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Solar Panels in EH99 (City of Edinburgh)

See if solar pays off for you in City of Edinburgh — 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
14.6 years
After this, it's pure profit
Upfront Cost
£12,207
What you pay to get started
Annual Benefit
£835
What you save every year
Profit Over 25 Years
£8,656
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 851 kWh/kW — 2 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 851 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)
851 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: £695, Upfront: £10,173, 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 1703 kWh 681 kWh 1022 kWh £176 £102 £278 £4,069 14.6 yrs £1,494
3 kW 2554 kWh 1022 kWh 1533 kWh £264 £153 £417 £6,104 14.6 yrs £2,242
4 kW 3406 kWh 1362 kWh 2043 kWh £352 £204 £556 £8,138 14.6 yrs £2,989
5 kW 4257 kWh 1703 kWh 2554 kWh £440 £255 £695 £10,173 14.6 yrs £3,736
6 kW 5108 kWh 2043 kWh 3065 kWh £528 £307 £835 £12,207 14.6 yrs £4,483
7 kW 5960 kWh 2384 kWh 3576 kWh £616 £358 £974 £14,242 14.6 yrs £5,231
8 kW 6811 kWh 2725 kWh 4087 kWh £704 £409 £1,113 £16,276 14.6 yrs £5,978

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: £830, Upfront: £12,273, Break-even: 14.8 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1703 kWh 1022 kWh 681 kWh £264 £68 £332 £6,169 18.6 yrs £473
3 kW 2554 kWh 1533 kWh 1022 kWh £396 £102 £498 £8,204 16.5 yrs £1,760
4 kW 3406 kWh 2043 kWh 1362 kWh £528 £136 £664 £10,238 15.4 yrs £3,047
5 kW 4257 kWh 2554 kWh 1703 kWh £660 £170 £830 £12,273 14.8 yrs £4,333
6 kW 5108 kWh 3065 kWh 2043 kWh £792 £204 £996 £14,307 14.4 yrs £5,620
7 kW 5960 kWh 3576 kWh 2384 kWh £924 £238 £1,162 £16,342 14.1 yrs £6,907
8 kW 6811 kWh 4087 kWh 2725 kWh £1,056 £272 £1,328 £18,376 13.8 yrs £8,193

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: £898, Upfront: £13,673, Break-even: 15.2 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1703 kWh 1192 kWh 511 kWh £308 £51 £359 £7,569 21.1 yrs £-387
3 kW 2554 kWh 1788 kWh 766 kWh £462 £77 £539 £9,604 17.8 yrs £1,169
4 kW 3406 kWh 2384 kWh 1022 kWh £616 £102 £718 £11,638 16.2 yrs £2,726
5 kW 4257 kWh 2980 kWh 1277 kWh £770 £128 £898 £13,673 15.2 yrs £4,282
6 kW 5108 kWh 3576 kWh 1533 kWh £924 £153 £1,077 £15,707 14.6 yrs £5,838
7 kW 5960 kWh 4172 kWh 1788 kWh £1,078 £179 £1,257 £17,742 14.1 yrs £7,395
8 kW 6811 kWh 4768 kWh 2043 kWh £1,232 £204 £1,436 £19,776 13.8 yrs £8,951

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: £918, Upfront: £15,423, Break-even: 16.8 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1703 kWh 1243 kWh 460 kWh £321 £46 £367 £9,319 25.4 yrs £-1,975
3 kW 2554 kWh 1865 kWh 690 kWh £482 £69 £551 £11,354 20.6 yrs £-338
4 kW 3406 kWh 2486 kWh 920 kWh £642 £92 £734 £13,388 18.2 yrs £1,299
5 kW 4257 kWh 3108 kWh 1149 kWh £803 £115 £918 £15,423 16.8 yrs £2,937
6 kW 5108 kWh 3729 kWh 1379 kWh £964 £138 £1,102 £17,457 15.8 yrs £4,574
7 kW 5960 kWh 4351 kWh 1609 kWh £1,124 £161 £1,285 £19,492 15.2 yrs £6,211
8 kW 6811 kWh 4972 kWh 1839 kWh £1,285 £184 £1,469 £21,526 14.7 yrs £7,849

