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Solar Panels in KW10 (Highland)

See if solar pays off for you in Highland — 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
15.1 years
After this, it's pure profit
Upfront Cost
£12,207
What you pay to get started
Annual Benefit
£809
What you save every year
Profit Over 25 Years
£8,007
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 Northern Scotland, the current unit rate is 27.06p/kWh with a 61.00p/day standing charge. Your postcode’s south-facing sunshine yield is 801 kWh/kW — 14 below the regional median (815).

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 801 kWh per year on a south-facing roof. We value self-used electricity at 27.1p and exported surplus at a baseline 10p via SEG. Use the calculator above for your exact tariff.

Unit rate
27.1p/kWh
Standing charge
61.0p/day
Sunshine yield (south)
801 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: £674, Upfront: £10,173, Break-even: 15.1 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1602 kWh 641 kWh 961 kWh £173 £96 £270 £4,069 15.1 yrs £1,321
3 kW 2403 kWh 961 kWh 1442 kWh £260 £144 £404 £6,104 15.1 yrs £1,982
4 kW 3204 kWh 1282 kWh 1922 kWh £347 £192 £539 £8,138 15.1 yrs £2,643
5 kW 4005 kWh 1602 kWh 2403 kWh £434 £240 £674 £10,173 15.1 yrs £3,304
6 kW 4806 kWh 1922 kWh 2884 kWh £520 £288 £809 £12,207 15.1 yrs £3,964
7 kW 5607 kWh 2243 kWh 3364 kWh £607 £336 £943 £14,242 15.1 yrs £4,625
8 kW 6408 kWh 2563 kWh 3845 kWh £694 £384 £1,078 £16,276 15.1 yrs £5,286

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: £810, Upfront: £12,273, Break-even: 15.1 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1602 kWh 961 kWh 641 kWh £260 £64 £324 £6,169 19.0 yrs £315
3 kW 2403 kWh 1442 kWh 961 kWh £390 £96 £486 £8,204 16.9 yrs £1,522
4 kW 3204 kWh 1922 kWh 1282 kWh £520 £128 £648 £10,238 15.8 yrs £2,729
5 kW 4005 kWh 2403 kWh 1602 kWh £650 £160 £810 £12,273 15.1 yrs £3,937
6 kW 4806 kWh 2884 kWh 1922 kWh £780 £192 £973 £14,307 14.7 yrs £5,144
7 kW 5607 kWh 3364 kWh 2243 kWh £910 £224 £1,135 £16,342 14.4 yrs £6,351
8 kW 6408 kWh 3845 kWh 2563 kWh £1,040 £256 £1,297 £18,376 14.2 yrs £7,559

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: £879, Upfront: £13,673, Break-even: 15.6 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1602 kWh 1121 kWh 481 kWh £303 £48 £352 £7,569 21.5 yrs £-539
3 kW 2403 kWh 1682 kWh 721 kWh £455 £72 £527 £9,604 18.2 yrs £942
4 kW 3204 kWh 2243 kWh 961 kWh £607 £96 £703 £11,638 16.6 yrs £2,423
5 kW 4005 kWh 2804 kWh 1202 kWh £759 £120 £879 £13,673 15.6 yrs £3,903
6 kW 4806 kWh 3364 kWh 1442 kWh £910 £144 £1,055 £15,707 14.9 yrs £5,384
7 kW 5607 kWh 3925 kWh 1682 kWh £1,062 £168 £1,230 £17,742 14.4 yrs £6,864
8 kW 6408 kWh 4486 kWh 1922 kWh £1,214 £192 £1,406 £19,776 14.1 yrs £8,345

