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Solar Panels in EH48 (West Lothian)

See if solar pays off for you in West 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
14.3 years
After this, it's pure profit
Upfront Cost
£12,207
What you pay to get started
Annual Benefit
£853
What you save every year
Profit Over 25 Years
£9,121
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 870 kWh/kW — 21 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 870 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)
870 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: £711, Upfront: £10,173, Break-even: 14.3 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1741 kWh 696 kWh 1044 kWh £180 £104 £284 £4,069 14.3 yrs £1,619
3 kW 2611 kWh 1044 kWh 1567 kWh £270 £157 £427 £6,104 14.3 yrs £2,428
4 kW 3482 kWh 1393 kWh 2089 kWh £360 £209 £569 £8,138 14.3 yrs £3,237
5 kW 4352 kWh 1741 kWh 2611 kWh £450 £261 £711 £10,173 14.3 yrs £4,046
6 kW 5222 kWh 2089 kWh 3133 kWh £540 £313 £853 £12,207 14.3 yrs £4,856
7 kW 6093 kWh 2437 kWh 3656 kWh £630 £366 £995 £14,242 14.3 yrs £5,665
8 kW 6963 kWh 2785 kWh 4178 kWh £720 £418 £1,138 £16,276 14.3 yrs £6,474

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: £849, Upfront: £12,273, 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 1741 kWh 1044 kWh 696 kWh £270 £70 £340 £6,169 18.2 yrs £621
3 kW 2611 kWh 1567 kWh 1044 kWh £405 £104 £509 £8,204 16.1 yrs £1,982
4 kW 3482 kWh 2089 kWh 1393 kWh £540 £139 £679 £10,238 15.1 yrs £3,343
5 kW 4352 kWh 2611 kWh 1741 kWh £675 £174 £849 £12,273 14.5 yrs £4,704
6 kW 5222 kWh 3133 kWh 2089 kWh £810 £209 £1,019 £14,307 14.0 yrs £6,064
7 kW 6093 kWh 3656 kWh 2437 kWh £945 £244 £1,188 £16,342 13.8 yrs £7,425
8 kW 6963 kWh 4178 kWh 2785 kWh £1,080 £279 £1,358 £18,376 13.5 yrs £8,786

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: £918, Upfront: £13,673, Break-even: 14.9 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1741 kWh 1219 kWh 522 kWh £315 £52 £367 £7,569 20.6 yrs £-227
3 kW 2611 kWh 1828 kWh 783 kWh £472 £78 £551 £9,604 17.4 yrs £1,409
4 kW 3482 kWh 2437 kWh 1044 kWh £630 £104 £734 £11,638 15.9 yrs £3,046
5 kW 4352 kWh 3046 kWh 1306 kWh £787 £131 £918 £13,673 14.9 yrs £4,682
6 kW 5222 kWh 3656 kWh 1567 kWh £945 £157 £1,101 £15,707 14.3 yrs £6,319
7 kW 6093 kWh 4265 kWh 1828 kWh £1,102 £183 £1,285 £17,742 13.8 yrs £7,955
8 kW 6963 kWh 4874 kWh 2089 kWh £1,260 £209 £1,468 £19,776 13.5 yrs £9,592

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: £938, Upfront: £15,423, Break-even: 16.4 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1741 kWh 1271 kWh 470 kWh £328 £47 £375 £9,319 24.8 yrs £-1,812
3 kW 2611 kWh 1906 kWh 705 kWh £493 £71 £563 £11,354 20.2 yrs £-92
4 kW 3482 kWh 2542 kWh 940 kWh £657 £94 £751 £13,388 17.8 yrs £1,627
5 kW 4352 kWh 3177 kWh 1175 kWh £821 £118 £938 £15,423 16.4 yrs £3,346
6 kW 5222 kWh 3812 kWh 1410 kWh £985 £141 £1,126 £17,457 15.5 yrs £5,065
7 kW 6093 kWh 4448 kWh 1645 kWh £1,149 £165 £1,314 £19,492 14.8 yrs £6,784
8 kW 6963 kWh 5083 kWh 1880 kWh £1,313 £188 £1,501 £21,526 14.3 yrs £8,504

