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Solar panel cost in City of Edinburgh (EH8)

See realistic solar installation costs, savings and payback for EH8 (City of Edinburgh) 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
11.5 years
After this, it's pure profit
Upfront Cost
£9,767
What you pay to get started
Annual Benefit
£853
What you save every year
Profit Over 25 Years
£11,551
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: The official cost per kW is lower above 4 kW, so a 5–6 kW system can pay back a little faster than a 3–4 kW system on otherwise identical assumptions.
  • 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

Panel costs: Uses March 2026 TIC mean installation costs: £1,827/kW up to 4 kW and £1,628/kW above 4 kW.

Other costs: Battery prices are modelled at £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 25.85p/kWh with a 64.17p/day standing charge. Your postcode’s south-facing sunshine yield is 870 kWh/kW — 20 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 25.9p and exported surplus at a baseline 10p via SEG. Use the calculator above for your exact tariff.

Unit rate
25.9p/kWh
Standing charge
64.2p/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: £8,139, Break-even: 11.5 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1739 kWh 696 kWh 1044 kWh £180 £104 £284 £3,256 11.5 yrs £2,429
3 kW 2609 kWh 1044 kWh 1566 kWh £270 £157 £426 £4,883 11.5 yrs £3,644
4 kW 3479 kWh 1392 kWh 2087 kWh £360 £209 £568 £6,511 11.5 yrs £4,858
5 kW 4349 kWh 1739 kWh 2609 kWh £450 £261 £711 £8,139 11.5 yrs £6,073
6 kW 5218 kWh 2087 kWh 3131 kWh £540 £313 £853 £9,767 11.5 yrs £7,287
7 kW 6088 kWh 2435 kWh 3653 kWh £630 £365 £995 £11,394 11.5 yrs £8,502
8 kW 6958 kWh 2783 kWh 4175 kWh £719 £417 £1,137 £13,022 11.5 yrs £9,716

Assumptions: south-facing, sensible tilt; self-use shares from site rules; export at 10p baseline. Costs: panels £/kW = 1,628, battery £/kWh = 700.

3 kWh battery 5 kW example → Annual benefit: £848, Upfront: £10,239, Break-even: 12.1 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1739 kWh 1044 kWh 696 kWh £270 £70 £339 £5,356 15.8 yrs £1,432
3 kW 2609 kWh 1566 kWh 1044 kWh £405 £104 £509 £6,983 13.7 yrs £3,198
4 kW 3479 kWh 2087 kWh 1392 kWh £540 £139 £679 £8,611 12.7 yrs £4,964
5 kW 4349 kWh 2609 kWh 1739 kWh £674 £174 £848 £10,239 12.1 yrs £6,730
6 kW 5218 kWh 3131 kWh 2087 kWh £809 £209 £1,018 £11,867 11.7 yrs £8,496
7 kW 6088 kWh 3653 kWh 2435 kWh £944 £244 £1,188 £13,494 11.4 yrs £10,262
8 kW 6958 kWh 4175 kWh 2783 kWh £1,079 £278 £1,357 £15,122 11.1 yrs £12,028

Assumptions: south-facing, sensible tilt; self-use shares from site rules; export at 10p baseline. Costs: panels £/kW = 1,628, battery £/kWh = 700.

5 kWh battery 5 kW example → Annual benefit: £917, Upfront: £11,639, Break-even: 12.7 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1739 kWh 1218 kWh 522 kWh £315 £52 £367 £6,756 18.4 yrs £583
3 kW 2609 kWh 1826 kWh 783 kWh £472 £78 £550 £8,383 15.2 yrs £2,625
4 kW 3479 kWh 2435 kWh 1044 kWh £630 £104 £734 £10,011 13.6 yrs £4,667
5 kW 4349 kWh 3044 kWh 1305 kWh £787 £130 £917 £11,639 12.7 yrs £6,708
6 kW 5218 kWh 3653 kWh 1566 kWh £944 £157 £1,101 £13,267 12.1 yrs £8,750
7 kW 6088 kWh 4262 kWh 1826 kWh £1,102 £183 £1,284 £14,894 11.6 yrs £10,792
8 kW 6958 kWh 4871 kWh 2087 kWh £1,259 £209 £1,468 £16,522 11.3 yrs £12,833

Assumptions: south-facing, sensible tilt; self-use shares from site rules; export at 10p baseline. Costs: panels £/kW = 1,628, battery £/kWh = 700.

7.5 kWh battery 5 kW example → Annual benefit: £938, Upfront: £13,389, 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 1739 kWh 1270 kWh 470 kWh £328 £47 £375 £8,506 22.7 yrs £-1,001
3 kW 2609 kWh 1905 kWh 704 kWh £492 £70 £563 £10,133 18.0 yrs £1,123
4 kW 3479 kWh 2540 kWh 939 kWh £656 £94 £750 £11,761 15.7 yrs £3,248
5 kW 4349 kWh 3175 kWh 1174 kWh £821 £117 £938 £13,389 14.3 yrs £5,372
6 kW 5218 kWh 3809 kWh 1409 kWh £985 £141 £1,126 £15,017 13.3 yrs £7,496
7 kW 6088 kWh 4444 kWh 1644 kWh £1,149 £164 £1,313 £16,644 12.7 yrs £9,621
8 kW 6958 kWh 5079 kWh 1879 kWh £1,313 £188 £1,501 £18,272 12.2 yrs £11,745

Assumptions: south-facing, sensible tilt; self-use shares from site rules; export at 10p baseline. Costs: panels £/kW = 1,628, battery £/kWh = 700.

