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Big Roof Britain Solar Payback Index Standing Charge Drag

Solar Panels in PA11 (Renfrewshire)

See if solar pays off for you in Renfrewshire — 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
14.9 years
After this, it's pure profit
Upfront Cost
£12,207
What you pay to get started
Annual Benefit
£821
What you save every year
Profit Over 25 Years
£8,314
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 837 kWh/kW — 12 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 837 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)
837 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: £684, Upfront: £10,173, Break-even: 14.9 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1675 kWh 670 kWh 1005 kWh £173 £100 £274 £4,069 14.9 yrs £1,403
3 kW 2512 kWh 1005 kWh 1507 kWh £260 £151 £410 £6,104 14.9 yrs £2,105
4 kW 3350 kWh 1340 kWh 2010 kWh £346 £201 £547 £8,138 14.9 yrs £2,807
5 kW 4187 kWh 1675 kWh 2512 kWh £433 £251 £684 £10,173 14.9 yrs £3,508
6 kW 5025 kWh 2010 kWh 3015 kWh £519 £301 £821 £12,207 14.9 yrs £4,210
7 kW 5862 kWh 2345 kWh 3517 kWh £606 £352 £958 £14,242 14.9 yrs £4,912
8 kW 6700 kWh 2680 kWh 4020 kWh £692 £402 £1,094 £16,276 14.9 yrs £5,613

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: £817, Upfront: £12,273, 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 1675 kWh 1005 kWh 670 kWh £260 £67 £327 £6,169 18.9 yrs £365
3 kW 2512 kWh 1507 kWh 1005 kWh £390 £100 £490 £8,204 16.7 yrs £1,597
4 kW 3350 kWh 2010 kWh 1340 kWh £519 £134 £653 £10,238 15.7 yrs £2,829
5 kW 4187 kWh 2512 kWh 1675 kWh £649 £167 £817 £12,273 15.0 yrs £4,061
6 kW 5025 kWh 3015 kWh 2010 kWh £779 £201 £980 £14,307 14.6 yrs £5,294
7 kW 5862 kWh 3517 kWh 2345 kWh £909 £234 £1,143 £16,342 14.3 yrs £6,526
8 kW 6700 kWh 4020 kWh 2680 kWh £1,039 £268 £1,307 £18,376 14.1 yrs £7,758

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: £883, Upfront: £13,673, 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 1675 kWh 1172 kWh 502 kWh £303 £50 £353 £7,569 21.4 yrs £-505
3 kW 2512 kWh 1759 kWh 754 kWh £454 £75 £530 £9,604 18.1 yrs £993
4 kW 3350 kWh 2345 kWh 1005 kWh £606 £100 £706 £11,638 16.5 yrs £2,490
5 kW 4187 kWh 2931 kWh 1256 kWh £757 £126 £883 £13,673 15.5 yrs £3,988
6 kW 5025 kWh 3517 kWh 1507 kWh £909 £151 £1,060 £15,707 14.8 yrs £5,486
7 kW 5862 kWh 4104 kWh 1759 kWh £1,060 £176 £1,236 £17,742 14.4 yrs £6,983
8 kW 6700 kWh 4690 kWh 2010 kWh £1,212 £201 £1,413 £19,776 14.0 yrs £8,481

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: £903, Upfront: £15,423, Break-even: 17.1 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1675 kWh 1223 kWh 452 kWh £316 £45 £361 £9,319 25.8 yrs £-2,096
3 kW 2512 kWh 1834 kWh 678 kWh £474 £68 £542 £11,354 21.0 yrs £-518
4 kW 3350 kWh 2445 kWh 904 kWh £632 £90 £722 £13,388 18.5 yrs £1,059
5 kW 4187 kWh 3057 kWh 1131 kWh £790 £113 £903 £15,423 17.1 yrs £2,636
6 kW 5025 kWh 3668 kWh 1357 kWh £948 £136 £1,084 £17,457 16.1 yrs £4,213
7 kW 5862 kWh 4279 kWh 1583 kWh £1,106 £158 £1,264 £19,492 15.4 yrs £5,790
8 kW 6700 kWh 4891 kWh 1809 kWh £1,264 £181 £1,445 £21,526 14.9 yrs £7,368

