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Solar Panels in PA30 (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
15.4 years
After this, it's pure profit
Upfront Cost
£10,173
What you pay to get started
Annual Benefit
£660
What you save every year
Profit Over 25 Years
£6,339
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 785 kWh/kW — 30 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 785 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)
785 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: £660, Upfront: £10,173, Break-even: 15.4 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1570 kWh 628 kWh 942 kWh £170 £94 £264 £4,069 15.4 yrs £1,215
3 kW 2355 kWh 942 kWh 1413 kWh £255 £141 £396 £6,104 15.4 yrs £1,822
4 kW 3141 kWh 1256 kWh 1884 kWh £340 £188 £528 £8,138 15.4 yrs £2,429
5 kW 3926 kWh 1570 kWh 2355 kWh £425 £236 £660 £10,173 15.4 yrs £3,037
6 kW 4711 kWh 1884 kWh 2827 kWh £510 £283 £793 £12,207 15.4 yrs £3,644
7 kW 5496 kWh 2198 kWh 3298 kWh £595 £330 £925 £14,242 15.4 yrs £4,252
8 kW 6281 kWh 2512 kWh 3769 kWh £680 £377 £1,057 £16,276 15.4 yrs £4,859

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: £794, Upfront: £12,273, Break-even: 15.4 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1570 kWh 942 kWh 628 kWh £255 £63 £318 £6,169 19.4 yrs £186
3 kW 2355 kWh 1413 kWh 942 kWh £382 £94 £477 £8,204 17.2 yrs £1,329
4 kW 3141 kWh 1884 kWh 1256 kWh £510 £126 £636 £10,238 16.1 yrs £2,473
5 kW 3926 kWh 2355 kWh 1570 kWh £637 £157 £794 £12,273 15.4 yrs £3,616
6 kW 4711 kWh 2827 kWh 1884 kWh £765 £188 £953 £14,307 15.0 yrs £4,759
7 kW 5496 kWh 3298 kWh 2198 kWh £892 £220 £1,112 £16,342 14.7 yrs £5,902
8 kW 6281 kWh 3769 kWh 2512 kWh £1,020 £251 £1,271 £18,376 14.5 yrs £7,045

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: £861, Upfront: £13,673, 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 1570 kWh 1099 kWh 471 kWh £297 £47 £345 £7,569 22.0 yrs £-678
3 kW 2355 kWh 1649 kWh 707 kWh £446 £71 £517 £9,604 18.6 yrs £733
4 kW 3141 kWh 2198 kWh 942 kWh £595 £94 £689 £11,638 16.9 yrs £2,144
5 kW 3926 kWh 2748 kWh 1178 kWh £744 £118 £861 £13,673 15.9 yrs £3,555
6 kW 4711 kWh 3298 kWh 1413 kWh £892 £141 £1,034 £15,707 15.2 yrs £4,966
7 kW 5496 kWh 3847 kWh 1649 kWh £1,041 £165 £1,206 £17,742 14.7 yrs £6,377
8 kW 6281 kWh 4397 kWh 1884 kWh £1,190 £188 £1,378 £19,776 14.3 yrs £7,788

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: £881, Upfront: £15,423, Break-even: 17.5 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1570 kWh 1146 kWh 424 kWh £310 £42 £353 £9,319 26.4 yrs £-2,267
3 kW 2355 kWh 1719 kWh 636 kWh £465 £64 £529 £11,354 21.5 yrs £-776
4 kW 3141 kWh 2293 kWh 848 kWh £620 £85 £705 £13,388 19.0 yrs £716
5 kW 3926 kWh 2866 kWh 1060 kWh £775 £106 £881 £15,423 17.5 yrs £2,207
6 kW 4711 kWh 3439 kWh 1272 kWh £931 £127 £1,058 £17,457 16.5 yrs £3,698
7 kW 5496 kWh 4012 kWh 1484 kWh £1,086 £148 £1,234 £19,492 15.8 yrs £5,190
8 kW 6281 kWh 4585 kWh 1696 kWh £1,241 £170 £1,410 £21,526 15.3 yrs £6,681

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: £895, Upfront: £17,173, Break-even: 19.2 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1570 kWh 1178 kWh 393 kWh £319 £39 £358 £11,069 30.9 yrs £-3,910
3 kW 2355 kWh 1767 kWh 589 kWh £478 £59 £537 £13,104 24.4 yrs £-2,365
4 kW 3141 kWh 2355 kWh 785 kWh £637 £79 £716 £15,138 21.1 yrs £-820
5 kW 3926 kWh 2944 kWh 981 kWh £797 £98 £895 £17,173 19.2 yrs £725
6 kW 4711 kWh 3533 kWh 1178 kWh £956 £118 £1,074 £19,207 17.9 yrs £2,270
7 kW 5496 kWh 4122 kWh 1374 kWh £1,115 £137 £1,253 £21,242 17.0 yrs £3,815
8 kW 6281 kWh 4711 kWh 1570 kWh £1,275 £157 £1,432 £23,276 16.3 yrs £5,360

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: £908, Upfront: £19,623, Break-even: 21.6 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1570 kWh 1209 kWh 361 kWh £327 £36 £363 £13,519 37.2 yrs £-6,253
3 kW 2355 kWh 1814 kWh 542 kWh £491 £54 £545 £15,554 28.5 yrs £-4,654
4 kW 3141 kWh 2418 kWh 722 kWh £654 £72 £727 £17,588 24.2 yrs £-3,056
5 kW 3926 kWh 3023 kWh 903 kWh £818 £90 £908 £19,623 21.6 yrs £-1,457
6 kW 4711 kWh 3627 kWh 1084 kWh £982 £108 £1,090 £21,657 19.9 yrs £141
7 kW 5496 kWh 4232 kWh 1264 kWh £1,145 £126 £1,272 £23,692 18.6 yrs £1,740
8 kW 6281 kWh 4837 kWh 1445 kWh £1,309 £144 £1,453 £25,726 17.7 yrs £3,339

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 PA30

Figures below are tailored to PA30 — click through for full league tables.

Solar Payback Index Rank #2909 of 2997
13.4 years (UK avg 11.3 years)
~£609 /yr • £8,138 upfront
Standing-Charge Drag Rank #2913 of 2997
36.6% (UK avg 21.7%) drag on savings
£223 fixed • ~£609 /yr value

Your Area at a Glance

Your Electricity Rate
27.06p/kWh
Daily Fixed Charge
61.00p/day
Local Sunshine
785kWh/kW
A 1 kW system generates ~785 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

Mid Argyll

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

PA31 (Argyll and Bute)
≈2.7 km away
Local sunshine: ~787 kWh/kWp · +0% vs PA30
PA29 (Argyll and Bute)
≈17.2 km away
Local sunshine: ~820 kWh/kWp · +4% vs PA30
PA21 (Argyll and Bute)
≈17.8 km away
Local sunshine: ~844 kWh/kWp · +8% vs PA30
PA22 (Argyll and Bute)
≈19.8 km away
Local sunshine: ~766 kWh/kWp · -2% vs PA30
PA27 (Argyll and Bute)
≈28.3 km away
Local sunshine: ~723 kWh/kWp · -8% vs PA30
PA20 (Argyll and Bute)
≈31.5 km away
Local sunshine: ~841 kWh/kWp · +7% vs PA30

Similar sunshine across the UK

LL21 (Denbighshire)
~785 kWh/kWp · -0% vs PA30
CA8 (Cumberland)
~786 kWh/kWp · +0% vs PA30
PA18 (Inverclyde)
~789 kWh/kWp · +1% vs PA30