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Solar panel cost in Renfrewshire (PA12)

See realistic solar installation costs, savings and payback for PA12 (Renfrewshire) 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
15.9 years
After this, it's pure profit
Upfront Cost
£12,207
What you pay to get started
Annual Benefit
£769
What you save every year
Profit Over 25 Years
£7,029
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 22.82p/kWh with a 64.81p/day standing charge. Your postcode’s south-facing sunshine yield is 848 kWh/kW — 2 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 848 kWh per year on a south-facing roof. We value self-used electricity at 22.8p and exported surplus at a baseline 10p via SEG. Use the calculator above for your exact tariff.

Unit rate
22.8p/kWh
Standing charge
64.8p/day
Sunshine yield (south)
848 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: £641, Upfront: £10,173, Break-even: 15.9 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1695 kWh 678 kWh 1017 kWh £155 £102 £256 £4,069 15.9 yrs £1,061
3 kW 2543 kWh 1017 kWh 1526 kWh £232 £153 £385 £6,104 15.9 yrs £1,591
4 kW 3391 kWh 1356 kWh 2034 kWh £310 £203 £513 £8,138 15.9 yrs £2,121
5 kW 4238 kWh 1695 kWh 2543 kWh £387 £254 £641 £10,173 15.9 yrs £2,651
6 kW 5086 kWh 2034 kWh 3052 kWh £464 £305 £769 £12,207 15.9 yrs £3,182
7 kW 5934 kWh 2374 kWh 3560 kWh £542 £356 £898 £14,242 15.9 yrs £3,712
8 kW 6782 kWh 2713 kWh 4069 kWh £619 £407 £1,026 £16,276 15.9 yrs £4,242

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: £750, Upfront: £12,273, 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 1695 kWh 1017 kWh 678 kWh £232 £68 £300 £6,169 20.6 yrs £-170
3 kW 2543 kWh 1526 kWh 1017 kWh £348 £102 £450 £8,204 18.2 yrs £795
4 kW 3391 kWh 2034 kWh 1356 kWh £464 £136 £600 £10,238 17.1 yrs £1,760
5 kW 4238 kWh 2543 kWh 1695 kWh £580 £170 £750 £12,273 16.4 yrs £2,725
6 kW 5086 kWh 3052 kWh 2034 kWh £696 £203 £900 £14,307 15.9 yrs £3,690
7 kW 5934 kWh 3560 kWh 2374 kWh £812 £237 £1,050 £16,342 15.6 yrs £4,655
8 kW 6782 kWh 4069 kWh 2713 kWh £929 £271 £1,200 £18,376 15.3 yrs £5,620

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: £804, Upfront: £13,673, Break-even: 17.0 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1695 kWh 1187 kWh 509 kWh £271 £51 £322 £7,569 23.5 yrs £-1,135
3 kW 2543 kWh 1780 kWh 763 kWh £406 £76 £483 £9,604 19.9 yrs £47
4 kW 3391 kWh 2374 kWh 1017 kWh £542 £102 £643 £11,638 18.1 yrs £1,229
5 kW 4238 kWh 2967 kWh 1272 kWh £677 £127 £804 £13,673 17.0 yrs £2,412
6 kW 5086 kWh 3560 kWh 1526 kWh £812 £153 £965 £15,707 16.3 yrs £3,594
7 kW 5934 kWh 4154 kWh 1780 kWh £948 £178 £1,126 £17,742 15.8 yrs £4,776
8 kW 6782 kWh 4747 kWh 2034 kWh £1,083 £203 £1,287 £19,776 15.4 yrs £5,958

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: £821, Upfront: £15,423, 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 1695 kWh 1238 kWh 458 kWh £282 £46 £328 £9,319 28.4 yrs £-2,755
3 kW 2543 kWh 1856 kWh 687 kWh £424 £69 £492 £11,354 23.1 yrs £-1,507
4 kW 3391 kWh 2475 kWh 916 kWh £565 £92 £656 £13,388 20.4 yrs £-260
5 kW 4238 kWh 3094 kWh 1144 kWh £706 £114 £821 £15,423 18.8 yrs £988
6 kW 5086 kWh 3713 kWh 1373 kWh £847 £137 £985 £17,457 17.7 yrs £2,235
7 kW 5934 kWh 4332 kWh 1602 kWh £988 £160 £1,149 £19,492 17.0 yrs £3,483
8 kW 6782 kWh 4951 kWh 1831 kWh £1,130 £183 £1,313 £21,526 16.4 yrs £4,730

