Independent solar numbers for your postcode using official UK data
Home Regions Guides Compare quotes Solar assistant
Insights
Big Roof Britain Solar Payback Index Standing Charge Drag Roof Direction Penalty Winter Solar Reality Seasonal Solar Output

Solar panel cost in Argyll and Bute (PA70)

See realistic solar installation costs, savings and payback for PA70 (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
12.2 years
After this, it's pure profit
Upfront Cost
£8,139
What you pay to get started
Annual Benefit
£666
What you save every year
Profit Over 25 Years
£8,509
After paying itself off, you're this much ahead

Ready to Get Started?

Get your free quote from Blue Ape Renewables. They'll connect you with MCS-certified installers in your area and handle all the paperwork.

Get Solar Quote →
4.8★ Trustpilot • Octopus Energy trusted partner • MCS certified • No obligation
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: The official cost per kW is lower above 4 kW, so a 5–6 kW system can pay back a little faster than a 3–4 kW system on otherwise identical assumptions.
  • 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

Panel costs: Uses March 2026 TIC mean installation costs: £1,827/kW up to 4 kW and £1,628/kW above 4 kW.

Other costs: Battery prices are modelled at £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 26.42p/kWh with a 57.55p/day standing charge. Your postcode’s south-facing sunshine yield is 804 kWh/kW — 11 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 804 kWh per year on a south-facing roof. We value self-used electricity at 26.4p and exported surplus at a baseline 10p via SEG. Use the calculator above for your exact tariff.

Unit rate
26.4p/kWh
Standing charge
57.5p/day
Sunshine yield (south)
804 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: £666, Upfront: £8,139, Break-even: 12.2 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1608 kWh 643 kWh 965 kWh £170 £96 £266 £3,256 12.2 yrs £2,072
3 kW 2412 kWh 965 kWh 1447 kWh £255 £145 £400 £4,883 12.2 yrs £3,108
4 kW 3215 kWh 1286 kWh 1929 kWh £340 £193 £533 £6,511 12.2 yrs £4,144
5 kW 4019 kWh 1608 kWh 2412 kWh £425 £241 £666 £8,139 12.2 yrs £5,179
6 kW 4823 kWh 1929 kWh 2894 kWh £510 £289 £799 £9,767 12.2 yrs £6,215
7 kW 5627 kWh 2251 kWh 3376 kWh £595 £338 £932 £11,394 12.2 yrs £7,251
8 kW 6431 kWh 2572 kWh 3858 kWh £680 £386 £1,065 £13,022 12.2 yrs £8,287

Assumptions: south-facing, sensible tilt; self-use shares from site rules; export at 10p baseline. Costs: panels £/kW = 1,628, battery £/kWh = 700.

3 kWh battery 5 kW example → Annual benefit: £798, Upfront: £10,239, Break-even: 12.8 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1608 kWh 965 kWh 643 kWh £255 £64 £319 £5,356 16.8 yrs £1,028
3 kW 2412 kWh 1447 kWh 965 kWh £382 £96 £479 £6,983 14.6 yrs £2,592
4 kW 3215 kWh 1929 kWh 1286 kWh £510 £129 £638 £8,611 13.5 yrs £4,155
5 kW 4019 kWh 2412 kWh 1608 kWh £637 £161 £798 £10,239 12.8 yrs £5,719
6 kW 4823 kWh 2894 kWh 1929 kWh £765 £193 £957 £11,867 12.4 yrs £7,283
7 kW 5627 kWh 3376 kWh 2251 kWh £892 £225 £1,117 £13,494 12.1 yrs £8,847
8 kW 6431 kWh 3858 kWh 2572 kWh £1,019 £257 £1,277 £15,122 11.8 yrs £10,411

Assumptions: south-facing, sensible tilt; self-use shares from site rules; export at 10p baseline. Costs: panels £/kW = 1,628, battery £/kWh = 700.

5 kWh battery 5 kW example → Annual benefit: £864, Upfront: £11,639, 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 1608 kWh 1125 kWh 482 kWh £297 £48 £346 £6,756 19.5 yrs £156
3 kW 2412 kWh 1688 kWh 723 kWh £446 £72 £518 £8,383 16.2 yrs £1,983
4 kW 3215 kWh 2251 kWh 965 kWh £595 £96 £691 £10,011 14.5 yrs £3,811
5 kW 4019 kWh 2813 kWh 1206 kWh £743 £121 £864 £11,639 13.5 yrs £5,639
6 kW 4823 kWh 3376 kWh 1447 kWh £892 £145 £1,037 £13,267 12.8 yrs £7,467
7 kW 5627 kWh 3939 kWh 1688 kWh £1,041 £169 £1,209 £14,894 12.3 yrs £9,295
8 kW 6431 kWh 4502 kWh 1929 kWh £1,189 £193 £1,382 £16,522 12.0 yrs £11,123

Assumptions: south-facing, sensible tilt; self-use shares from site rules; export at 10p baseline. Costs: panels £/kW = 1,628, battery £/kWh = 700.

7.5 kWh battery 5 kW example → Annual benefit: £884, Upfront: £13,389, 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 1608 kWh 1174 kWh 434 kWh £310 £43 £353 £8,506 24.1 yrs £-1,436
3 kW 2412 kWh 1760 kWh 651 kWh £465 £65 £530 £10,133 19.1 yrs £471
4 kW 3215 kWh 2347 kWh 868 kWh £620 £87 £707 £11,761 16.6 yrs £2,378
5 kW 4019 kWh 2934 kWh 1085 kWh £775 £109 £884 £13,389 15.2 yrs £4,285
6 kW 4823 kWh 3521 kWh 1302 kWh £930 £130 £1,060 £15,017 14.2 yrs £6,192
7 kW 5627 kWh 4108 kWh 1519 kWh £1,085 £152 £1,237 £16,644 13.5 yrs £8,099
8 kW 6431 kWh 4694 kWh 1736 kWh £1,240 £174 £1,414 £18,272 12.9 yrs £10,006

Assumptions: south-facing, sensible tilt; self-use shares from site rules; export at 10p baseline. Costs: panels £/kW = 1,628, battery £/kWh = 700.

