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Solar panel cost in North Ayrshire (KA20)

See realistic solar installation costs, savings and payback for KA20 (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
13.9 years
After this, it's pure profit
Upfront Cost
£12,207
What you pay to get started
Annual Benefit
£878
What you save every year
Profit Over 25 Years
£9,748
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 868 kWh/kW — 18 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 868 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)
868 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: £732, Upfront: £10,173, Break-even: 13.9 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1735 kWh 694 kWh 1041 kWh £189 £104 £293 £4,069 13.9 yrs £1,786
3 kW 2603 kWh 1041 kWh 1562 kWh £283 £156 £439 £6,104 13.9 yrs £2,679
4 kW 3470 kWh 1388 kWh 2082 kWh £377 £208 £585 £8,138 13.9 yrs £3,571
5 kW 4338 kWh 1735 kWh 2603 kWh £472 £260 £732 £10,173 13.9 yrs £4,464
6 kW 5205 kWh 2082 kWh 3123 kWh £566 £312 £878 £12,207 13.9 yrs £5,357
7 kW 6073 kWh 2429 kWh 3644 kWh £660 £364 £1,025 £14,242 13.9 yrs £6,250
8 kW 6940 kWh 2776 kWh 4164 kWh £755 £416 £1,171 £16,276 13.9 yrs £7,143

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: £881, Upfront: £12,273, Break-even: 13.9 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1735 kWh 1041 kWh 694 kWh £283 £69 £352 £6,169 17.5 yrs £878
3 kW 2603 kWh 1562 kWh 1041 kWh £424 £104 £529 £8,204 15.5 yrs £2,367
4 kW 3470 kWh 2082 kWh 1388 kWh £566 £139 £705 £10,238 14.5 yrs £3,856
5 kW 4338 kWh 2603 kWh 1735 kWh £707 £174 £881 £12,273 13.9 yrs £5,345
6 kW 5205 kWh 3123 kWh 2082 kWh £849 £208 £1,057 £14,307 13.5 yrs £6,834
7 kW 6073 kWh 3644 kWh 2429 kWh £990 £243 £1,233 £16,342 13.3 yrs £8,323
8 kW 6940 kWh 4164 kWh 2776 kWh £1,132 £278 £1,409 £18,376 13.0 yrs £9,812

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: £955, Upfront: £13,673, Break-even: 14.3 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1735 kWh 1215 kWh 521 kWh £330 £52 £382 £7,569 19.8 yrs £74
3 kW 2603 kWh 1822 kWh 781 kWh £495 £78 £573 £9,604 16.8 yrs £1,861
4 kW 3470 kWh 2429 kWh 1041 kWh £660 £104 £764 £11,638 15.2 yrs £3,648
5 kW 4338 kWh 3036 kWh 1301 kWh £825 £130 £955 £13,673 14.3 yrs £5,435
6 kW 5205 kWh 3644 kWh 1562 kWh £990 £156 £1,146 £15,707 13.7 yrs £7,223
7 kW 6073 kWh 4251 kWh 1822 kWh £1,155 £182 £1,338 £17,742 13.3 yrs £9,010
8 kW 6940 kWh 4858 kWh 2082 kWh £1,320 £208 £1,529 £19,776 12.9 yrs £10,797

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: £978, Upfront: £15,423, Break-even: 15.8 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1735 kWh 1267 kWh 468 kWh £344 £47 £391 £9,319 23.8 yrs £-1,497
3 kW 2603 kWh 1900 kWh 703 kWh £516 £70 £587 £11,354 19.4 yrs £380
4 kW 3470 kWh 2533 kWh 937 kWh £689 £94 £782 £13,388 17.1 yrs £2,256
5 kW 4338 kWh 3166 kWh 1171 kWh £861 £117 £978 £15,423 15.8 yrs £4,133
6 kW 5205 kWh 3800 kWh 1405 kWh £1,033 £141 £1,173 £17,457 14.9 yrs £6,009
7 kW 6073 kWh 4433 kWh 1640 kWh £1,205 £164 £1,369 £19,492 14.2 yrs £7,886
8 kW 6940 kWh 5066 kWh 1874 kWh £1,377 £187 £1,564 £21,526 13.8 yrs £9,762

