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Solar Panels in EH37 (Midlothian)

See if solar pays off for you in Midlothian — 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
£870
What you save every year
Profit Over 25 Years
£9,545
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 888 kWh/kW — 38 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 888 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)
888 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: £725, 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 1775 kWh 710 kWh 1065 kWh £184 £107 £290 £4,069 14.0 yrs £1,732
3 kW 2663 kWh 1065 kWh 1598 kWh £275 £160 £435 £6,104 14.0 yrs £2,597
4 kW 3551 kWh 1420 kWh 2131 kWh £367 £213 £580 £8,138 14.0 yrs £3,463
5 kW 4439 kWh 1775 kWh 2663 kWh £459 £266 £725 £10,173 14.0 yrs £4,329
6 kW 5326 kWh 2131 kWh 3196 kWh £551 £320 £870 £12,207 14.0 yrs £5,195
7 kW 6214 kWh 2486 kWh 3728 kWh £642 £373 £1,015 £14,242 14.0 yrs £6,061
8 kW 7102 kWh 2841 kWh 4261 kWh £734 £426 £1,160 £16,276 14.0 yrs £6,927

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: £866, Upfront: £12,273, 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 1775 kWh 1065 kWh 710 kWh £275 £71 £346 £6,169 17.8 yrs £757
3 kW 2663 kWh 1598 kWh 1065 kWh £413 £107 £519 £8,204 15.8 yrs £2,185
4 kW 3551 kWh 2131 kWh 1420 kWh £551 £142 £693 £10,238 14.8 yrs £3,613
5 kW 4439 kWh 2663 kWh 1775 kWh £688 £178 £866 £12,273 14.2 yrs £5,041
6 kW 5326 kWh 3196 kWh 2131 kWh £826 £213 £1,039 £14,307 13.8 yrs £6,470
7 kW 6214 kWh 3728 kWh 2486 kWh £963 £249 £1,212 £16,342 13.5 yrs £7,898
8 kW 7102 kWh 4261 kWh 2841 kWh £1,101 £284 £1,385 £18,376 13.3 yrs £9,326

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: £936, Upfront: £13,673, 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 1775 kWh 1243 kWh 533 kWh £321 £53 £374 £7,569 20.2 yrs £-81
3 kW 2663 kWh 1864 kWh 799 kWh £482 £80 £562 £9,604 17.1 yrs £1,628
4 kW 3551 kWh 2486 kWh 1065 kWh £642 £107 £749 £11,638 15.5 yrs £3,338
5 kW 4439 kWh 3107 kWh 1332 kWh £803 £133 £936 £13,673 14.6 yrs £5,047
6 kW 5326 kWh 3728 kWh 1598 kWh £963 £160 £1,123 £15,707 14.0 yrs £6,757
7 kW 6214 kWh 4350 kWh 1864 kWh £1,124 £186 £1,310 £17,742 13.5 yrs £8,466
8 kW 7102 kWh 4971 kWh 2131 kWh £1,285 £213 £1,498 £19,776 13.2 yrs £10,176

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: £957, Upfront: £15,423, Break-even: 16.1 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1775 kWh 1296 kWh 479 kWh £335 £48 £383 £9,319 24.3 yrs £-1,662
3 kW 2663 kWh 1944 kWh 719 kWh £502 £72 £574 £11,354 19.8 yrs £132
4 kW 3551 kWh 2592 kWh 959 kWh £670 £96 £766 £13,388 17.5 yrs £1,925
5 kW 4439 kWh 3240 kWh 1198 kWh £837 £120 £957 £15,423 16.1 yrs £3,719
6 kW 5326 kWh 3888 kWh 1438 kWh £1,005 £144 £1,149 £17,457 15.2 yrs £5,513
7 kW 6214 kWh 4536 kWh 1678 kWh £1,172 £168 £1,340 £19,492 14.5 yrs £7,307
8 kW 7102 kWh 5184 kWh 1917 kWh £1,340 £192 £1,531 £21,526 14.1 yrs £9,101

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: £971, Upfront: £17,173, Break-even: 17.7 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1775 kWh 1332 kWh 444 kWh £344 £44 £388 £11,069 28.5 yrs £-3,300
3 kW 2663 kWh 1997 kWh 666 kWh £516 £67 £583 £13,104 22.5 yrs £-1,450
4 kW 3551 kWh 2663 kWh 888 kWh £688 £89 £777 £15,138 19.5 yrs £400
5 kW 4439 kWh 3329 kWh 1110 kWh £860 £111 £971 £17,173 17.7 yrs £2,251
6 kW 5326 kWh 3995 kWh 1332 kWh £1,032 £133 £1,165 £19,207 16.5 yrs £4,101
7 kW 6214 kWh 4660 kWh 1553 kWh £1,204 £155 £1,360 £21,242 15.6 yrs £5,951
8 kW 7102 kWh 5326 kWh 1775 kWh £1,376 £178 £1,554 £23,276 15.0 yrs £7,801

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: £985, Upfront: £19,623, Break-even: 19.9 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1775 kWh 1367 kWh 408 kWh £353 £41 £394 £13,519 34.3 yrs £-5,637
3 kW 2663 kWh 2051 kWh 613 kWh £530 £61 £591 £15,554 26.3 yrs £-3,731
4 kW 3551 kWh 2734 kWh 817 kWh £707 £82 £788 £17,588 22.3 yrs £-1,825
5 kW 4439 kWh 3418 kWh 1021 kWh £883 £102 £985 £19,623 19.9 yrs £82
6 kW 5326 kWh 4101 kWh 1225 kWh £1,060 £123 £1,182 £21,657 18.3 yrs £1,988
7 kW 6214 kWh 4785 kWh 1429 kWh £1,236 £143 £1,379 £23,692 17.2 yrs £3,894
8 kW 7102 kWh 5468 kWh 1633 kWh £1,413 £163 £1,576 £25,726 16.3 yrs £5,801

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 EH37

Figures below are tailored to EH37 — click through for full league tables.

Solar Payback Index Rank #2475 of 2997
12.2 years (UK avg 11.3 years)
~£997 /yr • £12,207 upfront
Standing-Charge Drag Rank #1556 of 2997
20.7% (UK avg 21.7%) drag on savings
£206 fixed • ~£997 /yr value

Your Area at a Glance

Your Electricity Rate
25.84p/kWh
Daily Fixed Charge
56.55p/day
Local Sunshine
888kWh/kW
A 1 kW system generates ~888 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

Midlothian (97%)|East Lothian (2%)|Scottish Borders (1%)

Areas Covered

Midlothian East, Dalkeith, Haddington and Lammermuir, Galashiels and District, Midlothian 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

EH35 (East Lothian)
≈5.3 km away
Local sunshine: ~911 kWh/kWp · +3% vs EH37
EH23 (Midlothian)
≈5.6 km away
Local sunshine: ~860 kWh/kWp · -3% vs EH37
EH22 (Midlothian)
≈6.3 km away
Local sunshine: ~881 kWh/kWp · -1% vs EH37
EH34 (East Lothian)
≈6.9 km away
Local sunshine: ~913 kWh/kWp · +3% vs EH37
EH36 (East Lothian)
≈6.9 km away
Local sunshine: ~883 kWh/kWp · -1% vs EH37
EH19 (Midlothian)
≈8.5 km away
Local sunshine: ~883 kWh/kWp · -0% vs EH37

Similar sunshine across the UK

HX4 (Calderdale)
~888 kWh/kWp · +0% vs EH37
SY18 (Powys)
~888 kWh/kWp · +0% vs EH37
PH10 (Perth and Kinross)
~888 kWh/kWp · +0% vs EH37