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Solar panel cost in Argyll and Bute (PA65)

See realistic solar installation costs, savings and payback for PA65 (Argyll and Bute) in under a minute using official UK data. Start with the calculator, then get a no-obligation quote from an MCS-certified installer. You can also ask the SolarByPostcode assistant to sanity-check your roof, bills and plans.

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
17.8 years
After this, it's pure profit
Upfront Cost
£10,173
What you pay to get started
Annual Benefit
£571
What you save every year
Profit Over 25 Years
£4,100
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 23.40p/kWh with a 58.28p/day standing charge. Your postcode’s south-facing sunshine yield is 743 kWh/kW — 72 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 743 kWh per year on a south-facing roof. We value self-used electricity at 23.4p and exported surplus at a baseline 10p via SEG. Use the calculator above for your exact tariff.

Unit rate
23.4p/kWh
Standing charge
58.3p/day
Sunshine yield (south)
743 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: £571, Upfront: £10,173, 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 1487 kWh 595 kWh 892 kWh £139 £89 £228 £4,069 17.8 yrs £498
3 kW 2230 kWh 892 kWh 1338 kWh £209 £134 £343 £6,104 17.8 yrs £747
4 kW 2973 kWh 1189 kWh 1784 kWh £278 £178 £457 £8,138 17.8 yrs £996
5 kW 3717 kWh 1487 kWh 2230 kWh £348 £223 £571 £10,173 17.8 yrs £1,245
6 kW 4460 kWh 1784 kWh 2676 kWh £417 £268 £685 £12,207 17.8 yrs £1,495
7 kW 5204 kWh 2081 kWh 3122 kWh £487 £312 £799 £14,242 17.8 yrs £1,744
8 kW 5947 kWh 2379 kWh 3568 kWh £557 £357 £913 £16,276 17.8 yrs £1,993

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: £671, Upfront: £12,273, Break-even: 18.3 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1487 kWh 892 kWh 595 kWh £209 £59 £268 £6,169 23.0 yrs £-805
3 kW 2230 kWh 1338 kWh 892 kWh £313 £89 £402 £8,204 20.4 yrs £-157
4 kW 2973 kWh 1784 kWh 1189 kWh £417 £119 £536 £10,238 19.1 yrs £490
5 kW 3717 kWh 2230 kWh 1487 kWh £522 £149 £671 £12,273 18.3 yrs £1,138
6 kW 4460 kWh 2676 kWh 1784 kWh £626 £178 £805 £14,307 17.8 yrs £1,785
7 kW 5204 kWh 3122 kWh 2081 kWh £731 £208 £939 £16,342 17.4 yrs £2,433
8 kW 5947 kWh 3568 kWh 2379 kWh £835 £238 £1,073 £18,376 17.1 yrs £3,080

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: £720, Upfront: £13,673, Break-even: 19.0 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1487 kWh 1041 kWh 446 kWh £244 £45 £288 £7,569 26.3 yrs £-1,806
3 kW 2230 kWh 1561 kWh 669 kWh £365 £67 £432 £9,604 22.2 yrs £-960
4 kW 2973 kWh 2081 kWh 892 kWh £487 £89 £576 £11,638 20.2 yrs £-113
5 kW 3717 kWh 2602 kWh 1115 kWh £609 £112 £720 £13,673 19.0 yrs £734
6 kW 4460 kWh 3122 kWh 1338 kWh £731 £134 £864 £15,707 18.2 yrs £1,581
7 kW 5204 kWh 3642 kWh 1561 kWh £852 £156 £1,008 £17,742 17.6 yrs £2,427
8 kW 5947 kWh 4163 kWh 1784 kWh £974 £178 £1,153 £19,776 17.2 yrs £3,274

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: £735, Upfront: £15,423, Break-even: 21.0 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1487 kWh 1085 kWh 401 kWh £254 £40 £294 £9,319 31.7 yrs £-3,437
3 kW 2230 kWh 1628 kWh 602 kWh £381 £60 £441 £11,354 25.7 yrs £-2,530
4 kW 2973 kWh 2171 kWh 803 kWh £508 £80 £588 £13,388 22.8 yrs £-1,624
5 kW 3717 kWh 2713 kWh 1004 kWh £635 £100 £735 £15,423 21.0 yrs £-717
6 kW 4460 kWh 3256 kWh 1204 kWh £762 £120 £882 £17,457 19.8 yrs £189
7 kW 5204 kWh 3799 kWh 1405 kWh £889 £140 £1,029 £19,492 18.9 yrs £1,096
8 kW 5947 kWh 4341 kWh 1606 kWh £1,016 £161 £1,176 £21,526 18.3 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.

