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 KA15 (North Ayrshire)

See if solar pays off for you in North Ayrshire — 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
14.7 years
After this, it's pure profit
Upfront Cost
£12,207
What you pay to get started
Annual Benefit
£830
What you save every year
Profit Over 25 Years
£8,547
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 Southern Scotland, the current unit rate is 25.84p/kWh with a 56.55p/day standing charge. Your postcode’s south-facing sunshine yield is 847 kWh/kW — 3 below 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 847 kWh per year on a south-facing roof. We value self-used electricity at 25.8p and exported surplus at a baseline 10p via SEG. Use the calculator above for your exact tariff.

Unit rate
25.8p/kWh
Standing charge
56.5p/day
Sunshine yield (south)
847 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: £692, Upfront: £10,173, Break-even: 14.7 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1694 kWh 678 kWh 1016 kWh £175 £102 £277 £4,069 14.7 yrs £1,465
3 kW 2541 kWh 1016 kWh 1525 kWh £263 £152 £415 £6,104 14.7 yrs £2,198
4 kW 3388 kWh 1355 kWh 2033 kWh £350 £203 £553 £8,138 14.7 yrs £2,931
5 kW 4235 kWh 1694 kWh 2541 kWh £438 £254 £692 £10,173 14.7 yrs £3,664
6 kW 5082 kWh 2033 kWh 3049 kWh £525 £305 £830 £12,207 14.7 yrs £4,396
7 kW 5929 kWh 2372 kWh 3557 kWh £613 £356 £969 £14,242 14.7 yrs £5,129
8 kW 6776 kWh 2710 kWh 4066 kWh £700 £407 £1,107 £16,276 14.7 yrs £5,862

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: £826, Upfront: £12,273, 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 1694 kWh 1016 kWh 678 kWh £263 £68 £330 £6,169 18.7 yrs £439
3 kW 2541 kWh 1525 kWh 1016 kWh £394 £102 £496 £8,204 16.6 yrs £1,708
4 kW 3388 kWh 2033 kWh 1355 kWh £525 £136 £661 £10,238 15.5 yrs £2,978
5 kW 4235 kWh 2541 kWh 1694 kWh £657 £169 £826 £12,273 14.9 yrs £4,247
6 kW 5082 kWh 3049 kWh 2033 kWh £788 £203 £991 £14,307 14.4 yrs £5,516
7 kW 5929 kWh 3557 kWh 2372 kWh £919 £237 £1,156 £16,342 14.1 yrs £6,786
8 kW 6776 kWh 4066 kWh 2710 kWh £1,051 £271 £1,322 £18,376 13.9 yrs £8,055

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: £893, Upfront: £13,673, Break-even: 15.3 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1694 kWh 1186 kWh 508 kWh £306 £51 £357 £7,569 21.2 yrs £-425
3 kW 2541 kWh 1779 kWh 762 kWh £460 £76 £536 £9,604 17.9 yrs £1,113
4 kW 3388 kWh 2372 kWh 1016 kWh £613 £102 £714 £11,638 16.3 yrs £2,651
5 kW 4235 kWh 2964 kWh 1270 kWh £766 £127 £893 £13,673 15.3 yrs £4,189
6 kW 5082 kWh 3557 kWh 1525 kWh £919 £152 £1,072 £15,707 14.7 yrs £5,726
7 kW 5929 kWh 4150 kWh 1779 kWh £1,072 £178 £1,250 £17,742 14.2 yrs £7,264
8 kW 6776 kWh 4743 kWh 2033 kWh £1,226 £203 £1,429 £19,776 13.8 yrs £8,802

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: £913, Upfront: £15,423, 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 1694 kWh 1237 kWh 457 kWh £320 £46 £365 £9,319 25.5 yrs £-2,014
3 kW 2541 kWh 1855 kWh 686 kWh £479 £69 £548 £11,354 20.7 yrs £-395
4 kW 3388 kWh 2473 kWh 915 kWh £639 £91 £731 £13,388 18.3 yrs £1,223
5 kW 4235 kWh 3091 kWh 1143 kWh £799 £114 £913 £15,423 16.9 yrs £2,841
6 kW 5082 kWh 3710 kWh 1372 kWh £959 £137 £1,096 £17,457 15.9 yrs £4,459
7 kW 5929 kWh 4328 kWh 1601 kWh £1,118 £160 £1,278 £19,492 15.2 yrs £6,077
8 kW 6776 kWh 4946 kWh 1829 kWh £1,278 £183 £1,461 £21,526 14.7 yrs £7,696

