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Solar Panels in ML8 (South Lanarkshire)

See if solar pays off for you in South 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
15.1 years
After this, it's pure profit
Upfront Cost
£12,207
What you pay to get started
Annual Benefit
£810
What you save every year
Profit Over 25 Years
£8,049
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 Southern Scotland, the current unit rate is 25.84p/kWh with a 56.55p/day standing charge. Your postcode’s south-facing sunshine yield is 827 kWh/kW — 23 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 827 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)
827 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: £675, Upfront: £10,173, 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 1653 kWh 661 kWh 992 kWh £171 £99 £270 £4,069 15.1 yrs £1,333
3 kW 2480 kWh 992 kWh 1488 kWh £256 £149 £405 £6,104 15.1 yrs £1,999
4 kW 3307 kWh 1323 kWh 1984 kWh £342 £198 £540 £8,138 15.1 yrs £2,665
5 kW 4133 kWh 1653 kWh 2480 kWh £427 £248 £675 £10,173 15.1 yrs £3,331
6 kW 4960 kWh 1984 kWh 2976 kWh £513 £298 £810 £12,207 15.1 yrs £3,998
7 kW 5786 kWh 2315 kWh 3472 kWh £598 £347 £945 £14,242 15.1 yrs £4,664
8 kW 6613 kWh 2645 kWh 3968 kWh £684 £397 £1,080 £16,276 15.1 yrs £5,330

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: £806, Upfront: £12,273, Break-even: 15.2 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1653 kWh 992 kWh 661 kWh £256 £66 £322 £6,169 19.1 yrs £280
3 kW 2480 kWh 1488 kWh 992 kWh £384 £99 £484 £8,204 17.0 yrs £1,470
4 kW 3307 kWh 1984 kWh 1323 kWh £513 £132 £645 £10,238 15.9 yrs £2,660
5 kW 4133 kWh 2480 kWh 1653 kWh £641 £165 £806 £12,273 15.2 yrs £3,850
6 kW 4960 kWh 2976 kWh 1984 kWh £769 £198 £967 £14,307 14.8 yrs £5,040
7 kW 5786 kWh 3472 kWh 2315 kWh £897 £231 £1,129 £16,342 14.5 yrs £6,230
8 kW 6613 kWh 3968 kWh 2645 kWh £1,025 £265 £1,290 £18,376 14.2 yrs £7,420

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: £872, Upfront: £13,673, Break-even: 15.7 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1653 kWh 1157 kWh 496 kWh £299 £50 £349 £7,569 21.7 yrs £-596
3 kW 2480 kWh 1736 kWh 744 kWh £449 £74 £523 £9,604 18.4 yrs £856
4 kW 3307 kWh 2315 kWh 992 kWh £598 £99 £697 £11,638 16.7 yrs £2,308
5 kW 4133 kWh 2893 kWh 1240 kWh £748 £124 £872 £13,673 15.7 yrs £3,760
6 kW 4960 kWh 3472 kWh 1488 kWh £897 £149 £1,046 £15,707 15.0 yrs £5,212
7 kW 5786 kWh 4051 kWh 1736 kWh £1,047 £174 £1,220 £17,742 14.5 yrs £6,663
8 kW 6613 kWh 4629 kWh 1984 kWh £1,196 £198 £1,395 £19,776 14.2 yrs £8,115

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: £891, Upfront: £15,423, Break-even: 17.3 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1653 kWh 1207 kWh 446 kWh £312 £45 £357 £9,319 26.1 yrs £-2,189
3 kW 2480 kWh 1810 kWh 670 kWh £468 £67 £535 £11,354 21.2 yrs £-659
4 kW 3307 kWh 2414 kWh 893 kWh £624 £89 £713 £13,388 18.8 yrs £872
5 kW 4133 kWh 3017 kWh 1116 kWh £780 £112 £891 £15,423 17.3 yrs £2,402
6 kW 4960 kWh 3621 kWh 1339 kWh £936 £134 £1,070 £17,457 16.3 yrs £3,933
7 kW 5786 kWh 4224 kWh 1562 kWh £1,092 £156 £1,248 £19,492 15.6 yrs £5,463
8 kW 6613 kWh 4828 kWh 1786 kWh £1,247 £179 £1,426 £21,526 15.1 yrs £6,994

