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Solar Panels in PA17 (North Ayrshire)

See if solar pays off for you in North Ayrshire — 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
15.6 years
After this, it's pure profit
Upfront Cost
£12,207
What you pay to get started
Annual Benefit
£780
What you save every year
Profit Over 25 Years
£7,293
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 796 kWh/kW — 54 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 796 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)
796 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: £650, Upfront: £10,173, Break-even: 15.6 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1592 kWh 637 kWh 955 kWh £165 £95 £260 £4,069 15.6 yrs £1,131
3 kW 2387 kWh 955 kWh 1432 kWh £247 £143 £390 £6,104 15.6 yrs £1,697
4 kW 3183 kWh 1273 kWh 1910 kWh £329 £191 £520 £8,138 15.6 yrs £2,262
5 kW 3979 kWh 1592 kWh 2387 kWh £411 £239 £650 £10,173 15.6 yrs £2,828
6 kW 4775 kWh 1910 kWh 2865 kWh £494 £286 £780 £12,207 15.6 yrs £3,393
7 kW 5571 kWh 2228 kWh 3342 kWh £576 £334 £910 £14,242 15.6 yrs £3,959
8 kW 6366 kWh 2547 kWh 3820 kWh £658 £382 £1,040 £16,276 15.6 yrs £4,524

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: £776, Upfront: £12,273, Break-even: 15.8 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1592 kWh 955 kWh 637 kWh £247 £64 £310 £6,169 19.9 yrs £40
3 kW 2387 kWh 1432 kWh 955 kWh £370 £95 £466 £8,204 17.6 yrs £1,109
4 kW 3183 kWh 1910 kWh 1273 kWh £494 £127 £621 £10,238 16.5 yrs £2,179
5 kW 3979 kWh 2387 kWh 1592 kWh £617 £159 £776 £12,273 15.8 yrs £3,249
6 kW 4775 kWh 2865 kWh 1910 kWh £740 £191 £931 £14,307 15.4 yrs £4,319
7 kW 5571 kWh 3342 kWh 2228 kWh £864 £223 £1,087 £16,342 15.0 yrs £5,388
8 kW 6366 kWh 3820 kWh 2547 kWh £987 £255 £1,242 £18,376 14.8 yrs £6,458

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: £839, Upfront: £13,673, Break-even: 16.3 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1592 kWh 1114 kWh 477 kWh £288 £48 £336 £7,569 22.6 yrs £-856
3 kW 2387 kWh 1671 kWh 716 kWh £432 £72 £503 £9,604 19.1 yrs £466
4 kW 3183 kWh 2228 kWh 955 kWh £576 £95 £671 £11,638 17.3 yrs £1,788
5 kW 3979 kWh 2785 kWh 1194 kWh £720 £119 £839 £13,673 16.3 yrs £3,109
6 kW 4775 kWh 3342 kWh 1432 kWh £864 £143 £1,007 £15,707 15.6 yrs £4,431
7 kW 5571 kWh 3899 kWh 1671 kWh £1,008 £167 £1,175 £17,742 15.1 yrs £5,753
8 kW 6366 kWh 4457 kWh 1910 kWh £1,152 £191 £1,343 £19,776 14.7 yrs £7,075

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: £858, Upfront: £15,423, Break-even: 18.0 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1592 kWh 1162 kWh 430 kWh £300 £43 £343 £9,319 27.2 yrs £-2,455
3 kW 2387 kWh 1743 kWh 645 kWh £450 £64 £515 £11,354 22.1 yrs £-1,057
4 kW 3183 kWh 2324 kWh 859 kWh £600 £86 £686 £13,388 19.5 yrs £340
5 kW 3979 kWh 2905 kWh 1074 kWh £751 £107 £858 £15,423 18.0 yrs £1,738
6 kW 4775 kWh 3486 kWh 1289 kWh £901 £129 £1,030 £17,457 17.0 yrs £3,135
7 kW 5571 kWh 4067 kWh 1504 kWh £1,051 £150 £1,201 £19,492 16.2 yrs £4,533
8 kW 6366 kWh 4648 kWh 1719 kWh £1,201 £172 £1,373 £21,526 15.7 yrs £5,930

