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Solar Panels in PH50 (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
18.5 years
After this, it's pure profit
Upfront Cost
£10,173
What you pay to get started
Annual Benefit
£549
What you save every year
Profit Over 25 Years
£3,560
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 653 kWh/kW — 162 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 653 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)
653 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: £549, Upfront: £10,173, Break-even: 18.5 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1306 kWh 522 kWh 784 kWh £141 £78 £220 £4,069 18.5 yrs £325
3 kW 1959 kWh 784 kWh 1175 kWh £212 £118 £330 £6,104 18.5 yrs £488
4 kW 2612 kWh 1045 kWh 1567 kWh £283 £157 £439 £8,138 18.5 yrs £651
5 kW 3265 kWh 1306 kWh 1959 kWh £353 £196 £549 £10,173 18.5 yrs £814
6 kW 3918 kWh 1567 kWh 2351 kWh £424 £235 £659 £12,207 18.5 yrs £976
7 kW 4571 kWh 1828 kWh 2743 kWh £495 £274 £769 £14,242 18.5 yrs £1,139
8 kW 5224 kWh 2090 kWh 3134 kWh £565 £313 £879 £16,276 18.5 yrs £1,302

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: £661, Upfront: £12,273, Break-even: 18.6 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1306 kWh 784 kWh 522 kWh £212 £52 £264 £6,169 23.3 yrs £-883
3 kW 1959 kWh 1175 kWh 784 kWh £318 £78 £396 £8,204 20.7 yrs £-275
4 kW 2612 kWh 1567 kWh 1045 kWh £424 £104 £529 £10,238 19.4 yrs £333
5 kW 3265 kWh 1959 kWh 1306 kWh £530 £131 £661 £12,273 18.6 yrs £942
6 kW 3918 kWh 2351 kWh 1567 kWh £636 £157 £793 £14,307 18.0 yrs £1,550
7 kW 4571 kWh 2743 kWh 1828 kWh £742 £183 £925 £16,342 17.7 yrs £2,158
8 kW 5224 kWh 3134 kWh 2090 kWh £848 £209 £1,057 £18,376 17.4 yrs £2,767

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: £716, Upfront: £13,673, Break-even: 19.1 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1306 kWh 914 kWh 392 kWh £247 £39 £287 £7,569 26.4 yrs £-1,838
3 kW 1959 kWh 1371 kWh 588 kWh £371 £59 £430 £9,604 22.3 yrs £-1,007
4 kW 2612 kWh 1828 kWh 784 kWh £495 £78 £573 £11,638 20.3 yrs £-175
5 kW 3265 kWh 2286 kWh 980 kWh £618 £98 £716 £13,673 19.1 yrs £656
6 kW 3918 kWh 2743 kWh 1175 kWh £742 £118 £860 £15,707 18.3 yrs £1,487
7 kW 4571 kWh 3200 kWh 1371 kWh £866 £137 £1,003 £17,742 17.7 yrs £2,318
8 kW 5224 kWh 3657 kWh 1567 kWh £990 £157 £1,146 £19,776 17.3 yrs £3,149

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: £733, 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 1306 kWh 953 kWh 353 kWh £258 £35 £293 £9,319 31.8 yrs £-3,454
3 kW 1959 kWh 1430 kWh 529 kWh £387 £53 £440 £11,354 25.8 yrs £-2,556
4 kW 2612 kWh 1907 kWh 705 kWh £516 £71 £587 £13,388 22.8 yrs £-1,658
5 kW 3265 kWh 2383 kWh 882 kWh £645 £88 £733 £15,423 21.0 yrs £-760
6 kW 3918 kWh 2860 kWh 1058 kWh £774 £106 £880 £17,457 19.8 yrs £138
7 kW 4571 kWh 3337 kWh 1234 kWh £903 £123 £1,026 £19,492 19.0 yrs £1,036
8 kW 5224 kWh 3814 kWh 1411 kWh £1,032 £141 £1,173 £21,526 18.4 yrs £1,934

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: £744, Upfront: £17,173, Break-even: 23.1 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1306 kWh 980 kWh 327 kWh £265 £33 £298 £11,069 37.2 yrs £-5,115
3 kW 1959 kWh 1469 kWh 490 kWh £398 £49 £447 £13,104 29.3 yrs £-4,172
4 kW 2612 kWh 1959 kWh 653 kWh £530 £65 £595 £15,138 25.4 yrs £-3,230
5 kW 3265 kWh 2449 kWh 816 kWh £663 £82 £744 £17,173 23.1 yrs £-2,287
6 kW 3918 kWh 2939 kWh 980 kWh £795 £98 £893 £19,207 21.5 yrs £-1,345
7 kW 4571 kWh 3428 kWh 1143 kWh £928 £114 £1,042 £21,242 20.4 yrs £-402
8 kW 5224 kWh 3918 kWh 1306 kWh £1,060 £131 £1,191 £23,276 19.5 yrs £541

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 1306 kWh 1006 kWh 300 kWh £272 £30 £302 £13,519 44.7 yrs £-7,476
3 kW 1959 kWh 1508 kWh 451 kWh £408 £45 £453 £15,554 34.3 yrs £-6,489
4 kW 2612 kWh 2011 kWh 601 kWh £544 £60 £604 £17,588 29.1 yrs £-5,502
5 kW 3265 kWh 2514 kWh 751 kWh £680 £75 £755 £19,623 26.0 yrs £-4,514
6 kW 3918 kWh 3017 kWh 901 kWh £816 £90 £906 £21,657 23.9 yrs £-3,527
7 kW 4571 kWh 3520 kWh 1051 kWh £952 £105 £1,058 £23,692 22.4 yrs £-2,540
8 kW 5224 kWh 4023 kWh 1202 kWh £1,088 £120 £1,209 £25,726 21.3 yrs £-1,553

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 PH50

Figures below are tailored to PH50 — click through for full league tables.

Solar Payback Index Rank #2993 of 2997
16.1 years (UK avg 11.3 years)
~£506 /yr • £8,138 upfront
Standing-Charge Drag Rank #2993 of 2997
44.0% (UK avg 21.7%) drag on savings
£223 fixed • ~£506 /yr value

Your Area at a Glance

Your Electricity Rate
27.06p/kWh
Daily Fixed Charge
61.00p/day
Local Sunshine
653kWh/kW
A 1 kW system generates ~653 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

Fort William and Ardnamurchan

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

PA40 (Highland)
≈0.0 km away
Local sunshine: ~633 kWh/kWp · -3% vs PH50
PA39 (Highland)
≈11.1 km away
Local sunshine: ~583 kWh/kWp · -11% vs PH50
PH49 (Highland)
≈11.1 km away
Local sunshine: ~627 kWh/kWp · -4% vs PH50
PH33 (Highland)
≈14.7 km away
Local sunshine: ~668 kWh/kWp · +2% vs PH50
PH34 (Highland)
≈19.9 km away
Local sunshine: ~701 kWh/kWp · +7% vs PH50
PH31 (Highland)
≈21.1 km away
Local sunshine: ~711 kWh/kWp · +9% vs PH50

Similar sunshine across the UK

PH38 (Highland)
~647 kWh/kWp · -1% vs PH50
PH33 (Highland)
~668 kWh/kWp · +2% vs PH50
PA40 (Highland)
~633 kWh/kWp · -3% vs PH50