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Solar panel cost in North Lanarkshire (ML1)

See realistic solar installation costs, savings and payback for ML1 (North Lanarkshire) 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
11.8 years
After this, it's pure profit
Upfront Cost
£9,767
What you pay to get started
Annual Benefit
£828
What you save every year
Profit Over 25 Years
£10,930
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 Southern Scotland, the current unit rate is 25.85p/kWh with a 64.17p/day standing charge. Your postcode’s south-facing sunshine yield is 844 kWh/kW — 5 below 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 844 kWh per year on a south-facing roof. We value self-used electricity at 25.9p and exported surplus at a baseline 10p via SEG. Use the calculator above for your exact tariff.

Unit rate
25.9p/kWh
Standing charge
64.2p/day
Sunshine yield (south)
844 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: £690, Upfront: £8,139, Break-even: 11.8 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1689 kWh 676 kWh 1013 kWh £175 £101 £276 £3,256 11.8 yrs £2,264
3 kW 2533 kWh 1013 kWh 1520 kWh £262 £152 £414 £4,883 11.8 yrs £3,396
4 kW 3378 kWh 1351 kWh 2027 kWh £349 £203 £552 £6,511 11.8 yrs £4,527
5 kW 4222 kWh 1689 kWh 2533 kWh £437 £253 £690 £8,139 11.8 yrs £5,659
6 kW 5067 kWh 2027 kWh 3040 kWh £524 £304 £828 £9,767 11.8 yrs £6,791
7 kW 5911 kWh 2364 kWh 3547 kWh £611 £355 £966 £11,394 11.8 yrs £7,923
8 kW 6755 kWh 2702 kWh 4053 kWh £699 £405 £1,104 £13,022 11.8 yrs £9,055

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: £824, Upfront: £10,239, Break-even: 12.4 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1689 kWh 1013 kWh 676 kWh £262 £68 £329 £5,356 16.3 yrs £1,234
3 kW 2533 kWh 1520 kWh 1013 kWh £393 £101 £494 £6,983 14.1 yrs £2,902
4 kW 3378 kWh 2027 kWh 1351 kWh £524 £135 £659 £8,611 13.1 yrs £4,569
5 kW 4222 kWh 2533 kWh 1689 kWh £655 £169 £824 £10,239 12.4 yrs £6,236
6 kW 5067 kWh 3040 kWh 2027 kWh £786 £203 £988 £11,867 12.0 yrs £7,903
7 kW 5911 kWh 3547 kWh 2364 kWh £917 £236 £1,153 £13,494 11.7 yrs £9,570
8 kW 6755 kWh 4053 kWh 2702 kWh £1,048 £270 £1,318 £15,122 11.5 yrs £11,238

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: £891, Upfront: £11,639, Break-even: 13.1 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1689 kWh 1182 kWh 507 kWh £306 £51 £356 £6,756 19.0 yrs £370
3 kW 2533 kWh 1773 kWh 760 kWh £458 £76 £534 £8,383 15.7 yrs £2,305
4 kW 3378 kWh 2364 kWh 1013 kWh £611 £101 £713 £10,011 14.0 yrs £4,240
5 kW 4222 kWh 2956 kWh 1267 kWh £764 £127 £891 £11,639 13.1 yrs £6,174
6 kW 5067 kWh 3547 kWh 1520 kWh £917 £152 £1,069 £13,267 12.4 yrs £8,109
7 kW 5911 kWh 4138 kWh 1773 kWh £1,070 £177 £1,247 £14,894 11.9 yrs £10,044
8 kW 6755 kWh 4729 kWh 2027 kWh £1,222 £203 £1,425 £16,522 11.6 yrs £11,979

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: £911, Upfront: £13,389, Break-even: 14.7 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1689 kWh 1233 kWh 456 kWh £319 £46 £364 £8,506 23.3 yrs £-1,220
3 kW 2533 kWh 1849 kWh 684 kWh £478 £68 £546 £10,133 18.5 yrs £796
4 kW 3378 kWh 2466 kWh 912 kWh £637 £91 £729 £11,761 16.1 yrs £2,811
5 kW 4222 kWh 3082 kWh 1140 kWh £797 £114 £911 £13,389 14.7 yrs £4,826
6 kW 5067 kWh 3699 kWh 1368 kWh £956 £137 £1,093 £15,017 13.7 yrs £6,841
7 kW 5911 kWh 4315 kWh 1596 kWh £1,115 £160 £1,275 £16,644 13.1 yrs £8,856
8 kW 6755 kWh 4931 kWh 1824 kWh £1,275 £182 £1,457 £18,272 12.5 yrs £10,872

