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Solar Panels in PH42 (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
15.3 years
After this, it's pure profit
Upfront Cost
£10,173
What you pay to get started
Annual Benefit
£667
What you save every year
Profit Over 25 Years
£6,496
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 793 kWh/kW — 22 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 793 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)
793 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: £667, Upfront: £10,173, Break-even: 15.3 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1585 kWh 634 kWh 951 kWh £172 £95 £267 £4,069 15.3 yrs £1,265
3 kW 2378 kWh 951 kWh 1427 kWh £257 £143 £400 £6,104 15.3 yrs £1,897
4 kW 3170 kWh 1268 kWh 1902 kWh £343 £190 £533 £8,138 15.3 yrs £2,530
5 kW 3963 kWh 1585 kWh 2378 kWh £429 £238 £667 £10,173 15.3 yrs £3,162
6 kW 4756 kWh 1902 kWh 2853 kWh £515 £285 £800 £12,207 15.3 yrs £3,795
7 kW 5548 kWh 2219 kWh 3329 kWh £601 £333 £933 £14,242 15.3 yrs £4,427
8 kW 6341 kWh 2536 kWh 3805 kWh £686 £380 £1,067 £16,276 15.3 yrs £5,060

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: £802, Upfront: £12,273, Break-even: 15.3 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1585 kWh 951 kWh 634 kWh £257 £63 £321 £6,169 19.2 yrs £247
3 kW 2378 kWh 1427 kWh 951 kWh £386 £95 £481 £8,204 17.0 yrs £1,420
4 kW 3170 kWh 1902 kWh 1268 kWh £515 £127 £642 £10,238 16.0 yrs £2,593
5 kW 3963 kWh 2378 kWh 1585 kWh £643 £159 £802 £12,273 15.3 yrs £3,767
6 kW 4756 kWh 2853 kWh 1902 kWh £772 £190 £962 £14,307 14.9 yrs £4,940
7 kW 5548 kWh 3329 kWh 2219 kWh £901 £222 £1,123 £16,342 14.6 yrs £6,113
8 kW 6341 kWh 3805 kWh 2536 kWh £1,030 £254 £1,283 £18,376 14.3 yrs £7,287

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: £870, Upfront: £13,673, Break-even: 15.7 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1585 kWh 1110 kWh 476 kWh £300 £48 £348 £7,569 21.8 yrs £-612
3 kW 2378 kWh 1664 kWh 713 kWh £450 £71 £522 £9,604 18.4 yrs £831
4 kW 3170 kWh 2219 kWh 951 kWh £601 £95 £696 £11,638 16.7 yrs £2,275
5 kW 3963 kWh 2774 kWh 1189 kWh £751 £119 £870 £13,673 15.7 yrs £3,719
6 kW 4756 kWh 3329 kWh 1427 kWh £901 £143 £1,043 £15,707 15.1 yrs £5,163
7 kW 5548 kWh 3884 kWh 1664 kWh £1,051 £166 £1,217 £17,742 14.6 yrs £6,606
8 kW 6341 kWh 4439 kWh 1902 kWh £1,201 £190 £1,391 £19,776 14.2 yrs £8,050

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: £890, Upfront: £15,423, Break-even: 17.3 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1585 kWh 1157 kWh 428 kWh £313 £43 £356 £9,319 26.2 yrs £-2,200
3 kW 2378 kWh 1736 kWh 642 kWh £470 £64 £534 £11,354 21.3 yrs £-675
4 kW 3170 kWh 2314 kWh 856 kWh £626 £86 £712 £13,388 18.8 yrs £850
5 kW 3963 kWh 2893 kWh 1070 kWh £783 £107 £890 £15,423 17.3 yrs £2,375
6 kW 4756 kWh 3472 kWh 1284 kWh £939 £128 £1,068 £17,457 16.3 yrs £3,899
7 kW 5548 kWh 4050 kWh 1498 kWh £1,096 £150 £1,246 £19,492 15.6 yrs £5,424
8 kW 6341 kWh 4629 kWh 1712 kWh £1,253 £171 £1,424 £21,526 15.1 yrs £6,949

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: £903, Upfront: £17,173, 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 1585 kWh 1189 kWh 396 kWh £322 £40 £361 £11,069 30.6 yrs £-3,842
3 kW 2378 kWh 1783 kWh 594 kWh £483 £59 £542 £13,104 24.2 yrs £-2,263
4 kW 3170 kWh 2378 kWh 793 kWh £643 £79 £723 £15,138 20.9 yrs £-684
5 kW 3963 kWh 2972 kWh 991 kWh £804 £99 £903 £17,173 19.0 yrs £895
6 kW 4756 kWh 3567 kWh 1189 kWh £965 £119 £1,084 £19,207 17.7 yrs £2,474
7 kW 5548 kWh 4161 kWh 1387 kWh £1,126 £139 £1,265 £21,242 16.8 yrs £4,053
8 kW 6341 kWh 4756 kWh 1585 kWh £1,287 £159 £1,445 £23,276 16.1 yrs £5,632

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: £917, Upfront: £19,623, Break-even: 21.4 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1585 kWh 1221 kWh 365 kWh £330 £36 £367 £13,519 36.9 yrs £-6,184
3 kW 2378 kWh 1831 kWh 547 kWh £495 £55 £550 £15,554 28.3 yrs £-4,551
4 kW 3170 kWh 2441 kWh 729 kWh £661 £73 £734 £17,588 24.0 yrs £-2,918
5 kW 3963 kWh 3052 kWh 912 kWh £826 £91 £917 £19,623 21.4 yrs £-1,285
6 kW 4756 kWh 3662 kWh 1094 kWh £991 £109 £1,100 £21,657 19.7 yrs £349
7 kW 5548 kWh 4272 kWh 1276 kWh £1,156 £128 £1,284 £23,692 18.5 yrs £1,982
8 kW 6341 kWh 4882 kWh 1458 kWh £1,321 £146 £1,467 £25,726 17.5 yrs £3,615

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 PH42

Figures below are tailored to PH42 — click through for full league tables.

Solar Payback Index Rank #2876 of 2997
13.2 years (UK avg 11.3 years)
~£615 /yr • £8,138 upfront
Standing-Charge Drag Rank #2898 of 2997
36.2% (UK avg 21.7%) drag on savings
£223 fixed • ~£615 /yr value

Your Area at a Glance

Your Electricity Rate
27.06p/kWh
Daily Fixed Charge
61.00p/day
Local Sunshine
793kWh/kW
A 1 kW system generates ~793 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

Caol and Mallaig

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

PH43 (Highland)
≈17.1 km away
Local sunshine: ~789 kWh/kWp · -0% vs PH42
PH39 (Highland)
≈21.7 km away
Local sunshine: ~735 kWh/kWp · -7% vs PH42
PH40 (Highland)
≈24.9 km away
Local sunshine: ~732 kWh/kWp · -8% vs PH42
PH41 (Highland)
≈26.8 km away
Local sunshine: ~799 kWh/kWp · +1% vs PH42
IV45 (Highland)
≈27.2 km away
Local sunshine: ~749 kWh/kWp · -5% vs PH42
PH36 (Highland)
≈27.9 km away
Local sunshine: ~746 kWh/kWp · -6% vs PH42

Similar sunshine across the UK

CA17 (Westmorland and Furness)
~792 kWh/kWp · -0% vs PH42
LL57 (Gwynedd)
~792 kWh/kWp · -0% vs PH42
DG10 (Dumfries and Galloway)
~794 kWh/kWp · +0% vs PH42