Solar explained to clever people by people who are not trying to be clever
Home Regions
Insights
Big Roof Britain Solar Payback Index Standing Charge Drag

Solar Panels in IV21 (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
16.8 years
After this, it's pure profit
Upfront Cost
£10,173
What you pay to get started
Annual Benefit
£604
What you save every year
Profit Over 25 Years
£4,927
After paying itself off, you're this much ahead

Ready to Get Started?

Get your free quote from Blue Ape Renewables. They'll connect you with MCS-certified installers in your area and handle all the paperwork.

Get Solar Quote →
4.8★ Trustpilot • Octopus Energy trusted partner • MCS certified • No obligation
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 718 kWh/kW — 97 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 718 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)
718 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: £604, Upfront: £10,173, Break-even: 16.8 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1436 kWh 574 kWh 862 kWh £155 £86 £242 £4,069 16.8 yrs £763
3 kW 2154 kWh 862 kWh 1292 kWh £233 £129 £362 £6,104 16.8 yrs £1,144
4 kW 2872 kWh 1149 kWh 1723 kWh £311 £172 £483 £8,138 16.8 yrs £1,526
5 kW 3590 kWh 1436 kWh 2154 kWh £389 £215 £604 £10,173 16.8 yrs £1,907
6 kW 4308 kWh 1723 kWh 2585 kWh £466 £258 £725 £12,207 16.8 yrs £2,288
7 kW 5026 kWh 2010 kWh 3016 kWh £544 £302 £846 £14,242 16.8 yrs £2,670
8 kW 5744 kWh 2298 kWh 3446 kWh £622 £345 £966 £16,276 16.8 yrs £3,051

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: £726, Upfront: £12,273, 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 1436 kWh 862 kWh 574 kWh £233 £57 £291 £6,169 21.2 yrs £-357
3 kW 2154 kWh 1292 kWh 862 kWh £350 £86 £436 £8,204 18.8 yrs £514
4 kW 2872 kWh 1723 kWh 1149 kWh £466 £115 £581 £10,238 17.6 yrs £1,385
5 kW 3590 kWh 2154 kWh 1436 kWh £583 £144 £726 £12,273 16.9 yrs £2,257
6 kW 4308 kWh 2585 kWh 1723 kWh £699 £172 £872 £14,307 16.4 yrs £3,128
7 kW 5026 kWh 3016 kWh 2010 kWh £816 £201 £1,017 £16,342 16.1 yrs £3,999
8 kW 5744 kWh 3446 kWh 2298 kWh £933 £230 £1,162 £18,376 15.8 yrs £4,871

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: £788, Upfront: £13,673, Break-even: 17.4 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1436 kWh 1005 kWh 431 kWh £272 £43 £315 £7,569 24.0 yrs £-1,267
3 kW 2154 kWh 1508 kWh 646 kWh £408 £65 £473 £9,604 20.3 yrs £-151
4 kW 2872 kWh 2010 kWh 862 kWh £544 £86 £630 £11,638 18.5 yrs £965
5 kW 3590 kWh 2513 kWh 1077 kWh £680 £108 £788 £13,673 17.4 yrs £2,082
6 kW 4308 kWh 3016 kWh 1292 kWh £816 £129 £945 £15,707 16.6 yrs £3,198
7 kW 5026 kWh 3518 kWh 1508 kWh £952 £151 £1,103 £17,742 16.1 yrs £4,314
8 kW 5744 kWh 4021 kWh 1723 kWh £1,088 £172 £1,260 £19,776 15.7 yrs £5,431

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: £806, Upfront: £15,423, Break-even: 19.1 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1436 kWh 1048 kWh 388 kWh £284 £39 £322 £9,319 28.9 yrs £-2,870
3 kW 2154 kWh 1572 kWh 582 kWh £425 £58 £484 £11,354 23.5 yrs £-1,681
4 kW 2872 kWh 2097 kWh 775 kWh £567 £78 £645 £13,388 20.8 yrs £-491
5 kW 3590 kWh 2621 kWh 969 kWh £709 £97 £806 £15,423 19.1 yrs £699
6 kW 4308 kWh 3145 kWh 1163 kWh £851 £116 £967 £17,457 18.0 yrs £1,889
7 kW 5026 kWh 3669 kWh 1357 kWh £993 £136 £1,129 £19,492 17.3 yrs £3,079
8 kW 5744 kWh 4193 kWh 1551 kWh £1,135 £155 £1,290 £21,526 16.7 yrs £4,268