10 kWh battery 5 kW example → Annual benefit: £952, Upfront: £15,139, Break-even: 15.9 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1739 kWh 1305 kWh 435 kWh £337 £43 £381 £10,256 26.9 yrs £-2,641
3 kW 2609 kWh 1957 kWh 652 kWh £506 £65 £571 £11,883 20.8 yrs £-461
4 kW 3479 kWh 2609 kWh 870 kWh £674 £87 £761 £13,511 17.7 yrs £1,718
5 kW 4349 kWh 3262 kWh 1087 kWh £843 £109 £952 £15,139 15.9 yrs £3,898
6 kW 5218 kWh 3914 kWh 1305 kWh £1,012 £130 £1,142 £16,767 14.7 yrs £6,077
7 kW 6088 kWh 4566 kWh 1522 kWh £1,180 £152 £1,333 £18,394 13.8 yrs £8,257
8 kW 6958 kWh 5218 kWh 1739 kWh £1,349 £174 £1,523 £20,022 13.1 yrs £10,436

Assumptions: south-facing, sensible tilt; self-use shares from site rules; export at 10p baseline. Costs: panels £/kW = 1,628, battery £/kWh = 700.

13.5 kWh battery 5 kW example → Annual benefit: £966, Upfront: £17,589, Break-even: 18.2 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1739 kWh 1339 kWh 400 kWh £346 £40 £386 £12,706 32.9 yrs £-4,981
3 kW 2609 kWh 2009 kWh 600 kWh £519 £60 £579 £14,333 24.7 yrs £-2,746
4 kW 3479 kWh 2679 kWh 800 kWh £692 £80 £772 £15,961 20.7 yrs £-511
5 kW 4349 kWh 3348 kWh 1000 kWh £866 £100 £966 £17,589 18.2 yrs £1,723
6 kW 5218 kWh 4018 kWh 1200 kWh £1,039 £120 £1,159 £19,217 16.6 yrs £3,958
7 kW 6088 kWh 4688 kWh 1400 kWh £1,212 £140 £1,352 £20,844 15.4 yrs £6,193
8 kW 6958 kWh 5358 kWh 1600 kWh £1,385 £160 £1,545 £22,472 14.5 yrs £8,427

Assumptions: south-facing, sensible tilt; self-use shares from site rules; export at 10p baseline. Costs: panels £/kW = 1,628, 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.

Before you request quotes in City of Edinburgh

Use the numbers above to sanity-check installer quotes. The main things to compare are system size, battery assumptions, payback claims, MCS certification, DNO paperwork and export assumptions.

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Check what MCS certification means

Understand DNO, G98 and G99 export limits

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Insights for EH8

Figures below are tailored to EH8 — click through for full league tables.

Solar Payback Index Rank #2287 of 2996
11.5 years (UK avg 10.8 years)
~£853 /yr • £9,767 upfront
Standing-Charge Drag Rank #1789 of 2996
27.4% (UK avg 26.6%) drag on savings
£234 fixed • ~£853 /yr value
Aspect Penalty View ranking →
East −22.1% West −20.7%
Typical output loss versus a south-facing roof (lower is better)

Seasonal solar output in EH8

Monthly generation per kilowatt of solar panels

kWh 26 Jan 44 Feb 77 Mar 103 Apr 116 May 108 Jun 110 Jul 99 Aug 80 Sep 54 Oct 34 Nov 19 Dec
Best month Worst month Winter (Dec–Feb) Other months

Winter output: 41.2% of an average month (Dec–Feb)

Best / worst month: May / Dec

These figures show output per kilowatt (kW) of panels installed. In winter, a 1 kW system here produces about 30 kWh per month; the average month produces around 72 kWh. So a typical 4 kW home system would generate roughly 119 kWh in winter, or 290 kWh in an average month.

Your Area at a Glance

Your Electricity Rate
25.85p/kWh
Daily Fixed Charge
64.17p/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

City of Edinburgh (100%)

Areas Covered

Craigentinny/Duddingston, Southside/Newington, City Centre, Leith Walk

Data Sources & Assumptions

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

Electricity rates: Ofgem price cap, Q3 2026

Installation costs: DESNZ/MCS data, March 2026 (TIC)

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

EH99 (City of Edinburgh)
≈0.2 km away
Local sunshine: ~851 kWh/kWp · -2% vs EH8
EH1 (City of Edinburgh)
≈0.8 km away
Local sunshine: ~878 kWh/kWp · +1% vs EH8
EH7 (City of Edinburgh)
≈1.1 km away
Local sunshine: ~852 kWh/kWp · -2% vs EH8
EH2 (City of Edinburgh)
≈1.5 km away
Local sunshine: ~878 kWh/kWp · +1% vs EH8
EH3 (City of Edinburgh)
≈1.9 km away
Local sunshine: ~892 kWh/kWp · +3% vs EH8
EH9 (City of Edinburgh)
≈1.9 km away
Local sunshine: ~889 kWh/kWp · +2% vs EH8

Similar sunshine across the UK

M20 (Manchester)
~870 kWh/kWp · +0% vs EH8
AB10 (Aberdeen City)
~869 kWh/kWp · -0% vs EH8
AB11 (Aberdeen City)
~869 kWh/kWp · -0% vs EH8