10 kWh battery 5 kW example → Annual benefit: £745, Upfront: £17,173, Break-even: 23.0 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1487 kWh 1115 kWh 372 kWh £261 £37 £298 £11,069 37.1 yrs £-5,107
3 kW 2230 kWh 1673 kWh 558 kWh £391 £56 £447 £13,104 29.3 yrs £-4,161
4 kW 2973 kWh 2230 kWh 743 kWh £522 £74 £596 £15,138 25.4 yrs £-3,215
5 kW 3717 kWh 2788 kWh 929 kWh £652 £93 £745 £17,173 23.0 yrs £-2,268
6 kW 4460 kWh 3345 kWh 1115 kWh £783 £112 £894 £19,207 21.5 yrs £-1,322
7 kW 5204 kWh 3903 kWh 1301 kWh £913 £130 £1,043 £21,242 20.4 yrs £-375
8 kW 5947 kWh 4460 kWh 1487 kWh £1,044 £149 £1,192 £23,276 19.5 yrs £571

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: £755, Upfront: £19,623, Break-even: 26.0 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1487 kWh 1145 kWh 342 kWh £268 £34 £302 £13,519 44.8 yrs £-7,478
3 kW 2230 kWh 1717 kWh 513 kWh £402 £51 £453 £15,554 34.3 yrs £-6,491
4 kW 2973 kWh 2290 kWh 684 kWh £536 £68 £604 £17,588 29.1 yrs £-5,505
5 kW 3717 kWh 2862 kWh 855 kWh £670 £85 £755 £19,623 26.0 yrs £-4,519
6 kW 4460 kWh 3434 kWh 1026 kWh £804 £103 £906 £21,657 23.9 yrs £-3,533
7 kW 5204 kWh 4007 kWh 1197 kWh £938 £120 £1,057 £23,692 22.4 yrs £-2,547
8 kW 5947 kWh 4579 kWh 1368 kWh £1,072 £137 £1,208 £25,726 21.3 yrs £-1,560

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 PA65

Figures below are tailored to PA65 — click through for full league tables.

Solar Payback Index Rank #2954 of 2997
15.8 years (UK avg 12.6 years)
~£516 /yr • £8,138 upfront
Standing-Charge Drag Rank #2953 of 2997
43.9% (UK avg 24.6%) drag on savings
£227 fixed • ~£516 /yr value
Aspect Penalty View ranking →
East −19.9% West −17.9%
Typical output loss versus a south-facing roof (lower is better)

Seasonal solar output in PA65

Monthly generation per kilowatt of solar panels

kWh 12 Jan 31 Feb 64 Mar 99 Apr 112 May 108 Jun 103 Jul 89 Aug 62 Sep 39 Oct 18 Nov 6 Dec
Best month Worst month Winter (Dec–Feb) Other months

Winter output: 26.1% of an average month (Dec–Feb)

Best / worst month: May / Dec

These figures show output per kilowatt (kW) of panels installed. In winter, a 1 kW system here produces about 16 kWh per month; the average month produces around 62 kWh. So a typical 4 kW home system would generate roughly 65 kWh in winter, or 248 kWh in an average month.

Your Area at a Glance

Your Electricity Rate
23.40p/kWh
Daily Fixed Charge
58.28p/day
Local Sunshine
743kWh/kW
A 1 kW system generates ~743 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 South and the Isles

Data Sources & Assumptions

Solar yield: PVGIS (EU Joint Research Centre), January 2025 data

Electricity rates: Ofgem price cap, Q1 2026

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

PA64 (Argyll and Bute)
≈4.5 km away
Local sunshine: ~778 kWh/kWp · +5% vs PA65
PA63 (Argyll and Bute)
≈10.7 km away
Local sunshine: ~791 kWh/kWp · +6% vs PA65
PA72 (Argyll and Bute)
≈15.0 km away
Local sunshine: ~745 kWh/kWp · +0% vs PA65
PA62 (Argyll and Bute)
≈15.6 km away
Local sunshine: ~829 kWh/kWp · +12% vs PA65
PA71 (Argyll and Bute)
≈16.3 km away
Local sunshine: ~768 kWh/kWp · +3% vs PA65
PA34 (Argyll and Bute)
≈16.5 km away
Local sunshine: ~782 kWh/kWp · +5% vs PA65

Similar sunshine across the UK

PA19 (Inverclyde)
~756 kWh/kWp · +2% vs PA65
DL11 (North Yorkshire)
~765 kWh/kWp · +3% vs PA65
G84 (Argyll and Bute)
~766 kWh/kWp · +3% vs PA65