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Solar Panels in IV18 (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
14.6 years
After this, it's pure profit
Upfront Cost
£10,173
What you pay to get started
Annual Benefit
£698
What you save every year
Profit Over 25 Years
£7,268
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 829 kWh/kW — 14 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 829 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)
829 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: £698, Upfront: £10,173, Break-even: 14.6 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1659 kWh 663 kWh 995 kWh £180 £100 £279 £4,069 14.6 yrs £1,512
3 kW 2488 kWh 995 kWh 1493 kWh £269 £149 £419 £6,104 14.6 yrs £2,268
4 kW 3317 kWh 1327 kWh 1990 kWh £359 £199 £558 £8,138 14.6 yrs £3,024
5 kW 4146 kWh 1659 kWh 2488 kWh £449 £249 £698 £10,173 14.6 yrs £3,780
6 kW 4976 kWh 1990 kWh 2985 kWh £539 £299 £837 £12,207 14.6 yrs £4,536
7 kW 5805 kWh 2322 kWh 3483 kWh £628 £348 £977 £14,242 14.6 yrs £5,291
8 kW 6634 kWh 2654 kWh 3981 kWh £718 £398 £1,116 £16,276 14.6 yrs £6,047

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: £839, Upfront: £12,273, Break-even: 14.6 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1659 kWh 995 kWh 663 kWh £269 £66 £336 £6,169 18.4 yrs £544
3 kW 2488 kWh 1493 kWh 995 kWh £404 £100 £503 £8,204 16.3 yrs £1,865
4 kW 3317 kWh 1990 kWh 1327 kWh £539 £133 £671 £10,238 15.3 yrs £3,187
5 kW 4146 kWh 2488 kWh 1659 kWh £673 £166 £839 £12,273 14.6 yrs £4,509
6 kW 4976 kWh 2985 kWh 1990 kWh £808 £199 £1,007 £14,307 14.2 yrs £5,831
7 kW 5805 kWh 3483 kWh 2322 kWh £943 £232 £1,175 £16,342 13.9 yrs £7,153
8 kW 6634 kWh 3981 kWh 2654 kWh £1,077 £265 £1,343 £18,376 13.7 yrs £8,475

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: £910, Upfront: £13,673, 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 1659 kWh 1161 kWh 498 kWh £314 £50 £364 £7,569 20.8 yrs £-290
3 kW 2488 kWh 1742 kWh 746 kWh £471 £75 £546 £9,604 17.6 yrs £1,314
4 kW 3317 kWh 2322 kWh 995 kWh £628 £100 £728 £11,638 16.0 yrs £2,919
5 kW 4146 kWh 2903 kWh 1244 kWh £785 £124 £910 £13,673 15.0 yrs £4,524
6 kW 4976 kWh 3483 kWh 1493 kWh £943 £149 £1,092 £15,707 14.4 yrs £6,129
7 kW 5805 kWh 4064 kWh 1742 kWh £1,100 £174 £1,274 £17,742 13.9 yrs £7,734
8 kW 6634 kWh 4644 kWh 1990 kWh £1,257 £199 £1,456 £19,776 13.6 yrs £9,338

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: £931, Upfront: £15,423, Break-even: 16.6 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1659 kWh 1211 kWh 448 kWh £328 £45 £372 £9,319 25.0 yrs £-1,871
3 kW 2488 kWh 1816 kWh 672 kWh £491 £67 £559 £11,354 20.3 yrs £-181
4 kW 3317 kWh 2422 kWh 896 kWh £655 £90 £745 £13,388 18.0 yrs £1,509
5 kW 4146 kWh 3027 kWh 1120 kWh £819 £112 £931 £15,423 16.6 yrs £3,198
6 kW 4976 kWh 3632 kWh 1343 kWh £983 £134 £1,117 £17,457 15.6 yrs £4,888
7 kW 5805 kWh 4238 kWh 1567 kWh £1,147 £157 £1,303 £19,492 15.0 yrs £6,578
8 kW 6634 kWh 4843 kWh 1791 kWh £1,311 £179 £1,490 £21,526 14.5 yrs £8,267

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: £945, Upfront: £17,173, 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 1659 kWh 1244 kWh 415 kWh £337 £41 £378 £11,069 29.3 yrs £-3,507
3 kW 2488 kWh 1866 kWh 622 kWh £505 £62 £567 £13,104 23.1 yrs £-1,761
4 kW 3317 kWh 2488 kWh 829 kWh £673 £83 £756 £15,138 20.0 yrs £-15
5 kW 4146 kWh 3110 kWh 1037 kWh £842 £104 £945 £17,173 18.2 yrs £1,731
6 kW 4976 kWh 3732 kWh 1244 kWh £1,010 £124 £1,134 £19,207 16.9 yrs £3,478
7 kW 5805 kWh 4354 kWh 1451 kWh £1,178 £145 £1,323 £21,242 16.1 yrs £5,224
8 kW 6634 kWh 4976 kWh 1659 kWh £1,346 £166 £1,512 £23,276 15.4 yrs £6,970

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: £959, Upfront: £19,623, 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 1659 kWh 1277 kWh 381 kWh £346 £38 £384 £13,519 35.2 yrs £-5,844
3 kW 2488 kWh 1916 kWh 572 kWh £518 £57 £576 £15,554 27.0 yrs £-4,041
4 kW 3317 kWh 2554 kWh 763 kWh £691 £76 £767 £17,588 22.9 yrs £-2,239
5 kW 4146 kWh 3193 kWh 954 kWh £864 £95 £959 £19,623 20.5 yrs £-436
6 kW 4976 kWh 3831 kWh 1144 kWh £1,037 £114 £1,151 £21,657 18.8 yrs £1,367
7 kW 5805 kWh 4470 kWh 1335 kWh £1,210 £134 £1,343 £23,692 17.6 yrs £3,170
8 kW 6634 kWh 5108 kWh 1526 kWh £1,382 £153 £1,535 £25,726 16.8 yrs £4,973

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 IV18

Figures below are tailored to IV18 — click through for full league tables.

Solar Payback Index Rank #2702 of 2997
12.7 years (UK avg 11.3 years)
~£643 /yr • £8,138 upfront
Standing-Charge Drag Rank #2830 of 2997
34.6% (UK avg 21.7%) drag on savings
£223 fixed • ~£643 /yr value

Your Area at a Glance

Your Electricity Rate
27.06p/kWh
Daily Fixed Charge
61.00p/day
Local Sunshine
829kWh/kW
A 1 kW system generates ~829 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

Cromarty Firth, Tain and Easter Ross

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

IV17 (Highland)
≈5.2 km away
Local sunshine: ~839 kWh/kWp · +1% vs IV18
IV11 (Highland)
≈8.0 km away
Local sunshine: ~801 kWh/kWp · -3% vs IV18
IV16 (Highland)
≈10.7 km away
Local sunshine: ~836 kWh/kWp · +1% vs IV18
IV10 (Highland)
≈12.5 km away
Local sunshine: ~815 kWh/kWp · -2% vs IV18
IV9 (Highland)
≈13.9 km away
Local sunshine: ~810 kWh/kWp · -2% vs IV18
IV19 (Highland)
≈14.7 km away
Local sunshine: ~860 kWh/kWp · +4% vs IV18

Similar sunshine across the UK

DG3 (Dumfries and Galloway)
~829 kWh/kWp · -0% vs IV18
SK13 (High Peak)
~830 kWh/kWp · +0% vs IV18
DG4 (Dumfries and Galloway)
~829 kWh/kWp · -0% vs IV18