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Solar panel cost in East Ayrshire (KA17)

See realistic solar installation costs, savings and payback for KA17 (East 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
14.8 years
After this, it's pure profit
Upfront Cost
£12,207
What you pay to get started
Annual Benefit
£823
What you save every year
Profit Over 25 Years
£8,363
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 27.18p/kWh with a 57.62p/day standing charge. Your postcode’s south-facing sunshine yield is 813 kWh/kW — 37 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 813 kWh per year on a south-facing roof. We value self-used electricity at 27.2p and exported surplus at a baseline 10p via SEG. Use the calculator above for your exact tariff.

Unit rate
27.2p/kWh
Standing charge
57.6p/day
Sunshine yield (south)
813 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: £686, Upfront: £10,173, Break-even: 14.8 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1626 kWh 650 kWh 975 kWh £177 £98 £274 £4,069 14.8 yrs £1,416
3 kW 2438 kWh 975 kWh 1463 kWh £265 £146 £411 £6,104 14.8 yrs £2,125
4 kW 3251 kWh 1300 kWh 1951 kWh £353 £195 £549 £8,138 14.8 yrs £2,833
5 kW 4064 kWh 1626 kWh 2438 kWh £442 £244 £686 £10,173 14.8 yrs £3,541
6 kW 4877 kWh 1951 kWh 2926 kWh £530 £293 £823 £12,207 14.8 yrs £4,249
7 kW 5690 kWh 2276 kWh 3414 kWh £619 £341 £960 £14,242 14.8 yrs £4,957
8 kW 6502 kWh 2601 kWh 3901 kWh £707 £390 £1,097 £16,276 14.8 yrs £5,665

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: £825, 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 1626 kWh 975 kWh 650 kWh £265 £65 £330 £6,169 18.7 yrs £433
3 kW 2438 kWh 1463 kWh 975 kWh £398 £98 £495 £8,204 16.6 yrs £1,700
4 kW 3251 kWh 1951 kWh 1300 kWh £530 £130 £660 £10,238 15.5 yrs £2,967
5 kW 4064 kWh 2438 kWh 1626 kWh £663 £163 £825 £12,273 14.9 yrs £4,234
6 kW 4877 kWh 2926 kWh 1951 kWh £795 £195 £990 £14,307 14.4 yrs £5,500
7 kW 5690 kWh 3414 kWh 2276 kWh £928 £228 £1,155 £16,342 14.1 yrs £6,767
8 kW 6502 kWh 3901 kWh 2601 kWh £1,060 £260 £1,320 £18,376 13.9 yrs £8,034

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: £895, 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 1626 kWh 1138 kWh 488 kWh £309 £49 £358 £7,569 21.1 yrs £-408
3 kW 2438 kWh 1707 kWh 732 kWh £464 £73 £537 £9,604 17.9 yrs £1,138
4 kW 3251 kWh 2276 kWh 975 kWh £619 £98 £716 £11,638 16.3 yrs £2,684
5 kW 4064 kWh 2845 kWh 1219 kWh £773 £122 £895 £13,673 15.3 yrs £4,230
6 kW 4877 kWh 3414 kWh 1463 kWh £928 £146 £1,074 £15,707 14.6 yrs £5,776
7 kW 5690 kWh 3983 kWh 1707 kWh £1,082 £171 £1,253 £17,742 14.2 yrs £7,322
8 kW 6502 kWh 4552 kWh 1951 kWh £1,237 £195 £1,432 £19,776 13.8 yrs £8,868

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: £916, Upfront: £15,423, Break-even: 16.8 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1626 kWh 1187 kWh 439 kWh £323 £44 £366 £9,319 25.4 yrs £-1,990
3 kW 2438 kWh 1780 kWh 658 kWh £484 £66 £550 £11,354 20.7 yrs £-361
4 kW 3251 kWh 2373 kWh 878 kWh £645 £88 £733 £13,388 18.3 yrs £1,269
5 kW 4064 kWh 2967 kWh 1097 kWh £806 £110 £916 £15,423 16.8 yrs £2,899
6 kW 4877 kWh 3560 kWh 1317 kWh £968 £132 £1,099 £17,457 15.9 yrs £4,529
7 kW 5690 kWh 4153 kWh 1536 kWh £1,129 £154 £1,282 £19,492 15.2 yrs £6,158
8 kW 6502 kWh 4747 kWh 1756 kWh £1,290 £176 £1,466 £21,526 14.7 yrs £7,788