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: £993, Upfront: £17,173, Break-even: 17.3 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1735 kWh 1301 kWh 434 kWh £354 £43 £397 £11,069 27.9 yrs £-3,128
3 kW 2603 kWh 1952 kWh 651 kWh £531 £65 £596 £13,104 22.0 yrs £-1,192
4 kW 3470 kWh 2603 kWh 868 kWh £707 £87 £794 £15,138 19.1 yrs £745
5 kW 4338 kWh 3253 kWh 1084 kWh £884 £108 £993 £17,173 17.3 yrs £2,681
6 kW 5205 kWh 3904 kWh 1301 kWh £1,061 £130 £1,191 £19,207 16.1 yrs £4,617
7 kW 6073 kWh 4554 kWh 1518 kWh £1,238 £152 £1,390 £21,242 15.3 yrs £6,553
8 kW 6940 kWh 5205 kWh 1735 kWh £1,415 £174 £1,588 £23,276 14.7 yrs £8,489

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: £1,008, Upfront: £19,623, 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 1735 kWh 1336 kWh 399 kWh £363 £40 £403 £13,519 33.5 yrs £-5,459
3 kW 2603 kWh 2004 kWh 599 kWh £545 £60 £605 £15,554 25.7 yrs £-3,463
4 kW 3470 kWh 2672 kWh 798 kWh £726 £80 £806 £17,588 21.8 yrs £-1,467
5 kW 4338 kWh 3340 kWh 998 kWh £908 £100 £1,008 £19,623 19.5 yrs £529
6 kW 5205 kWh 4008 kWh 1197 kWh £1,089 £120 £1,209 £21,657 17.9 yrs £2,524
7 kW 6073 kWh 4676 kWh 1397 kWh £1,271 £140 £1,411 £23,692 16.8 yrs £4,520
8 kW 6940 kWh 5344 kWh 1596 kWh £1,452 £160 £1,612 £25,726 16.0 yrs £6,516

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 KA20

Figures below are tailored to KA20 — click through for full league tables.

Solar Payback Index Rank #2638 of 2997
13.9 years (UK avg 12.6 years)
~£878 /yr • £12,207 upfront
Standing-Charge Drag Rank #1646 of 2997
24.0% (UK avg 24.6%) drag on savings
£210 fixed • ~£878 /yr value
Aspect Penalty View ranking →
East −20.5% West −22.5%
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
868kWh/kW
A 1 kW system generates ~868 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

Saltcoats and Stevenston, Kilwinning

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

KA21 (North Ayrshire)
≈2.1 km away
Local sunshine: ~866 kWh/kWp · -0% vs KA20
KA13 (North Ayrshire)
≈3.5 km away
Local sunshine: ~880 kWh/kWp · +1% vs KA20
KA22 (North Ayrshire)
≈3.7 km away
Local sunshine: ~866 kWh/kWp · -0% vs KA20
KA12 (North Ayrshire)
≈6.0 km away
Local sunshine: ~897 kWh/kWp · +3% vs KA20
KA24 (North Ayrshire)
≈7.7 km away
Local sunshine: ~892 kWh/kWp · +3% vs KA20
KA11 (North Ayrshire)
≈8.0 km away
Local sunshine: ~890 kWh/kWp · +3% vs KA20

Similar sunshine across the UK

M27 (Salford)
~868 kWh/kWp · +0% vs KA20
BT45 (Mid Ulster)
~867 kWh/kWp · -0% vs KA20
CA18 (Cumberland)
~868 kWh/kWp · +0% vs KA20