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Solar Panels in PA38 (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
17.4 years
After this, it's pure profit
Upfront Cost
£10,173
What you pay to get started
Annual Benefit
£584
What you save every year
Profit Over 25 Years
£4,421
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 694 kWh/kW — 121 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 694 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)
694 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: £584, Upfront: £10,173, 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 1388 kWh 555 kWh 833 kWh £150 £83 £233 £4,069 17.4 yrs £601
3 kW 2082 kWh 833 kWh 1249 kWh £225 £125 £350 £6,104 17.4 yrs £901
4 kW 2776 kWh 1110 kWh 1665 kWh £300 £167 £467 £8,138 17.4 yrs £1,202
5 kW 3470 kWh 1388 kWh 2082 kWh £376 £208 £584 £10,173 17.4 yrs £1,502
6 kW 4164 kWh 1665 kWh 2498 kWh £451 £250 £700 £12,207 17.4 yrs £1,802
7 kW 4857 kWh 1943 kWh 2914 kWh £526 £291 £817 £14,242 17.4 yrs £2,103
8 kW 5551 kWh 2221 kWh 3331 kWh £601 £333 £934 £16,276 17.4 yrs £2,403

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: £702, Upfront: £12,273, 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 1388 kWh 833 kWh 555 kWh £225 £56 £281 £6,169 22.0 yrs £-552
3 kW 2082 kWh 1249 kWh 833 kWh £338 £83 £421 £8,204 19.5 yrs £222
4 kW 2776 kWh 1665 kWh 1110 kWh £451 £111 £562 £10,238 18.2 yrs £996
5 kW 3470 kWh 2082 kWh 1388 kWh £563 £139 £702 £12,273 17.5 yrs £1,770
6 kW 4164 kWh 2498 kWh 1665 kWh £676 £167 £843 £14,307 17.0 yrs £2,544
7 kW 4857 kWh 2914 kWh 1943 kWh £789 £194 £983 £16,342 16.6 yrs £3,317
8 kW 5551 kWh 3331 kWh 2221 kWh £901 £222 £1,123 £18,376 16.4 yrs £4,091

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: £761, Upfront: £13,673, 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 1388 kWh 971 kWh 416 kWh £263 £42 £305 £7,569 24.9 yrs £-1,479
3 kW 2082 kWh 1457 kWh 625 kWh £394 £62 £457 £9,604 21.0 yrs £-468
4 kW 2776 kWh 1943 kWh 833 kWh £526 £83 £609 £11,638 19.1 yrs £543
5 kW 3470 kWh 2429 kWh 1041 kWh £657 £104 £761 £13,673 18.0 yrs £1,553
6 kW 4164 kWh 2914 kWh 1249 kWh £789 £125 £914 £15,707 17.2 yrs £2,564
7 kW 4857 kWh 3400 kWh 1457 kWh £920 £146 £1,066 £17,742 16.6 yrs £3,575
8 kW 5551 kWh 3886 kWh 1665 kWh £1,052 £167 £1,218 £19,776 16.2 yrs £4,586

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: £779, Upfront: £15,423, Break-even: 19.8 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1388 kWh 1013 kWh 375 kWh £274 £37 £312 £9,319 29.9 yrs £-3,087
3 kW 2082 kWh 1520 kWh 562 kWh £411 £56 £467 £11,354 24.3 yrs £-2,005
4 kW 2776 kWh 2026 kWh 749 kWh £548 £75 £623 £13,388 21.5 yrs £-923
5 kW 3470 kWh 2533 kWh 937 kWh £685 £94 £779 £15,423 19.8 yrs £159
6 kW 4164 kWh 3039 kWh 1124 kWh £822 £112 £935 £17,457 18.7 yrs £1,240
7 kW 4857 kWh 3546 kWh 1312 kWh £960 £131 £1,091 £19,492 17.9 yrs £2,322
8 kW 5551 kWh 4052 kWh 1499 kWh £1,097 £150 £1,246 £21,526 17.3 yrs £3,404

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: £791, Upfront: £17,173, Break-even: 21.7 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1388 kWh 1041 kWh 347 kWh £282 £35 £316 £11,069 35.0 yrs £-4,742
3 kW 2082 kWh 1561 kWh 520 kWh £422 £52 £475 £13,104 27.6 yrs £-3,613
4 kW 2776 kWh 2082 kWh 694 kWh £563 £69 £633 £15,138 23.9 yrs £-2,484
5 kW 3470 kWh 2602 kWh 867 kWh £704 £87 £791 £17,173 21.7 yrs £-1,355
6 kW 4164 kWh 3123 kWh 1041 kWh £845 £104 £949 £19,207 20.2 yrs £-226
7 kW 4857 kWh 3643 kWh 1214 kWh £986 £121 £1,107 £21,242 19.2 yrs £903
8 kW 5551 kWh 4164 kWh 1388 kWh £1,127 £139 £1,265 £23,276 18.4 yrs £2,033

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: £803, Upfront: £19,623, Break-even: 24.4 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1388 kWh 1069 kWh 319 kWh £289 £32 £321 £13,519 42.1 yrs £-7,097
3 kW 2082 kWh 1603 kWh 479 kWh £434 £48 £482 £15,554 32.3 yrs £-5,921
4 kW 2776 kWh 2137 kWh 638 kWh £578 £64 £642 £17,588 27.4 yrs £-4,744
5 kW 3470 kWh 2672 kWh 798 kWh £723 £80 £803 £19,623 24.4 yrs £-3,568
6 kW 4164 kWh 3206 kWh 958 kWh £868 £96 £963 £21,657 22.5 yrs £-2,391
7 kW 4857 kWh 3740 kWh 1117 kWh £1,012 £112 £1,124 £23,692 21.1 yrs £-1,215
8 kW 5551 kWh 4275 kWh 1277 kWh £1,157 £128 £1,284 £25,726 20.0 yrs £-39

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 PA38

Figures below are tailored to PA38 — click through for full league tables.

Solar Payback Index Rank #2985 of 2997
15.1 years (UK avg 11.3 years)
~£538 /yr • £8,138 upfront
Standing-Charge Drag Rank #2984 of 2997
41.4% (UK avg 21.7%) drag on savings
£223 fixed • ~£538 /yr value

Your Area at a Glance

Your Electricity Rate
27.06p/kWh
Daily Fixed Charge
61.00p/day
Local Sunshine
694kWh/kW
A 1 kW system generates ~694 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 (67%)|Highland (33%)

Areas Covered

Oban North and Lorn, Fort William and Ardnamurchan

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

PA37 (Argyll and Bute)
≈12.9 km away
Local sunshine: ~779 kWh/kWp · +12% vs PA38
PA35 (Argyll and Bute)
≈17.4 km away
Local sunshine: ~729 kWh/kWp · +5% vs PA38
PH49 (Highland)
≈18.3 km away
Local sunshine: ~627 kWh/kWp · -10% vs PA38
PA39 (Highland)
≈18.3 km away
Local sunshine: ~583 kWh/kWp · -16% vs PA38
PA34 (Argyll and Bute)
≈19.1 km away
Local sunshine: ~782 kWh/kWp · +13% vs PA38
PA65 (Argyll and Bute)
≈24.2 km away
Local sunshine: ~743 kWh/kWp · +7% vs PA38

Similar sunshine across the UK

PH37 (Highland)
~693 kWh/kWp · -0% vs PA38
PA36 (Argyll and Bute)
~698 kWh/kWp · +1% vs PA38
IV54 (Highland)
~689 kWh/kWp · -1% vs PA38