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Solar Panels in IV13 (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
15.0 years
After this, it's pure profit
Upfront Cost
£10,173
What you pay to get started
Annual Benefit
£677
What you save every year
Profit Over 25 Years
£6,762
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 805 kWh/kW — 10 below 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 805 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)
805 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: £677, Upfront: £10,173, Break-even: 15.0 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1611 kWh 644 kWh 966 kWh £174 £97 £271 £4,069 15.0 yrs £1,350
3 kW 2416 kWh 966 kWh 1450 kWh £261 £145 £406 £6,104 15.0 yrs £2,025
4 kW 3221 kWh 1288 kWh 1933 kWh £349 £193 £542 £8,138 15.0 yrs £2,700
5 kW 4026 kWh 1611 kWh 2416 kWh £436 £242 £677 £10,173 15.0 yrs £3,375
6 kW 4832 kWh 1933 kWh 2899 kWh £523 £290 £813 £12,207 15.0 yrs £4,051
7 kW 5637 kWh 2255 kWh 3382 kWh £610 £338 £948 £14,242 15.0 yrs £4,726
8 kW 6442 kWh 2577 kWh 3865 kWh £697 £387 £1,084 £16,276 15.0 yrs £5,401

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 1611 kWh 966 kWh 644 kWh £261 £64 £326 £6,169 18.9 yrs £349
3 kW 2416 kWh 1450 kWh 966 kWh £392 £97 £489 £8,204 16.8 yrs £1,574
4 kW 3221 kWh 1933 kWh 1288 kWh £523 £129 £652 £10,238 15.7 yrs £2,798
5 kW 4026 kWh 2416 kWh 1611 kWh £654 £161 £815 £12,273 15.1 yrs £4,023
6 kW 4832 kWh 2899 kWh 1933 kWh £784 £193 £978 £14,307 14.6 yrs £5,248
7 kW 5637 kWh 3382 kWh 2255 kWh £915 £225 £1,141 £16,342 14.3 yrs £6,472
8 kW 6442 kWh 3865 kWh 2577 kWh £1,046 £258 £1,304 £18,376 14.1 yrs £7,697

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: £883, 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 1611 kWh 1127 kWh 483 kWh £305 £48 £353 £7,569 21.4 yrs £-501
3 kW 2416 kWh 1691 kWh 725 kWh £458 £72 £530 £9,604 18.1 yrs £998
4 kW 3221 kWh 2255 kWh 966 kWh £610 £97 £707 £11,638 16.5 yrs £2,498
5 kW 4026 kWh 2818 kWh 1208 kWh £763 £121 £883 £13,673 15.5 yrs £3,997
6 kW 4832 kWh 3382 kWh 1450 kWh £915 £145 £1,060 £15,707 14.8 yrs £5,496
7 kW 5637 kWh 3946 kWh 1691 kWh £1,068 £169 £1,237 £17,742 14.3 yrs £6,996
8 kW 6442 kWh 4510 kWh 1933 kWh £1,220 £193 £1,414 £19,776 14.0 yrs £8,495

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: £904, 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 1611 kWh 1176 kWh 435 kWh £318 £43 £362 £9,319 25.8 yrs £-2,086
3 kW 2416 kWh 1764 kWh 652 kWh £477 £65 £542 £11,354 20.9 yrs £-505
4 kW 3221 kWh 2351 kWh 870 kWh £636 £87 £723 £13,388 18.5 yrs £1,077
5 kW 4026 kWh 2939 kWh 1087 kWh £795 £109 £904 £15,423 17.1 yrs £2,659
6 kW 4832 kWh 3527 kWh 1305 kWh £954 £130 £1,085 £17,457 16.1 yrs £4,241
7 kW 5637 kWh 4115 kWh 1522 kWh £1,114 £152 £1,266 £19,492 15.4 yrs £5,823
8 kW 6442 kWh 4703 kWh 1739 kWh £1,273 £174 £1,447 £21,526 14.9 yrs £7,404

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: £918, Upfront: £17,173, 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 1611 kWh 1208 kWh 403 kWh £327 £40 £367 £11,069 30.2 yrs £-3,726
3 kW 2416 kWh 1812 kWh 604 kWh £490 £60 £551 £13,104 23.8 yrs £-2,090
4 kW 3221 kWh 2416 kWh 805 kWh £654 £81 £734 £15,138 20.6 yrs £-453
5 kW 4026 kWh 3020 kWh 1007 kWh £817 £101 £918 £17,173 18.7 yrs £1,184
6 kW 4832 kWh 3624 kWh 1208 kWh £981 £121 £1,101 £19,207 17.4 yrs £2,821
7 kW 5637 kWh 4228 kWh 1409 kWh £1,144 £141 £1,285 £21,242 16.5 yrs £4,457
8 kW 6442 kWh 4832 kWh 1611 kWh £1,307 £161 £1,469 £23,276 15.9 yrs £6,094

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: £932, Upfront: £19,623, Break-even: 21.1 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1611 kWh 1240 kWh 370 kWh £336 £37 £373 £13,519 36.3 yrs £-6,067
3 kW 2416 kWh 1860 kWh 556 kWh £503 £56 £559 £15,554 27.8 yrs £-4,375
4 kW 3221 kWh 2480 kWh 741 kWh £671 £74 £745 £17,588 23.6 yrs £-2,683
5 kW 4026 kWh 3100 kWh 926 kWh £839 £93 £932 £19,623 21.1 yrs £-991
6 kW 4832 kWh 3720 kWh 1111 kWh £1,007 £111 £1,118 £21,657 19.4 yrs £700
7 kW 5637 kWh 4340 kWh 1297 kWh £1,175 £130 £1,304 £23,692 18.2 yrs £2,392
8 kW 6442 kWh 4961 kWh 1482 kWh £1,342 £148 £1,490 £25,726 17.3 yrs £4,084

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 IV13

Figures below are tailored to IV13 — click through for full league tables.

Solar Payback Index Rank #2810 of 2997
13.0 years (UK avg 11.3 years)
~£624 /yr • £8,138 upfront
Standing-Charge Drag Rank #2885 of 2997
35.7% (UK avg 21.7%) drag on savings
£223 fixed • ~£624 /yr value

Your Area at a Glance

Your Electricity Rate
27.06p/kWh
Daily Fixed Charge
61.00p/day
Local Sunshine
805kWh/kW
A 1 kW system generates ~805 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

Inverness South, Inverness Central

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

PH23 (Highland)
≈13.4 km away
Local sunshine: ~781 kWh/kWp · -3% vs IV13
PH24 (Highland)
≈18.2 km away
Local sunshine: ~766 kWh/kWp · -5% vs IV13
IV2 (Highland)
≈19.0 km away
Local sunshine: ~736 kWh/kWp · -9% vs IV13
PH22 (Highland)
≈19.2 km away
Local sunshine: ~774 kWh/kWp · -4% vs IV13
IV1 (Highland)
≈20.4 km away
Local sunshine: ~789 kWh/kWp · -2% vs IV13
IV99 (Highland)
≈20.5 km away
Local sunshine: ~789 kWh/kWp · -2% vs IV13

Similar sunshine across the UK

LL40 (Gwynedd)
~805 kWh/kWp · +0% vs IV13
BT47 (Derry City and Strabane)
~806 kWh/kWp · +0% vs IV13
CA9 (Westmorland and Furness)
~803 kWh/kWp · -0% vs IV13