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: £871, Upfront: £17,173, Break-even: 19.7 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1592 kWh 1194 kWh 398 kWh £308 £40 £348 £11,069 31.8 yrs £-4,104
3 kW 2387 kWh 1791 kWh 597 kWh £463 £60 £522 £13,104 25.1 yrs £-2,656
4 kW 3183 kWh 2387 kWh 796 kWh £617 £80 £696 £15,138 21.7 yrs £-1,208
5 kW 3979 kWh 2984 kWh 995 kWh £771 £99 £871 £17,173 19.7 yrs £240
6 kW 4775 kWh 3581 kWh 1194 kWh £925 £119 £1,045 £19,207 18.4 yrs £1,688
7 kW 5571 kWh 4178 kWh 1393 kWh £1,080 £139 £1,219 £21,242 17.4 yrs £3,136
8 kW 6366 kWh 4775 kWh 1592 kWh £1,234 £159 £1,393 £23,276 16.7 yrs £4,584

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: £883, Upfront: £19,623, Break-even: 22.2 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1592 kWh 1226 kWh 366 kWh £317 £37 £353 £13,519 38.3 yrs £-6,453
3 kW 2387 kWh 1838 kWh 549 kWh £475 £55 £530 £15,554 29.3 yrs £-4,955
4 kW 3183 kWh 2451 kWh 732 kWh £633 £73 £707 £17,588 24.9 yrs £-3,456
5 kW 3979 kWh 3064 kWh 915 kWh £792 £92 £883 £19,623 22.2 yrs £-1,958
6 kW 4775 kWh 3677 kWh 1098 kWh £950 £110 £1,060 £21,657 20.4 yrs £-460
7 kW 5571 kWh 4289 kWh 1281 kWh £1,108 £128 £1,237 £23,692 19.2 yrs £1,039
8 kW 6366 kWh 4902 kWh 1464 kWh £1,267 £146 £1,413 £25,726 18.2 yrs £2,537

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 PA17

Figures below are tailored to PA17 — click through for full league tables.

Solar Payback Index Rank #2936 of 2997
13.7 years (UK avg 11.3 years)
~£893 /yr • £12,207 upfront
Standing-Charge Drag Rank #2074 of 2997
23.1% (UK avg 21.7%) drag on savings
£206 fixed • ~£893 /yr value

Your Area at a Glance

Your Electricity Rate
25.84p/kWh
Daily Fixed Charge
56.55p/day
Local Sunshine
796kWh/kW
A 1 kW system generates ~796 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 Ayrshire (93%)|Inverclyde (7%)

Areas Covered

North Coast, Inverclyde Central

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

PA18 (Inverclyde)
≈2.4 km away
Local sunshine: ~789 kWh/kWp · -1% vs PA17
KA30 (North Ayrshire)
≈8.1 km away
Local sunshine: ~851 kWh/kWp · +7% vs PA17
PA19 (Inverclyde)
≈10.4 km away
Local sunshine: ~756 kWh/kWp · -5% vs PA17
PA16 (Inverclyde)
≈10.4 km away
Local sunshine: ~808 kWh/kWp · +2% vs PA17
PA15 (Inverclyde)
≈12.0 km away
Local sunshine: ~835 kWh/kWp · +5% vs PA17
KA29 (North Ayrshire)
≈12.4 km away
Local sunshine: ~845 kWh/kWp · +6% vs PA17

Similar sunshine across the UK

BT82 (Derry City and Strabane)
~795 kWh/kWp · -0% vs PA17
LL47 (Gwynedd)
~795 kWh/kWp · -0% vs PA17
IV6 (Highland)
~798 kWh/kWp · +0% vs PA17