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Solar Panels in PA47 (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
13.4 years
After this, it's pure profit
Upfront Cost
£10,173
What you pay to get started
Annual Benefit
£758
What you save every year
Profit Over 25 Years
£8,784
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 901 kWh/kW — 86 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 901 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)
901 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: £758, Upfront: £10,173, Break-even: 13.4 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1803 kWh 721 kWh 1082 kWh £195 £108 £303 £4,069 13.4 yrs £1,997
3 kW 2704 kWh 1082 kWh 1623 kWh £293 £162 £455 £6,104 13.4 yrs £2,995
4 kW 3606 kWh 1442 kWh 2163 kWh £390 £216 £607 £8,138 13.4 yrs £3,994
5 kW 4507 kWh 1803 kWh 2704 kWh £488 £270 £758 £10,173 13.4 yrs £4,992
6 kW 5408 kWh 2163 kWh 3245 kWh £585 £325 £910 £12,207 13.4 yrs £5,991
7 kW 6310 kWh 2524 kWh 3786 kWh £683 £379 £1,062 £14,242 13.4 yrs £6,989
8 kW 7211 kWh 2884 kWh 4327 kWh £781 £433 £1,213 £16,276 13.4 yrs £7,988

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: £912, Upfront: £12,273, Break-even: 13.5 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1803 kWh 1082 kWh 721 kWh £293 £72 £365 £6,169 16.9 yrs £1,127
3 kW 2704 kWh 1623 kWh 1082 kWh £439 £108 £547 £8,204 15.0 yrs £2,741
4 kW 3606 kWh 2163 kWh 1442 kWh £585 £144 £730 £10,238 14.0 yrs £4,354
5 kW 4507 kWh 2704 kWh 1803 kWh £732 £180 £912 £12,273 13.5 yrs £5,968
6 kW 5408 kWh 3245 kWh 2163 kWh £878 £216 £1,094 £14,307 13.1 yrs £7,582
7 kW 6310 kWh 3786 kWh 2524 kWh £1,024 £252 £1,277 £16,342 12.8 yrs £9,195
8 kW 7211 kWh 4327 kWh 2884 kWh £1,171 £288 £1,459 £18,376 12.6 yrs £10,809

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: £989, Upfront: £13,673, Break-even: 13.8 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1803 kWh 1262 kWh 541 kWh £341 £54 £396 £7,569 19.1 yrs £342
3 kW 2704 kWh 1893 kWh 811 kWh £512 £81 £593 £9,604 16.2 yrs £2,263
4 kW 3606 kWh 2524 kWh 1082 kWh £683 £108 £791 £11,638 14.7 yrs £4,185
5 kW 4507 kWh 3155 kWh 1352 kWh £854 £135 £989 £13,673 13.8 yrs £6,106
6 kW 5408 kWh 3786 kWh 1623 kWh £1,024 £162 £1,187 £15,707 13.2 yrs £8,027
7 kW 6310 kWh 4417 kWh 1893 kWh £1,195 £189 £1,384 £17,742 12.8 yrs £9,948
8 kW 7211 kWh 5048 kWh 2163 kWh £1,366 £216 £1,582 £19,776 12.5 yrs £11,869

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: £1,012, Upfront: £15,423, Break-even: 15.2 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1803 kWh 1316 kWh 487 kWh £356 £49 £405 £9,319 23.0 yrs £-1,223
3 kW 2704 kWh 1974 kWh 730 kWh £534 £73 £607 £11,354 18.7 yrs £790
4 kW 3606 kWh 2632 kWh 974 kWh £712 £97 £810 £13,388 16.5 yrs £2,804
5 kW 4507 kWh 3290 kWh 1217 kWh £890 £122 £1,012 £15,423 15.2 yrs £4,817
6 kW 5408 kWh 3948 kWh 1460 kWh £1,068 £146 £1,214 £17,457 14.4 yrs £6,830
7 kW 6310 kWh 4606 kWh 1704 kWh £1,246 £170 £1,417 £19,492 13.8 yrs £8,844
8 kW 7211 kWh 5264 kWh 1947 kWh £1,424 £195 £1,619 £21,526 13.3 yrs £10,857