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: £952, Upfront: £17,173, 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 1741 kWh 1306 kWh 435 kWh £337 £44 £381 £11,069 29.1 yrs £-3,451
3 kW 2611 kWh 1958 kWh 653 kWh £506 £65 £571 £13,104 22.9 yrs £-1,677
4 kW 3482 kWh 2611 kWh 870 kWh £675 £87 £762 £15,138 19.9 yrs £97
5 kW 4352 kWh 3264 kWh 1088 kWh £843 £109 £952 £17,173 18.0 yrs £1,872
6 kW 5222 kWh 3917 kWh 1306 kWh £1,012 £131 £1,143 £19,207 16.8 yrs £3,646
7 kW 6093 kWh 4570 kWh 1523 kWh £1,181 £152 £1,333 £21,242 15.9 yrs £5,421
8 kW 6963 kWh 5222 kWh 1741 kWh £1,349 £174 £1,524 £23,276 15.3 yrs £7,195

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: £966, Upfront: £19,623, Break-even: 20.3 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1741 kWh 1340 kWh 400 kWh £346 £40 £386 £13,519 35.0 yrs £-5,791
3 kW 2611 kWh 2011 kWh 601 kWh £520 £60 £580 £15,554 26.8 yrs £-3,961
4 kW 3482 kWh 2681 kWh 801 kWh £693 £80 £773 £17,588 22.8 yrs £-2,132
5 kW 4352 kWh 3351 kWh 1001 kWh £866 £100 £966 £19,623 20.3 yrs £-302
6 kW 5222 kWh 4021 kWh 1201 kWh £1,039 £120 £1,159 £21,657 18.7 yrs £1,527
7 kW 6093 kWh 4691 kWh 1401 kWh £1,212 £140 £1,352 £23,692 17.5 yrs £3,357
8 kW 6963 kWh 5362 kWh 1602 kWh £1,385 £160 £1,546 £25,726 16.6 yrs £5,186

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 EH48

Figures below are tailored to EH48 — click through for full league tables.

Solar Payback Index Rank #2637 of 2997
12.5 years (UK avg 11.3 years)
~£977 /yr • £12,207 upfront
Standing-Charge Drag Rank #1627 of 2997
21.1% (UK avg 21.7%) drag on savings
£206 fixed • ~£977 /yr value

Your Area at a Glance

Your Electricity Rate
25.84p/kWh
Daily Fixed Charge
56.55p/day
Local Sunshine
870kWh/kW
A 1 kW system generates ~870 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 (100%)

Areas Covered

Bathgate, Armadale and Blackridge, Whitburn and Blackburn, Linlithgow

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

EH47 (West Lothian)
≈4.1 km away
Local sunshine: ~837 kWh/kWp · -4% vs EH48
EH55 (West Lothian)
≈7.2 km away
Local sunshine: ~837 kWh/kWp · -4% vs EH48
EH54 (West Lothian)
≈7.5 km away
Local sunshine: ~837 kWh/kWp · -4% vs EH48
EH49 (West Lothian)
≈9.0 km away
Local sunshine: ~868 kWh/kWp · -0% vs EH48
EH52 (West Lothian)
≈11.3 km away
Local sunshine: ~868 kWh/kWp · -0% vs EH48
EH53 (West Lothian)
≈11.4 km away
Local sunshine: ~845 kWh/kWp · -3% vs EH48

Similar sunshine across the UK

LL26 (Conwy)
~870 kWh/kWp · -0% vs EH48
M14 (Manchester)
~870 kWh/kWp · +0% vs EH48
BL78 (Bolton)
~871 kWh/kWp · +0% vs EH48