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Solar Panels in KA16 (East Ayrshire)

See if solar pays off for you in East 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
15.5 years
After this, it's pure profit
Upfront Cost
£12,207
What you pay to get started
Annual Benefit
£787
What you save every year
Profit Over 25 Years
£7,470
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 25.84p/kWh with a 56.55p/day standing charge. Your postcode’s south-facing sunshine yield is 803 kWh/kW — 47 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 803 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)
803 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: £656, Upfront: £10,173, 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 1606 kWh 642 kWh 964 kWh £166 £96 £262 £4,069 15.5 yrs £1,178
3 kW 2409 kWh 964 kWh 1445 kWh £249 £145 £394 £6,104 15.5 yrs £1,767
4 kW 3212 kWh 1285 kWh 1927 kWh £332 £193 £525 £8,138 15.5 yrs £2,356
5 kW 4015 kWh 1606 kWh 2409 kWh £415 £241 £656 £10,173 15.5 yrs £2,945
6 kW 4818 kWh 1927 kWh 2891 kWh £498 £289 £787 £12,207 15.5 yrs £3,535
7 kW 5621 kWh 2248 kWh 3373 kWh £581 £337 £918 £14,242 15.5 yrs £4,124
8 kW 6424 kWh 2570 kWh 3854 kWh £664 £385 £1,049 £16,276 15.5 yrs £4,713

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: £783, Upfront: £12,273, Break-even: 15.7 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1606 kWh 964 kWh 642 kWh £249 £64 £313 £6,169 19.7 yrs £96
3 kW 2409 kWh 1445 kWh 964 kWh £373 £96 £470 £8,204 17.5 yrs £1,194
4 kW 3212 kWh 1927 kWh 1285 kWh £498 £128 £626 £10,238 16.3 yrs £2,291
5 kW 4015 kWh 2409 kWh 1606 kWh £622 £161 £783 £12,273 15.7 yrs £3,389
6 kW 4818 kWh 2891 kWh 1927 kWh £747 £193 £940 £14,307 15.2 yrs £4,487
7 kW 5621 kWh 3373 kWh 2248 kWh £871 £225 £1,096 £16,342 14.9 yrs £5,585
8 kW 6424 kWh 3854 kWh 2570 kWh £996 £257 £1,253 £18,376 14.7 yrs £6,683

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: £847, 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 1606 kWh 1124 kWh 482 kWh £290 £48 £339 £7,569 22.3 yrs £-795
3 kW 2409 kWh 1686 kWh 723 kWh £436 £72 £508 £9,604 18.9 yrs £557
4 kW 3212 kWh 2248 kWh 964 kWh £581 £96 £677 £11,638 17.2 yrs £1,909
5 kW 4015 kWh 2811 kWh 1205 kWh £726 £120 £847 £13,673 16.1 yrs £3,261
6 kW 4818 kWh 3373 kWh 1445 kWh £871 £145 £1,016 £15,707 15.5 yrs £4,614
7 kW 5621 kWh 3935 kWh 1686 kWh £1,017 £169 £1,185 £17,742 15.0 yrs £5,966
8 kW 6424 kWh 4497 kWh 1927 kWh £1,162 £193 £1,355 £19,776 14.6 yrs £7,318

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: £866, 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 1606 kWh 1172 kWh 434 kWh £303 £43 £346 £9,319 26.9 yrs £-2,393
3 kW 2409 kWh 1759 kWh 650 kWh £454 £65 £519 £11,354 21.9 yrs £-964
4 kW 3212 kWh 2345 kWh 867 kWh £606 £87 £693 £13,388 19.3 yrs £464
5 kW 4015 kWh 2931 kWh 1084 kWh £757 £108 £866 £15,423 17.8 yrs £1,893
6 kW 4818 kWh 3517 kWh 1301 kWh £909 £130 £1,039 £17,457 16.8 yrs £3,321
7 kW 5621 kWh 4103 kWh 1518 kWh £1,060 £152 £1,212 £19,492 16.1 yrs £4,750
8 kW 6424 kWh 4690 kWh 1735 kWh £1,212 £173 £1,385 £21,526 15.5 yrs £6,179

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: £878, 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 1606 kWh 1205 kWh 402 kWh £311 £40 £351 £11,069 31.5 yrs £-4,041
3 kW 2409 kWh 1807 kWh 602 kWh £467 £60 £527 £13,104 24.9 yrs £-2,562
4 kW 3212 kWh 2409 kWh 803 kWh £622 £80 £703 £15,138 21.5 yrs £-1,082
5 kW 4015 kWh 3011 kWh 1004 kWh £778 £100 £878 £17,173 19.5 yrs £397
6 kW 4818 kWh 3614 kWh 1205 kWh £934 £120 £1,054 £19,207 18.2 yrs £1,877
7 kW 5621 kWh 4216 kWh 1405 kWh £1,089 £141 £1,230 £21,242 17.3 yrs £3,356
8 kW 6424 kWh 4818 kWh 1606 kWh £1,245 £161 £1,406 £23,276 16.6 yrs £4,836

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 1606 kWh 1237 kWh 369 kWh £320 £37 £356 £13,519 37.9 yrs £-6,389
3 kW 2409 kWh 1855 kWh 554 kWh £479 £55 £535 £15,554 29.1 yrs £-4,859
4 kW 3212 kWh 2473 kWh 739 kWh £639 £74 £713 £17,588 24.7 yrs £-3,329
5 kW 4015 kWh 3092 kWh 923 kWh £799 £92 £891 £19,623 22.0 yrs £-1,798
6 kW 4818 kWh 3710 kWh 1108 kWh £959 £111 £1,069 £21,657 20.3 yrs £-268
7 kW 5621 kWh 4328 kWh 1293 kWh £1,118 £129 £1,248 £23,692 19.0 yrs £1,262
8 kW 6424 kWh 4947 kWh 1478 kWh £1,278 £148 £1,426 £25,726 18.0 yrs £2,793

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 KA16

Figures below are tailored to KA16 — click through for full league tables.

Solar Payback Index Rank #2917 of 2997
13.5 years (UK avg 11.3 years)
~£902 /yr • £12,207 upfront
Standing-Charge Drag Rank #2060 of 2997
22.9% (UK avg 21.7%) drag on savings
£206 fixed • ~£902 /yr value

Your Area at a Glance

Your Electricity Rate
25.84p/kWh
Daily Fixed Charge
56.55p/day
Local Sunshine
803kWh/kW
A 1 kW system generates ~803 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

East Ayrshire (100%)

Areas Covered

Irvine Valley, Kilmarnock West and Crosshouse

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

KA17 (East Ayrshire)
≈2.8 km away
Local sunshine: ~813 kWh/kWp · +1% vs KA16
KA4 (East Ayrshire)
≈3.6 km away
Local sunshine: ~814 kWh/kWp · +1% vs KA16
KA1 (East Ayrshire)
≈10.7 km away
Local sunshine: ~866 kWh/kWp · +8% vs KA16
KA3 (East Ayrshire)
≈11.0 km away
Local sunshine: ~851 kWh/kWp · +6% vs KA16
KA5 (East Ayrshire)
≈11.1 km away
Local sunshine: ~847 kWh/kWp · +5% vs KA16
KA2 (East Ayrshire)
≈14.4 km away
Local sunshine: ~865 kWh/kWp · +8% vs KA16

Similar sunshine across the UK

OL5 (Tameside)
~803 kWh/kWp · +0% vs KA16
CA9 (Westmorland and Furness)
~803 kWh/kWp · +0% vs KA16
PH18 (Perth and Kinross)
~802 kWh/kWp · -0% vs KA16