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: £831, Upfront: £17,173, Break-even: 20.7 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1695 kWh 1272 kWh 424 kWh £290 £42 £333 £11,069 33.3 yrs £-4,418
3 kW 2543 kWh 1907 kWh 636 kWh £435 £64 £499 £13,104 26.3 yrs £-3,127
4 kW 3391 kWh 2543 kWh 848 kWh £580 £85 £665 £15,138 22.8 yrs £-1,836
5 kW 4238 kWh 3179 kWh 1060 kWh £725 £106 £831 £17,173 20.7 yrs £-545
6 kW 5086 kWh 3815 kWh 1272 kWh £870 £127 £998 £19,207 19.3 yrs £746
7 kW 5934 kWh 4450 kWh 1483 kWh £1,016 £148 £1,164 £21,242 18.3 yrs £2,037
8 kW 6782 kWh 5086 kWh 1695 kWh £1,161 £170 £1,330 £23,276 17.5 yrs £3,328

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: £842, Upfront: £19,623, Break-even: 23.3 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1695 kWh 1305 kWh 390 kWh £298 £39 £337 £13,519 40.1 yrs £-6,781
3 kW 2543 kWh 1958 kWh 585 kWh £447 £58 £505 £15,554 30.8 yrs £-5,447
4 kW 3391 kWh 2611 kWh 780 kWh £596 £78 £674 £17,588 26.1 yrs £-4,112
5 kW 4238 kWh 3264 kWh 975 kWh £745 £97 £842 £19,623 23.3 yrs £-2,778
6 kW 5086 kWh 3916 kWh 1170 kWh £894 £117 £1,011 £21,657 21.4 yrs £-1,443
7 kW 5934 kWh 4569 kWh 1365 kWh £1,043 £136 £1,179 £23,692 20.1 yrs £-109
8 kW 6782 kWh 5222 kWh 1560 kWh £1,192 £156 £1,348 £25,726 19.1 yrs £1,226

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 PA12

Figures below are tailored to PA12 — click through for full league tables.

Solar Payback Index Rank #2727 of 2997
14.2 years (UK avg 12.6 years)
~£858 /yr • £12,207 upfront
Standing-Charge Drag Rank #1749 of 2997
24.5% (UK avg 24.6%) drag on savings
£210 fixed • ~£858 /yr value
Aspect Penalty View ranking →
East −18.9% West −21.4%
Typical output loss versus a south-facing roof (lower is better)

Seasonal solar output in PA12

Monthly generation per kilowatt of solar panels

kWh 22 Jan 39 Feb 71 Mar 105 Apr 117 May 113 Jun 112 Jul 98 Aug 73 Sep 50 Oct 31 Nov 17 Dec
Best month Worst month Winter (Dec–Feb) Other months

Winter output: 37.0% 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 26 kWh per month; the average month produces around 71 kWh. So a typical 4 kW home system would generate roughly 105 kWh in winter, or 283 kWh in an average month.

Your Area at a Glance

Your Electricity Rate
22.82p/kWh
Daily Fixed Charge
64.81p/day
Local Sunshine
848kWh/kW
A 1 kW system generates ~848 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 (100%)

Areas Covered

Johnstone North, Kilbarchan, Howwood and Lochwinnoch

Data Sources & Assumptions

Solar yield: PVGIS (EU Joint Research Centre), January 2025 data

Electricity rates: Ofgem price cap, Q1 2026

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

PA9 (Renfrewshire)
≈4.6 km away
Local sunshine: ~825 kWh/kWp · -3% vs PA12
KA15 (North Ayrshire)
≈5.1 km away
Local sunshine: ~847 kWh/kWp · -0% vs PA12
KA25 (North Ayrshire)
≈6.2 km away
Local sunshine: ~856 kWh/kWp · +1% vs PA12
PA10 (Renfrewshire)
≈6.5 km away
Local sunshine: ~832 kWh/kWp · -2% vs PA12
KA14 (North Ayrshire)
≈7.0 km away
Local sunshine: ~878 kWh/kWp · +4% vs PA12
PA11 (Renfrewshire)
≈7.3 km away
Local sunshine: ~837 kWh/kWp · -1% vs PA12

Similar sunshine across the UK

BB11 (Burnley)
~848 kWh/kWp · -0% vs PA12
PA46 (Argyll and Bute)
~848 kWh/kWp · +0% vs PA12
M10 (Manchester)
~848 kWh/kWp · +0% vs PA12