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Solar Panels in PH26 (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
£655
What you save every year
Profit Over 25 Years
£6,197
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 778 kWh/kW — 37 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 778 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)
778 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: £655, 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 1557 kWh 623 kWh 934 kWh £169 £93 £262 £4,069 15.5 yrs £1,169
3 kW 2335 kWh 934 kWh 1401 kWh £253 £140 £393 £6,104 15.5 yrs £1,754
4 kW 3114 kWh 1245 kWh 1868 kWh £337 £187 £524 £8,138 15.5 yrs £2,339
5 kW 3892 kWh 1557 kWh 2335 kWh £421 £234 £655 £10,173 15.5 yrs £2,923
6 kW 4670 kWh 1868 kWh 2802 kWh £506 £280 £786 £12,207 15.5 yrs £3,508
7 kW 5449 kWh 2180 kWh 3269 kWh £590 £327 £917 £14,242 15.5 yrs £4,093
8 kW 6227 kWh 2491 kWh 3736 kWh £674 £374 £1,048 £16,276 15.5 yrs £4,677

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: £788, Upfront: £12,273, Break-even: 15.6 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1557 kWh 934 kWh 623 kWh £253 £62 £315 £6,169 19.6 yrs £132
3 kW 2335 kWh 1401 kWh 934 kWh £379 £93 £473 £8,204 17.4 yrs £1,247
4 kW 3114 kWh 1868 kWh 1245 kWh £506 £125 £630 £10,238 16.2 yrs £2,363
5 kW 3892 kWh 2335 kWh 1557 kWh £632 £156 £788 £12,273 15.6 yrs £3,479
6 kW 4670 kWh 2802 kWh 1868 kWh £758 £187 £945 £14,307 15.1 yrs £4,595
7 kW 5449 kWh 3269 kWh 2180 kWh £885 £218 £1,103 £16,342 14.8 yrs £5,711
8 kW 6227 kWh 3736 kWh 2491 kWh £1,011 £249 £1,260 £18,376 14.6 yrs £6,827

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: £854, 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 1557 kWh 1090 kWh 467 kWh £295 £47 £342 £7,569 22.2 yrs £-737
3 kW 2335 kWh 1635 kWh 701 kWh £442 £70 £512 £9,604 18.7 yrs £644
4 kW 3114 kWh 2180 kWh 934 kWh £590 £93 £683 £11,638 17.0 yrs £2,026
5 kW 3892 kWh 2724 kWh 1168 kWh £737 £117 £854 £13,673 16.0 yrs £3,407
6 kW 4670 kWh 3269 kWh 1401 kWh £885 £140 £1,025 £15,707 15.3 yrs £4,789
7 kW 5449 kWh 3814 kWh 1635 kWh £1,032 £163 £1,196 £17,742 14.8 yrs £6,170
8 kW 6227 kWh 4359 kWh 1868 kWh £1,180 £187 £1,366 £19,776 14.5 yrs £7,551

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: £874, 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 1557 kWh 1136 kWh 420 kWh £308 £42 £350 £9,319 26.7 yrs £-2,328
3 kW 2335 kWh 1705 kWh 631 kWh £461 £63 £524 £11,354 21.7 yrs £-867
4 kW 3114 kWh 2273 kWh 841 kWh £615 £84 £699 £13,388 19.1 yrs £594
5 kW 3892 kWh 2841 kWh 1051 kWh £769 £105 £874 £15,423 17.6 yrs £2,055
6 kW 4670 kWh 3409 kWh 1261 kWh £923 £126 £1,049 £17,457 16.6 yrs £3,517
7 kW 5449 kWh 3978 kWh 1471 kWh £1,076 £147 £1,223 £19,492 15.9 yrs £4,978
8 kW 6227 kWh 4546 kWh 1681 kWh £1,230 £168 £1,398 £21,526 15.4 yrs £6,439

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: £887, Upfront: £17,173, Break-even: 19.4 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1557 kWh 1168 kWh 389 kWh £316 £39 £355 £11,069 31.2 yrs £-3,972
3 kW 2335 kWh 1751 kWh 584 kWh £474 £58 £532 £13,104 24.6 yrs £-2,457
4 kW 3114 kWh 2335 kWh 778 kWh £632 £78 £710 £15,138 21.3 yrs £-943
5 kW 3892 kWh 2919 kWh 973 kWh £790 £97 £887 £17,173 19.4 yrs £571
6 kW 4670 kWh 3503 kWh 1168 kWh £948 £117 £1,065 £19,207 18.0 yrs £2,085
7 kW 5449 kWh 4087 kWh 1362 kWh £1,106 £136 £1,242 £21,242 17.1 yrs £3,600
8 kW 6227 kWh 4670 kWh 1557 kWh £1,264 £156 £1,419 £23,276 16.4 yrs £5,114

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: £900, Upfront: £19,623, Break-even: 21.8 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1557 kWh 1199 kWh 358 kWh £324 £36 £360 £13,519 37.5 yrs £-6,315
3 kW 2335 kWh 1798 kWh 537 kWh £487 £54 £540 £15,554 28.8 yrs £-4,748
4 kW 3114 kWh 2397 kWh 716 kWh £649 £72 £720 £17,588 24.4 yrs £-3,181
5 kW 3892 kWh 2997 kWh 895 kWh £811 £90 £900 £19,623 21.8 yrs £-1,613
6 kW 4670 kWh 3596 kWh 1074 kWh £973 £107 £1,081 £21,657 20.0 yrs £-46
7 kW 5449 kWh 4196 kWh 1253 kWh £1,135 £125 £1,261 £23,692 18.8 yrs £1,521
8 kW 6227 kWh 4795 kWh 1432 kWh £1,298 £143 £1,441 £25,726 17.9 yrs £3,089

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 PH26

Figures below are tailored to PH26 — click through for full league tables.

Solar Payback Index Rank #2922 of 2997
13.5 years (UK avg 11.3 years)
~£604 /yr • £8,138 upfront
Standing-Charge Drag Rank #2927 of 2997
36.9% (UK avg 21.7%) drag on savings
£223 fixed • ~£604 /yr value

Your Area at a Glance

Your Electricity Rate
27.06p/kWh
Daily Fixed Charge
61.00p/day
Local Sunshine
778kWh/kW
A 1 kW system generates ~778 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, Nairn and Cawdor

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

PH25 (Highland)
≈7.8 km away
Local sunshine: ~765 kWh/kWp · -2% vs PH26
PH24 (Highland)
≈12.5 km away
Local sunshine: ~766 kWh/kWp · -2% vs PH26
PH23 (Highland)
≈13.3 km away
Local sunshine: ~781 kWh/kWp · +0% vs PH26
AB37 (Moray)
≈14.8 km away
Local sunshine: ~773 kWh/kWp · -1% vs PH26
PH22 (Highland)
≈19.7 km away
Local sunshine: ~774 kWh/kWp · -1% vs PH26
IV35 (Moray)
≈21.7 km away
Local sunshine: ~781 kWh/kWp · +0% vs PH26

Similar sunshine across the UK

LL27 (Conwy)
~777 kWh/kWp · -0% vs PH26
PA14 (Inverclyde)
~772 kWh/kWp · -1% vs PH26
LL21 (Denbighshire)
~785 kWh/kWp · +1% vs PH26