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Solar Panels in KW2 (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
14.5 years
After this, it's pure profit
Upfront Cost
£10,173
What you pay to get started
Annual Benefit
£700
What you save every year
Profit Over 25 Years
£7,331
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 832 kWh/kW — 17 above 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 832 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)
832 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: £700, Upfront: £10,173, Break-even: 14.5 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1665 kWh 666 kWh 999 kWh £180 £100 £280 £4,069 14.5 yrs £1,532
3 kW 2497 kWh 999 kWh 1498 kWh £270 £150 £420 £6,104 14.5 yrs £2,298
4 kW 3329 kWh 1332 kWh 1998 kWh £360 £200 £560 £8,138 14.5 yrs £3,064
5 kW 4162 kWh 1665 kWh 2497 kWh £450 £250 £700 £10,173 14.5 yrs £3,830
6 kW 4994 kWh 1998 kWh 2996 kWh £541 £300 £840 £12,207 14.5 yrs £4,596
7 kW 5826 kWh 2330 kWh 3496 kWh £631 £350 £980 £14,242 14.5 yrs £5,362
8 kW 6658 kWh 2663 kWh 3995 kWh £721 £400 £1,120 £16,276 14.5 yrs £6,128

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: £842, Upfront: £12,273, Break-even: 14.6 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1665 kWh 999 kWh 666 kWh £270 £67 £337 £6,169 18.3 yrs £568
3 kW 2497 kWh 1498 kWh 999 kWh £405 £100 £505 £8,204 16.2 yrs £1,902
4 kW 3329 kWh 1998 kWh 1332 kWh £541 £133 £674 £10,238 15.2 yrs £3,236
5 kW 4162 kWh 2497 kWh 1665 kWh £676 £166 £842 £12,273 14.6 yrs £4,570
6 kW 4994 kWh 2996 kWh 1998 kWh £811 £200 £1,011 £14,307 14.2 yrs £5,904
7 kW 5826 kWh 3496 kWh 2330 kWh £946 £233 £1,179 £16,342 13.9 yrs £7,238
8 kW 6658 kWh 3995 kWh 2663 kWh £1,081 £266 £1,347 £18,376 13.6 yrs £8,572

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: £913, Upfront: £13,673, Break-even: 15.0 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1665 kWh 1165 kWh 499 kWh £315 £50 £365 £7,569 20.7 yrs £-264
3 kW 2497 kWh 1748 kWh 749 kWh £473 £75 £548 £9,604 17.5 yrs £1,354
4 kW 3329 kWh 2330 kWh 999 kWh £631 £100 £730 £11,638 15.9 yrs £2,972
5 kW 4162 kWh 2913 kWh 1248 kWh £788 £125 £913 £13,673 15.0 yrs £4,590
6 kW 4994 kWh 3496 kWh 1498 kWh £946 £150 £1,096 £15,707 14.3 yrs £6,208
7 kW 5826 kWh 4078 kWh 1748 kWh £1,104 £175 £1,278 £17,742 13.9 yrs £7,826
8 kW 6658 kWh 4661 kWh 1998 kWh £1,261 £200 £1,461 £19,776 13.5 yrs £9,444

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: £934, Upfront: £15,423, Break-even: 16.5 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1665 kWh 1215 kWh 449 kWh £329 £45 £374 £9,319 24.9 yrs £-1,844
3 kW 2497 kWh 1823 kWh 674 kWh £493 £67 £561 £11,354 20.3 yrs £-141
4 kW 3329 kWh 2430 kWh 899 kWh £658 £90 £748 £13,388 17.9 yrs £1,563
5 kW 4162 kWh 3038 kWh 1124 kWh £822 £112 £934 £15,423 16.5 yrs £3,266
6 kW 4994 kWh 3645 kWh 1348 kWh £986 £135 £1,121 £17,457 15.6 yrs £4,969
7 kW 5826 kWh 4253 kWh 1573 kWh £1,151 £157 £1,308 £19,492 14.9 yrs £6,672
8 kW 6658 kWh 4861 kWh 1798 kWh £1,315 £180 £1,495 £21,526 14.4 yrs £8,375

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: £949, Upfront: £17,173, Break-even: 18.1 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1665 kWh 1248 kWh 416 kWh £338 £42 £379 £11,069 29.2 yrs £-3,480
3 kW 2497 kWh 1873 kWh 624 kWh £507 £62 £569 £13,104 23.0 yrs £-1,720
4 kW 3329 kWh 2497 kWh 832 kWh £676 £83 £759 £15,138 19.9 yrs £40
5 kW 4162 kWh 3121 kWh 1040 kWh £845 £104 £949 £17,173 18.1 yrs £1,800
6 kW 4994 kWh 3745 kWh 1248 kWh £1,013 £125 £1,138 £19,207 16.9 yrs £3,560
7 kW 5826 kWh 4370 kWh 1457 kWh £1,182 £146 £1,328 £21,242 16.0 yrs £5,320
8 kW 6658 kWh 4994 kWh 1665 kWh £1,351 £166 £1,518 £23,276 15.3 yrs £7,080

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: £963, Upfront: £19,623, Break-even: 20.4 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1665 kWh 1282 kWh 383 kWh £347 £38 £385 £13,519 35.1 yrs £-5,817
3 kW 2497 kWh 1923 kWh 574 kWh £520 £57 £578 £15,554 26.9 yrs £-4,000
4 kW 3329 kWh 2563 kWh 766 kWh £694 £77 £770 £17,588 22.8 yrs £-2,183
5 kW 4162 kWh 3204 kWh 957 kWh £867 £96 £963 £19,623 20.4 yrs £-366
6 kW 4994 kWh 3845 kWh 1149 kWh £1,041 £115 £1,155 £21,657 18.7 yrs £1,450
7 kW 5826 kWh 4486 kWh 1340 kWh £1,214 £134 £1,348 £23,692 17.6 yrs £3,267
8 kW 6658 kWh 5127 kWh 1531 kWh £1,387 £153 £1,541 £25,726 16.7 yrs £5,084

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 KW2

Figures below are tailored to KW2 — click through for full league tables.

Solar Payback Index Rank #2681 of 2997
12.6 years (UK avg 11.3 years)
~£645 /yr • £8,138 upfront
Standing-Charge Drag Rank #2818 of 2997
34.5% (UK avg 21.7%) drag on savings
£223 fixed • ~£645 /yr value

Your Area at a Glance

Your Electricity Rate
27.06p/kWh
Daily Fixed Charge
61.00p/day
Local Sunshine
832kWh/kW
A 1 kW system generates ~832 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

Highland (100%)

Areas Covered

Wick and East Caithness

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

KW3 (Highland)
≈8.7 km away
Local sunshine: ~838 kWh/kWp · +1% vs KW2
KW1 (Highland)
≈11.3 km away
Local sunshine: ~815 kWh/kWp · -2% vs KW2
KW5 (Highland)
≈15.0 km away
Local sunshine: ~828 kWh/kWp · -1% vs KW2
KW6 (Highland)
≈19.5 km away
Local sunshine: ~814 kWh/kWp · -2% vs KW2
KW12 (Highland)
≈26.5 km away
Local sunshine: ~828 kWh/kWp · -1% vs KW2
KW7 (Highland)
≈26.9 km away
Local sunshine: ~819 kWh/kWp · -2% vs KW2

Similar sunshine across the UK

G61 (East Dunbartonshire)
~832 kWh/kWp · -0% vs KW2
BT78 (Fermanagh and Omagh)
~832 kWh/kWp · -0% vs KW2
G44 (Glasgow City)
~832 kWh/kWp · +0% vs KW2