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Solar Panels in IV4 (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
14.9 years
After this, it's pure profit
Upfront Cost
£10,173
What you pay to get started
Annual Benefit
£681
What you save every year
Profit Over 25 Years
£6,849
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 809 kWh/kW — 6 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 809 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)
809 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: £681, Upfront: £10,173, Break-even: 14.9 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1619 kWh 647 kWh 971 kWh £175 £97 £272 £4,069 14.9 yrs £1,378
3 kW 2428 kWh 971 kWh 1457 kWh £263 £146 £409 £6,104 14.9 yrs £2,067
4 kW 3237 kWh 1295 kWh 1942 kWh £350 £194 £545 £8,138 14.9 yrs £2,755
5 kW 4047 kWh 1619 kWh 2428 kWh £438 £243 £681 £10,173 14.9 yrs £3,444
6 kW 4856 kWh 1942 kWh 2914 kWh £526 £291 £817 £12,207 14.9 yrs £4,133
7 kW 5666 kWh 2266 kWh 3399 kWh £613 £340 £953 £14,242 14.9 yrs £4,822
8 kW 6475 kWh 2590 kWh 3885 kWh £701 £388 £1,089 £16,276 14.9 yrs £5,511

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: £819, Upfront: £12,273, 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 1619 kWh 971 kWh 647 kWh £263 £65 £328 £6,169 18.8 yrs £382
3 kW 2428 kWh 1457 kWh 971 kWh £394 £97 £491 £8,204 16.7 yrs £1,624
4 kW 3237 kWh 1942 kWh 1295 kWh £526 £129 £655 £10,238 15.6 yrs £2,865
5 kW 4047 kWh 2428 kWh 1619 kWh £657 £162 £819 £12,273 15.0 yrs £4,106
6 kW 4856 kWh 2914 kWh 1942 kWh £788 £194 £983 £14,307 14.6 yrs £5,347
7 kW 5666 kWh 3399 kWh 2266 kWh £920 £227 £1,146 £16,342 14.3 yrs £6,588
8 kW 6475 kWh 3885 kWh 2590 kWh £1,051 £259 £1,310 £18,376 14.0 yrs £7,829

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: £888, Upfront: £13,673, Break-even: 15.4 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1619 kWh 1133 kWh 486 kWh £307 £49 £355 £7,569 21.3 yrs £-465
3 kW 2428 kWh 1700 kWh 728 kWh £460 £73 £533 £9,604 18.0 yrs £1,052
4 kW 3237 kWh 2266 kWh 971 kWh £613 £97 £710 £11,638 16.4 yrs £2,569
5 kW 4047 kWh 2833 kWh 1214 kWh £767 £121 £888 £13,673 15.4 yrs £4,087
6 kW 4856 kWh 3399 kWh 1457 kWh £920 £146 £1,066 £15,707 14.7 yrs £5,604
7 kW 5666 kWh 3966 kWh 1700 kWh £1,073 £170 £1,243 £17,742 14.3 yrs £7,121
8 kW 6475 kWh 4532 kWh 1942 kWh £1,226 £194 £1,421 £19,776 13.9 yrs £8,639

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: £909, Upfront: £15,423, 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 1619 kWh 1182 kWh 437 kWh £320 £44 £363 £9,319 25.6 yrs £-2,050
3 kW 2428 kWh 1773 kWh 656 kWh £480 £66 £545 £11,354 20.8 yrs £-449
4 kW 3237 kWh 2363 kWh 874 kWh £640 £87 £727 £13,388 18.4 yrs £1,151
5 kW 4047 kWh 2954 kWh 1093 kWh £799 £109 £909 £15,423 17.0 yrs £2,751
6 kW 4856 kWh 3545 kWh 1311 kWh £959 £131 £1,090 £17,457 16.0 yrs £4,351
7 kW 5666 kWh 4136 kWh 1530 kWh £1,119 £153 £1,272 £19,492 15.3 yrs £5,951
8 kW 6475 kWh 4727 kWh 1748 kWh £1,279 £175 £1,454 £21,526 14.8 yrs £7,551

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: £922, Upfront: £17,173, Break-even: 18.6 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1619 kWh 1214 kWh 405 kWh £329 £40 £369 £11,069 30.0 yrs £-3,689
3 kW 2428 kWh 1821 kWh 607 kWh £493 £61 £553 £13,104 23.7 yrs £-2,034
4 kW 3237 kWh 2428 kWh 809 kWh £657 £81 £738 £15,138 20.5 yrs £-378
5 kW 4047 kWh 3035 kWh 1012 kWh £821 £101 £922 £17,173 18.6 yrs £1,277
6 kW 4856 kWh 3642 kWh 1214 kWh £986 £121 £1,107 £19,207 17.4 yrs £2,932
7 kW 5666 kWh 4249 kWh 1416 kWh £1,150 £142 £1,291 £21,242 16.4 yrs £4,588
8 kW 6475 kWh 4856 kWh 1619 kWh £1,314 £162 £1,476 £23,276 15.8 yrs £6,243

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: £936, Upfront: £19,623, 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 1619 kWh 1246 kWh 372 kWh £337 £37 £375 £13,519 36.1 yrs £-6,029
3 kW 2428 kWh 1870 kWh 558 kWh £506 £56 £562 £15,554 27.7 yrs £-4,318
4 kW 3237 kWh 2493 kWh 745 kWh £675 £74 £749 £17,588 23.5 yrs £-2,607
5 kW 4047 kWh 3116 kWh 931 kWh £843 £93 £936 £19,623 21.0 yrs £-897
6 kW 4856 kWh 3739 kWh 1117 kWh £1,012 £112 £1,124 £21,657 19.3 yrs £814
7 kW 5666 kWh 4363 kWh 1303 kWh £1,180 £130 £1,311 £23,692 18.1 yrs £2,524
8 kW 6475 kWh 4986 kWh 1489 kWh £1,349 £149 £1,498 £25,726 17.2 yrs £4,235

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 IV4

Figures below are tailored to IV4 — click through for full league tables.

Solar Payback Index Rank #2812 of 2997
13.0 years (UK avg 11.3 years)
~£628 /yr • £8,138 upfront
Standing-Charge Drag Rank #2876 of 2997
35.5% (UK avg 21.7%) drag on savings
£223 fixed • ~£628 /yr value

Your Area at a Glance

Your Electricity Rate
27.06p/kWh
Daily Fixed Charge
61.00p/day
Local Sunshine
809kWh/kW
A 1 kW system generates ~809 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

Aird and Loch Ness, Dingwall and Seaforth

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

IV5 (Highland)
≈3.9 km away
Local sunshine: ~793 kWh/kWp · -2% vs IV4
IV6 (Highland)
≈5.1 km away
Local sunshine: ~798 kWh/kWp · -1% vs IV4
IV7 (Highland)
≈11.3 km away
Local sunshine: ~817 kWh/kWp · +1% vs IV4
IV14 (Highland)
≈13.1 km away
Local sunshine: ~825 kWh/kWp · +2% vs IV4
IV15 (Highland)
≈13.7 km away
Local sunshine: ~807 kWh/kWp · -0% vs IV4
IV3 (Highland)
≈13.9 km away
Local sunshine: ~789 kWh/kWp · -3% vs IV4

Similar sunshine across the UK

EH45 (Scottish Borders)
~810 kWh/kWp · +0% vs IV4
LA21 (Westmorland and Furness)
~810 kWh/kWp · +0% vs IV4
PA16 (Inverclyde)
~808 kWh/kWp · -0% vs IV4