15.4 yrs £3,057
5 kW 4260 kWh 2556 kWh 1704 kWh £661 £170 £831 £12,273 14.8 yrs £4,346
6 kW 5112 kWh 3067 kWh 2045 kWh £793 £204 £997 £14,307 14.3 yrs £5,636
7 kW 5965 kWh 3579 kWh 2386 kWh £925 £239 £1,163 £16,342 14.0 yrs £6,925
8 kW 6817 kWh 4090 kWh 2727 kWh £1,057 £273 £1,330 £18,376 13.8 yrs £8,214

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: £898, Upfront: £13,673, Break-even: 15.2 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1704 kWh 1193 kWh 511 kWh £308 £51 £359 £7,569 21.1 yrs £-382
3 kW 2556 kWh 1789 kWh 767 kWh £462 £77 £539 £9,604 17.8 yrs £1,178
4 kW 3408 kWh 2386 kWh 1022 kWh £616 £102 £719 £11,638 16.2 yrs £2,737
5 kW 4260 kWh 2982 kWh 1278 kWh £771 £128 £898 £13,673 15.2 yrs £4,296
6 kW 5112 kWh 3579 kWh 1534 kWh £925 £153 £1,078 £15,707 14.6 yrs £5,855
7 kW 5965 kWh 4175 kWh 1789 kWh £1,079 £179 £1,258 £17,742 14.1 yrs £7,415
8 kW 6817 kWh 4772 kWh 2045 kWh £1,233 £204 £1,437 £19,776 13.8 yrs £8,974

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: £919, Upfront: £15,423, Break-even: 16.8 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1704 kWh 1244 kWh 460 kWh £321 £46 £367 £9,319 25.4 yrs £-1,970
3 kW 2556 kWh 1866 kWh 690 kWh £482 £69 £551 £11,354 20.6 yrs £-329
4 kW 3408 kWh 2488 kWh 920 kWh £643 £92 £735 £13,388 18.2 yrs £1,311
5 kW 4260 kWh 3110 kWh 1150 kWh £804 £115 £919 £15,423 16.8 yrs £2,951
6 kW 5112 kWh 3732 kWh 1380 kWh £964 £138 £1,102 £17,457 15.8 yrs £4,591
7 kW 5965 kWh 4354 kWh 1610 kWh £1,125 £161 £1,286 £19,492 15.2 yrs £6,231
8 kW 6817 kWh 4976 kWh 1840 kWh £1,286 £184 £1,470 £21,526 14.6 yrs £7,872

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: £932, Upfront: £17,173, Break-even: 18.4 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1704 kWh 1278 kWh 426 kWh £330 £43 £373 £11,069 29.7 yrs £-3,612
3 kW 2556 kWh 1917 kWh 639 kWh £495 £64 £559 £13,104 23.4 yrs £-1,917
4 kW 3408 kWh 2556 kWh 852 kWh £661 £85 £746 £15,138 20.3 yrs £-223
5 kW 4260 kWh 3195 kWh 1065 kWh £826 £107 £932 £17,173 18.4 yrs £1,471
6 kW 5112 kWh 3834 kWh 1278 kWh £991 £128 £1,119 £19,207 17.2 yrs £3,165
7 kW 5965 kWh 4473 kWh 1491 kWh £1,156 £149 £1,305 £21,242 16.3 yrs £4,859
8 kW 6817 kWh 5112 kWh 1704 kWh £1,321 £170 £1,491 £23,276 15.6 yrs £6,554

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: £946, Upfront: £19,623, Break-even: 20.7 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1704 kWh 1312 kWh 392 kWh £339 £39 £378 £13,519 35.7 yrs £-5,954
3 kW 2556 kWh 1968 kWh 588 kWh £509 £59 £567 £15,554 27.4 yrs £-4,205
4 kW 3408 kWh 2624 kWh 784 kWh £678 £78 £757 £17,588 23.2 yrs £-2,457
5 kW 4260 kWh 3281 kWh 980 kWh £848 £98 £946 £19,623 20.7 yrs £-709
6 kW 5112 kWh 3937 kWh 1176 kWh £1,017 £118 £1,135 £21,657 19.1 yrs £1,039
7 kW 5965 kWh 4593 kWh 1372 kWh £1,187 £137 £1,324 £23,692 17.9 yrs £2,787
8 kW 6817 kWh 5249 kWh 1568 kWh £1,356 £157 £1,513 £25,726 17.0 yrs £4,535

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 EH27

Figures below are tailored to EH27 — click through for full league tables.

Solar Payback Index Rank #2718 of 2997
12.8 years (UK avg 11.3 years)
~£957 /yr • £12,207 upfront
Standing-Charge Drag Rank #1736 of 2997
21.6% (UK avg 21.7%) drag on savings
£206 fixed • ~£957 /yr value

Your Area at a Glance

Your Electricity Rate
25.84p/kWh
Daily Fixed Charge
56.55p/day
Local Sunshine
852kWh/kW
A 1 kW system generates ~852 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

West Lothian (87%)|City of Edinburgh (13%)

Areas Covered

East Livingston and East Calder, Pentland Hills, Livingston South

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

EH53 (West Lothian)
≈3.1 km away
Local sunshine: ~845 kWh/kWp · -1% vs EH27
EH28 (City of Edinburgh)
≈5.1 km away
Local sunshine: ~877 kWh/kWp · +3% vs EH27
EH52 (West Lothian)
≈6.3 km away
Local sunshine: ~868 kWh/kWp · +2% vs EH27
EH54 (West Lothian)
≈7.0 km away
Local sunshine: ~837 kWh/kWp · -2% vs EH27
EH29 (City of Edinburgh)
≈7.5 km away
Local sunshine: ~876 kWh/kWp · +3% vs EH27
EH91 (City of Edinburgh)
≈7.9 km away
Local sunshine: ~882 kWh/kWp · +4% vs EH27

Similar sunshine across the UK

LA9 (Westmorland and Furness)
~852 kWh/kWp · +0% vs EH27
SK6 (Stockport)
~852 kWh/kWp · -0% vs EH27
BT46 (Mid Ulster)
~852 kWh/kWp · -0% vs EH27