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Solar Panels in KW9 (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
14.6 years
After this, it's pure profit
Upfront Cost
£10,173
What you pay to get started
Annual Benefit
£697
What you save every year
Profit Over 25 Years
£7,252
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 829 kWh/kW — 14 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 829 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)
829 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: £697, Upfront: £10,173, 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 1657 kWh 663 kWh 994 kWh £179 £99 £279 £4,069 14.6 yrs £1,507
3 kW 2486 kWh 994 kWh 1491 kWh £269 £149 £418 £6,104 14.6 yrs £2,260
4 kW 3314 kWh 1326 kWh 1989 kWh £359 £199 £558 £8,138 14.6 yrs £3,014
5 kW 4143 kWh 1657 kWh 2486 kWh £448 £249 £697 £10,173 14.6 yrs £3,767
6 kW 4971 kWh 1989 kWh 2983 kWh £538 £298 £836 £12,207 14.6 yrs £4,520
7 kW 5800 kWh 2320 kWh 3480 kWh £628 £348 £976 £14,242 14.6 yrs £5,274
8 kW 6628 kWh 2651 kWh 3977 kWh £717 £398 £1,115 £16,276 14.6 yrs £6,027

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: £838, 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 1657 kWh 994 kWh 663 kWh £269 £66 £335 £6,169 18.4 yrs £538
3 kW 2486 kWh 1491 kWh 994 kWh £404 £99 £503 £8,204 16.3 yrs £1,856
4 kW 3314 kWh 1989 kWh 1326 kWh £538 £133 £671 £10,238 15.3 yrs £3,175
5 kW 4143 kWh 2486 kWh 1657 kWh £673 £166 £838 £12,273 14.6 yrs £4,494
6 kW 4971 kWh 2983 kWh 1989 kWh £807 £199 £1,006 £14,307 14.2 yrs £5,813
7 kW 5800 kWh 3480 kWh 2320 kWh £942 £232 £1,174 £16,342 13.9 yrs £7,132
8 kW 6628 kWh 3977 kWh 2651 kWh £1,076 £265 £1,341 £18,376 13.7 yrs £8,450

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: £909, 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 1657 kWh 1160 kWh 497 kWh £314 £50 £364 £7,569 20.8 yrs £-297
3 kW 2486 kWh 1740 kWh 746 kWh £471 £75 £545 £9,604 17.6 yrs £1,304
4 kW 3314 kWh 2320 kWh 994 kWh £628 £99 £727 £11,638 16.0 yrs £2,906
5 kW 4143 kWh 2900 kWh 1243 kWh £785 £124 £909 £13,673 15.0 yrs £4,507
6 kW 4971 kWh 3480 kWh 1491 kWh £942 £149 £1,091 £15,707 14.4 yrs £6,109
7 kW 5800 kWh 4060 kWh 1740 kWh £1,099 £174 £1,273 £17,742 13.9 yrs £7,710
8 kW 6628 kWh 4640 kWh 1989 kWh £1,256 £199 £1,454 £19,776 13.6 yrs £9,312

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: £930, Upfront: £15,423, Break-even: 16.6 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1657 kWh 1210 kWh 447 kWh £327 £45 £372 £9,319 25.0 yrs £-1,877
3 kW 2486 kWh 1815 kWh 671 kWh £491 £67 £558 £11,354 20.3 yrs £-191
4 kW 3314 kWh 2419 kWh 895 kWh £655 £89 £744 £13,388 18.0 yrs £1,495
5 kW 4143 kWh 3024 kWh 1119 kWh £818 £112 £930 £15,423 16.6 yrs £3,182
6 kW 4971 kWh 3629 kWh 1342 kWh £982 £134 £1,116 £17,457 15.6 yrs £4,868
7 kW 5800 kWh 4234 kWh 1566 kWh £1,146 £157 £1,302 £19,492 15.0 yrs £6,554
8 kW 6628 kWh 4839 kWh 1790 kWh £1,309 £179 £1,488 £21,526 14.5 yrs £8,240

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: £944, Upfront: £17,173, Break-even: 18.2 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1657 kWh 1243 kWh 414 kWh £336 £41 £378 £11,069 29.3 yrs £-3,514
3 kW 2486 kWh 1864 kWh 621 kWh £504 £62 £567 £13,104 23.1 yrs £-1,771
4 kW 3314 kWh 2486 kWh 829 kWh £673 £83 £755 £15,138 20.0 yrs £-29
5 kW 4143 kWh 3107 kWh 1036 kWh £841 £104 £944 £17,173 18.2 yrs £1,714
6 kW 4971 kWh 3728 kWh 1243 kWh £1,009 £124 £1,133 £19,207 16.9 yrs £3,457
7 kW 5800 kWh 4350 kWh 1450 kWh £1,177 £145 £1,322 £21,242 16.1 yrs £5,200
8 kW 6628 kWh 4971 kWh 1657 kWh £1,345 £166 £1,511 £23,276 15.4 yrs £6,943

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: £958, Upfront: £19,623, Break-even: 20.5 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1657 kWh 1276 kWh 381 kWh £345 £38 £383 £13,519 35.3 yrs £-5,851
3 kW 2486 kWh 1914 kWh 572 kWh £518 £57 £575 £15,554 27.0 yrs £-4,052
4 kW 3314 kWh 2552 kWh 762 kWh £691 £76 £767 £17,588 22.9 yrs £-2,252
5 kW 4143 kWh 3190 kWh 953 kWh £863 £95 £958 £19,623 20.5 yrs £-453
6 kW 4971 kWh 3828 kWh 1143 kWh £1,036 £114 £1,150 £21,657 18.8 yrs £1,346
7 kW 5800 kWh 4466 kWh 1334 kWh £1,208 £133 £1,342 £23,692 17.7 yrs £3,146
8 kW 6628 kWh 5104 kWh 1525 kWh £1,381 £152 £1,534 £25,726 16.8 yrs £4,945

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 KW9

Figures below are tailored to KW9 — click through for full league tables.

Solar Payback Index Rank #2707 of 2997
12.7 years (UK avg 11.3 years)
~£642 /yr • £8,138 upfront
Standing-Charge Drag Rank #2840 of 2997
34.7% (UK avg 21.7%) drag on savings
£223 fixed • ~£642 /yr value

Your Area at a Glance

Your Electricity Rate
27.06p/kWh
Daily Fixed Charge
61.00p/day
Local Sunshine
829kWh/kW
A 1 kW system generates ~829 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

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

KW10 (Highland)
≈8.2 km away
Local sunshine: ~801 kWh/kWp · -3% vs KW9
KW8 (Highland)
≈16.7 km away
Local sunshine: ~823 kWh/kWp · -1% vs KW9
IV28 (Highland)
≈17.7 km away
Local sunshine: ~802 kWh/kWp · -3% vs KW9
IV25 (Highland)
≈17.8 km away
Local sunshine: ~822 kWh/kWp · -1% vs KW9
IV19 (Highland)
≈25.2 km away
Local sunshine: ~860 kWh/kWp · +4% vs KW9
IV20 (Highland)
≈26.3 km away
Local sunshine: ~814 kWh/kWp · -2% vs KW9

Similar sunshine across the UK

BT93 (Fermanagh and Omagh)
~829 kWh/kWp · +0% vs KW9
G51 (Glasgow City)
~828 kWh/kWp · -0% vs KW9
OL1 (Oldham)
~829 kWh/kWp · +0% vs KW9