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Solar panel cost in East Lothian (EH32)

See realistic solar installation costs, savings and payback for EH32 (East Lothian) 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
13.4 years
After this, it's pure profit
Upfront Cost
£12,207
What you pay to get started
Annual Benefit
£909
What you save every year
Profit Over 25 Years
£10,506
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 27.18p/kWh with a 57.62p/day standing charge. Your postcode’s south-facing sunshine yield is 897 kWh/kW — 48 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 897 kWh per year on a south-facing roof. We value self-used electricity at 27.2p and exported surplus at a baseline 10p via SEG. Use the calculator above for your exact tariff.

Unit rate
27.2p/kWh
Standing charge
57.6p/day
Sunshine yield (south)
897 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: £757, Upfront: £10,173, Break-even: 13.4 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1795 kWh 718 kWh 1077 kWh £195 £108 £303 £4,069 13.4 yrs £1,988
3 kW 2692 kWh 1077 kWh 1615 kWh £293 £162 £454 £6,104 13.4 yrs £2,982
4 kW 3590 kWh 1436 kWh 2154 kWh £390 £215 £606 £8,138 13.4 yrs £3,976
5 kW 4487 kWh 1795 kWh 2692 kWh £488 £269 £757 £10,173 13.4 yrs £4,969
6 kW 5385 kWh 2154 kWh 3231 kWh £585 £323 £909 £12,207 13.4 yrs £5,963
7 kW 6282 kWh 2513 kWh 3769 kWh £683 £377 £1,060 £14,242 13.4 yrs £6,957
8 kW 7180 kWh 2872 kWh 4308 kWh £781 £431 £1,211 £16,276 13.4 yrs £7,951

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: £911, Upfront: £12,273, Break-even: 13.5 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1795 kWh 1077 kWh 718 kWh £293 £72 £365 £6,169 16.9 yrs £1,121
3 kW 2692 kWh 1615 kWh 1077 kWh £439 £108 £547 £8,204 15.0 yrs £2,732
4 kW 3590 kWh 2154 kWh 1436 kWh £585 £144 £729 £10,238 14.0 yrs £4,342
5 kW 4487 kWh 2692 kWh 1795 kWh £732 £179 £911 £12,273 13.5 yrs £5,953
6 kW 5385 kWh 3231 kWh 2154 kWh £878 £215 £1,094 £14,307 13.1 yrs £7,564
7 kW 6282 kWh 3769 kWh 2513 kWh £1,025 £251 £1,276 £16,342 12.8 yrs £9,174
8 kW 7180 kWh 4308 kWh 2872 kWh £1,171 £287 £1,458 £18,376 12.6 yrs £10,785

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: £988, Upfront: £13,673, Break-even: 13.8 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1795 kWh 1256 kWh 538 kWh £342 £54 £395 £7,569 19.1 yrs £338
3 kW 2692 kWh 1885 kWh 808 kWh £512 £81 £593 £9,604 16.2 yrs £2,257
4 kW 3590 kWh 2513 kWh 1077 kWh £683 £108 £791 £11,638 14.7 yrs £4,176
5 kW 4487 kWh 3141 kWh 1346 kWh £854 £135 £988 £13,673 13.8 yrs £6,095
6 kW 5385 kWh 3769 kWh 1615 kWh £1,025 £162 £1,186 £15,707 13.2 yrs £8,014
7 kW 6282 kWh 4398 kWh 1885 kWh £1,195 £188 £1,384 £17,742 12.8 yrs £9,933
8 kW 7180 kWh 5026 kWh 2154 kWh £1,366 £215 £1,581 £19,776 12.5 yrs £11,852

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: £1,012, Upfront: £15,423, 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 1795 kWh 1310 kWh 485 kWh £356 £48 £405 £9,319 23.0 yrs £-1,227
3 kW 2692 kWh 1965 kWh 727 kWh £534 £73 £607 £11,354 18.7 yrs £784
4 kW 3590 kWh 2621 kWh 969 kWh £712 £97 £809 £13,388 16.5 yrs £2,796
5 kW 4487 kWh 3276 kWh 1212 kWh £890 £121 £1,012 £15,423 15.2 yrs £4,807
6 kW 5385 kWh 3931 kWh 1454 kWh £1,068 £145 £1,214 £17,457 14.4 yrs £6,819
7 kW 6282 kWh 4586 kWh 1696 kWh £1,246 £170 £1,416 £19,492 13.8 yrs £8,830
8 kW 7180 kWh 5241 kWh 1939 kWh £1,425 £194 £1,618 £21,526 13.3 yrs £10,842

