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Solar panel cost in North Ayrshire (KA12)

See realistic solar installation costs, savings and payback for KA12 (North Ayrshire) in under a minute using official UK data. Start with the calculator, then get a no-obligation quote from an MCS-certified installer. You can also ask the SolarByPostcode assistant to sanity-check your roof, bills and plans.

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
15.0 years
After this, it's pure profit
Upfront Cost
£12,207
What you pay to get started
Annual Benefit
£814
What you save every year
Profit Over 25 Years
£8,142
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 Southern Scotland, the current unit rate is 22.82p/kWh with a 64.81p/day standing charge. Your postcode’s south-facing sunshine yield is 897 kWh/kW — 47 above the regional median (850).

Read the full story

A typical roof here lands around 6.0 kW, with most eligible homes comfortably fitting within 3–6 kW. Each kilowatt of panels produces roughly 897 kWh per year on a south-facing roof. We value self-used electricity at 22.8p and exported surplus at a baseline 10p via SEG. Use the calculator above for your exact tariff.

Unit rate
22.8p/kWh
Standing charge
64.8p/day
Sunshine yield (south)
897 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: £678, Upfront: £10,173, 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 1794 kWh 717 kWh 1076 kWh £164 £108 £271 £4,069 15.0 yrs £1,357
3 kW 2690 kWh 1076 kWh 1614 kWh £246 £161 £407 £6,104 15.0 yrs £2,036
4 kW 3587 kWh 1435 kWh 2152 kWh £327 £215 £543 £8,138 15.0 yrs £2,715
5 kW 4484 kWh 1794 kWh 2690 kWh £409 £269 £678 £10,173 15.0 yrs £3,393
6 kW 5380 kWh 2152 kWh 3228 kWh £491 £323 £814 £12,207 15.0 yrs £4,072
7 kW 6277 kWh 2511 kWh 3766 kWh £573 £377 £950 £14,242 15.0 yrs £4,751
8 kW 7174 kWh 2870 kWh 4304 kWh £655 £430 £1,085 £16,276 15.0 yrs £5,430

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: £793, Upfront: £12,273, 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 1794 kWh 1076 kWh 717 kWh £246 £72 £317 £6,169 19.4 yrs £177
3 kW 2690 kWh 1614 kWh 1076 kWh £368 £108 £476 £8,204 17.2 yrs £1,316
4 kW 3587 kWh 2152 kWh 1435 kWh £491 £143 £635 £10,238 16.1 yrs £2,454
5 kW 4484 kWh 2690 kWh 1794 kWh £614 £179 £793 £12,273 15.5 yrs £3,593
6 kW 5380 kWh 3228 kWh 2152 kWh £737 £215 £952 £14,307 15.0 yrs £4,731
7 kW 6277 kWh 3766 kWh 2511 kWh £859 £251 £1,111 £16,342 14.7 yrs £5,870
8 kW 7174 kWh 4304 kWh 2870 kWh £982 £287 £1,269 £18,376 14.5 yrs £7,008

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: £851, Upfront: £13,673, Break-even: 16.1 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1794 kWh 1255 kWh 538 kWh £286 £54 £340 £7,569 22.2 yrs £-763
3 kW 2690 kWh 1883 kWh 807 kWh £430 £81 £510 £9,604 18.8 yrs £605
4 kW 3587 kWh 2511 kWh 1076 kWh £573 £108 £681 £11,638 17.1 yrs £1,974
5 kW 4484 kWh 3139 kWh 1345 kWh £716 £135 £851 £13,673 16.1 yrs £3,342
6 kW 5380 kWh 3766 kWh 1614 kWh £859 £161 £1,021 £15,707 15.4 yrs £4,711
7 kW 6277 kWh 4394 kWh 1883 kWh £1,003 £188 £1,191 £17,742 14.9 yrs £6,079
8 kW 7174 kWh 5022 kWh 2152 kWh £1,146 £215 £1,361 £19,776 14.5 yrs £7,448

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: £868, Upfront: £15,423, Break-even: 17.8 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1794 kWh 1309 kWh 484 kWh £299 £48 £347 £9,319 26.8 yrs £-2,375
3 kW 2690 kWh 1964 kWh 726 kWh £448 £73 £521 £11,354 21.8 yrs £-938
4 kW 3587 kWh 2619 kWh 968 kWh £598 £97 £694 £13,388 19.3 yrs £500
5 kW 4484 kWh 3273 kWh 1211 kWh £747 £121 £868 £15,423 17.8 yrs £1,937
6 kW 5380 kWh 3928 kWh 1453 kWh £896 £145 £1,042 £17,457 16.8 yrs £3,375
7 kW 6277 kWh 4582 kWh 1695 kWh £1,046 £169 £1,215 £19,492 16.0 yrs £4,812
8 kW 7174 kWh 5237 kWh 1937 kWh £1,195 £194 £1,389 £21,526 15.5 yrs £6,250

