Solar explained to clever people by people who are not trying to be clever

Solar Panels in FK18 (Stirling)

See if solar pays off for you in Stirling — 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
16.0 years
After this, it's pure profit
Upfront Cost
£10,173
What you pay to get started
Annual Benefit
£634
What you save every year
Profit Over 25 Years
£5,673
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

Read the full story

A typical roof here lands around 5.0 kW, with most eligible homes comfortably fitting within 3–6 kW. Each kilowatt of panels produces roughly 753 kWh per year on a south-facing roof. We value self-used electricity at 27.1p and exported surplus at a baseline 10p via SEG. Use the calculator above for your exact tariff.

Unit rate
27.1p/kWh
Standing charge
61.0p/day
Sunshine yield (south)
753 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: £634, Upfront: £10,173, Break-even: 16.0 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1507 kWh 603 kWh 904 kWh £163 £90 £254 £4,069 16.0 yrs £1,002
3 kW 2260 kWh 904 kWh 1356 kWh £245 £136 £380 £6,104 16.0 yrs £1,502
4 kW 3014 kWh 1206 kWh 1808 kWh £326 £181 £507 £8,138 16.0 yrs £2,003
5 kW 3767 kWh 1507 kWh 2260 kWh £408 £226 £634 £10,173 16.0 yrs £2,504
6 kW 4521 kWh 1808 kWh 2713 kWh £489 £271 £761 £12,207 16.0 yrs £3,005
7 kW 5274 kWh 2110 kWh 3165 kWh £571 £316 £887 £14,242 16.0 yrs £3,506
8 kW 6028 kWh 2411 kWh 3617 kWh £652 £362 £1,014 £16,276 16.0 yrs £4,007

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: £762, Upfront: £12,273, Break-even: 16.1 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1507 kWh 904 kWh 603 kWh £245 £60 £305 £6,169 20.2 yrs £-70
3 kW 2260 kWh 1356 kWh 904 kWh £367 £90 £457 £8,204 17.9 yrs £945
4 kW 3014 kWh 1808 kWh 1206 kWh £489 £121 £610 £10,238 16.8 yrs £1,960
5 kW 3767 kWh 2260 kWh 1507 kWh £612 £151 £762 £12,273 16.1 yrs £2,975
6 kW 4521 kWh 2713 kWh 1808 kWh £734 £181 £915 £14,307 15.6 yrs £3,990
7 kW 5274 kWh 3165 kWh 2110 kWh £856 £211 £1,067 £16,342 15.3 yrs £5,005
8 kW 6028 kWh 3617 kWh 2411 kWh £979 £241 £1,220 £18,376 15.1 yrs £6,020

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: £827, Upfront: £13,673, Break-even: 16.5 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1507 kWh 1055 kWh 452 kWh £285 £45 £331 £7,569 22.9 yrs £-956
3 kW 2260 kWh 1582 kWh 678 kWh £428 £68 £496 £9,604 19.4 yrs £316
4 kW 3014 kWh 2110 kWh 904 kWh £571 £90 £661 £11,638 17.6 yrs £1,588
5 kW 3767 kWh 2637 kWh 1130 kWh £714 £113 £827 £13,673 16.5 yrs £2,861
6 kW 4521 kWh 3165 kWh 1356 kWh £856 £136 £992 £15,707 15.8 yrs £4,133
7 kW 5274 kWh 3692 kWh 1582 kWh £999 £158 £1,157 £17,742 15.3 yrs £5,405
8 kW 6028 kWh 4220 kWh 1808 kWh £1,142 £181 £1,323 £19,776 15.0 yrs £6,677

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: £846, Upfront: £15,423, 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 1507 kWh 1100 kWh 407 kWh £298 £41 £338 £9,319 27.5 yrs £-2,552
3 kW 2260 kWh 1650 kWh 610 kWh £447 £61 £508 £11,354 22.4 yrs £-1,202
4 kW 3014 kWh 2200 kWh 814 kWh £595 £81 £677 £13,388 19.8 yrs £147
5 kW 3767 kWh 2750 kWh 1017 kWh £744 £102 £846 £15,423 18.2 yrs £1,496
6 kW 4521 kWh 3300 kWh 1221 kWh £893 £122 £1,015 £17,457 17.2 yrs £2,845
7 kW 5274 kWh 3850 kWh 1424 kWh £1,042 £142 £1,184 £19,492 16.5 yrs £4,195
8 kW 6028 kWh 4400 kWh 1628 kWh £1,191 £163 £1,353 £21,526 15.9 yrs £5,544

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: £859, Upfront: £17,173, Break-even: 20.0 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1507 kWh 1130 kWh 377 kWh £306 £38 £344 £11,069 32.2 yrs £-4,199
3 kW 2260 kWh 1695 kWh 565 kWh £459 £57 £515 £13,104 25.4 yrs £-2,798
4 kW 3014 kWh 2260 kWh 753 kWh £612 £75 £687 £15,138 22.0 yrs £-1,397
5 kW 3767 kWh 2826 kWh 942 kWh £765 £94 £859 £17,173 20.0 yrs £3
6 kW 4521 kWh 3391 kWh 1130 kWh £918 £113 £1,031 £19,207 18.6 yrs £1,404
7 kW 5274 kWh 3956 kWh 1319 kWh £1,070 £132 £1,202 £21,242 17.7 yrs £2,805
8 kW 6028 kWh 4521 kWh 1507 kWh £1,223 £151 £1,374 £23,276 16.9 yrs £4,205

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: £872, Upfront: £19,623, Break-even: 22.5 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1507 kWh 1160 kWh 347 kWh £314 £35 £349 £13,519 38.8 yrs £-6,546
3 kW 2260 kWh 1741 kWh 520 kWh £471 £52 £523 £15,554 29.7 yrs £-5,094
4 kW 3014 kWh 2321 kWh 693 kWh £628 £69 £697 £17,588 25.2 yrs £-3,642
5 kW 3767 kWh 2901 kWh 867 kWh £785 £87 £872 £19,623 22.5 yrs £-2,190
6 kW 4521 kWh 3481 kWh 1040 kWh £942 £104 £1,046 £21,657 20.7 yrs £-738
7 kW 5274 kWh 4061 kWh 1213 kWh £1,099 £121 £1,220 £23,692 19.4 yrs £714
8 kW 6028 kWh 4641 kWh 1386 kWh £1,256 £139 £1,395 £25,726 18.4 yrs £2,167

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.

Your Area at a Glance

Your Electricity Rate
27.06p/kWh
Daily Fixed Charge
61.00p/day
Local Sunshine
753kWh/kW
A 1 kW system generates ~753 kWh per year. A typical home uses ~2,700 kWh per year.
Typical System Size
5.0kW
For houses & bungalows in this area

Local Property Data

Property Types

No EPC data available for this outcode

Coverage

Stirling (100%)

Areas Covered

Trossachs and Teith

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.