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: £916, Upfront: £17,173, Break-even: 18.7 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1675 kWh 1256 kWh 419 kWh £325 £42 £366 £11,069 30.2 yrs £-3,739
3 kW 2512 kWh 1884 kWh 628 kWh £487 £63 £550 £13,104 23.8 yrs £-2,109
4 kW 3350 kWh 2512 kWh 837 kWh £649 £84 £733 £15,138 20.7 yrs £-479
5 kW 4187 kWh 3141 kWh 1047 kWh £812 £105 £916 £17,173 18.7 yrs £1,151
6 kW 5025 kWh 3769 kWh 1256 kWh £974 £126 £1,099 £19,207 17.5 yrs £2,782
7 kW 5862 kWh 4397 kWh 1466 kWh £1,136 £147 £1,283 £21,242 16.6 yrs £4,412
8 kW 6700 kWh 5025 kWh 1675 kWh £1,298 £167 £1,466 £23,276 15.9 yrs £6,042

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: £929, Upfront: £19,623, Break-even: 21.1 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1675 kWh 1290 kWh 385 kWh £333 £39 £372 £13,519 36.4 yrs £-6,083
3 kW 2512 kWh 1935 kWh 578 kWh £500 £58 £558 £15,554 27.9 yrs £-4,400
4 kW 3350 kWh 2579 kWh 770 kWh £667 £77 £744 £17,588 23.7 yrs £-2,717
5 kW 4187 kWh 3224 kWh 963 kWh £833 £96 £929 £19,623 21.1 yrs £-1,033
6 kW 5025 kWh 3869 kWh 1156 kWh £1,000 £116 £1,115 £21,657 19.4 yrs £650
7 kW 5862 kWh 4514 kWh 1348 kWh £1,166 £135 £1,301 £23,692 18.2 yrs £2,333
8 kW 6700 kWh 5159 kWh 1541 kWh £1,333 £154 £1,487 £25,726 17.3 yrs £4,017

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 PA11

Figures below are tailored to PA11 — click through for full league tables.

Solar Payback Index Rank #2820 of 2997
13.0 years (UK avg 11.3 years)
~£940 /yr • £12,207 upfront
Standing-Charge Drag Rank #1846 of 2997
22.0% (UK avg 21.7%) drag on savings
£206 fixed • ~£940 /yr value

Your Area at a Glance

Your Electricity Rate
25.84p/kWh
Daily Fixed Charge
56.55p/day
Local Sunshine
837kWh/kW
A 1 kW system generates ~837 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

Renfrewshire (85%)|Inverclyde (15%)

Areas Covered

Bishopton, Bridge of Weir and Langbank, Inverclyde East, Houston, Crosslee and Linwood

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

PA6 (Renfrewshire)
≈2.7 km away
Local sunshine: ~832 kWh/kWp · -1% vs PA11
PA10 (Renfrewshire)
≈3.1 km away
Local sunshine: ~832 kWh/kWp · -1% vs PA11
PA5 (Renfrewshire)
≈5.1 km away
Local sunshine: ~831 kWh/kWp · -1% vs PA11
PA13 (Inverclyde)
≈5.2 km away
Local sunshine: ~842 kWh/kWp · +1% vs PA11
PA9 (Renfrewshire)
≈5.3 km away
Local sunshine: ~825 kWh/kWp · -1% vs PA11
PA7 (Renfrewshire)
≈7.2 km away
Local sunshine: ~845 kWh/kWp · +1% vs PA11

Similar sunshine across the UK

KW3 (Highland)
~838 kWh/kWp · +0% vs PA11
BT81 (Derry City and Strabane)
~837 kWh/kWp · -0% vs PA11
BT42 (Mid and East Antrim)
~838 kWh/kWp · +0% vs PA11