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Solar panel cost in Orkney Islands (KW16)

See realistic solar installation costs, savings and payback for KW16 (Orkney Islands) 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
12.2 years
After this, it's pure profit
Upfront Cost
£8,139
What you pay to get started
Annual Benefit
£667
What you save every year
Profit Over 25 Years
£8,547
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: The official cost per kW is lower above 4 kW, so a 5–6 kW system can pay back a little faster than a 3–4 kW system on otherwise identical assumptions.
  • 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

Panel costs: Uses March 2026 TIC mean installation costs: £1,827/kW up to 4 kW and £1,628/kW above 4 kW.

Other costs: Battery prices are modelled at £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 26.42p/kWh with a 57.55p/day standing charge. Your postcode’s south-facing sunshine yield is 806 kWh/kW — 9 below the regional median (815).

Read the full story

A typical roof here lands around 5.0 kW, with most eligible homes comfortably fitting within 3–6 kW. Each kilowatt of panels produces roughly 806 kWh per year on a south-facing roof. We value self-used electricity at 26.4p and exported surplus at a baseline 10p via SEG. Use the calculator above for your exact tariff.

Unit rate
26.4p/kWh
Standing charge
57.5p/day
Sunshine yield (south)
806 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: £667, Upfront: £8,139, Break-even: 12.2 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1611 kWh 645 kWh 967 kWh £170 £97 £267 £3,256 12.2 yrs £2,084
3 kW 2417 kWh 967 kWh 1450 kWh £255 £145 £400 £4,883 12.2 yrs £3,126
4 kW 3223 kWh 1289 kWh 1934 kWh £341 £193 £534 £6,511 12.2 yrs £4,168
5 kW 4028 kWh 1611 kWh 2417 kWh £426 £242 £667 £8,139 12.2 yrs £5,210
6 kW 4834 kWh 1934 kWh 2900 kWh £511 £290 £801 £9,767 12.2 yrs £6,252
7 kW 5640 kWh 2256 kWh 3384 kWh £596 £338 £934 £11,394 12.2 yrs £7,294
8 kW 6445 kWh 2578 kWh 3867 kWh £681 £387 £1,068 £13,022 12.2 yrs £8,336

Assumptions: south-facing, sensible tilt; self-use shares from site rules; export at 10p baseline. Costs: panels £/kW = 1,628, battery £/kWh = 700.

3 kWh battery 5 kW example → Annual benefit: £800, Upfront: £10,239, Break-even: 12.8 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1611 kWh 967 kWh 645 kWh £255 £64 £320 £5,356 16.7 yrs £1,042
3 kW 2417 kWh 1450 kWh 967 kWh £383 £97 £480 £6,983 14.6 yrs £2,613
4 kW 3223 kWh 1934 kWh 1289 kWh £511 £129 £640 £8,611 13.5 yrs £4,184
5 kW 4028 kWh 2417 kWh 1611 kWh £639 £161 £800 £10,239 12.8 yrs £5,756
6 kW 4834 kWh 2900 kWh 1934 kWh £766 £193 £960 £11,867 12.4 yrs £7,327
7 kW 5640 kWh 3384 kWh 2256 kWh £894 £226 £1,120 £13,494 12.1 yrs £8,898
8 kW 6445 kWh 3867 kWh 2578 kWh £1,022 £258 £1,280 £15,122 11.8 yrs £10,469

Assumptions: south-facing, sensible tilt; self-use shares from site rules; export at 10p baseline. Costs: panels £/kW = 1,628, battery £/kWh = 700.

5 kWh battery 5 kW example → Annual benefit: £866, Upfront: £11,639, Break-even: 13.4 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1611 kWh 1128 kWh 483 kWh £298 £48 £346 £6,756 19.5 yrs £171
3 kW 2417 kWh 1692 kWh 725 kWh £447 £73 £520 £8,383 16.1 yrs £2,007
4 kW 3223 kWh 2256 kWh 967 kWh £596 £97 £693 £10,011 14.5 yrs £3,843
5 kW 4028 kWh 2820 kWh 1209 kWh £745 £121 £866 £11,639 13.4 yrs £5,678
6 kW 4834 kWh 3384 kWh 1450 kWh £894 £145 £1,039 £13,267 12.8 yrs £7,514
7 kW 5640 kWh 3948 kWh 1692 kWh £1,043 £169 £1,212 £14,894 12.3 yrs £9,350
8 kW 6445 kWh 4512 kWh 1934 kWh £1,192 £193 £1,385 £16,522 11.9 yrs £11,186

Assumptions: south-facing, sensible tilt; self-use shares from site rules; export at 10p baseline. Costs: panels £/kW = 1,628, battery £/kWh = 700.

7.5 kWh battery 5 kW example → Annual benefit: £886, Upfront: £13,389, 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 1611 kWh 1176 kWh 435 kWh £311 £44 £354 £8,506 24.0 yrs £-1,420
3 kW 2417 kWh 1764 kWh 653 kWh £466 £65 £531 £10,133 19.1 yrs £495
4 kW 3223 kWh 2353 kWh 870 kWh £622 £87 £709 £11,761 16.6 yrs £2,410
5 kW 4028 kWh 2941 kWh 1088 kWh £777 £109 £886 £13,389 15.1 yrs £4,325
6 kW 4834 kWh 3529 kWh 1305 kWh £932 £131 £1,063 £15,017 14.1 yrs £6,240
7 kW 5640 kWh 4117 kWh 1523 kWh £1,088 £152 £1,240 £16,644 13.4 yrs £8,156
8 kW 6445 kWh 4705 kWh 1740 kWh £1,243 £174 £1,417 £18,272 12.9 yrs £10,071

Assumptions: south-facing, sensible tilt; self-use shares from site rules; export at 10p baseline. Costs: panels £/kW = 1,628, battery £/kWh = 700.

