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Solar Panels in EH55 (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
£8,293
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: £683, 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 1673 kWh 669 kWh 1004 kWh £173 £100 £273 £4,069 14.9 yrs £1,398
3 kW 2510 kWh 1004 kWh 1506 kWh £259 £151 £410 £6,104 14.9 yrs £2,097
4 kW 3346 kWh 1339 kWh 2008 kWh £346 £201 £547 £8,138 14.9 yrs £2,796
5 kW 4183 kWh 1673 kWh 2510 kWh £432 £251 £683 £10,173 14.9 yrs £3,494
6 kW 5020 kWh 2008 kWh 3012 kWh £519 £301 £820 £12,207 14.9 yrs £4,193
7 kW 5856 kWh 2343 kWh 3514 kWh £605 £351 £957 £14,242 14.9 yrs £4,892
8 kW 6693 kWh 2677 kWh 4016 kWh £692 £402 £1,093 £16,276 14.9 yrs £5,591

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 1673 kWh 1004 kWh 669 kWh £259 £67 £326 £6,169 18.9 yrs £358
3 kW 2510 kWh 1506 kWh 1004 kWh £389 £100 £490 £8,204 16.8 yrs £1,587
4 kW 3346 kWh 2008 kWh 1339 kWh £519 £134 £653 £10,238 15.7 yrs £2,816
5 kW 4183 kWh 2510 kWh 1673 kWh £649 £167 £816 £12,273 15.0 yrs £4,045
6 kW 5020 kWh 3012 kWh 2008 kWh £778 £201 £979 £14,307 14.6 yrs £5,274
7 kW 5856 kWh 3514 kWh 2343 kWh £908 £234 £1,142 £16,342 14.3 yrs £6,503
8 kW 6693 kWh 4016 kWh 2677 kWh £1,038 £268 £1,305 £18,376 14.1 yrs £7,732

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: £882, 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 1673 kWh 1171 kWh 502 kWh £303 £50 £353 £7,569 21.5 yrs £-512
3 kW 2510 kWh 1757 kWh 753 kWh £454 £75 £529 £9,604 18.1 yrs £982
4 kW 3346 kWh 2343 kWh 1004 kWh £605 £100 £706 £11,638 16.5 yrs £2,476
5 kW 4183 kWh 2928 kWh 1255 kWh £757 £125 £882 £13,673 15.5 yrs £3,970
6 kW 5020 kWh 3514 kWh 1506 kWh £908 £151 £1,059 £15,707 14.8 yrs £5,464
7 kW 5856 kWh 4099 kWh 1757 kWh £1,059 £176 £1,235 £17,742 14.4 yrs £6,958
8 kW 6693 kWh 4685 kWh 2008 kWh £1,211 £201 £1,411 £19,776 14.0 yrs £8,452

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 1673 kWh 1221 kWh 452 kWh £316 £45 £361 £9,319 25.8 yrs £-2,103
3 kW 2510 kWh 1832 kWh 678 kWh £473 £68 £541 £11,354 21.0 yrs £-529
4 kW 3346 kWh 2443 kWh 904 kWh £631 £90 £722 £13,388 18.6 yrs £1,044
5 kW 4183 kWh 3054 kWh 1129 kWh £789 £113 £902 £15,423 17.1 yrs £2,618
6 kW 5020 kWh 3664 kWh 1355 kWh £947 £136 £1,082 £17,457 16.1 yrs £4,191
7 kW 5856 kWh 4275 kWh 1581 kWh £1,105 £158 £1,263 £19,492 15.4 yrs £5,765
8 kW 6693 kWh 4886 kWh 1807 kWh £1,263 £181 £1,443 £21,526 14.9 yrs £7,338

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: £915, 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 1673 kWh 1255 kWh 418 kWh £324 £42 £366 £11,069 30.2 yrs £-3,747
3 kW 2510 kWh 1882 kWh 627 kWh £486 £63 £549 £13,104 23.9 yrs £-2,120
4 kW 3346 kWh 2510 kWh 837 kWh £649 £84 £732 £15,138 20.7 yrs £-494
5 kW 4183 kWh 3137 kWh 1046 kWh £811 £105 £915 £17,173 18.8 yrs £1,133
6 kW 5020 kWh 3765 kWh 1255 kWh £973 £125 £1,098 £19,207 17.5 yrs £2,759
7 kW 5856 kWh 4392 kWh 1464 kWh £1,135 £146 £1,281 £21,242 16.6 yrs £4,386
8 kW 6693 kWh 5020 kWh 1673 kWh £1,297 £167 £1,464 £23,276 15.9 yrs £6,012

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 1673 kWh 1288 kWh 385 kWh £333 £38 £371 £13,519 36.4 yrs £-6,091
3 kW 2510 kWh 1933 kWh 577 kWh £499 £58 £557 £15,554 27.9 yrs £-4,411
4 kW 3346 kWh 2577 kWh 770 kWh £666 £77 £743 £17,588 23.7 yrs £-2,732
5 kW 4183 kWh 3221 kWh 962 kWh £832 £96 £929 £19,623 21.1 yrs £-1,052
6 kW 5020 kWh 3865 kWh 1155 kWh £999 £115 £1,114 £21,657 19.4 yrs £627
7 kW 5856 kWh 4509 kWh 1347 kWh £1,165 £135 £1,300 £23,692 18.2 yrs £2,307
8 kW 6693 kWh 5154 kWh 1539 kWh £1,332 £154 £1,486 £25,726 17.3 yrs £3,986

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 EH55

Figures below are tailored to EH55 — click through for full league tables.

Solar Payback Index Rank #2782 of 2997
13.0 years (UK avg 11.3 years)
~£939 /yr • £12,207 upfront
Standing-Charge Drag Rank #1850 of 2997
22.0% (UK avg 21.7%) drag on savings
£206 fixed • ~£939 /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 (96%)|South Lanarkshire (4%)

Areas Covered

Fauldhouse and the Breich Valley, Livingston South, Clydesdale North, East Livingston and East Calder, Whitburn and Blackburn, Clydesdale East

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

EH54 (West Lothian)
≈5.2 km away
Local sunshine: ~837 kWh/kWp · +0% vs EH55
EH47 (West Lothian)
≈6.8 km away
Local sunshine: ~837 kWh/kWp · +0% vs EH55
EH48 (West Lothian)
≈7.2 km away
Local sunshine: ~870 kWh/kWp · +4% vs EH55
EH53 (West Lothian)
≈8.0 km away
Local sunshine: ~845 kWh/kWp · +1% vs EH55
EH27 (West Lothian)
≈10.5 km away
Local sunshine: ~852 kWh/kWp · +2% vs EH55
EH52 (West Lothian)
≈10.9 km away
Local sunshine: ~868 kWh/kWp · +4% vs EH55

Similar sunshine across the UK

OL4 (Oldham)
~837 kWh/kWp · -0% vs EH55
OL8 (Oldham)
~837 kWh/kWp · -0% vs EH55
BT81 (Derry City and Strabane)
~837 kWh/kWp · +0% vs EH55