10 kWh battery 5 kW example → Annual benefit: £897, Upfront: £15,139, Break-even: 16.9 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1608 kWh 1206 kWh 402 kWh £319 £40 £359 £10,256 28.6 yrs £-3,080
3 kW 2412 kWh 1809 kWh 603 kWh £478 £60 £538 £11,883 22.1 yrs £-1,121
4 kW 3215 kWh 2412 kWh 804 kWh £637 £80 £718 £13,511 18.8 yrs £839
5 kW 4019 kWh 3014 kWh 1005 kWh £796 £100 £897 £15,139 16.9 yrs £2,799
6 kW 4823 kWh 3617 kWh 1206 kWh £956 £121 £1,076 £16,767 15.6 yrs £4,759
7 kW 5627 kWh 4220 kWh 1407 kWh £1,115 £141 £1,256 £18,394 14.6 yrs £6,719
8 kW 6431 kWh 4823 kWh 1608 kWh £1,274 £161 £1,435 £20,022 14.0 yrs £8,679

Assumptions: south-facing, sensible tilt; self-use shares from site rules; export at 10p baseline. Costs: panels £/kW = 1,628, battery £/kWh = 700.

13.5 kWh battery 5 kW example → Annual benefit: £910, Upfront: £17,589, Break-even: 19.3 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1608 kWh 1238 kWh 370 kWh £327 £37 £364 £12,706 34.9 yrs £-5,425
3 kW 2412 kWh 1857 kWh 555 kWh £491 £55 £546 £14,333 26.2 yrs £-3,412
4 kW 3215 kWh 2476 kWh 740 kWh £654 £74 £728 £15,961 21.9 yrs £-1,400
5 kW 4019 kWh 3095 kWh 924 kWh £818 £92 £910 £17,589 19.3 yrs £613
6 kW 4823 kWh 3714 kWh 1109 kWh £981 £111 £1,092 £19,217 17.6 yrs £2,626
7 kW 5627 kWh 4333 kWh 1294 kWh £1,145 £129 £1,274 £20,844 16.4 yrs £4,638
8 kW 6431 kWh 4952 kWh 1479 kWh £1,308 £148 £1,456 £22,472 15.4 yrs £6,651

Assumptions: south-facing, sensible tilt; self-use shares from site rules; export at 10p baseline. Costs: panels £/kW = 1,628, 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.

Before you request quotes in Argyll and Bute

Use the numbers above to sanity-check installer quotes. The main things to compare are system size, battery assumptions, payback claims, MCS certification, DNO paperwork and export assumptions.

Compare solar quotes before you sign

Check what MCS certification means

Understand DNO, G98 and G99 export limits

New quote check

Want a quote sanity check for PA70?

Share the first part of your postcode and a few basics. We’ll help you check whether system size, battery, export and paperwork assumptions look sensible before you commit to installer conversations.

This is a practical sanity-check request, not an instant quote promise. The Blue Ape quote route above remains available if you already want installer introductions.

Request a quote sanity check →

Insights for PA70

Figures below are tailored to PA70 — click through for full league tables.

Solar Payback Index Rank #2889 of 2996
13.7 years (UK avg 10.8 years)
~£533 /yr • £7,307 upfront
Standing-Charge Drag Rank #2812 of 2996
39.4% (UK avg 26.6%) drag on savings
£210 fixed • ~£533 /yr value
Aspect Penalty View ranking →
East −16.5% West −21.5%
Typical output loss versus a south-facing roof (lower is better)

Seasonal solar output in PA70

Monthly generation per kilowatt of solar panels

kWh 12 Jan 34 Feb 70 Mar 107 Apr 122 May 116 Jun 111 Jul 96 Aug 67 Sep 43 Oct 22 Nov 4 Dec
Best month Worst month Winter (Dec–Feb) Other months

Winter output: 25.1% 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 17 kWh per month; the average month produces around 67 kWh. So a typical 4 kW home system would generate roughly 67 kWh in winter, or 268 kWh in an average month.

Your Area at a Glance

Your Electricity Rate
26.42p/kWh
Daily Fixed Charge
57.55p/day
Local Sunshine
804kWh/kW
A 1 kW system generates ~804 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, Q3 2026

Installation costs: DESNZ/MCS data, March 2026 (TIC)

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

PA69 (Argyll and Bute)
≈4.1 km away
Local sunshine: ~827 kWh/kWp · +3% vs PA70
PA62 (Argyll and Bute)
≈10.0 km away
Local sunshine: ~829 kWh/kWp · +3% vs PA70
PA68 (Argyll and Bute)
≈11.5 km away
Local sunshine: ~809 kWh/kWp · +1% vs PA70
PA71 (Argyll and Bute)
≈13.0 km away
Local sunshine: ~768 kWh/kWp · -5% vs PA70
PA67 (Argyll and Bute)
≈14.4 km away
Local sunshine: ~869 kWh/kWp · +8% vs PA70
PA73 (Argyll and Bute)
≈16.9 km away
Local sunshine: ~772 kWh/kWp · -4% vs PA70

Similar sunshine across the UK

CA9 (Westmorland and Furness)
~803 kWh/kWp · -0% vs PA70
KA16 (East Ayrshire)
~803 kWh/kWp · -0% vs PA70
OL5 (Tameside)
~803 kWh/kWp · -0% vs PA70