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Solar Panels in G81 (West Dunbartonshire)

See if solar pays off for you in West Dunbartonshire — 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
£819
What you save every year
Profit Over 25 Years
£8,260
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 835 kWh/kW — 15 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 835 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)
835 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: £682, 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 1670 kWh 668 kWh 1002 kWh £173 £100 £273 £4,069 14.9 yrs £1,389
3 kW 2506 kWh 1002 kWh 1503 kWh £259 £150 £409 £6,104 14.9 yrs £2,083
4 kW 3341 kWh 1336 kWh 2005 kWh £345 £200 £546 £8,138 14.9 yrs £2,778
5 kW 4176 kWh 1670 kWh 2506 kWh £432 £251 £682 £10,173 14.9 yrs £3,472
6 kW 5012 kWh 2005 kWh 3007 kWh £518 £301 £819 £12,207 14.9 yrs £4,167
7 kW 5847 kWh 2339 kWh 3508 kWh £604 £351 £955 £14,242 14.9 yrs £4,861
8 kW 6682 kWh 2673 kWh 4009 kWh £691 £401 £1,092 £16,276 14.9 yrs £5,555

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: £815, Upfront: £12,273, Break-even: 15.1 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1670 kWh 1002 kWh 668 kWh £259 £67 £326 £6,169 18.9 yrs £347
3 kW 2506 kWh 1503 kWh 1002 kWh £388 £100 £489 £8,204 16.8 yrs £1,571
4 kW 3341 kWh 2005 kWh 1336 kWh £518 £134 £652 £10,238 15.7 yrs £2,795
5 kW 4176 kWh 2506 kWh 1670 kWh £647 £167 £815 £12,273 15.1 yrs £4,018
6 kW 5012 kWh 3007 kWh 2005 kWh £777 £200 £977 £14,307 14.6 yrs £5,242
7 kW 5847 kWh 3508 kWh 2339 kWh £906 £234 £1,140 £16,342 14.3 yrs £6,465
8 kW 6682 kWh 4009 kWh 2673 kWh £1,036 £267 £1,303 £18,376 14.1 yrs £7,689

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: £881, 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 1670 kWh 1169 kWh 501 kWh £302 £50 £352 £7,569 21.5 yrs £-524
3 kW 2506 kWh 1754 kWh 752 kWh £453 £75 £528 £9,604 18.2 yrs £965
4 kW 3341 kWh 2339 kWh 1002 kWh £604 £100 £705 £11,638 16.5 yrs £2,453
5 kW 4176 kWh 2923 kWh 1253 kWh £755 £125 £881 £13,673 15.5 yrs £3,941
6 kW 5012 kWh 3508 kWh 1503 kWh £906 £150 £1,057 £15,707 14.9 yrs £5,429
7 kW 5847 kWh 4093 kWh 1754 kWh £1,058 £175 £1,233 £17,742 14.4 yrs £6,918
8 kW 6682 kWh 4677 kWh 2005 kWh £1,209 £200 £1,409 £19,776 14.0 yrs £8,406

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: £901, 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 1670 kWh 1219 kWh 451 kWh £315 £45 £360 £9,319 25.9 yrs £-2,115
3 kW 2506 kWh 1829 kWh 677 kWh £473 £68 £540 £11,354 21.0 yrs £-547
4 kW 3341 kWh 2439 kWh 902 kWh £630 £90 £720 £13,388 18.6 yrs £1,020
5 kW 4176 kWh 3049 kWh 1128 kWh £788 £113 £901 £15,423 17.1 yrs £2,588
6 kW 5012 kWh 3658 kWh 1353 kWh £945 £135 £1,081 £17,457 16.2 yrs £4,156
7 kW 5847 kWh 4268 kWh 1579 kWh £1,103 £158 £1,261 £19,492 15.5 yrs £5,723
8 kW 6682 kWh 4878 kWh 1804 kWh £1,260 £180 £1,441 £21,526 14.9 yrs £7,291

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: £914, 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 1670 kWh 1253 kWh 418 kWh £324 £42 £366 £11,069 30.3 yrs £-3,759
3 kW 2506 kWh 1879 kWh 626 kWh £486 £63 £548 £13,104 23.9 yrs £-2,138
4 kW 3341 kWh 2506 kWh 835 kWh £647 £84 £731 £15,138 20.7 yrs £-518
5 kW 4176 kWh 3132 kWh 1044 kWh £809 £104 £914 £17,173 18.8 yrs £1,103
6 kW 5012 kWh 3759 kWh 1253 kWh £971 £125 £1,097 £19,207 17.5 yrs £2,723
7 kW 5847 kWh 4385 kWh 1462 kWh £1,133 £146 £1,279 £21,242 16.6 yrs £4,344
8 kW 6682 kWh 5012 kWh 1670 kWh £1,295 £167 £1,462 £23,276 15.9 yrs £5,964

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: £927, Upfront: £19,623, Break-even: 21.2 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1670 kWh 1286 kWh 384 kWh £332 £38 £371 £13,519 36.5 yrs £-6,103
3 kW 2506 kWh 1929 kWh 576 kWh £499 £58 £556 £15,554 28.0 yrs £-4,430
4 kW 3341 kWh 2573 kWh 768 kWh £665 £77 £742 £17,588 23.7 yrs £-2,756
5 kW 4176 kWh 3216 kWh 961 kWh £831 £96 £927 £19,623 21.2 yrs £-1,083
6 kW 5012 kWh 3859 kWh 1153 kWh £997 £115 £1,112 £21,657 19.5 yrs £591
7 kW 5847 kWh 4502 kWh 1345 kWh £1,163 £134 £1,298 £23,692 18.3 yrs £2,264
8 kW 6682 kWh 5145 kWh 1537 kWh £1,330 £154 £1,483 £25,726 17.3 yrs £3,938

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 G81

Figures below are tailored to G81 — click through for full league tables.

Solar Payback Index Rank #2806 of 2997
13.0 years (UK avg 11.3 years)
~£938 /yr • £12,207 upfront
Standing-Charge Drag Rank #1835 of 2997
22.0% (UK avg 21.7%) drag on savings
£206 fixed • ~£938 /yr value

Your Area at a Glance

Your Electricity Rate
25.84p/kWh
Daily Fixed Charge
56.55p/day
Local Sunshine
835kWh/kW
A 1 kW system generates ~835 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 Dunbartonshire (100%)

Areas Covered

Clydebank Central, Clydebank Waterfront, Kilpatrick, Bearsden North

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

G15 (Glasgow City)
≈2.4 km away
Local sunshine: ~834 kWh/kWp · -0% vs G81
G60 (West Dunbartonshire)
≈3.0 km away
Local sunshine: ~847 kWh/kWp · +1% vs G81
PA8 (Renfrewshire)
≈3.3 km away
Local sunshine: ~846 kWh/kWp · +1% vs G81
PA4 (Renfrewshire)
≈4.0 km away
Local sunshine: ~835 kWh/kWp · -0% vs G81
G13 (Glasgow City)
≈4.1 km away
Local sunshine: ~830 kWh/kWp · -1% vs G81
G14 (Glasgow City)
≈4.9 km away
Local sunshine: ~830 kWh/kWp · -1% vs G81

Similar sunshine across the UK

BT74 (Fermanagh and Omagh)
~835 kWh/kWp · +0% vs G81
BB4 (Rossendale)
~836 kWh/kWp · +0% vs G81
BT94 (Fermanagh and Omagh)
~835 kWh/kWp · -0% vs G81