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Solar Panels in IV22 (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
17.0 years
After this, it's pure profit
Upfront Cost
£10,173
What you pay to get started
Annual Benefit
£597
What you save every year
Profit Over 25 Years
£4,755
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 710 kWh/kW — 105 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 710 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)
710 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: £597, Upfront: £10,173, Break-even: 17.0 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1420 kWh 568 kWh 852 kWh £154 £85 £239 £4,069 17.0 yrs £708
3 kW 2129 kWh 852 kWh 1278 kWh £230 £128 £358 £6,104 17.0 yrs £1,062
4 kW 2839 kWh 1136 kWh 1704 kWh £307 £170 £478 £8,138 17.0 yrs £1,416
5 kW 3549 kWh 1420 kWh 2129 kWh £384 £213 £597 £10,173 17.0 yrs £1,769
6 kW 4259 kWh 1704 kWh 2555 kWh £461 £256 £717 £12,207 17.0 yrs £2,123
7 kW 4969 kWh 1987 kWh 2981 kWh £538 £298 £836 £14,242 17.0 yrs £2,477
8 kW 5679 kWh 2271 kWh 3407 kWh £615 £341 £955 £16,276 17.0 yrs £2,831

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: £718, Upfront: £12,273, 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 1420 kWh 852 kWh 568 kWh £230 £57 £287 £6,169 21.5 yrs £-423
3 kW 2129 kWh 1278 kWh 852 kWh £346 £85 £431 £8,204 19.0 yrs £415
4 kW 2839 kWh 1704 kWh 1136 kWh £461 £114 £575 £10,238 17.8 yrs £1,253
5 kW 3549 kWh 2129 kWh 1420 kWh £576 £142 £718 £12,273 17.1 yrs £2,091
6 kW 4259 kWh 2555 kWh 1704 kWh £691 £170 £862 £14,307 16.6 yrs £2,930
7 kW 4969 kWh 2981 kWh 1987 kWh £807 £199 £1,005 £16,342 16.3 yrs £3,768
8 kW 5679 kWh 3407 kWh 2271 kWh £922 £227 £1,149 £18,376 16.0 yrs £4,606

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: £779, Upfront: £13,673, Break-even: 17.6 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1420 kWh 994 kWh 426 kWh £269 £43 £311 £7,569 24.3 yrs £-1,339
3 kW 2129 kWh 1491 kWh 639 kWh £403 £64 £467 £9,604 20.6 yrs £-259
4 kW 2839 kWh 1987 kWh 852 kWh £538 £85 £623 £11,638 18.7 yrs £822
5 kW 3549 kWh 2484 kWh 1065 kWh £672 £106 £779 £13,673 17.6 yrs £1,902
6 kW 4259 kWh 2981 kWh 1278 kWh £807 £128 £934 £15,707 16.8 yrs £2,983
7 kW 4969 kWh 3478 kWh 1491 kWh £941 £149 £1,090 £17,742 16.3 yrs £4,063
8 kW 5679 kWh 3975 kWh 1704 kWh £1,076 £170 £1,246 £19,776 15.9 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.

7.5 kWh battery 5 kW example → Annual benefit: £797, Upfront: £15,423, Break-even: 19.4 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1420 kWh 1036 kWh 383 kWh £280 £38 £319 £9,319 29.2 yrs £-2,944
3 kW 2129 kWh 1555 kWh 575 kWh £421 £57 £478 £11,354 23.7 yrs £-1,791
4 kW 2839 kWh 2073 kWh 767 kWh £561 £77 £638 £13,388 21.0 yrs £-638
5 kW 3549 kWh 2591 kWh 958 kWh £701 £96 £797 £15,423 19.4 yrs £516
6 kW 4259 kWh 3109 kWh 1150 kWh £841 £115 £956 £17,457 18.3 yrs £1,669
7 kW 4969 kWh 3627 kWh 1342 kWh £982 £134 £1,116 £19,492 17.5 yrs £2,822
8 kW 5679 kWh 4145 kWh 1533 kWh £1,122 £153 £1,275 £21,526 16.9 yrs £3,975

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: £809, Upfront: £17,173, Break-even: 21.2 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1420 kWh 1065 kWh 355 kWh £288 £35 £324 £11,069 34.2 yrs £-4,597
3 kW 2129 kWh 1597 kWh 532 kWh £432 £53 £485 £13,104 27.0 yrs £-3,395
4 kW 2839 kWh 2129 kWh 710 kWh £576 £71 £647 £15,138 23.4 yrs £-2,194
5 kW 3549 kWh 2662 kWh 887 kWh £720 £89 £809 £17,173 21.2 yrs £-992
6 kW 4259 kWh 3194 kWh 1065 kWh £864 £106 £971 £19,207 19.8 yrs £209
7 kW 4969 kWh 3727 kWh 1242 kWh £1,008 £124 £1,133 £21,242 18.8 yrs £1,411
8 kW 5679 kWh 4259 kWh 1420 kWh £1,152 £142 £1,294 £23,276 18.0 yrs £2,612

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: £821, Upfront: £19,623, Break-even: 23.9 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1420 kWh 1093 kWh 327 kWh £296 £33 £328 £13,519 41.2 yrs £-6,950
3 kW 2129 kWh 1640 kWh 490 kWh £444 £49 £493 £15,554 31.6 yrs £-5,700
4 kW 2839 kWh 2186 kWh 653 kWh £592 £65 £657 £17,588 26.8 yrs £-4,450
5 kW 3549 kWh 2733 kWh 816 kWh £739 £82 £821 £19,623 23.9 yrs £-3,200
6 kW 4259 kWh 3279 kWh 980 kWh £887 £98 £985 £21,657 22.0 yrs £-1,950
7 kW 4969 kWh 3826 kWh 1143 kWh £1,035 £114 £1,150 £23,692 20.6 yrs £-700
8 kW 5679 kWh 4372 kWh 1306 kWh £1,183 £131 £1,314 £25,726 19.6 yrs £550

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 IV22

Figures below are tailored to IV22 — click through for full league tables.

Solar Payback Index Rank #2977 of 2997
14.8 years (UK avg 11.3 years)
~£550 /yr • £8,138 upfront
Standing-Charge Drag Rank #2977 of 2997
40.5% (UK avg 21.7%) drag on savings
£223 fixed • ~£550 /yr value

Your Area at a Glance

Your Electricity Rate
27.06p/kWh
Daily Fixed Charge
61.00p/day
Local Sunshine
710kWh/kW
A 1 kW system generates ~710 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

IV21 (Highland)
≈8.7 km away
Local sunshine: ~718 kWh/kWp · +1% vs IV22
IV26 (Highland)
≈28.6 km away
Local sunshine: ~711 kWh/kWp · +0% vs IV22
IV23 (Highland)
≈30.6 km away
Local sunshine: ~729 kWh/kWp · +3% vs IV22
IV54 (Highland)
≈40.1 km away
Local sunshine: ~689 kWh/kWp · -3% vs IV22
IV53 (Highland)
≈47.3 km away
Local sunshine: ~678 kWh/kWp · -4% vs IV22
IV52 (Highland)
≈48.1 km away
Local sunshine: ~702 kWh/kWp · -1% vs IV22

Similar sunshine across the UK

PA19 (Inverclyde)
~756 kWh/kWp · +6% vs IV22
IV26 (Highland)
~711 kWh/kWp · +0% vs IV22
PH31 (Highland)
~711 kWh/kWp · +0% vs IV22