Solar explained to clever people by people who are not trying to be clever
Home Regions
Insights
Big Roof Britain Solar Payback Index Standing Charge Drag

Solar Panels in PH20 (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
15.5 years
After this, it's pure profit
Upfront Cost
£10,173
What you pay to get started
Annual Benefit
£657
What you save every year
Profit Over 25 Years
£6,251
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: 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 781 kWh/kW — 34 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 781 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)
781 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: £657, Upfront: £10,173, Break-even: 15.5 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1562 kWh 625 kWh 937 kWh £169 £94 £263 £4,069 15.5 yrs £1,187
3 kW 2343 kWh 937 kWh 1406 kWh £254 £141 £394 £6,104 15.5 yrs £1,780
4 kW 3124 kWh 1250 kWh 1874 kWh £338 £187 £526 £8,138 15.5 yrs £2,373
5 kW 3905 kWh 1562 kWh 2343 kWh £423 £234 £657 £10,173 15.5 yrs £2,966
6 kW 4686 kWh 1874 kWh 2811 kWh £507 £281 £788 £12,207 15.5 yrs £3,560
7 kW 5467 kWh 2187 kWh 3280 kWh £592 £328 £920 £14,242 15.5 yrs £4,153
8 kW 6248 kWh 2499 kWh 3749 kWh £676 £375 £1,051 £16,276 15.5 yrs £4,746

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: £790, Upfront: £12,273, Break-even: 15.5 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1562 kWh 937 kWh 625 kWh £254 £62 £316 £6,169 19.5 yrs £152
3 kW 2343 kWh 1406 kWh 937 kWh £380 £94 £474 £8,204 17.3 yrs £1,279
4 kW 3124 kWh 1874 kWh 1250 kWh £507 £125 £632 £10,238 16.2 yrs £2,405
5 kW 3905 kWh 2343 kWh 1562 kWh £634 £156 £790 £12,273 15.5 yrs £3,531
6 kW 4686 kWh 2811 kWh 1874 kWh £761 £187 £948 £14,307 15.1 yrs £4,657
7 kW 5467 kWh 3280 kWh 2187 kWh £888 £219 £1,106 £16,342 14.8 yrs £5,783
8 kW 6248 kWh 3749 kWh 2499 kWh £1,014 £250 £1,264 £18,376 14.5 yrs £6,910

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: £857, Upfront: £13,673, Break-even: 16.0 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1562 kWh 1093 kWh 469 kWh £296 £47 £343 £7,569 22.1 yrs £-715
3 kW 2343 kWh 1640 kWh 703 kWh £444 £70 £514 £9,604 18.7 yrs £678
4 kW 3124 kWh 2187 kWh 937 kWh £592 £94 £685 £11,638 17.0 yrs £2,071
5 kW 3905 kWh 2733 kWh 1171 kWh £740 £117 £857 £13,673 16.0 yrs £3,463
6 kW 4686 kWh 3280 kWh 1406 kWh £888 £141 £1,028 £15,707 15.3 yrs £4,856
7 kW 5467 kWh 3827 kWh 1640 kWh £1,036 £164 £1,200 £17,742 14.8 yrs £6,249
8 kW 6248 kWh 4373 kWh 1874 kWh £1,183 £187 £1,371 £19,776 14.4 yrs £7,641

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: £877, Upfront: £15,423, Break-even: 17.6 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1562 kWh 1140 kWh 422 kWh £309 £42 £351 £9,319 26.6 yrs £-2,305
3 kW 2343 kWh 1710 kWh 633 kWh £463 £63 £526 £11,354 21.6 yrs £-832
4 kW 3124 kWh 2280 kWh 843 kWh £617 £84 £701 £13,388 19.1 yrs £640
5 kW 3905 kWh 2851 kWh 1054 kWh £771 £105 £877 £15,423 17.6 yrs £2,113
6 kW 4686 kWh 3421 kWh 1265 kWh £926 £127 £1,052 £17,457 16.6 yrs £3,586
7 kW 5467 kWh 3991 kWh 1476 kWh £1,080 £148 £1,227 £19,492 15.9 yrs £5,058
8 kW 6248 kWh 4561 kWh 1687 kWh £1,234 £169 £1,403 £21,526 15.3 yrs £6,531

