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Solar Panels in PA22 (Argyll and Bute)

See if solar pays off for you in Argyll and Bute — price, savings and payback in under a minute (official UK data).

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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
£10,173
What you pay to get started
Annual Benefit
£645
What you save every year
Profit Over 25 Years
£5,946
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 Northern Scotland, the current unit rate is 27.06p/kWh with a 61.00p/day standing charge. Your postcode’s south-facing sunshine yield is 766 kWh/kW — 49 below the regional median (815).

Read the full story

A typical roof here lands around 5.0 kW, with most eligible homes comfortably fitting within 3–6 kW. Each kilowatt of panels produces roughly 766 kWh per year on a south-facing roof. We value self-used electricity at 27.1p and exported surplus at a baseline 10p via SEG. Use the calculator above for your exact tariff.

Unit rate
27.1p/kWh
Standing charge
61.0p/day
Sunshine yield (south)
766 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 1533 kWh 613 kWh 920 kWh £166 £92 £258 £4,069 15.8 yrs £1,089
3 kW 2299 kWh 920 kWh 1380 kWh £249 £138 £387 £6,104 15.8 yrs £1,634
4 kW 3066 kWh 1226 kWh 1840 kWh £332 £184 £516 £8,138 15.8 yrs £2,178
5 kW 3832 kWh 1533 kWh 2299 kWh £415 £230 £645 £10,173 15.8 yrs £2,723
6 kW 4599 kWh 1840 kWh 2759 kWh £498 £276 £774 £12,207 15.8 yrs £3,267
7 kW 5365 kWh 2146 kWh 3219 kWh £581 £322 £903 £14,242 15.8 yrs £3,812
8 kW 6132 kWh 2453 kWh 3679 kWh £664 £368 £1,032 £16,276 15.8 yrs £4,356

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 1533 kWh 920 kWh 613 kWh £249 £61 £310 £6,169 19.9 yrs £35
3 kW 2299 kWh 1380 kWh 920 kWh £373 £92 £465 £8,204 17.6 yrs £1,103
4 kW 3066 kWh 1840 kWh 1226 kWh £498 £123 £620 £10,238 16.5 yrs £2,170
5 kW 3832 kWh 2299 kWh 1533 kWh £622 £153 £776 £12,273 15.8 yrs £3,238
6 kW 4599 kWh 2759 kWh 1840 kWh £747 £184 £931 £14,307 15.4 yrs £4,305
7 kW 5365 kWh 3219 kWh 2146 kWh £871 £215 £1,086 £16,342 15.1 yrs £5,373
8 kW 6132 kWh 3679 kWh 2453 kWh £996 £245 £1,241 £18,376 14.8 yrs £6,440

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: £841, 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 1533 kWh 1073 kWh 460 kWh £290 £46 £336 £7,569 22.5 yrs £-842
3 kW 2299 kWh 1610 kWh 690 kWh £436 £69 £505 £9,604 19.0 yrs £487
4 kW 3066 kWh 2146 kWh 920 kWh £581 £92 £673 £11,638 17.3 yrs £1,816
5 kW 3832 kWh 2683 kWh 1150 kWh £726 £115 £841 £13,673 16.3 yrs £3,145
6 kW 4599 kWh 3219 kWh 1380 kWh £871 £138 £1,009 £15,707 15.6 yrs £4,474
7 kW 5365 kWh 3756 kWh 1610 kWh £1,016 £161 £1,177 £17,742 15.1 yrs £5,803
8 kW 6132 kWh 4292 kWh 1840 kWh £1,161 £184 £1,345 £19,776 14.7 yrs £7,133

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: £861, Upfront: £15,423, Break-even: 17.9 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1533 kWh 1119 kWh 414 kWh £303 £41 £344 £9,319 27.1 yrs £-2,435
3 kW 2299 kWh 1679 kWh 621 kWh £454 £62 £516 £11,354 22.0 yrs £-1,027
4 kW 3066 kWh 2238 kWh 828 kWh £606 £83 £688 £13,388 19.4 yrs £380
5 kW 3832 kWh 2798 kWh 1035 kWh £757 £103 £861 £15,423 17.9 yrs £1,788
6 kW 4599 kWh 3357 kWh 1242 kWh £908 £124 £1,033 £17,457 16.9 yrs £3,195
7 kW 5365 kWh 3917 kWh 1449 kWh £1,060 £145 £1,205 £19,492 16.2 yrs £4,603
8 kW 6132 kWh 4476 kWh 1656 kWh £1,211 £166 £1,377 £21,526 15.6 yrs £6,010

