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Solar Panels in G84 (Argyll and Bute)

See if solar pays off for you in Argyll and Bute — price, savings and payback in under a minute (official UK data).

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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
16.3 years
After this, it's pure profit
Upfront Cost
£12,207
What you pay to get started
Annual Benefit
£751
What you save every year
Profit Over 25 Years
£6,572
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 766 kWh/kW — 83 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 766 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)
766 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: £626, Upfront: £10,173, Break-even: 16.3 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1533 kWh 613 kWh 920 kWh £158 £92 £250 £4,069 16.3 yrs £939
3 kW 2299 kWh 920 kWh 1379 kWh £238 £138 £376 £6,104 16.3 yrs £1,408
4 kW 3065 kWh 1226 kWh 1839 kWh £317 £184 £501 £8,138 16.3 yrs £1,877
5 kW 3832 kWh 1533 kWh 2299 kWh £396 £230 £626 £10,173 16.3 yrs £2,347
6 kW 4598 kWh 1839 kWh 2759 kWh £475 £276 £751 £12,207 16.3 yrs £2,816
7 kW 5365 kWh 2146 kWh 3219 kWh £554 £322 £876 £14,242 16.3 yrs £3,286
8 kW 6131 kWh 2452 kWh 3679 kWh £634 £368 £1,002 £16,276 16.3 yrs £3,755

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: £747, Upfront: £12,273, Break-even: 16.4 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1533 kWh 920 kWh 613 kWh £238 £61 £299 £6,169 20.6 yrs £-190
3 kW 2299 kWh 1379 kWh 920 kWh £356 £92 £448 £8,204 18.3 yrs £765
4 kW 3065 kWh 1839 kWh 1226 kWh £475 £123 £598 £10,238 17.1 yrs £1,720
5 kW 3832 kWh 2299 kWh 1533 kWh £594 £153 £747 £12,273 16.4 yrs £2,675
6 kW 4598 kWh 2759 kWh 1839 kWh £713 £184 £897 £14,307 16.0 yrs £3,630
7 kW 5365 kWh 3219 kWh 2146 kWh £832 £215 £1,046 £16,342 15.6 yrs £4,585
8 kW 6131 kWh 3679 kWh 2452 kWh £951 £245 £1,196 £18,376 15.4 yrs £5,540

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: £808, Upfront: £13,673, Break-even: 16.9 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1533 kWh 1073 kWh 460 kWh £277 £46 £323 £7,569 23.4 yrs £-1,105
3 kW 2299 kWh 1609 kWh 690 kWh £416 £69 £485 £9,604 19.8 yrs £93
4 kW 3065 kWh 2146 kWh 920 kWh £554 £92 £646 £11,638 18.0 yrs £1,291
5 kW 3832 kWh 2682 kWh 1150 kWh £693 £115 £808 £13,673 16.9 yrs £2,489
6 kW 4598 kWh 3219 kWh 1379 kWh £832 £138 £970 £15,707 16.2 yrs £3,686
7 kW 5365 kWh 3755 kWh 1609 kWh £970 £161 £1,131 £17,742 15.7 yrs £4,884
8 kW 6131 kWh 4292 kWh 1839 kWh £1,109 £184 £1,293 £19,776 15.3 yrs £6,082

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: £826, Upfront: £15,423, Break-even: 18.7 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1533 kWh 1119 kWh 414 kWh £289 £41 £331 £9,319 28.2 yrs £-2,709
3 kW 2299 kWh 1678 kWh 621 kWh £434 £62 £496 £11,354 22.9 yrs £-1,438
4 kW 3065 kWh 2238 kWh 828 kWh £578 £83 £661 £13,388 20.3 yrs £-168
5 kW 3832 kWh 2797 kWh 1035 kWh £723 £103 £826 £15,423 18.7 yrs £1,103
6 kW 4598 kWh 3357 kWh 1242 kWh £867 £124 £992 £17,457 17.6 yrs £2,373
7 kW 5365 kWh 3916 kWh 1448 kWh £1,012 £145 £1,157 £19,492 16.8 yrs £3,644
8 kW 6131 kWh 4476 kWh 1655 kWh £1,156 £166 £1,322 £21,526 16.3 yrs £4,915