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: £904, Upfront: £17,173, Break-even: 19.0 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1653 kWh 1240 kWh 413 kWh £320 £41 £362 £11,069 30.6 yrs £-3,834
3 kW 2480 kWh 1860 kWh 620 kWh £481 £62 £543 £13,104 24.1 yrs £-2,251
4 kW 3307 kWh 2480 kWh 827 kWh £641 £83 £723 £15,138 20.9 yrs £-669
5 kW 4133 kWh 3100 kWh 1033 kWh £801 £103 £904 £17,173 19.0 yrs £914
6 kW 4960 kWh 3720 kWh 1240 kWh £961 £124 £1,085 £19,207 17.7 yrs £2,497
7 kW 5786 kWh 4340 kWh 1447 kWh £1,121 £145 £1,266 £21,242 16.8 yrs £4,080
8 kW 6613 kWh 4960 kWh 1653 kWh £1,282 £165 £1,447 £23,276 16.1 yrs £5,663

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: £917, Upfront: £19,623, Break-even: 21.4 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1653 kWh 1273 kWh 380 kWh £329 £38 £367 £13,519 36.8 yrs £-6,180
3 kW 2480 kWh 1910 kWh 570 kWh £493 £57 £550 £15,554 28.3 yrs £-4,544
4 kW 3307 kWh 2546 kWh 761 kWh £658 £76 £734 £17,588 24.0 yrs £-2,909
5 kW 4133 kWh 3183 kWh 951 kWh £822 £95 £917 £19,623 21.4 yrs £-1,274
6 kW 4960 kWh 3819 kWh 1141 kWh £987 £114 £1,101 £21,657 19.7 yrs £361
7 kW 5786 kWh 4456 kWh 1331 kWh £1,151 £133 £1,284 £23,692 18.4 yrs £1,997
8 kW 6613 kWh 5092 kWh 1521 kWh £1,316 £152 £1,468 £25,726 17.5 yrs £3,632

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 ML8

Figures below are tailored to ML8 — click through for full league tables.

Solar Payback Index Rank #2873 of 2997
13.2 years (UK avg 11.3 years)
~£928 /yr • £12,207 upfront
Standing-Charge Drag Rank #1948 of 2997
22.2% (UK avg 21.7%) drag on savings
£206 fixed • ~£928 /yr value

Your Area at a Glance

Your Electricity Rate
25.84p/kWh
Daily Fixed Charge
56.55p/day
Local Sunshine
827kWh/kW
A 1 kW system generates ~827 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

South Lanarkshire (100%)

Areas Covered

Clydesdale West, Clydesdale North, Clydesdale South, Larkhall

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 Southern Scotland

ML2 (North Lanarkshire)
≈6.9 km away
Local sunshine: ~833 kWh/kWp · +1% vs ML8
ML11 (South Lanarkshire)
≈7.8 km away
Local sunshine: ~833 kWh/kWp · +1% vs ML8
ML9 (South Lanarkshire)
≈8.3 km away
Local sunshine: ~843 kWh/kWp · +2% vs ML8
ML7 (North Lanarkshire)
≈10.3 km away
Local sunshine: ~810 kWh/kWp · -2% vs ML8
ML1 (North Lanarkshire)
≈11.3 km away
Local sunshine: ~844 kWh/kWp · +2% vs ML8
ML3 (South Lanarkshire)
≈14.0 km away
Local sunshine: ~849 kWh/kWp · +3% vs ML8

Similar sunshine across the UK

BT79 (Fermanagh and Omagh)
~827 kWh/kWp · +0% vs ML8
AB56 (Moray)
~827 kWh/kWp · -0% vs ML8
BT48 (Derry City and Strabane)
~827 kWh/kWp · +0% vs ML8