Solar explained to clever people by people who are not trying to be clever

Solar Panels in ML7 (North Lanarkshire)

See if solar pays off for you in North Lanarkshire — 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
15.4 years
After this, it's pure profit
Upfront Cost
£12,207
What you pay to get started
Annual Benefit
£794
What you save every year
Profit Over 25 Years
£7,649
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

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 810 kWh per year on a south-facing roof. We value self-used electricity at 25.8p and exported surplus at a baseline 10p via SEG. Use the calculator above for your exact tariff.

Unit rate
25.8p/kWh
Standing charge
56.5p/day
Sunshine yield (south)
810 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: £662, Upfront: £10,173, Break-even: 15.4 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1621 kWh 648 kWh 972 kWh £168 £97 £265 £4,069 15.4 yrs £1,226
3 kW 2431 kWh 972 kWh 1459 kWh £251 £146 £397 £6,104 15.4 yrs £1,839
4 kW 3241 kWh 1297 kWh 1945 kWh £335 £194 £529 £8,138 15.4 yrs £2,452
5 kW 4052 kWh 1621 kWh 2431 kWh £419 £243 £662 £10,173 15.4 yrs £3,065
6 kW 4862 kWh 1945 kWh 2917 kWh £503 £292 £794 £12,207 15.4 yrs £3,678
7 kW 5672 kWh 2269 kWh 3403 kWh £586 £340 £927 £14,242 15.4 yrs £4,291
8 kW 6483 kWh 2593 kWh 3890 kWh £670 £389 £1,059 £16,276 15.4 yrs £4,904

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: £790, Upfront: £12,273, Break-even: 15.5 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1621 kWh 972 kWh 648 kWh £251 £65 £316 £6,169 19.5 yrs £153
3 kW 2431 kWh 1459 kWh 972 kWh £377 £97 £474 £8,204 17.3 yrs £1,279
4 kW 3241 kWh 1945 kWh 1297 kWh £503 £130 £632 £10,238 16.2 yrs £2,406
5 kW 4052 kWh 2431 kWh 1621 kWh £628 £162 £790 £12,273 15.5 yrs £3,532
6 kW 4862 kWh 2917 kWh 1945 kWh £754 £194 £948 £14,307 15.1 yrs £4,658
7 kW 5672 kWh 3403 kWh 2269 kWh £879 £227 £1,106 £16,342 14.8 yrs £5,785
8 kW 6483 kWh 3890 kWh 2593 kWh £1,005 £259 £1,264 £18,376 14.5 yrs £6,911

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: £854, Upfront: £13,673, Break-even: 16.0 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1621 kWh 1134 kWh 486 kWh £293 £49 £342 £7,569 22.1 yrs £-734
3 kW 2431 kWh 1702 kWh 729 kWh £440 £73 £513 £9,604 18.7 yrs £649
4 kW 3241 kWh 2269 kWh 972 kWh £586 £97 £684 £11,638 17.0 yrs £2,032
5 kW 4052 kWh 2836 kWh 1215 kWh £733 £122 £854 £13,673 16.0 yrs £3,415
6 kW 4862 kWh 3403 kWh 1459 kWh £879 £146 £1,025 £15,707 15.3 yrs £4,799
7 kW 5672 kWh 3971 kWh 1702 kWh £1,026 £170 £1,196 £17,742 14.8 yrs £6,182
8 kW 6483 kWh 4538 kWh 1945 kWh £1,173 £194 £1,367 £19,776 14.5 yrs £7,565

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: £874, Upfront: £15,423, Break-even: 17.7 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1621 kWh 1183 kWh 438 kWh £306 £44 £349 £9,319 26.7 yrs £-2,330
3 kW 2431 kWh 1775 kWh 656 kWh £459 £66 £524 £11,354 21.7 yrs £-870
4 kW 3241 kWh 2366 kWh 875 kWh £611 £88 £699 £13,388 19.2 yrs £590
5 kW 4052 kWh 2958 kWh 1094 kWh £764 £109 £874 £15,423 17.7 yrs £2,051
6 kW 4862 kWh 3549 kWh 1313 kWh £917 £131 £1,048 £17,457 16.7 yrs £3,511
7 kW 5672 kWh 4141 kWh 1532 kWh £1,070 £153 £1,223 £19,492 15.9 yrs £4,971
8 kW 6483 kWh 4732 kWh 1750 kWh £1,223 £175 £1,398 £21,526 15.4 yrs £6,431

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: £886, Upfront: £17,173, Break-even: 19.4 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1621 kWh 1215 kWh 405 kWh £314 £41 £355 £11,069 31.2 yrs £-3,977
3 kW 2431 kWh 1823 kWh 608 kWh £471 £61 £532 £13,104 24.6 yrs £-2,466
4 kW 3241 kWh 2431 kWh 810 kWh £628 £81 £709 £15,138 21.3 yrs £-954
5 kW 4052 kWh 3039 kWh 1013 kWh £785 £101 £886 £17,173 19.4 yrs £557
6 kW 4862 kWh 3646 kWh 1215 kWh £942 £122 £1,064 £19,207 18.1 yrs £2,069
7 kW 5672 kWh 4254 kWh 1418 kWh £1,099 £142 £1,241 £21,242 17.1 yrs £3,580
8 kW 6483 kWh 4862 kWh 1621 kWh £1,256 £162 £1,418 £23,276 16.4 yrs £5,092

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: £899, Upfront: £19,623, Break-even: 21.8 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1621 kWh 1248 kWh 373 kWh £322 £37 £360 £13,519 37.6 yrs £-6,324
3 kW 2431 kWh 1872 kWh 559 kWh £484 £56 £540 £15,554 28.8 yrs £-4,762
4 kW 3241 kWh 2496 kWh 745 kWh £645 £75 £719 £17,588 24.4 yrs £-3,199
5 kW 4052 kWh 3120 kWh 932 kWh £806 £93 £899 £19,623 21.8 yrs £-1,636
6 kW 4862 kWh 3744 kWh 1118 kWh £967 £112 £1,079 £21,657 20.1 yrs £-73
7 kW 5672 kWh 4368 kWh 1305 kWh £1,129 £130 £1,259 £23,692 18.8 yrs £1,490
8 kW 6483 kWh 4992 kWh 1491 kWh £1,290 £149 £1,439 £25,726 17.9 yrs £3,052

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.

Your Area at a Glance

Your Electricity Rate
25.84p/kWh
Daily Fixed Charge
56.55p/day
Local Sunshine
810kWh/kW
A 1 kW system generates ~810 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 (95%)|West Lothian (5%)

Areas Covered

Fortissat, Whitburn and Blackburn

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.