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: £1,027, Upfront: £17,173, Break-even: 16.7 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1803 kWh 1352 kWh 451 kWh £366 £45 £411 £11,069 26.9 yrs £-2,850
3 kW 2704 kWh 2028 kWh 676 kWh £549 £68 £616 £13,104 21.3 yrs £-775
4 kW 3606 kWh 2704 kWh 901 kWh £732 £90 £822 £15,138 18.4 yrs £1,300
5 kW 4507 kWh 3380 kWh 1127 kWh £915 £113 £1,027 £17,173 16.7 yrs £3,375
6 kW 5408 kWh 4056 kWh 1352 kWh £1,098 £135 £1,233 £19,207 15.6 yrs £5,450
7 kW 6310 kWh 4732 kWh 1577 kWh £1,281 £158 £1,438 £21,242 14.8 yrs £7,524
8 kW 7211 kWh 5408 kWh 1803 kWh £1,463 £180 £1,644 £23,276 14.2 yrs £9,599

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: £1,043, Upfront: £19,623, Break-even: 18.8 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1803 kWh 1388 kWh 415 kWh £376 £41 £417 £13,519 32.4 yrs £-5,177
3 kW 2704 kWh 2082 kWh 622 kWh £563 £62 £626 £15,554 24.9 yrs £-3,041
4 kW 3606 kWh 2776 kWh 829 kWh £751 £83 £834 £17,588 21.1 yrs £-904
5 kW 4507 kWh 3470 kWh 1037 kWh £939 £104 £1,043 £19,623 18.8 yrs £1,232
6 kW 5408 kWh 4164 kWh 1244 kWh £1,127 £124 £1,251 £21,657 17.3 yrs £3,369
7 kW 6310 kWh 4858 kWh 1451 kWh £1,315 £145 £1,460 £23,692 16.2 yrs £5,505
8 kW 7211 kWh 5553 kWh 1659 kWh £1,503 £166 £1,668 £25,726 15.4 yrs £7,642

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 PA47

Figures below are tailored to PA47 — click through for full league tables.

Solar Payback Index Rank #1886 of 2997
11.6 years (UK avg 11.3 years)
~£699 /yr • £8,138 upfront
Standing-Charge Drag Rank #2709 of 2997
31.9% (UK avg 21.7%) drag on savings
£223 fixed • ~£699 /yr value

Your Area at a Glance

Your Electricity Rate
27.06p/kWh
Daily Fixed Charge
61.00p/day
Local Sunshine
901kWh/kW
A 1 kW system generates ~901 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

PA48 (Argyll and Bute)
≈10.3 km away
Local sunshine: ~880 kWh/kWp · -2% vs PA47
PA49 (Argyll and Bute)
≈13.5 km away
Local sunshine: ~905 kWh/kWp · +0% vs PA47
PA43 (Argyll and Bute)
≈16.1 km away
Local sunshine: ~866 kWh/kWp · -4% vs PA47
PA44 (Argyll and Bute)
≈19.9 km away
Local sunshine: ~866 kWh/kWp · -4% vs PA47
PA42 (Argyll and Bute)
≈20.6 km away
Local sunshine: ~890 kWh/kWp · -1% vs PA47
PA45 (Argyll and Bute)
≈26.2 km away
Local sunshine: ~855 kWh/kWp · -5% vs PA47

Similar sunshine across the UK

HX5 (Calderdale)
~901 kWh/kWp · -0% vs PA47
LS29 (Bradford)
~901 kWh/kWp · -0% vs PA47
LA5 (Lancaster)
~901 kWh/kWp · -0% vs PA47