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Solar Panels in PA39 (Highland)

See if solar pays off for you in Highland — 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
20.7 years
After this, it's pure profit
Upfront Cost
£10,173
What you pay to get started
Annual Benefit
£491
What you save every year
Profit Over 25 Years
£2,094
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 583 kWh/kW — 232 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 583 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)
583 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: £491, Upfront: £10,173, Break-even: 20.7 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1167 kWh 467 kWh 700 kWh £126 £70 £196 £4,069 20.7 yrs £-144
3 kW 1750 kWh 700 kWh 1050 kWh £189 £105 £294 £6,104 20.7 yrs £-215
4 kW 2333 kWh 933 kWh 1400 kWh £253 £140 £393 £8,138 20.7 yrs £-287
5 kW 2917 kWh 1167 kWh 1750 kWh £316 £175 £491 £10,173 20.7 yrs £-359
6 kW 3500 kWh 1400 kWh 2100 kWh £379 £210 £589 £12,207 20.7 yrs £-431
7 kW 4083 kWh 1633 kWh 2450 kWh £442 £245 £687 £14,242 20.7 yrs £-503
8 kW 4666 kWh 1867 kWh 2800 kWh £505 £280 £785 £16,276 20.7 yrs £-574

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: £590, Upfront: £12,273, Break-even: 20.8 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1167 kWh 700 kWh 467 kWh £189 £47 £236 £6,169 26.1 yrs £-1,447
3 kW 1750 kWh 1050 kWh 700 kWh £284 £70 £354 £8,204 23.2 yrs £-1,121
4 kW 2333 kWh 1400 kWh 933 kWh £379 £93 £472 £10,238 21.7 yrs £-795
5 kW 2917 kWh 1750 kWh 1167 kWh £474 £117 £590 £12,273 20.8 yrs £-469
6 kW 3500 kWh 2100 kWh 1400 kWh £568 £140 £708 £14,307 20.2 yrs £-142
7 kW 4083 kWh 2450 kWh 1633 kWh £663 £163 £826 £16,342 19.8 yrs £184
8 kW 4666 kWh 2800 kWh 1867 kWh £758 £187 £944 £18,376 19.5 yrs £510

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: £640, Upfront: £13,673, Break-even: 21.4 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1167 kWh 817 kWh 350 kWh £221 £35 £256 £7,569 29.6 yrs £-2,449
3 kW 1750 kWh 1225 kWh 525 kWh £331 £52 £384 £9,604 25.0 yrs £-1,924
4 kW 2333 kWh 1633 kWh 700 kWh £442 £70 £512 £11,638 22.7 yrs £-1,399
5 kW 2917 kWh 2042 kWh 875 kWh £552 £87 £640 £13,673 21.4 yrs £-874
6 kW 3500 kWh 2450 kWh 1050 kWh £663 £105 £768 £15,707 20.5 yrs £-348
7 kW 4083 kWh 2858 kWh 1225 kWh £773 £122 £896 £17,742 19.8 yrs £177
8 kW 4666 kWh 3267 kWh 1400 kWh £884 £140 £1,024 £19,776 19.3 yrs £702

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: £655, Upfront: £15,423, Break-even: 23.6 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1167 kWh 852 kWh 315 kWh £230 £31 £262 £9,319 35.6 yrs £-4,080
3 kW 1750 kWh 1277 kWh 472 kWh £346 £47 £393 £11,354 28.9 yrs £-3,495
4 kW 2333 kWh 1703 kWh 630 kWh £461 £63 £524 £13,388 25.6 yrs £-2,910
5 kW 2917 kWh 2129 kWh 787 kWh £576 £79 £655 £15,423 23.6 yrs £-2,325
6 kW 3500 kWh 2555 kWh 945 kWh £691 £94 £786 £17,457 22.2 yrs £-1,740
7 kW 4083 kWh 2981 kWh 1102 kWh £807 £110 £917 £19,492 21.3 yrs £-1,155
8 kW 4666 kWh 3407 kWh 1260 kWh £922 £126 £1,048 £21,526 20.5 yrs £-570

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: £665, Upfront: £17,173, Break-even: 25.8 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1167 kWh 875 kWh 292 kWh £237 £29 £266 £11,069 41.6 yrs £-5,750
3 kW 1750 kWh 1312 kWh 437 kWh £355 £44 £399 £13,104 32.8 yrs £-5,126
4 kW 2333 kWh 1750 kWh 583 kWh £474 £58 £532 £15,138 28.5 yrs £-4,501
5 kW 2917 kWh 2187 kWh 729 kWh £592 £73 £665 £17,173 25.8 yrs £-3,876
6 kW 3500 kWh 2625 kWh 875 kWh £710 £87 £798 £19,207 24.1 yrs £-3,251
7 kW 4083 kWh 3062 kWh 1021 kWh £829 £102 £931 £21,242 22.8 yrs £-2,626
8 kW 4666 kWh 3500 kWh 1167 kWh £947 £117 £1,064 £23,276 21.9 yrs £-2,002

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: £675, Upfront: £19,623, Break-even: 29.1 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1167 kWh 898 kWh 268 kWh £243 £27 £270 £13,519 50.1 yrs £-8,121
3 kW 1750 kWh 1347 kWh 402 kWh £365 £40 £405 £15,554 38.4 yrs £-7,456
4 kW 2333 kWh 1797 kWh 537 kWh £486 £54 £540 £17,588 32.6 yrs £-6,792
5 kW 2917 kWh 2246 kWh 671 kWh £608 £67 £675 £19,623 29.1 yrs £-6,127
6 kW 3500 kWh 2695 kWh 805 kWh £729 £80 £810 £21,657 26.7 yrs £-5,462
7 kW 4083 kWh 3144 kWh 939 kWh £851 £94 £945 £23,692 25.1 yrs £-4,798
8 kW 4666 kWh 3593 kWh 1073 kWh £972 £107 £1,080 £25,726 23.8 yrs £-4,133

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 PA39

Figures below are tailored to PA39 — click through for full league tables.

Solar Payback Index Rank #2997 of 2997
18.0 years (UK avg 11.3 years)
~£452 /yr • £8,138 upfront
Standing-Charge Drag Rank #2997 of 2997
49.3% (UK avg 21.7%) drag on savings
£223 fixed • ~£452 /yr value

Your Area at a Glance

Your Electricity Rate
27.06p/kWh
Daily Fixed Charge
61.00p/day
Local Sunshine
583kWh/kW
A 1 kW system generates ~583 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

Highland (100%)

Areas Covered

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

PH49 (Highland)
≈0.1 km away
Local sunshine: ~627 kWh/kWp · +8% vs PA39
PA40 (Highland)
≈11.0 km away
Local sunshine: ~633 kWh/kWp · +8% vs PA39
PH50 (Highland)
≈11.1 km away
Local sunshine: ~653 kWh/kWp · +12% vs PA39
PH33 (Highland)
≈16.1 km away
Local sunshine: ~668 kWh/kWp · +14% vs PA39
PA38 (Argyll and Bute)
≈18.3 km away
Local sunshine: ~694 kWh/kWp · +19% vs PA39
PH34 (Highland)
≈27.1 km away
Local sunshine: ~701 kWh/kWp · +20% vs PA39

Similar sunshine across the UK

PH49 (Highland)
~627 kWh/kWp · +8% vs PA39
PA40 (Highland)
~633 kWh/kWp · +8% vs PA39