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: £818, Upfront: £17,173, Break-even: 21.0 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1436 kWh 1077 kWh 359 kWh £291 £36 £327 £11,069 33.8 yrs £-4,522
3 kW 2154 kWh 1615 kWh 538 kWh £437 £54 £491 £13,104 26.7 yrs £-3,284
4 kW 2872 kWh 2154 kWh 718 kWh £583 £72 £655 £15,138 23.1 yrs £-2,045
5 kW 3590 kWh 2692 kWh 897 kWh £729 £90 £818 £17,173 21.0 yrs £-806
6 kW 4308 kWh 3231 kWh 1077 kWh £874 £108 £982 £19,207 19.6 yrs £433
7 kW 5026 kWh 3769 kWh 1256 kWh £1,020 £126 £1,146 £21,242 18.5 yrs £1,672
8 kW 5744 kWh 4308 kWh 1436 kWh £1,166 £144 £1,309 £23,276 17.8 yrs £2,910

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: £831, Upfront: £19,623, Break-even: 23.6 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1436 kWh 1106 kWh 330 kWh £299 £33 £332 £13,519 40.7 yrs £-6,874
3 kW 2154 kWh 1659 kWh 495 kWh £449 £50 £498 £15,554 31.2 yrs £-5,587
4 kW 2872 kWh 2211 kWh 661 kWh £598 £66 £664 £17,588 26.5 yrs £-4,299
5 kW 3590 kWh 2764 kWh 826 kWh £748 £83 £831 £19,623 23.6 yrs £-3,011
6 kW 4308 kWh 3317 kWh 991 kWh £898 £99 £997 £21,657 21.7 yrs £-1,723
7 kW 5026 kWh 3870 kWh 1156 kWh £1,047 £116 £1,163 £23,692 20.4 yrs £-435
8 kW 5744 kWh 4423 kWh 1321 kWh £1,197 £132 £1,329 £25,726 19.4 yrs £852

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 IV21

Figures below are tailored to IV21 — click through for full league tables.

Solar Payback Index Rank #2969 of 2997
14.6 years (UK avg 11.3 years)
~£557 /yr • £8,138 upfront
Standing-Charge Drag Rank #2970 of 2997
40.0% (UK avg 21.7%) drag on savings
£223 fixed • ~£557 /yr value

Your Area at a Glance

Your Electricity Rate
27.06p/kWh
Daily Fixed Charge
61.00p/day
Local Sunshine
718kWh/kW
A 1 kW system generates ~718 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

Wester Ross, Strathpeffer and Lochalsh

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

IV22 (Highland)
≈8.7 km away
Local sunshine: ~710 kWh/kWp · -1% vs IV21
IV54 (Highland)
≈36.1 km away
Local sunshine: ~689 kWh/kWp · -4% vs IV21
IV26 (Highland)
≈37.3 km away
Local sunshine: ~711 kWh/kWp · -1% vs IV21
IV23 (Highland)
≈38.7 km away
Local sunshine: ~729 kWh/kWp · +2% vs IV21
IV52 (Highland)
≈43.5 km away
Local sunshine: ~702 kWh/kWp · -2% vs IV21
IV53 (Highland)
≈43.6 km away
Local sunshine: ~678 kWh/kWp · -6% vs IV21

Similar sunshine across the UK

PA19 (Inverclyde)
~756 kWh/kWp · +5% vs IV21
DL11 (North Yorkshire)
~765 kWh/kWp · +7% vs IV21
G84 (Argyll and Bute)
~766 kWh/kWp · +7% vs IV21