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: £879, Upfront: £17,173, Break-even: 19.5 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1794 kWh 1345 kWh 448 kWh £307 £45 £352 £11,069 31.5 yrs £-4,033
3 kW 2690 kWh 2018 kWh 673 kWh £460 £67 £528 £13,104 24.8 yrs £-2,550
4 kW 3587 kWh 2690 kWh 897 kWh £614 £90 £704 £15,138 21.5 yrs £-1,066
5 kW 4484 kWh 3363 kWh 1121 kWh £767 £112 £879 £17,173 19.5 yrs £417
6 kW 5380 kWh 4035 kWh 1345 kWh £921 £135 £1,055 £19,207 18.2 yrs £1,901
7 kW 6277 kWh 4708 kWh 1569 kWh £1,074 £157 £1,231 £21,242 17.3 yrs £3,384
8 kW 7174 kWh 5380 kWh 1794 kWh £1,228 £179 £1,407 £23,276 16.5 yrs £4,868

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: £891, Upfront: £19,623, Break-even: 22.0 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1794 kWh 1381 kWh 413 kWh £315 £41 £356 £13,519 37.9 yrs £-6,391
3 kW 2690 kWh 2071 kWh 619 kWh £473 £62 £535 £15,554 29.1 yrs £-4,862
4 kW 3587 kWh 2762 kWh 825 kWh £630 £83 £713 £17,588 24.7 yrs £-3,332
5 kW 4484 kWh 3452 kWh 1031 kWh £788 £103 £891 £19,623 22.0 yrs £-1,803
6 kW 5380 kWh 4143 kWh 1238 kWh £945 £124 £1,069 £21,657 20.3 yrs £-273
7 kW 6277 kWh 4833 kWh 1444 kWh £1,103 £144 £1,247 £23,692 19.0 yrs £1,256
8 kW 7174 kWh 5524 kWh 1650 kWh £1,261 £165 £1,426 £25,726 18.0 yrs £2,785

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 KA12

Figures below are tailored to KA12 — click through for full league tables.

Solar Payback Index Rank #2382 of 2997
13.4 years (UK avg 12.6 years)
~£908 /yr • £12,207 upfront
Standing-Charge Drag Rank #1501 of 2997
23.2% (UK avg 24.6%) drag on savings
£210 fixed • ~£908 /yr value
Aspect Penalty View ranking →
East −20.5% West −22.3%
Typical output loss versus a south-facing roof (lower is better)

Seasonal solar output in KA12

Monthly generation per kilowatt of solar panels

kWh 24 Jan 43 Feb 76 Mar 109 Apr 124 May 118 Jun 118 Jul 104 Aug 77 Sep 52 Oct 32 Nov 19 Dec
Best month Worst month Winter (Dec–Feb) Other months

Winter output: 38.2% of an average month (Dec–Feb)

Best / worst month: May / Dec

These figures show output per kilowatt (kW) of panels installed. In winter, a 1 kW system here produces about 29 kWh per month; the average month produces around 75 kWh. So a typical 4 kW home system would generate roughly 114 kWh in winter, or 299 kWh in an average month.

Your Area at a Glance

Your Electricity Rate
22.82p/kWh
Daily Fixed Charge
64.81p/day
Local Sunshine
897kWh/kW
A 1 kW system generates ~897 kWh per year. A typical home uses ~2,700 kWh per year.
Typical System Size
6.0kW
For houses & bungalows in this area

Local Property Data

Property Types

No EPC data available for this outcode

Coverage

North Ayrshire (100%)

Areas Covered

Irvine West, Irvine South, Irvine East, Kilwinning, Saltcoats and Stevenston

Data Sources & Assumptions

Solar yield: PVGIS (EU Joint Research Centre), January 2025 data

Electricity rates: Ofgem price cap, Q1 2026

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 Southern Scotland

KA11 (North Ayrshire)
≈2.3 km away
Local sunshine: ~890 kWh/kWp · -1% vs KA12
KA13 (North Ayrshire)
≈4.7 km away
Local sunshine: ~880 kWh/kWp · -2% vs KA12
KA20 (North Ayrshire)
≈6.0 km away
Local sunshine: ~868 kWh/kWp · -3% vs KA12
KA2 (East Ayrshire)
≈7.3 km away
Local sunshine: ~865 kWh/kWp · -4% vs KA12
KA10 (South Ayrshire)
≈7.6 km away
Local sunshine: ~883 kWh/kWp · -2% vs KA12
KA21 (North Ayrshire)
≈7.9 km away
Local sunshine: ~866 kWh/kWp · -3% vs KA12

Similar sunshine across the UK

BT38 (Mid and East Antrim)
~896 kWh/kWp · -0% vs KA12
LA7 (Westmorland and Furness)
~896 kWh/kWp · -0% vs KA12
LL51 (Gwynedd)
~896 kWh/kWp · -0% vs KA12