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Solar Panels in PA43 (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).

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
14.0 years
After this, it's pure profit
Upfront Cost
£10,173
What you pay to get started
Annual Benefit
£729
What you save every year
Profit Over 25 Years
£8,045
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 866 kWh/kW — 51 above 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 866 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)
866 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: £729, Upfront: £10,173, Break-even: 14.0 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1732 kWh 693 kWh 1040 kWh £188 £104 £291 £4,069 14.0 yrs £1,760
3 kW 2599 kWh 1040 kWh 1559 kWh £281 £156 £437 £6,104 14.0 yrs £2,641
4 kW 3465 kWh 1386 kWh 2079 kWh £375 £208 £583 £8,138 14.0 yrs £3,521
5 kW 4331 kWh 1732 kWh 2599 kWh £469 £260 £729 £10,173 14.0 yrs £4,401
6 kW 5198 kWh 2079 kWh 3118 kWh £563 £312 £874 £12,207 14.0 yrs £5,281
7 kW 6064 kWh 2426 kWh 3638 kWh £656 £364 £1,020 £14,242 14.0 yrs £6,162
8 kW 6930 kWh 2772 kWh 4158 kWh £750 £416 £1,166 £16,276 14.0 yrs £7,042

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: £876, Upfront: £12,273, Break-even: 14.0 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1732 kWh 1040 kWh 693 kWh £281 £69 £351 £6,169 17.6 yrs £843
3 kW 2599 kWh 1559 kWh 1040 kWh £422 £104 £526 £8,204 15.6 yrs £2,314
4 kW 3465 kWh 2079 kWh 1386 kWh £563 £139 £701 £10,238 14.6 yrs £3,786
5 kW 4331 kWh 2599 kWh 1732 kWh £703 £173 £876 £12,273 14.0 yrs £5,257
6 kW 5198 kWh 3118 kWh 2079 kWh £844 £208 £1,052 £14,307 13.6 yrs £6,728
7 kW 6064 kWh 3638 kWh 2426 kWh £985 £243 £1,227 £16,342 13.3 yrs £8,200
8 kW 6930 kWh 4158 kWh 2772 kWh £1,125 £277 £1,402 £18,376 13.1 yrs £9,671

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: £950, Upfront: £13,673, Break-even: 14.4 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1732 kWh 1213 kWh 520 kWh £328 £52 £380 £7,569 19.9 yrs £34
3 kW 2599 kWh 1819 kWh 780 kWh £492 £78 £570 £9,604 16.8 yrs £1,801
4 kW 3465 kWh 2426 kWh 1040 kWh £656 £104 £760 £11,638 15.3 yrs £3,568
5 kW 4331 kWh 3032 kWh 1299 kWh £820 £130 £950 £13,673 14.4 yrs £5,335
6 kW 5198 kWh 3638 kWh 1559 kWh £985 £156 £1,140 £15,707 13.8 yrs £7,102
7 kW 6064 kWh 4245 kWh 1819 kWh £1,149 £182 £1,331 £17,742 13.3 yrs £8,869
8 kW 6930 kWh 4851 kWh 2079 kWh £1,313 £208 £1,521 £19,776 13.0 yrs £10,636

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: £973, Upfront: £15,423, 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 1732 kWh 1265 kWh 468 kWh £342 £47 £389 £9,319 24.0 yrs £-1,539
3 kW 2599 kWh 1897 kWh 702 kWh £513 £70 £584 £11,354 19.5 yrs £317
4 kW 3465 kWh 2529 kWh 936 kWh £684 £94 £778 £13,388 17.2 yrs £2,172
5 kW 4331 kWh 3162 kWh 1169 kWh £856 £117 £973 £15,423 15.9 yrs £4,028
6 kW 5198 kWh 3794 kWh 1403 kWh £1,027 £140 £1,167 £17,457 15.0 yrs £5,884
7 kW 6064 kWh 4427 kWh 1637 kWh £1,198 £164 £1,362 £19,492 14.3 yrs £7,739
8 kW 6930 kWh 5059 kWh 1871 kWh £1,369 £187 £1,556 £21,526 13.8 yrs £9,595

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: £987, Upfront: £17,173, 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 1732 kWh 1299 kWh 433 kWh £352 £43 £395 £11,069 28.0 yrs £-3,171
3 kW 2599 kWh 1949 kWh 650 kWh £527 £65 £592 £13,104 22.1 yrs £-1,256
4 kW 3465 kWh 2599 kWh 866 kWh £703 £87 £790 £15,138 19.2 yrs £659
5 kW 4331 kWh 3248 kWh 1083 kWh £879 £108 £987 £17,173 17.4 yrs £2,574
6 kW 5198 kWh 3898 kWh 1299 kWh £1,055 £130 £1,185 £19,207 16.2 yrs £4,488
7 kW 6064 kWh 4548 kWh 1516 kWh £1,231 £152 £1,382 £21,242 15.4 yrs £6,403
8 kW 6930 kWh 5198 kWh 1732 kWh £1,406 £173 £1,580 £23,276 14.7 yrs £8,318

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: £1,002, Upfront: £19,623, Break-even: 19.6 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1732 kWh 1334 kWh 398 kWh £361 £40 £401 £13,519 33.7 yrs £-5,502
3 kW 2599 kWh 2001 kWh 598 kWh £541 £60 £601 £15,554 25.9 yrs £-3,528
4 kW 3465 kWh 2668 kWh 797 kWh £722 £80 £802 £17,588 21.9 yrs £-1,555
5 kW 4331 kWh 3335 kWh 996 kWh £902 £100 £1,002 £19,623 19.6 yrs £419
6 kW 5198 kWh 4002 kWh 1195 kWh £1,083 £120 £1,203 £21,657 18.0 yrs £2,393
7 kW 6064 kWh 4669 kWh 1395 kWh £1,263 £139 £1,403 £23,692 16.9 yrs £4,367
8 kW 6930 kWh 5336 kWh 1594 kWh £1,444 £159 £1,603 £25,726 16.0 yrs £6,341

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 PA43

Figures below are tailored to PA43 — click through for full league tables.

Solar Payback Index Rank #2427 of 2997
12.1 years (UK avg 11.3 years)
~£672 /yr • £8,138 upfront
Standing-Charge Drag Rank #2775 of 2997
33.1% (UK avg 21.7%) drag on savings
£223 fixed • ~£672 /yr value

Your Area at a Glance

Your Electricity Rate
27.06p/kWh
Daily Fixed Charge
61.00p/day
Local Sunshine
866kWh/kW
A 1 kW system generates ~866 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

Kintyre and the Islands

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

PA44 (Argyll and Bute)
≈4.2 km away
Local sunshine: ~866 kWh/kWp · -0% vs PA43
PA49 (Argyll and Bute)
≈6.0 km away
Local sunshine: ~905 kWh/kWp · +4% vs PA43
PA48 (Argyll and Bute)
≈6.0 km away
Local sunshine: ~880 kWh/kWp · +2% vs PA43
PA45 (Argyll and Bute)
≈10.2 km away
Local sunshine: ~855 kWh/kWp · -1% vs PA43
PA46 (Argyll and Bute)
≈14.8 km away
Local sunshine: ~848 kWh/kWp · -2% vs PA43
PA42 (Argyll and Bute)
≈15.2 km away
Local sunshine: ~890 kWh/kWp · +3% vs PA43

Similar sunshine across the UK

BL8 (Bury)
~866 kWh/kWp · -0% vs PA43
KY11 (Fife)
~866 kWh/kWp · -0% vs PA43
KA22 (North Ayrshire)
~866 kWh/kWp · -0% vs PA43