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: £924, Upfront: £15,139, Break-even: 16.4 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1689 kWh 1267 kWh 422 kWh £327 £42 £370 £10,256 27.7 yrs £-2,863
3 kW 2533 kWh 1900 kWh 633 kWh £491 £63 £554 £11,883 21.4 yrs £-794
4 kW 3378 kWh 2533 kWh 844 kWh £655 £84 £739 £13,511 18.3 yrs £1,275
5 kW 4222 kWh 3167 kWh 1056 kWh £819 £106 £924 £15,139 16.4 yrs £3,344
6 kW 5067 kWh 3800 kWh 1267 kWh £982 £127 £1,109 £16,767 15.1 yrs £5,412
7 kW 5911 kWh 4433 kWh 1478 kWh £1,146 £148 £1,294 £18,394 14.2 yrs £7,481
8 kW 6755 kWh 5067 kWh 1689 kWh £1,310 £169 £1,479 £20,022 13.5 yrs £9,550

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: £938, Upfront: £17,589, 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 1689 kWh 1300 kWh 388 kWh £336 £39 £375 £12,706 33.9 yrs £-5,205
3 kW 2533 kWh 1951 kWh 583 kWh £504 £58 £563 £14,333 25.5 yrs £-3,083
4 kW 3378 kWh 2601 kWh 777 kWh £672 £78 £750 £15,961 21.3 yrs £-961
5 kW 4222 kWh 3251 kWh 971 kWh £840 £97 £938 £17,589 18.8 yrs £1,161
6 kW 5067 kWh 3901 kWh 1165 kWh £1,008 £117 £1,125 £19,217 17.1 yrs £3,284
7 kW 5911 kWh 4551 kWh 1360 kWh £1,177 £136 £1,313 £20,844 15.9 yrs £5,406
8 kW 6755 kWh 5202 kWh 1554 kWh £1,345 £155 £1,500 £22,472 15.0 yrs £7,528

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 North Lanarkshire

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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Understand DNO, G98 and G99 export limits

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Insights for ML1

Figures below are tailored to ML1 — click through for full league tables.

Solar Payback Index Rank #2409 of 2996
11.8 years (UK avg 10.8 years)
~£827 /yr • £9,767 upfront
Standing-Charge Drag Rank #1908 of 2996
28.3% (UK avg 26.6%) drag on savings
£234 fixed • ~£827 /yr value
Aspect Penalty View ranking →
East −20.0% West −19.8%
Typical output loss versus a south-facing roof (lower is better)

Seasonal solar output in ML1

Monthly generation per kilowatt of solar panels

kWh 24 Jan 41 Feb 72 Mar 101 Apr 114 May 107 Jun 108 Jul 96 Aug 75 Sep 52 Oct 34 Nov 19 Dec
Best month Worst month Winter (Dec–Feb) Other months

Winter output: 40.1% 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 28 kWh per month; the average month produces around 70 kWh. So a typical 4 kW home system would generate roughly 113 kWh in winter, or 281 kWh in an average month.

Your Area at a Glance

Your Electricity Rate
25.85p/kWh
Daily Fixed Charge
64.17p/day
Local Sunshine
844kWh/kW
A 1 kW system generates ~844 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 Lanarkshire (100%)

Areas Covered

Motherwell North, Motherwell South East and Ravenscraig, Motherwell West, Mossend and Holytown, Murdostoun, Fortissat, Airdrie South, Bellshill

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 Southern Scotland

ML4 (North Lanarkshire)
≈3.7 km away
Local sunshine: ~833 kWh/kWp · -1% vs ML1
ML2 (North Lanarkshire)
≈4.6 km away
Local sunshine: ~833 kWh/kWp · -1% vs ML1
ML3 (South Lanarkshire)
≈4.9 km away
Local sunshine: ~849 kWh/kWp · +1% vs ML1
G71 (South Lanarkshire)
≈6.6 km away
Local sunshine: ~843 kWh/kWp · -0% vs ML1
ML9 (South Lanarkshire)
≈7.0 km away
Local sunshine: ~843 kWh/kWp · -0% vs ML1
ML5 (North Lanarkshire)
≈7.8 km away
Local sunshine: ~819 kWh/kWp · -3% vs ML1

Similar sunshine across the UK

PA21 (Argyll and Bute)
~844 kWh/kWp · -0% vs ML1
M43 (Tameside)
~845 kWh/kWp · +0% vs ML1
M34 (Tameside)
~845 kWh/kWp · +0% vs ML1