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Solar Panels in EH54 (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
14.9 years
After this, it's pure profit
Upfront Cost
£12,207
What you pay to get started
Annual Benefit
£820
What you save every year
Profit Over 25 Years
£8,303
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 837 kWh/kW — 13 below 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 837 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)
837 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: £684, Upfront: £10,173, 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 1674 kWh 670 kWh 1004 kWh £173 £100 £273 £4,069 14.9 yrs £1,400
3 kW 2511 kWh 1004 kWh 1507 kWh £260 £151 £410 £6,104 14.9 yrs £2,101
4 kW 3348 kWh 1339 kWh 2009 kWh £346 £201 £547 £8,138 14.9 yrs £2,801
5 kW 4185 kWh 1674 kWh 2511 kWh £433 £251 £684 £10,173 14.9 yrs £3,501
6 kW 5022 kWh 2009 kWh 3013 kWh £519 £301 £820 £12,207 14.9 yrs £4,201
7 kW 5859 kWh 2344 kWh 3515 kWh £606 £352 £957 £14,242 14.9 yrs £4,901
8 kW 6696 kWh 2678 kWh 4018 kWh £692 £402 £1,094 £16,276 14.9 yrs £5,602

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: £816, Upfront: £12,273, Break-even: 15.0 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1674 kWh 1004 kWh 670 kWh £260 £67 £327 £6,169 18.9 yrs £361
3 kW 2511 kWh 1507 kWh 1004 kWh £389 £100 £490 £8,204 16.8 yrs £1,592
4 kW 3348 kWh 2009 kWh 1339 kWh £519 £134 £653 £10,238 15.7 yrs £2,822
5 kW 4185 kWh 2511 kWh 1674 kWh £649 £167 £816 £12,273 15.0 yrs £4,053
6 kW 5022 kWh 3013 kWh 2009 kWh £779 £201 £980 £14,307 14.6 yrs £5,283
7 kW 5859 kWh 3515 kWh 2344 kWh £908 £234 £1,143 £16,342 14.3 yrs £6,514
8 kW 6696 kWh 4018 kWh 2678 kWh £1,038 £268 £1,306 £18,376 14.1 yrs £7,744

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: £883, Upfront: £13,673, Break-even: 15.5 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1674 kWh 1172 kWh 502 kWh £303 £50 £353 £7,569 21.4 yrs £-509
3 kW 2511 kWh 1758 kWh 753 kWh £454 £75 £530 £9,604 18.1 yrs £987
4 kW 3348 kWh 2344 kWh 1004 kWh £606 £100 £706 £11,638 16.5 yrs £2,483
5 kW 4185 kWh 2930 kWh 1256 kWh £757 £126 £883 £13,673 15.5 yrs £3,979
6 kW 5022 kWh 3515 kWh 1507 kWh £908 £151 £1,059 £15,707 14.8 yrs £5,474
7 kW 5859 kWh 4101 kWh 1758 kWh £1,060 £176 £1,236 £17,742 14.4 yrs £6,970
8 kW 6696 kWh 4687 kWh 2009 kWh £1,211 £201 £1,412 £19,776 14.0 yrs £8,466

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: £902, Upfront: £15,423, Break-even: 17.1 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1674 kWh 1222 kWh 452 kWh £316 £45 £361 £9,319 25.8 yrs £-2,099
3 kW 2511 kWh 1833 kWh 678 kWh £474 £68 £541 £11,354 21.0 yrs £-524
4 kW 3348 kWh 2444 kWh 904 kWh £632 £90 £722 £13,388 18.5 yrs £1,051
5 kW 4185 kWh 3055 kWh 1130 kWh £789 £113 £902 £15,423 17.1 yrs £2,626
6 kW 5022 kWh 3666 kWh 1356 kWh £947 £136 £1,083 £17,457 16.1 yrs £4,202
7 kW 5859 kWh 4277 kWh 1582 kWh £1,105 £158 £1,263 £19,492 15.4 yrs £5,777
8 kW 6696 kWh 4888 kWh 1808 kWh £1,263 £181 £1,444 £21,526 14.9 yrs £7,352

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: £916, Upfront: £17,173, 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 1674 kWh 1256 kWh 419 kWh £324 £42 £366 £11,069 30.2 yrs £-3,743
3 kW 2511 kWh 1883 kWh 628 kWh £487 £63 £549 £13,104 23.8 yrs £-2,115
4 kW 3348 kWh 2511 kWh 837 kWh £649 £84 £733 £15,138 20.7 yrs £-487
5 kW 4185 kWh 3139 kWh 1046 kWh £811 £105 £916 £17,173 18.8 yrs £1,141
6 kW 5022 kWh 3767 kWh 1256 kWh £973 £126 £1,099 £19,207 17.5 yrs £2,770
7 kW 5859 kWh 4394 kWh 1465 kWh £1,136 £146 £1,282 £21,242 16.6 yrs £4,398
8 kW 6696 kWh 5022 kWh 1674 kWh £1,298 £167 £1,465 £23,276 15.9 yrs £6,026

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: £929, Upfront: £19,623, Break-even: 21.1 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1674 kWh 1289 kWh 385 kWh £333 £39 £372 £13,519 36.4 yrs £-6,087
3 kW 2511 kWh 1934 kWh 578 kWh £500 £58 £557 £15,554 27.9 yrs £-4,406
4 kW 3348 kWh 2578 kWh 770 kWh £666 £77 £743 £17,588 23.7 yrs £-2,725
5 kW 4185 kWh 3223 kWh 963 kWh £833 £96 £929 £19,623 21.1 yrs £-1,043
6 kW 5022 kWh 3867 kWh 1155 kWh £999 £116 £1,115 £21,657 19.4 yrs £638
7 kW 5859 kWh 4512 kWh 1348 kWh £1,166 £135 £1,301 £23,692 18.2 yrs £2,319
8 kW 6696 kWh 5156 kWh 1540 kWh £1,332 £154 £1,486 £25,726 17.3 yrs £4,001

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 EH54

Figures below are tailored to EH54 — click through for full league tables.

Solar Payback Index Rank #2781 of 2997
13.0 years (UK avg 11.3 years)
~£940 /yr • £12,207 upfront
Standing-Charge Drag Rank #1855 of 2997
22.0% (UK avg 21.7%) drag on savings
£206 fixed • ~£940 /yr value

Your Area at a Glance

Your Electricity Rate
25.84p/kWh
Daily Fixed Charge
56.55p/day
Local Sunshine
837kWh/kW
A 1 kW system generates ~837 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

Livingston South, Livingston North, East Livingston and East Calder, Whitburn and Blackburn, Bathgate, Broxburn, Uphall and Winchburgh

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)
≈3.9 km away
Local sunshine: ~845 kWh/kWp · +1% vs EH54
EH55 (West Lothian)
≈5.2 km away
Local sunshine: ~837 kWh/kWp · -0% vs EH54
EH52 (West Lothian)
≈5.7 km away
Local sunshine: ~868 kWh/kWp · +4% vs EH54
EH27 (West Lothian)
≈7.0 km away
Local sunshine: ~852 kWh/kWp · +2% vs EH54
EH48 (West Lothian)
≈7.5 km away
Local sunshine: ~870 kWh/kWp · +4% vs EH54
EH47 (West Lothian)
≈9.6 km away
Local sunshine: ~837 kWh/kWp · -0% vs EH54

Similar sunshine across the UK

BT81 (Derry City and Strabane)
~837 kWh/kWp · -0% vs EH54
OL4 (Oldham)
~837 kWh/kWp · -0% vs EH54
OL8 (Oldham)
~837 kWh/kWp · -0% vs EH54