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: £931, Upfront: £17,173, Break-even: 18.4 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1703 kWh 1277 kWh 426 kWh £330 £43 £373 £11,069 29.7 yrs £-3,617
3 kW 2554 kWh 1916 kWh 639 kWh £495 £64 £559 £13,104 23.4 yrs £-1,926
4 kW 3406 kWh 2554 kWh 851 kWh £660 £85 £745 £15,138 20.3 yrs £-235
5 kW 4257 kWh 3193 kWh 1064 kWh £825 £106 £931 £17,173 18.4 yrs £1,456
6 kW 5108 kWh 3831 kWh 1277 kWh £990 £128 £1,118 £19,207 17.2 yrs £3,148
7 kW 5960 kWh 4470 kWh 1490 kWh £1,155 £149 £1,304 £21,242 16.3 yrs £4,839
8 kW 6811 kWh 5108 kWh 1703 kWh £1,320 £170 £1,490 £23,276 15.6 yrs £6,530

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: £945, Upfront: £19,623, Break-even: 20.8 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1703 kWh 1311 kWh 392 kWh £339 £39 £378 £13,519 35.8 yrs £-5,960
3 kW 2554 kWh 1967 kWh 587 kWh £508 £59 £567 £15,554 27.4 yrs £-4,214
4 kW 3406 kWh 2622 kWh 783 kWh £678 £78 £756 £17,588 23.3 yrs £-2,469
5 kW 4257 kWh 3278 kWh 979 kWh £847 £98 £945 £19,623 20.8 yrs £-724
6 kW 5108 kWh 3934 kWh 1175 kWh £1,016 £117 £1,134 £21,657 19.1 yrs £1,021
7 kW 5960 kWh 4589 kWh 1371 kWh £1,186 £137 £1,323 £23,692 17.9 yrs £2,766
8 kW 6811 kWh 5245 kWh 1567 kWh £1,355 £157 £1,512 £25,726 17.0 yrs £4,512

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 EH99

Figures below are tailored to EH99 — click through for full league tables.

Solar Payback Index Rank #2721 of 2997
12.8 years (UK avg 11.3 years)
~£956 /yr • £12,207 upfront
Standing-Charge Drag Rank #1730 of 2997
21.6% (UK avg 21.7%) drag on savings
£206 fixed • ~£956 /yr value

Your Area at a Glance

Your Electricity Rate
25.84p/kWh
Daily Fixed Charge
56.55p/day
Local Sunshine
851kWh/kW
A 1 kW system generates ~851 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

Corstorphine/Murrayfield, City Centre, Leith Walk

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

EH8 (City of Edinburgh)
≈0.2 km away
Local sunshine: ~870 kWh/kWp · +2% vs EH99
EH1 (City of Edinburgh)
≈0.8 km away
Local sunshine: ~878 kWh/kWp · +3% vs EH99
EH7 (City of Edinburgh)
≈1.0 km away
Local sunshine: ~852 kWh/kWp · +0% vs EH99
EH2 (City of Edinburgh)
≈1.5 km away
Local sunshine: ~878 kWh/kWp · +3% vs EH99
EH3 (City of Edinburgh)
≈1.9 km away
Local sunshine: ~892 kWh/kWp · +5% vs EH99
EH9 (City of Edinburgh)
≈2.1 km away
Local sunshine: ~889 kWh/kWp · +4% vs EH99

Similar sunshine across the UK

OL10 (Rochdale)
~851 kWh/kWp · +0% vs EH99
AB44 (Aberdeenshire)
~852 kWh/kWp · +0% vs EH99
SK2 (Stockport)
~851 kWh/kWp · -0% vs EH99