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: £874, 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 1533 kWh 1150 kWh 383 kWh £311 £38 £349 £11,069 31.7 yrs £-4,080
3 kW 2299 kWh 1725 kWh 575 kWh £467 £57 £524 £13,104 25.0 yrs £-2,621
4 kW 3066 kWh 2299 kWh 766 kWh £622 £77 £699 £15,138 21.7 yrs £-1,161
5 kW 3832 kWh 2874 kWh 958 kWh £778 £96 £874 £17,173 19.7 yrs £299
6 kW 4599 kWh 3449 kWh 1150 kWh £933 £115 £1,048 £19,207 18.3 yrs £1,759
7 kW 5365 kWh 4024 kWh 1341 kWh £1,089 £134 £1,223 £21,242 17.4 yrs £3,219
8 kW 6132 kWh 4599 kWh 1533 kWh £1,244 £153 £1,398 £23,276 16.7 yrs £4,679

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: £887, Upfront: £19,623, Break-even: 22.1 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1533 kWh 1180 kWh 353 kWh £319 £35 £355 £13,519 38.1 yrs £-6,426
3 kW 2299 kWh 1771 kWh 529 kWh £479 £53 £532 £15,554 29.2 yrs £-4,914
4 kW 3066 kWh 2361 kWh 705 kWh £639 £71 £709 £17,588 24.8 yrs £-3,401
5 kW 3832 kWh 2951 kWh 881 kWh £799 £88 £887 £19,623 22.1 yrs £-1,889
6 kW 4599 kWh 3541 kWh 1058 kWh £958 £106 £1,064 £21,657 20.4 yrs £-377
7 kW 5365 kWh 4131 kWh 1234 kWh £1,118 £123 £1,241 £23,692 19.1 yrs £1,135
8 kW 6132 kWh 4721 kWh 1410 kWh £1,278 £141 £1,419 £25,726 18.1 yrs £2,647

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 PA22

Figures below are tailored to PA22 — click through for full league tables.

Solar Payback Index Rank #2937 of 2997
13.7 years (UK avg 11.3 years)
~£594 /yr • £8,138 upfront
Standing-Charge Drag Rank #2942 of 2997
37.5% (UK avg 21.7%) drag on savings
£223 fixed • ~£594 /yr value

Your Area at a Glance

Your Electricity Rate
27.06p/kWh
Daily Fixed Charge
61.00p/day
Local Sunshine
766kWh/kW
A 1 kW system generates ~766 kWh per year. A typical home uses ~2,700 kWh per year.
Typical System Size
5.0kW
For houses & bungalows in this area

Local Property Data

Property Types

No EPC data available for this outcode

Coverage

Argyll and Bute (100%)

Areas Covered

Cowal, Dunoon

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 Northern Scotland

PA21 (Argyll and Bute)
≈7.5 km away
Local sunshine: ~844 kWh/kWp · +10% vs PA22
PA23 (Argyll and Bute)
≈14.0 km away
Local sunshine: ~789 kWh/kWp · +3% vs PA22
PA20 (Argyll and Bute)
≈14.1 km away
Local sunshine: ~841 kWh/kWp · +10% vs PA22
PA29 (Argyll and Bute)
≈19.3 km away
Local sunshine: ~820 kWh/kWp · +7% vs PA22
PA30 (Argyll and Bute)
≈19.8 km away
Local sunshine: ~785 kWh/kWp · +2% vs PA22
PA31 (Argyll and Bute)
≈20.0 km away
Local sunshine: ~787 kWh/kWp · +3% vs PA22

Similar sunshine across the UK

G84 (Argyll and Bute)
~766 kWh/kWp · -0% vs PA22
CA12 (Cumberland)
~767 kWh/kWp · +0% vs PA22
DL11 (North Yorkshire)
~765 kWh/kWp · -0% vs PA22