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Solar Panels in IV28 (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
15.1 years
After this, it's pure profit
Upfront Cost
£10,173
What you pay to get started
Annual Benefit
£675
What you save every year
Profit Over 25 Years
£6,692
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 802 kWh/kW — 13 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 802 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)
802 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: £675, Upfront: £10,173, 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 1604 kWh 642 kWh 962 kWh £174 £96 £270 £4,069 15.1 yrs £1,328
3 kW 2406 kWh 962 kWh 1443 kWh £260 £144 £405 £6,104 15.1 yrs £1,991
4 kW 3208 kWh 1283 kWh 1925 kWh £347 £192 £540 £8,138 15.1 yrs £2,655
5 kW 4010 kWh 1604 kWh 2406 kWh £434 £241 £675 £10,173 15.1 yrs £3,319
6 kW 4812 kWh 1925 kWh 2887 kWh £521 £289 £810 £12,207 15.1 yrs £3,983
7 kW 5614 kWh 2245 kWh 3368 kWh £608 £337 £944 £14,242 15.1 yrs £4,647
8 kW 6415 kWh 2566 kWh 3849 kWh £694 £385 £1,079 £16,276 15.1 yrs £5,311

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: £811, 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 1604 kWh 962 kWh 642 kWh £260 £64 £325 £6,169 19.0 yrs £322
3 kW 2406 kWh 1443 kWh 962 kWh £391 £96 £487 £8,204 16.9 yrs £1,533
4 kW 3208 kWh 1925 kWh 1283 kWh £521 £128 £649 £10,238 15.8 yrs £2,744
5 kW 4010 kWh 2406 kWh 1604 kWh £651 £160 £811 £12,273 15.1 yrs £3,955
6 kW 4812 kWh 2887 kWh 1925 kWh £781 £192 £974 £14,307 14.7 yrs £5,166
7 kW 5614 kWh 3368 kWh 2245 kWh £911 £225 £1,136 £16,342 14.4 yrs £6,377
8 kW 6415 kWh 3849 kWh 2566 kWh £1,042 £257 £1,298 £18,376 14.2 yrs £7,588

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: £880, 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 1604 kWh 1123 kWh 481 kWh £304 £48 £352 £7,569 21.5 yrs £-531
3 kW 2406 kWh 1684 kWh 722 kWh £456 £72 £528 £9,604 18.2 yrs £954
4 kW 3208 kWh 2245 kWh 962 kWh £608 £96 £704 £11,638 16.5 yrs £2,439
5 kW 4010 kWh 2807 kWh 1203 kWh £760 £120 £880 £13,673 15.5 yrs £3,923
6 kW 4812 kWh 3368 kWh 1443 kWh £911 £144 £1,056 £15,707 14.9 yrs £5,408
7 kW 5614 kWh 3929 kWh 1684 kWh £1,063 £168 £1,232 £17,742 14.4 yrs £6,893
8 kW 6415 kWh 4491 kWh 1925 kWh £1,215 £192 £1,408 £19,776 14.0 yrs £8,377

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: £900, 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 1604 kWh 1171 kWh 433 kWh £317 £43 £360 £9,319 25.9 yrs £-2,116
3 kW 2406 kWh 1756 kWh 650 kWh £475 £65 £540 £11,354 21.0 yrs £-550
4 kW 3208 kWh 2342 kWh 866 kWh £634 £87 £720 £13,388 18.6 yrs £1,017
5 kW 4010 kWh 2927 kWh 1083 kWh £792 £108 £900 £15,423 17.1 yrs £2,584
6 kW 4812 kWh 3512 kWh 1299 kWh £950 £130 £1,080 £17,457 16.2 yrs £4,151
7 kW 5614 kWh 4098 kWh 1516 kWh £1,109 £152 £1,260 £19,492 15.5 yrs £5,717
8 kW 6415 kWh 4683 kWh 1732 kWh £1,267 £173 £1,441 £21,526 14.9 yrs £7,284

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: £914, Upfront: £17,173, Break-even: 18.8 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1604 kWh 1203 kWh 401 kWh £326 £40 £366 £11,069 30.3 yrs £-3,757
3 kW 2406 kWh 1804 kWh 601 kWh £488 £60 £548 £13,104 23.9 yrs £-2,136
4 kW 3208 kWh 2406 kWh 802 kWh £651 £80 £731 £15,138 20.7 yrs £-514
5 kW 4010 kWh 3007 kWh 1002 kWh £814 £100 £914 £17,173 18.8 yrs £1,107
6 kW 4812 kWh 3609 kWh 1203 kWh £977 £120 £1,097 £19,207 17.5 yrs £2,729
7 kW 5614 kWh 4210 kWh 1403 kWh £1,139 £140 £1,280 £21,242 16.6 yrs £4,350
8 kW 6415 kWh 4812 kWh 1604 kWh £1,302 £160 £1,462 £23,276 15.9 yrs £5,972

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: £928, Upfront: £19,623, 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 1604 kWh 1235 kWh 369 kWh £334 £37 £371 £13,519 36.4 yrs £-6,098
3 kW 2406 kWh 1852 kWh 553 kWh £501 £55 £557 £15,554 27.9 yrs £-4,421
4 kW 3208 kWh 2470 kWh 738 kWh £668 £74 £742 £17,588 23.7 yrs £-2,745
5 kW 4010 kWh 3087 kWh 922 kWh £835 £92 £928 £19,623 21.2 yrs £-1,069
6 kW 4812 kWh 3705 kWh 1107 kWh £1,003 £111 £1,113 £21,657 19.5 yrs £607
7 kW 5614 kWh 4322 kWh 1291 kWh £1,170 £129 £1,299 £23,692 18.2 yrs £2,283
8 kW 6415 kWh 4940 kWh 1476 kWh £1,337 £148 £1,484 £25,726 17.3 yrs £3,960

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 IV28

Figures below are tailored to IV28 — click through for full league tables.

Solar Payback Index Rank #2849 of 2997
13.1 years (UK avg 11.3 years)
~£622 /yr • £8,138 upfront
Standing-Charge Drag Rank #2889 of 2997
35.8% (UK avg 21.7%) drag on savings
£223 fixed • ~£622 /yr value

Your Area at a Glance

Your Electricity Rate
27.06p/kWh
Daily Fixed Charge
61.00p/day
Local Sunshine
802kWh/kW
A 1 kW system generates ~802 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

East Sutherland and Edderton

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

KW10 (Highland)
≈11.0 km away
Local sunshine: ~801 kWh/kWp · -0% vs IV28
IV25 (Highland)
≈15.2 km away
Local sunshine: ~822 kWh/kWp · +3% vs IV28
IV24 (Highland)
≈16.8 km away
Local sunshine: ~798 kWh/kWp · -1% vs IV28
KW9 (Highland)
≈17.7 km away
Local sunshine: ~829 kWh/kWp · +3% vs IV28
IV19 (Highland)
≈22.0 km away
Local sunshine: ~860 kWh/kWp · +7% vs IV28
IV20 (Highland)
≈28.8 km away
Local sunshine: ~814 kWh/kWp · +1% vs IV28

Similar sunshine across the UK

KA16 (East Ayrshire)
~803 kWh/kWp · +0% vs IV28
OL5 (Tameside)
~803 kWh/kWp · +0% vs IV28
CA9 (Westmorland and Furness)
~803 kWh/kWp · +0% vs IV28