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: £927, Upfront: £17,173, Break-even: 18.5 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1694 kWh 1270 kWh 423 kWh £328 £42 £371 £11,069 29.9 yrs £-3,656
3 kW 2541 kWh 1906 kWh 635 kWh £492 £64 £556 £13,104 23.6 yrs £-1,984
4 kW 3388 kWh 2541 kWh 847 kWh £657 £85 £741 £15,138 20.4 yrs £-313
5 kW 4235 kWh 3176 kWh 1059 kWh £821 £106 £927 £17,173 18.5 yrs £1,359
6 kW 5082 kWh 3811 kWh 1270 kWh £985 £127 £1,112 £19,207 17.3 yrs £3,031
7 kW 5929 kWh 4447 kWh 1482 kWh £1,149 £148 £1,297 £21,242 16.4 yrs £4,703
8 kW 6776 kWh 5082 kWh 1694 kWh £1,313 £169 £1,483 £23,276 15.7 yrs £6,375

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: £940, Upfront: £19,623, Break-even: 20.9 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1694 kWh 1304 kWh 390 kWh £337 £39 £376 £13,519 36.0 yrs £-5,999
3 kW 2541 kWh 1957 kWh 584 kWh £506 £58 £564 £15,554 27.6 yrs £-4,273
4 kW 3388 kWh 2609 kWh 779 kWh £674 £78 £752 £17,588 23.4 yrs £-2,548
5 kW 4235 kWh 3261 kWh 974 kWh £843 £97 £940 £19,623 20.9 yrs £-822
6 kW 5082 kWh 3913 kWh 1169 kWh £1,011 £117 £1,128 £21,657 19.2 yrs £903
7 kW 5929 kWh 4565 kWh 1364 kWh £1,180 £136 £1,316 £23,692 18.0 yrs £2,629
8 kW 6776 kWh 5217 kWh 1558 kWh £1,348 £156 £1,504 £25,726 17.1 yrs £4,354

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 KA15

Figures below are tailored to KA15 — click through for full league tables.

Solar Payback Index Rank #2734 of 2997
12.8 years (UK avg 11.3 years)
~£951 /yr • £12,207 upfront
Standing-Charge Drag Rank #1770 of 2997
21.7% (UK avg 21.7%) drag on savings
£206 fixed • ~£951 /yr value

Your Area at a Glance

Your Electricity Rate
25.84p/kWh
Daily Fixed Charge
56.55p/day
Local Sunshine
847kWh/kW
A 1 kW system generates ~847 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

Garnock Valley, Kilwinning

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 Southern Scotland

KA14 (North Ayrshire)
≈2.9 km away
Local sunshine: ~878 kWh/kWp · +4% vs KA15
KA25 (North Ayrshire)
≈3.5 km away
Local sunshine: ~856 kWh/kWp · +1% vs KA15
PA12 (Renfrewshire)
≈5.1 km away
Local sunshine: ~848 kWh/kWp · +0% vs KA15
KA24 (North Ayrshire)
≈7.2 km away
Local sunshine: ~892 kWh/kWp · +5% vs KA15
PA9 (Renfrewshire)
≈8.2 km away
Local sunshine: ~825 kWh/kWp · -3% vs KA15
PA10 (Renfrewshire)
≈10.7 km away
Local sunshine: ~832 kWh/kWp · -2% vs KA15

Similar sunshine across the UK

PH5 (Perth and Kinross)
~847 kWh/kWp · +0% vs KA15
SK12 (High Peak)
~847 kWh/kWp · +0% vs KA15
PA41 (Argyll and Bute)
~847 kWh/kWp · -0% vs KA15