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Solar Panels in PA18 (Inverclyde)

See if solar pays off for you in Inverclyde — 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
15.8 years
After this, it's pure profit
Upfront Cost
£12,207
What you pay to get started
Annual Benefit
£773
What you save every year
Profit Over 25 Years
£7,130
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 789 kWh/kW — 61 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 789 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)
789 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: £645, Upfront: £10,173, 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 1578 kWh 631 kWh 947 kWh £163 £95 £258 £4,069 15.8 yrs £1,087
3 kW 2367 kWh 947 kWh 1420 kWh £245 £142 £387 £6,104 15.8 yrs £1,631
4 kW 3156 kWh 1263 kWh 1894 kWh £326 £189 £516 £8,138 15.8 yrs £2,175
5 kW 3946 kWh 1578 kWh 2367 kWh £408 £237 £645 £10,173 15.8 yrs £2,719
6 kW 4735 kWh 1894 kWh 2841 kWh £489 £284 £773 £12,207 15.8 yrs £3,262
7 kW 5524 kWh 2210 kWh 3314 kWh £571 £331 £902 £14,242 15.8 yrs £3,806
8 kW 6313 kWh 2525 kWh 3788 kWh £653 £379 £1,031 £16,276 15.8 yrs £4,350

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: £770, Upfront: £12,273, 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 1578 kWh 947 kWh 631 kWh £245 £63 £308 £6,169 20.0 yrs £-13
3 kW 2367 kWh 1420 kWh 947 kWh £367 £95 £462 £8,204 17.8 yrs £1,031
4 kW 3156 kWh 1894 kWh 1263 kWh £489 £126 £616 £10,238 16.6 yrs £2,075
5 kW 3946 kWh 2367 kWh 1578 kWh £612 £158 £770 £12,273 15.9 yrs £3,118
6 kW 4735 kWh 2841 kWh 1894 kWh £734 £189 £923 £14,307 15.5 yrs £4,162
7 kW 5524 kWh 3314 kWh 2210 kWh £856 £221 £1,077 £16,342 15.2 yrs £5,206
8 kW 6313 kWh 3788 kWh 2525 kWh £979 £253 £1,231 £18,376 14.9 yrs £6,250

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: £832, Upfront: £13,673, 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 1578 kWh 1105 kWh 473 kWh £285 £47 £333 £7,569 22.7 yrs £-913
3 kW 2367 kWh 1657 kWh 710 kWh £428 £71 £499 £9,604 19.2 yrs £381
4 kW 3156 kWh 2210 kWh 947 kWh £571 £95 £666 £11,638 17.5 yrs £1,675
5 kW 3946 kWh 2762 kWh 1184 kWh £714 £118 £832 £13,673 16.4 yrs £2,968
6 kW 4735 kWh 3314 kWh 1420 kWh £856 £142 £998 £15,707 15.7 yrs £4,262
7 kW 5524 kWh 3867 kWh 1657 kWh £999 £166 £1,165 £17,742 15.2 yrs £5,556
8 kW 6313 kWh 4419 kWh 1894 kWh £1,142 £189 £1,331 £19,776 14.9 yrs £6,849

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: £851, Upfront: £15,423, Break-even: 18.1 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1578 kWh 1152 kWh 426 kWh £298 £43 £340 £9,319 27.4 yrs £-2,513
3 kW 2367 kWh 1728 kWh 639 kWh £447 £64 £510 £11,354 22.2 yrs £-1,144
4 kW 3156 kWh 2304 kWh 852 kWh £595 £85 £681 £13,388 19.7 yrs £225
5 kW 3946 kWh 2880 kWh 1065 kWh £744 £107 £851 £15,423 18.1 yrs £1,593
6 kW 4735 kWh 3456 kWh 1278 kWh £893 £128 £1,021 £17,457 17.1 yrs £2,962
7 kW 5524 kWh 4032 kWh 1491 kWh £1,042 £149 £1,191 £19,492 16.4 yrs £4,331
8 kW 6313 kWh 4608 kWh 1704 kWh £1,191 £170 £1,361 £21,526 15.8 yrs £5,699

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: £863, Upfront: £17,173, Break-even: 19.9 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1578 kWh 1184 kWh 395 kWh £306 £39 £345 £11,069 32.1 yrs £-4,163
3 kW 2367 kWh 1776 kWh 592 kWh £459 £59 £518 £13,104 25.3 yrs £-2,744
4 kW 3156 kWh 2367 kWh 789 kWh £612 £79 £691 £15,138 21.9 yrs £-1,325
5 kW 3946 kWh 2959 kWh 986 kWh £765 £99 £863 £17,173 19.9 yrs £93
6 kW 4735 kWh 3551 kWh 1184 kWh £918 £118 £1,036 £19,207 18.5 yrs £1,512
7 kW 5524 kWh 4143 kWh 1381 kWh £1,071 £138 £1,209 £21,242 17.6 yrs £2,931
8 kW 6313 kWh 4735 kWh 1578 kWh £1,223 £158 £1,381 £23,276 16.9 yrs £4,349

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: £876, Upfront: £19,623, Break-even: 22.4 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1578 kWh 1215 kWh 363 kWh £314 £36 £350 £13,519 38.6 yrs £-6,513
3 kW 2367 kWh 1823 kWh 544 kWh £471 £54 £525 £15,554 29.6 yrs £-5,044
4 kW 3156 kWh 2430 kWh 726 kWh £628 £73 £701 £17,588 25.1 yrs £-3,575
5 kW 3946 kWh 3038 kWh 907 kWh £785 £91 £876 £19,623 22.4 yrs £-2,107
6 kW 4735 kWh 3646 kWh 1089 kWh £942 £109 £1,051 £21,657 20.6 yrs £-638
7 kW 5524 kWh 4253 kWh 1270 kWh £1,099 £127 £1,226 £23,692 19.3 yrs £831
8 kW 6313 kWh 4861 kWh 1452 kWh £1,256 £145 £1,401 £25,726 18.4 yrs £2,299

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 PA18

Figures below are tailored to PA18 — click through for full league tables.

Solar Payback Index Rank #2941 of 2997
13.8 years (UK avg 11.3 years)
~£886 /yr • £12,207 upfront
Standing-Charge Drag Rank #2093 of 2997
23.3% (UK avg 21.7%) drag on savings
£206 fixed • ~£886 /yr value

Your Area at a Glance

Your Electricity Rate
25.84p/kWh
Daily Fixed Charge
56.55p/day
Local Sunshine
789kWh/kW
A 1 kW system generates ~789 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

Inverclyde (100%)

Areas Covered

Inverclyde South West, 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

PA17 (North Ayrshire)
≈2.4 km away
Local sunshine: ~796 kWh/kWp · +1% vs PA18
PA19 (Inverclyde)
≈8.4 km away
Local sunshine: ~756 kWh/kWp · -4% vs PA18
PA16 (Inverclyde)
≈8.8 km away
Local sunshine: ~808 kWh/kWp · +2% vs PA18
KA30 (North Ayrshire)
≈10.5 km away
Local sunshine: ~851 kWh/kWp · +8% vs PA18
PA15 (Inverclyde)
≈10.7 km away
Local sunshine: ~835 kWh/kWp · +6% vs PA18
PA14 (Inverclyde)
≈14.5 km away
Local sunshine: ~772 kWh/kWp · -2% vs PA18

Similar sunshine across the UK

PA23 (Argyll and Bute)
~789 kWh/kWp · +0% vs PA18
KW17 (Orkney Islands)
~789 kWh/kWp · +0% vs PA18
PA80 (Na h-Eileanan Siar)
~789 kWh/kWp · +0% vs PA18