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: £930, 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 1626 kWh 1219 kWh 406 kWh £331 £41 £372 £11,069 29.8 yrs £-3,629
3 kW 2438 kWh 1829 kWh 610 kWh £497 £61 £558 £13,104 23.5 yrs £-1,943
4 kW 3251 kWh 2438 kWh 813 kWh £663 £81 £744 £15,138 20.3 yrs £-257
5 kW 4064 kWh 3048 kWh 1016 kWh £828 £102 £930 £17,173 18.5 yrs £1,428
6 kW 4877 kWh 3658 kWh 1219 kWh £994 £122 £1,116 £19,207 17.2 yrs £3,114
7 kW 5690 kWh 4267 kWh 1422 kWh £1,160 £142 £1,302 £21,242 16.3 yrs £4,799
8 kW 6502 kWh 4877 kWh 1626 kWh £1,325 £163 £1,488 £23,276 15.6 yrs £6,485

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: £944, Upfront: £19,623, Break-even: 20.8 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1626 kWh 1252 kWh 374 kWh £340 £37 £378 £13,519 35.8 yrs £-5,967
3 kW 2438 kWh 1878 kWh 561 kWh £510 £56 £566 £15,554 27.5 yrs £-4,226
4 kW 3251 kWh 2503 kWh 748 kWh £680 £75 £755 £17,588 23.3 yrs £-2,484
5 kW 4064 kWh 3129 kWh 935 kWh £851 £93 £944 £19,623 20.8 yrs £-743
6 kW 4877 kWh 3755 kWh 1122 kWh £1,021 £112 £1,133 £21,657 19.1 yrs £999
7 kW 5690 kWh 4381 kWh 1309 kWh £1,191 £131 £1,322 £23,692 17.9 yrs £2,740
8 kW 6502 kWh 5007 kWh 1496 kWh £1,361 £150 £1,510 £25,726 17.0 yrs £4,482

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 KA17

Figures below are tailored to KA17 — click through for full league tables.

Solar Payback Index Rank #2883 of 2997
14.8 years (UK avg 12.6 years)
~£823 /yr • £12,207 upfront
Standing-Charge Drag Rank #2019 of 2997
25.6% (UK avg 24.6%) drag on savings
£210 fixed • ~£823 /yr value
Aspect Penalty View ranking →
East −18.1% West −19.0%
Typical output loss versus a south-facing roof (lower is better)

Your Area at a Glance

Your Electricity Rate
27.18p/kWh
Daily Fixed Charge
57.62p/day
Local Sunshine
813kWh/kW
A 1 kW system generates ~813 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, Annick

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

KA16 (East Ayrshire)
≈2.8 km away
Local sunshine: ~803 kWh/kWp · -1% vs KA17
KA4 (East Ayrshire)
≈6.4 km away
Local sunshine: ~814 kWh/kWp · +0% vs KA17
KA5 (East Ayrshire)
≈12.5 km away
Local sunshine: ~847 kWh/kWp · +4% vs KA17
KA1 (East Ayrshire)
≈13.5 km away
Local sunshine: ~866 kWh/kWp · +6% vs KA17
KA3 (East Ayrshire)
≈13.7 km away
Local sunshine: ~851 kWh/kWp · +5% vs KA17
ML10 (South Lanarkshire)
≈15.8 km away
Local sunshine: ~844 kWh/kWp · +4% vs KA17

Similar sunshine across the UK

CA13 (Cumberland)
~812 kWh/kWp · -0% vs KA17
KW14 (Highland)
~813 kWh/kWp · +0% vs KA17
LL48 (Gwynedd)
~812 kWh/kWp · -0% vs KA17