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: £838, Upfront: £17,173, Break-even: 20.5 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1533 kWh 1150 kWh 383 kWh £297 £38 £335 £11,069 33.0 yrs £-4,362
3 kW 2299 kWh 1724 kWh 575 kWh £446 £57 £503 £13,104 26.0 yrs £-3,043
4 kW 3065 kWh 2299 kWh 766 kWh £594 £77 £671 £15,138 22.6 yrs £-1,723
5 kW 3832 kWh 2874 kWh 958 kWh £743 £96 £838 £17,173 20.5 yrs £-404
6 kW 4598 kWh 3449 kWh 1150 kWh £891 £115 £1,006 £19,207 19.1 yrs £915
7 kW 5365 kWh 4023 kWh 1341 kWh £1,040 £134 £1,174 £21,242 18.1 yrs £2,234
8 kW 6131 kWh 4598 kWh 1533 kWh £1,188 £153 £1,341 £23,276 17.4 yrs £3,553

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: £851, Upfront: £19,623, Break-even: 23.1 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1533 kWh 1180 kWh 353 kWh £305 £35 £340 £13,519 39.7 yrs £-6,715
3 kW 2299 kWh 1770 kWh 529 kWh £457 £53 £510 £15,554 30.5 yrs £-5,347
4 kW 3065 kWh 2360 kWh 705 kWh £610 £71 £680 £17,588 25.8 yrs £-3,979
5 kW 3832 kWh 2951 kWh 881 kWh £762 £88 £851 £19,623 23.1 yrs £-2,612
6 kW 4598 kWh 3541 kWh 1058 kWh £915 £106 £1,021 £21,657 21.2 yrs £-1,244
7 kW 5365 kWh 4131 kWh 1234 kWh £1,067 £123 £1,191 £23,692 19.9 yrs £124
8 kW 6131 kWh 4721 kWh 1410 kWh £1,220 £141 £1,361 £25,726 18.9 yrs £1,491

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 G84

Figures below are tailored to G84 — click through for full league tables.

Solar Payback Index Rank #2955 of 2997
14.2 years (UK avg 11.3 years)
~£860 /yr • £12,207 upfront
Standing-Charge Drag Rank #2132 of 2997
24.0% (UK avg 21.7%) drag on savings
£206 fixed • ~£860 /yr value

Your Area at a Glance

Your Electricity Rate
25.84p/kWh
Daily Fixed Charge
56.55p/day
Local Sunshine
766kWh/kW
A 1 kW system generates ~766 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

Argyll and Bute (100%)

Areas Covered

Helensburgh Central, Lomond North, Helensburgh and Lomond South

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

PA15 (Inverclyde)
≈7.2 km away
Local sunshine: ~835 kWh/kWp · +9% vs G84
PA16 (Inverclyde)
≈7.8 km away
Local sunshine: ~808 kWh/kWp · +5% vs G84
PA19 (Inverclyde)
≈8.0 km away
Local sunshine: ~756 kWh/kWp · -1% vs G84
PA14 (Inverclyde)
≈9.7 km away
Local sunshine: ~772 kWh/kWp · +1% vs G84
G83 (West Dunbartonshire)
≈10.0 km away
Local sunshine: ~827 kWh/kWp · +8% vs G84
G82 (West Dunbartonshire)
≈12.4 km away
Local sunshine: ~836 kWh/kWp · +9% vs G84

Similar sunshine across the UK

IV47 (Highland)
~766 kWh/kWp · -0% vs G84
PH24 (Highland)
~766 kWh/kWp · +0% vs G84
PA22 (Argyll and Bute)
~766 kWh/kWp · +0% vs G84