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Solar Panels in PA36 (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
17.3 years
After this, it's pure profit
Upfront Cost
£10,173
What you pay to get started
Annual Benefit
£587
What you save every year
Profit Over 25 Years
£4,511
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 698 kWh/kW — 117 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 698 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)
698 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: £587, Upfront: £10,173, Break-even: 17.3 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1396 kWh 559 kWh 838 kWh £151 £84 £235 £4,069 17.3 yrs £630
3 kW 2095 kWh 838 kWh 1257 kWh £227 £126 £352 £6,104 17.3 yrs £945
4 kW 2793 kWh 1117 kWh 1676 kWh £302 £168 £470 £8,138 17.3 yrs £1,260
5 kW 3491 kWh 1396 kWh 2095 kWh £378 £209 £587 £10,173 17.3 yrs £1,574
6 kW 4189 kWh 1676 kWh 2514 kWh £453 £251 £705 £12,207 17.3 yrs £1,889
7 kW 4888 kWh 1955 kWh 2933 kWh £529 £293 £822 £14,242 17.3 yrs £2,204
8 kW 5586 kWh 2234 kWh 3352 kWh £605 £335 £940 £16,276 17.3 yrs £2,519

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: £706, Upfront: £12,273, Break-even: 17.4 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1396 kWh 838 kWh 559 kWh £227 £56 £283 £6,169 21.8 yrs £-517
3 kW 2095 kWh 1257 kWh 838 kWh £340 £84 £424 £8,204 19.4 yrs £274
4 kW 2793 kWh 1676 kWh 1117 kWh £453 £112 £565 £10,238 18.1 yrs £1,065
5 kW 3491 kWh 2095 kWh 1396 kWh £567 £140 £706 £12,273 17.4 yrs £1,857
6 kW 4189 kWh 2514 kWh 1676 kWh £680 £168 £848 £14,307 16.9 yrs £2,648
7 kW 4888 kWh 2933 kWh 1955 kWh £794 £196 £989 £16,342 16.5 yrs £3,440
8 kW 5586 kWh 3352 kWh 2234 kWh £907 £223 £1,130 £18,376 16.3 yrs £4,231

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: £766, Upfront: £13,673, Break-even: 17.8 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1396 kWh 978 kWh 419 kWh £265 £42 £306 £7,569 24.7 yrs £-1,441
3 kW 2095 kWh 1466 kWh 628 kWh £397 £63 £460 £9,604 20.9 yrs £-411
4 kW 2793 kWh 1955 kWh 838 kWh £529 £84 £613 £11,638 19.0 yrs £618
5 kW 3491 kWh 2444 kWh 1047 kWh £661 £105 £766 £13,673 17.8 yrs £1,648
6 kW 4189 kWh 2933 kWh 1257 kWh £794 £126 £919 £15,707 17.1 yrs £2,678
7 kW 4888 kWh 3421 kWh 1466 kWh £926 £147 £1,072 £17,742 16.5 yrs £3,707
8 kW 5586 kWh 3910 kWh 1676 kWh £1,058 £168 £1,226 £19,776 16.1 yrs £4,737

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: £784, Upfront: £15,423, 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 1396 kWh 1019 kWh 377 kWh £276 £38 £314 £9,319 29.7 yrs £-3,048
3 kW 2095 kWh 1529 kWh 566 kWh £414 £57 £470 £11,354 24.1 yrs £-1,947
4 kW 2793 kWh 2039 kWh 754 kWh £552 £75 £627 £13,388 21.3 yrs £-846
5 kW 3491 kWh 2549 kWh 943 kWh £690 £94 £784 £15,423 19.7 yrs £255
6 kW 4189 kWh 3058 kWh 1131 kWh £828 £113 £941 £17,457 18.6 yrs £1,356
7 kW 4888 kWh 3568 kWh 1320 kWh £965 £132 £1,097 £19,492 17.8 yrs £2,458
8 kW 5586 kWh 4078 kWh 1508 kWh £1,103 £151 £1,254 £21,526 17.2 yrs £3,559

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: £796, Upfront: £17,173, 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 1396 kWh 1047 kWh 349 kWh £283 £35 £318 £11,069 34.8 yrs £-4,703
3 kW 2095 kWh 1571 kWh 524 kWh £425 £52 £477 £13,104 27.4 yrs £-3,554
4 kW 2793 kWh 2095 kWh 698 kWh £567 £70 £637 £15,138 23.8 yrs £-2,405
5 kW 3491 kWh 2618 kWh 873 kWh £709 £87 £796 £17,173 21.6 yrs £-1,256
6 kW 4189 kWh 3142 kWh 1047 kWh £850 £105 £955 £19,207 20.1 yrs £-108
7 kW 4888 kWh 3666 kWh 1222 kWh £992 £122 £1,114 £21,242 19.1 yrs £1,041
8 kW 5586 kWh 4189 kWh 1396 kWh £1,134 £140 £1,273 £23,276 18.3 yrs £2,190

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: £808, Upfront: £19,623, Break-even: 24.3 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1396 kWh 1075 kWh 321 kWh £291 £32 £323 £13,519 41.8 yrs £-7,057
3 kW 2095 kWh 1613 kWh 482 kWh £436 £48 £485 £15,554 32.1 yrs £-5,861
4 kW 2793 kWh 2151 kWh 642 kWh £582 £64 £646 £17,588 27.2 yrs £-4,665
5 kW 3491 kWh 2688 kWh 803 kWh £727 £80 £808 £19,623 24.3 yrs £-3,468
6 kW 4189 kWh 3226 kWh 964 kWh £873 £96 £969 £21,657 22.3 yrs £-2,272
7 kW 4888 kWh 3763 kWh 1124 kWh £1,018 £112 £1,131 £23,692 21.0 yrs £-1,075
8 kW 5586 kWh 4301 kWh 1285 kWh £1,164 £128 £1,292 £25,726 19.9 yrs £121

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 PA36

Figures below are tailored to PA36 — click through for full league tables.

Solar Payback Index Rank #2982 of 2997
15.0 years (UK avg 11.3 years)
~£541 /yr • £8,138 upfront
Standing-Charge Drag Rank #2982 of 2997
41.2% (UK avg 21.7%) drag on savings
£223 fixed • ~£541 /yr value

Your Area at a Glance

Your Electricity Rate
27.06p/kWh
Daily Fixed Charge
61.00p/day
Local Sunshine
698kWh/kW
A 1 kW system generates ~698 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

Oban North and Lorn

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

FK20 (Stirling)
≈16.6 km away
Local sunshine: ~735 kWh/kWp · +5% vs PA36
PA33 (Argyll and Bute)
≈19.2 km away
Local sunshine: ~713 kWh/kWp · +2% vs PA36
PH50 (Highland)
≈24.9 km away
Local sunshine: ~653 kWh/kWp · -6% vs PA36
PA40 (Highland)
≈25.0 km away
Local sunshine: ~633 kWh/kWp · -9% vs PA36
FK21 (Stirling)
≈28.2 km away
Local sunshine: ~768 kWh/kWp · +10% vs PA36
PA39 (Highland)
≈28.4 km away
Local sunshine: ~583 kWh/kWp · -16% vs PA36

Similar sunshine across the UK

PH34 (Highland)
~701 kWh/kWp · +0% vs PA36
PH21 (Highland)
~701 kWh/kWp · +0% vs PA36
IV52 (Highland)
~702 kWh/kWp · +1% vs PA36