10 kWh battery 5 kW example → Annual benefit: £899, Upfront: £15,139, 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 1611 kWh 1209 kWh 403 kWh £319 £40 £360 £10,256 28.5 yrs £-3,064
3 kW 2417 kWh 1813 kWh 604 kWh £479 £60 £539 £11,883 22.0 yrs £-1,096
4 kW 3223 kWh 2417 kWh 806 kWh £639 £81 £719 £13,511 18.8 yrs £872
5 kW 4028 kWh 3021 kWh 1007 kWh £798 £101 £899 £15,139 16.8 yrs £2,840
6 kW 4834 kWh 3626 kWh 1209 kWh £958 £121 £1,079 £16,767 15.5 yrs £4,808
7 kW 5640 kWh 4230 kWh 1410 kWh £1,118 £141 £1,259 £18,394 14.6 yrs £6,776
8 kW 6445 kWh 4834 kWh 1611 kWh £1,277 £161 £1,438 £20,022 13.9 yrs £8,744

Assumptions: south-facing, sensible tilt; self-use shares from site rules; export at 10p baseline. Costs: panels £/kW = 1,628, battery £/kWh = 700.

13.5 kWh battery 5 kW example → Annual benefit: £912, Upfront: £17,589, Break-even: 19.3 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1611 kWh 1241 kWh 371 kWh £328 £37 £365 £12,706 34.8 yrs £-5,408
3 kW 2417 kWh 1861 kWh 556 kWh £492 £56 £547 £14,333 26.2 yrs £-3,387
4 kW 3223 kWh 2481 kWh 741 kWh £656 £74 £730 £15,961 21.9 yrs £-1,366
5 kW 4028 kWh 3102 kWh 927 kWh £820 £93 £912 £17,589 19.3 yrs £655
6 kW 4834 kWh 3722 kWh 1112 kWh £983 £111 £1,095 £19,217 17.6 yrs £2,675
7 kW 5640 kWh 4343 kWh 1297 kWh £1,147 £130 £1,277 £20,844 16.3 yrs £4,696
8 kW 6445 kWh 4963 kWh 1482 kWh £1,311 £148 £1,459 £22,472 15.4 yrs £6,717

Assumptions: south-facing, sensible tilt; self-use shares from site rules; export at 10p baseline. Costs: panels £/kW = 1,628, 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.

Before you request quotes in Orkney Islands

Use the numbers above to sanity-check installer quotes. The main things to compare are system size, battery assumptions, payback claims, MCS certification, DNO paperwork and export assumptions.

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Check what MCS certification means

Understand DNO, G98 and G99 export limits

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Insights for KW16

Figures below are tailored to KW16 — click through for full league tables.

Solar Payback Index Rank #2888 of 2996
13.7 years (UK avg 10.8 years)
~£534 /yr • £7,307 upfront
Standing-Charge Drag Rank #2807 of 2996
39.3% (UK avg 26.6%) drag on savings
£210 fixed • ~£534 /yr value
Aspect Penalty View ranking →
East −20.2% West −22.2%
Typical output loss versus a south-facing roof (lower is better)

Seasonal solar output in KW16

Monthly generation per kilowatt of solar panels

kWh 14 Jan 35 Feb 69 Mar 102 Apr 122 May 115 Jun 110 Jul 97 Aug 71 Sep 42 Oct 20 Nov 10 Dec
Best month Worst month Winter (Dec–Feb) Other months

Winter output: 28.6% of an average month (Dec–Feb)

Best / worst month: May / Dec

These figures show output per kilowatt (kW) of panels installed. In winter, a 1 kW system here produces about 19 kWh per month; the average month produces around 67 kWh. So a typical 4 kW home system would generate roughly 77 kWh in winter, or 269 kWh in an average month.

Your Area at a Glance

Your Electricity Rate
26.42p/kWh
Daily Fixed Charge
57.55p/day
Local Sunshine
806kWh/kW
A 1 kW system generates ~806 kWh per year. A typical home uses ~2,700 kWh per year.
Typical System Size
5.0kW
For houses & bungalows in this area

Local Property Data

Property Types

No EPC data available for this outcode

Coverage

Orkney Islands (100%)

Areas Covered

Stromness and South Isles, West Mainland, Kirkwall West and Orphir

Data Sources & Assumptions

Solar yield: PVGIS (EU Joint Research Centre), January 2025 data

Electricity rates: Ofgem price cap, Q3 2026

Installation costs: DESNZ/MCS data, March 2026 (TIC)

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

KW17 (Orkney Islands)
≈19.5 km away
Local sunshine: ~789 kWh/kWp · -2% vs KW16
KW15 (Orkney Islands)
≈19.6 km away
Local sunshine: ~834 kWh/kWp · +4% vs KW16
KW14 (Highland)
≈43.2 km away
Local sunshine: ~813 kWh/kWp · +1% vs KW16
KW12 (Highland)
≈51.2 km away
Local sunshine: ~828 kWh/kWp · +3% vs KW16
KW1 (Highland)
≈59.0 km away
Local sunshine: ~815 kWh/kWp · +1% vs KW16
KW13 (Highland)
≈65.3 km away
Local sunshine: ~780 kWh/kWp · -3% vs KW16

Similar sunshine across the UK

LL40 (Gwynedd)
~805 kWh/kWp · -0% vs KW16
BT47 (Derry City and Strabane)
~806 kWh/kWp · +0% vs KW16
LL41 (Gwynedd)
~808 kWh/kWp · +0% vs KW16