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Solar Panels in IV12 (Highland)

See if solar pays off for you in Highland — 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
14.5 years
After this, it's pure profit
Upfront Cost
£10,173
What you pay to get started
Annual Benefit
£702
What you save every year
Profit Over 25 Years
£7,365
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 Northern Scotland, the current unit rate is 27.06p/kWh with a 61.00p/day standing charge. Your postcode’s south-facing sunshine yield is 834 kWh/kW — 19 above the regional median (815).

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 834 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)
834 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: £702, Upfront: £10,173, Break-even: 14.5 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1668 kWh 667 kWh 1001 kWh £181 £100 £281 £4,069 14.5 yrs £1,543
3 kW 2502 kWh 1001 kWh 1501 kWh £271 £150 £421 £6,104 14.5 yrs £2,314
4 kW 3336 kWh 1334 kWh 2001 kWh £361 £200 £561 £8,138 14.5 yrs £3,086
5 kW 4170 kWh 1668 kWh 2502 kWh £451 £250 £702 £10,173 14.5 yrs £3,857
6 kW 5004 kWh 2001 kWh 3002 kWh £542 £300 £842 £12,207 14.5 yrs £4,629
7 kW 5838 kWh 2335 kWh 3503 kWh £632 £350 £982 £14,242 14.5 yrs £5,400
8 kW 6671 kWh 2669 kWh 4003 kWh £722 £400 £1,122 £16,276 14.5 yrs £6,172

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: £844, Upfront: £12,273, Break-even: 14.5 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1668 kWh 1001 kWh 667 kWh £271 £67 £338 £6,169 18.3 yrs £581
3 kW 2502 kWh 1501 kWh 1001 kWh £406 £100 £506 £8,204 16.2 yrs £1,922
4 kW 3336 kWh 2001 kWh 1334 kWh £542 £133 £675 £10,238 15.2 yrs £3,262
5 kW 4170 kWh 2502 kWh 1668 kWh £677 £167 £844 £12,273 14.5 yrs £4,603
6 kW 5004 kWh 3002 kWh 2001 kWh £812 £200 £1,013 £14,307 14.1 yrs £5,943
7 kW 5838 kWh 3503 kWh 2335 kWh £948 £234 £1,181 £16,342 13.8 yrs £7,284
8 kW 6671 kWh 4003 kWh 2669 kWh £1,083 £267 £1,350 £18,376 13.6 yrs £8,625

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: £915, Upfront: £13,673, 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 1668 kWh 1168 kWh 500 kWh £316 £50 £366 £7,569 20.7 yrs £-250
3 kW 2502 kWh 1751 kWh 751 kWh £474 £75 £549 £9,604 17.5 yrs £1,375
4 kW 3336 kWh 2335 kWh 1001 kWh £632 £100 £732 £11,638 15.9 yrs £3,000
5 kW 4170 kWh 2919 kWh 1251 kWh £790 £125 £915 £13,673 14.9 yrs £4,626
6 kW 5004 kWh 3503 kWh 1501 kWh £948 £150 £1,098 £15,707 14.3 yrs £6,251
7 kW 5838 kWh 4086 kWh 1751 kWh £1,106 £175 £1,281 £17,742 13.9 yrs £7,876
8 kW 6671 kWh 4670 kWh 2001 kWh £1,264 £200 £1,464 £19,776 13.5 yrs £9,501

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: £936, Upfront: £15,423, 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 1668 kWh 1218 kWh 450 kWh £329 £45 £374 £9,319 24.9 yrs £-1,829
3 kW 2502 kWh 1826 kWh 675 kWh £494 £68 £562 £11,354 20.2 yrs £-119
4 kW 3336 kWh 2435 kWh 901 kWh £659 £90 £749 £13,388 17.9 yrs £1,592
5 kW 4170 kWh 3044 kWh 1126 kWh £824 £113 £936 £15,423 16.5 yrs £3,302
6 kW 5004 kWh 3653 kWh 1351 kWh £988 £135 £1,123 £17,457 15.5 yrs £5,013
7 kW 5838 kWh 4261 kWh 1576 kWh £1,153 £158 £1,311 £19,492 14.9 yrs £6,723
8 kW 6671 kWh 4870 kWh 1801 kWh £1,318 £180 £1,498 £21,526 14.4 yrs £8,434