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: £1,027, Upfront: £17,173, Break-even: 16.7 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1795 kWh 1346 kWh 449 kWh £366 £45 £411 £11,069 26.9 yrs £-2,854
3 kW 2692 kWh 2019 kWh 673 kWh £549 £67 £616 £13,104 21.3 yrs £-781
4 kW 3590 kWh 2692 kWh 897 kWh £732 £90 £822 £15,138 18.4 yrs £1,293
5 kW 4487 kWh 3365 kWh 1122 kWh £915 £112 £1,027 £17,173 16.7 yrs £3,366
6 kW 5385 kWh 4039 kWh 1346 kWh £1,098 £135 £1,232 £19,207 15.6 yrs £5,439
7 kW 6282 kWh 4712 kWh 1571 kWh £1,281 £157 £1,438 £21,242 14.8 yrs £7,512
8 kW 7180 kWh 5385 kWh 1795 kWh £1,464 £179 £1,643 £23,276 14.2 yrs £9,585

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: £1,042, Upfront: £19,623, Break-even: 18.8 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1795 kWh 1382 kWh 413 kWh £376 £41 £417 £13,519 32.4 yrs £-5,180
3 kW 2692 kWh 2073 kWh 619 kWh £563 £62 £625 £15,554 24.9 yrs £-3,045
4 kW 3590 kWh 2764 kWh 826 kWh £751 £83 £834 £17,588 21.1 yrs £-911
5 kW 4487 kWh 3455 kWh 1032 kWh £939 £103 £1,042 £19,623 18.8 yrs £1,224
6 kW 5385 kWh 4146 kWh 1238 kWh £1,127 £124 £1,251 £21,657 17.3 yrs £3,359
7 kW 6282 kWh 4837 kWh 1445 kWh £1,315 £144 £1,459 £23,692 16.2 yrs £5,494
8 kW 7180 kWh 5528 kWh 1651 kWh £1,503 £165 £1,668 £25,726 15.4 yrs £7,629

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 EH32

Figures below are tailored to EH32 — click through for full league tables.

Solar Payback Index Rank #2379 of 2997
13.4 years (UK avg 12.6 years)
~£909 /yr • £12,207 upfront
Standing-Charge Drag Rank #1480 of 2997
23.1% (UK avg 24.6%) drag on savings
£210 fixed • ~£909 /yr value
Aspect Penalty View ranking →
East −22.4% West −21.8%
Typical output loss versus a south-facing roof (lower is better)

Your Area at a Glance

Your Electricity Rate
27.18p/kWh
Daily Fixed Charge
57.62p/day
Local Sunshine
897kWh/kW
A 1 kW system generates ~897 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 (100%)

Areas Covered

Preston, Seton and Gosford, North Berwick Coastal, Tweeddale West

Data Sources & Assumptions

Solar yield: PVGIS (EU Joint Research Centre), January 2025 data

Electricity rates: Ofgem price cap, Q1 2026

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

EH33 (East Lothian)
≈2.3 km away
Local sunshine: ~912 kWh/kWp · +2% vs EH32
EH35 (East Lothian)
≈5.7 km away
Local sunshine: ~911 kWh/kWp · +2% vs EH32
EH21 (East Lothian)
≈5.7 km away
Local sunshine: ~893 kWh/kWp · -1% vs EH32
EH34 (East Lothian)
≈7.4 km away
Local sunshine: ~913 kWh/kWp · +2% vs EH32
EH15 (City of Edinburgh)
≈9.3 km away
Local sunshine: ~869 kWh/kWp · -3% vs EH32
EH22 (Midlothian)
≈10.2 km away
Local sunshine: ~881 kWh/kWp · -2% vs EH32

Similar sunshine across the UK

BT34 (Newry, Mourne and Down)
~898 kWh/kWp · +0% vs EH32
PR25 (South Ribble)
~898 kWh/kWp · +0% vs EH32
CF45 (Rhondda Cynon Taf)
~898 kWh/kWp · +0% vs EH32