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: £899, Upfront: £15,423, Break-even: 17.1 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1602 kWh 1169 kWh 433 kWh £316 £43 £360 £9,319 25.9 yrs £-2,125
3 kW 2403 kWh 1754 kWh 649 kWh £475 £65 £540 £11,354 21.0 yrs £-562
4 kW 3204 kWh 2339 kWh 865 kWh £633 £87 £719 £13,388 18.6 yrs £1,001
5 kW 4005 kWh 2924 kWh 1081 kWh £791 £108 £899 £15,423 17.1 yrs £2,563
6 kW 4806 kWh 3508 kWh 1298 kWh £949 £130 £1,079 £17,457 16.2 yrs £4,126
7 kW 5607 kWh 4093 kWh 1514 kWh £1,108 £151 £1,259 £19,492 15.5 yrs £5,688
8 kW 6408 kWh 4678 kWh 1730 kWh £1,266 £173 £1,439 £21,526 15.0 yrs £7,251

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: £913, Upfront: £17,173, Break-even: 18.8 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1602 kWh 1202 kWh 401 kWh £325 £40 £365 £11,069 30.3 yrs £-3,765
3 kW 2403 kWh 1802 kWh 601 kWh £488 £60 £548 £13,104 23.9 yrs £-2,148
4 kW 3204 kWh 2403 kWh 801 kWh £650 £80 £730 £15,138 20.7 yrs £-531
5 kW 4005 kWh 3004 kWh 1001 kWh £813 £100 £913 £17,173 18.8 yrs £1,086
6 kW 4806 kWh 3605 kWh 1202 kWh £975 £120 £1,096 £19,207 17.5 yrs £2,704
7 kW 5607 kWh 4205 kWh 1402 kWh £1,138 £140 £1,278 £21,242 16.6 yrs £4,321
8 kW 6408 kWh 4806 kWh 1602 kWh £1,301 £160 £1,461 £23,276 15.9 yrs £5,938

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: £927, Upfront: £19,623, Break-even: 21.2 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1602 kWh 1234 kWh 368 kWh £334 £37 £371 £13,519 36.5 yrs £-6,106
3 kW 2403 kWh 1850 kWh 553 kWh £501 £55 £556 £15,554 28.0 yrs £-4,434
4 kW 3204 kWh 2467 kWh 737 kWh £668 £74 £741 £17,588 23.7 yrs £-2,762
5 kW 4005 kWh 3084 kWh 921 kWh £835 £92 £927 £19,623 21.2 yrs £-1,090
6 kW 4806 kWh 3701 kWh 1105 kWh £1,001 £111 £1,112 £21,657 19.5 yrs £582
7 kW 5607 kWh 4317 kWh 1290 kWh £1,168 £129 £1,297 £23,692 18.3 yrs £2,254
8 kW 6408 kWh 4934 kWh 1474 kWh £1,335 £147 £1,483 £25,726 17.4 yrs £3,926

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 KW10

Figures below are tailored to KW10 — click through for full league tables.

Solar Payback Index Rank #2851 of 2997
13.1 years (UK avg 11.3 years)
~£932 /yr • £12,207 upfront
Standing-Charge Drag Rank #2128 of 2997
23.9% (UK avg 21.7%) drag on savings
£223 fixed • ~£932 /yr value

Your Area at a Glance

Your Electricity Rate
27.06p/kWh
Daily Fixed Charge
61.00p/day
Local Sunshine
801kWh/kW
A 1 kW system generates ~801 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

Highland (100%)

Areas Covered

East Sutherland and Edderton

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 Northern Scotland

KW9 (Highland)
≈8.2 km away
Local sunshine: ~829 kWh/kWp · +3% vs KW10
IV25 (Highland)
≈10.9 km away
Local sunshine: ~822 kWh/kWp · +3% vs KW10
IV28 (Highland)
≈11.0 km away
Local sunshine: ~802 kWh/kWp · +0% vs KW10
IV19 (Highland)
≈18.8 km away
Local sunshine: ~860 kWh/kWp · +7% vs KW10
IV20 (Highland)
≈22.3 km away
Local sunshine: ~814 kWh/kWp · +2% vs KW10
IV24 (Highland)
≈23.8 km away
Local sunshine: ~798 kWh/kWp · -0% vs KW10

Similar sunshine across the UK

KA16 (East Ayrshire)
~803 kWh/kWp · +0% vs KW10
OL5 (Tameside)
~803 kWh/kWp · +0% vs KW10
G76 (East Renfrewshire)
~799 kWh/kWp · -0% vs KW10