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: £950, Upfront: £17,173, Break-even: 18.1 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1668 kWh 1251 kWh 417 kWh £338 £42 £380 £11,069 29.1 yrs £-3,465
3 kW 2502 kWh 1876 kWh 625 kWh £508 £63 £570 £13,104 23.0 yrs £-1,698
4 kW 3336 kWh 2502 kWh 834 kWh £677 £83 £760 £15,138 19.9 yrs £70
5 kW 4170 kWh 3127 kWh 1042 kWh £846 £104 £950 £17,173 18.1 yrs £1,837
6 kW 5004 kWh 3753 kWh 1251 kWh £1,015 £125 £1,141 £19,207 16.8 yrs £3,604
7 kW 5838 kWh 4378 kWh 1459 kWh £1,185 £146 £1,331 £21,242 16.0 yrs £5,372
8 kW 6671 kWh 5004 kWh 1668 kWh £1,354 £167 £1,521 £23,276 15.3 yrs £7,139

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: £965, Upfront: £19,623, Break-even: 20.3 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1668 kWh 1284 kWh 384 kWh £348 £38 £386 £13,519 35.0 yrs £-5,801
3 kW 2502 kWh 1926 kWh 575 kWh £521 £58 £579 £15,554 26.9 yrs £-3,977
4 kW 3336 kWh 2569 kWh 767 kWh £695 £77 £772 £17,588 22.8 yrs £-2,153
5 kW 4170 kWh 3211 kWh 959 kWh £869 £96 £965 £19,623 20.3 yrs £-329
6 kW 5004 kWh 3853 kWh 1151 kWh £1,043 £115 £1,158 £21,657 18.7 yrs £1,496
7 kW 5838 kWh 4495 kWh 1343 kWh £1,216 £134 £1,351 £23,692 17.5 yrs £3,320
8 kW 6671 kWh 5137 kWh 1534 kWh £1,390 £153 £1,544 £25,726 16.7 yrs £5,144

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 IV12

Figures below are tailored to IV12 — click through for full league tables.

Solar Payback Index Rank #2673 of 2997
12.6 years (UK avg 11.3 years)
~£647 /yr • £8,138 upfront
Standing-Charge Drag Rank #2811 of 2997
34.4% (UK avg 21.7%) drag on savings
£223 fixed • ~£647 /yr value

Your Area at a Glance

Your Electricity Rate
27.06p/kWh
Daily Fixed Charge
61.00p/day
Local Sunshine
834kWh/kW
A 1 kW system generates ~834 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

Highland (100%)

Areas Covered

Nairn and Cawdor

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 Northern Scotland

IV11 (Highland)
≈14.7 km away
Local sunshine: ~801 kWh/kWp · -4% vs IV12
IV10 (Highland)
≈15.4 km away
Local sunshine: ~815 kWh/kWp · -2% vs IV12
IV36 (Moray)
≈15.5 km away
Local sunshine: ~821 kWh/kWp · -2% vs IV12
IV9 (Highland)
≈18.2 km away
Local sunshine: ~810 kWh/kWp · -3% vs IV12
IV18 (Highland)
≈21.6 km away
Local sunshine: ~829 kWh/kWp · -1% vs IV12
IV20 (Highland)
≈21.8 km away
Local sunshine: ~814 kWh/kWp · -2% vs IV12

Similar sunshine across the UK

G40 (Glasgow City)
~834 kWh/kWp · +0% vs IV12
G15 (Glasgow City)
~834 kWh/kWp · -0% vs IV12
G31 (Glasgow City)
~834 kWh/kWp · +0% vs IV12