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: £890, Upfront: £17,173, 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 1562 kWh 1171 kWh 390 kWh £317 £39 £356 £11,069 31.1 yrs £-3,948
3 kW 2343 kWh 1757 kWh 586 kWh £475 £59 £534 £13,104 24.5 yrs £-2,422
4 kW 3124 kWh 2343 kWh 781 kWh £634 £78 £712 £15,138 21.3 yrs £-896
5 kW 3905 kWh 2929 kWh 976 kWh £792 £98 £890 £17,173 19.3 yrs £629
6 kW 4686 kWh 3514 kWh 1171 kWh £951 £117 £1,068 £19,207 18.0 yrs £2,155
7 kW 5467 kWh 4100 kWh 1367 kWh £1,109 £137 £1,246 £21,242 17.0 yrs £3,681
8 kW 6248 kWh 4686 kWh 1562 kWh £1,268 £156 £1,424 £23,276 16.3 yrs £5,207

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: £903, Upfront: £19,623, Break-even: 21.7 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1562 kWh 1203 kWh 359 kWh £325 £36 £361 £13,519 37.4 yrs £-6,292
3 kW 2343 kWh 1804 kWh 539 kWh £488 £54 £542 £15,554 28.7 yrs £-4,712
4 kW 3124 kWh 2405 kWh 718 kWh £651 £72 £723 £17,588 24.3 yrs £-3,133
5 kW 3905 kWh 3007 kWh 898 kWh £814 £90 £903 £19,623 21.7 yrs £-1,554
6 kW 4686 kWh 3608 kWh 1078 kWh £976 £108 £1,084 £21,657 20.0 yrs £25
7 kW 5467 kWh 4209 kWh 1257 kWh £1,139 £126 £1,265 £23,692 18.7 yrs £1,604
8 kW 6248 kWh 4811 kWh 1437 kWh £1,302 £144 £1,445 £25,726 17.8 yrs £3,183

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 PH20

Figures below are tailored to PH20 — click through for full league tables.

Solar Payback Index Rank #2912 of 2997
13.4 years (UK avg 11.3 years)
~£605 /yr • £8,138 upfront
Standing-Charge Drag Rank #2921 of 2997
36.8% (UK avg 21.7%) drag on savings
£223 fixed • ~£605 /yr value

Your Area at a Glance

Your Electricity Rate
27.06p/kWh
Daily Fixed Charge
61.00p/day
Local Sunshine
781kWh/kW
A 1 kW system generates ~781 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

Badenoch and Strathspey

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

PH21 (Highland)
≈5.1 km away
Local sunshine: ~701 kWh/kWp · -10% vs PH20
PH19 (Highland)
≈16.1 km away
Local sunshine: ~754 kWh/kWp · -3% vs PH20
PH22 (Highland)
≈23.3 km away
Local sunshine: ~774 kWh/kWp · -1% vs PH20
PH24 (Highland)
≈30.4 km away
Local sunshine: ~766 kWh/kWp · -2% vs PH20
PH23 (Highland)
≈30.7 km away
Local sunshine: ~781 kWh/kWp · +0% vs PH20
IV13 (Highland)
≈31.3 km away
Local sunshine: ~805 kWh/kWp · +3% vs PH20

Similar sunshine across the UK

LL21 (Denbighshire)
~785 kWh/kWp · +0% vs PH20
LL27 (Conwy)
~777 kWh/kWp · -1% vs PH20
CA8 (Cumberland)
~786 kWh/kWp · +1% vs PH20