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Solar panel cost in Scottish Borders (TD3)

See realistic solar installation costs, savings and payback for TD3 (Scottish Borders) 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
11.0 years
After this, it's pure profit
Upfront Cost
£9,767
What you pay to get started
Annual Benefit
£885
What you save every year
Profit Over 25 Years
£12,370
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: 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 Southern Scotland, the current unit rate is 25.85p/kWh with a 64.17p/day standing charge. Your postcode’s south-facing sunshine yield is 903 kWh/kW — 53 above the regional median (850).

Read the full story

A typical roof here lands around 6.0 kW, with most eligible homes comfortably fitting within 3–6 kW. Each kilowatt of panels produces roughly 903 kWh per year on a south-facing roof. We value self-used electricity at 25.9p and exported surplus at a baseline 10p via SEG. Use the calculator above for your exact tariff.

Unit rate
25.9p/kWh
Standing charge
64.2p/day
Sunshine yield (south)
903 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: £738, Upfront: £8,139, Break-even: 11.0 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1806 kWh 723 kWh 1084 kWh £187 £108 £295 £3,256 11.0 yrs £2,648
3 kW 2710 kWh 1084 kWh 1626 kWh £280 £163 £443 £4,883 11.0 yrs £3,971
4 kW 3613 kWh 1445 kWh 2168 kWh £374 £217 £590 £6,511 11.0 yrs £5,295
5 kW 4516 kWh 1806 kWh 2710 kWh £467 £271 £738 £8,139 11.0 yrs £6,619
6 kW 5419 kWh 2168 kWh 3251 kWh £560 £325 £885 £9,767 11.0 yrs £7,943
7 kW 6322 kWh 2529 kWh 3793 kWh £654 £379 £1,033 £11,394 11.0 yrs £9,267
8 kW 7225 kWh 2890 kWh 4335 kWh £747 £434 £1,181 £13,022 11.0 yrs £10,590

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: £881, Upfront: £10,239, Break-even: 11.6 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1806 kWh 1084 kWh 723 kWh £280 £72 £352 £5,356 15.2 yrs £1,693
3 kW 2710 kWh 1626 kWh 1084 kWh £420 £108 £529 £6,983 13.2 yrs £3,589
4 kW 3613 kWh 2168 kWh 1445 kWh £560 £145 £705 £8,611 12.2 yrs £5,486
5 kW 4516 kWh 2710 kWh 1806 kWh £700 £181 £881 £10,239 11.6 yrs £7,382
6 kW 5419 kWh 3251 kWh 2168 kWh £840 £217 £1,057 £11,867 11.2 yrs £9,278
7 kW 6322 kWh 3793 kWh 2529 kWh £981 £253 £1,233 £13,494 10.9 yrs £11,175
8 kW 7225 kWh 4335 kWh 2890 kWh £1,121 £289 £1,410 £15,122 10.7 yrs £13,071

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: £953, Upfront: £11,639, 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 1806 kWh 1264 kWh 542 kWh £327 £54 £381 £6,756 17.7 yrs £865
3 kW 2710 kWh 1897 kWh 813 kWh £490 £81 £572 £8,383 14.7 yrs £3,048
4 kW 3613 kWh 2529 kWh 1084 kWh £654 £108 £762 £10,011 13.1 yrs £5,231
5 kW 4516 kWh 3161 kWh 1355 kWh £817 £135 £953 £11,639 12.2 yrs £7,414
6 kW 5419 kWh 3793 kWh 1626 kWh £981 £163 £1,143 £13,267 11.6 yrs £9,596
7 kW 6322 kWh 4426 kWh 1897 kWh £1,144 £190 £1,334 £14,894 11.2 yrs £11,779
8 kW 7225 kWh 5058 kWh 2168 kWh £1,307 £217 £1,524 £16,522 10.8 yrs £13,962

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: £974, Upfront: £13,389, Break-even: 13.7 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1806 kWh 1319 kWh 488 kWh £341 £49 £390 £8,506 21.8 yrs £-713
3 kW 2710 kWh 1978 kWh 732 kWh £511 £73 £584 £10,133 17.3 yrs £1,556
4 kW 3613 kWh 2637 kWh 975 kWh £682 £98 £779 £11,761 15.1 yrs £3,824
5 kW 4516 kWh 3297 kWh 1219 kWh £852 £122 £974 £13,389 13.7 yrs £6,093
6 kW 5419 kWh 3956 kWh 1463 kWh £1,023 £146 £1,169 £15,017 12.8 yrs £8,362
7 kW 6322 kWh 4615 kWh 1707 kWh £1,193 £171 £1,364 £16,644 12.2 yrs £10,630
8 kW 7225 kWh 5275 kWh 1951 kWh £1,363 £195 £1,559 £18,272 11.7 yrs £12,899

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: £988, Upfront: £15,139, 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 1806 kWh 1355 kWh 452 kWh £350 £45 £395 £10,256 25.9 yrs £-2,348
3 kW 2710 kWh 2032 kWh 677 kWh £525 £68 £593 £11,883 20.0 yrs £-22
4 kW 3613 kWh 2710 kWh 903 kWh £700 £90 £791 £13,511 17.1 yrs £2,303
5 kW 4516 kWh 3387 kWh 1129 kWh £876 £113 £988 £15,139 15.3 yrs £4,629
6 kW 5419 kWh 4064 kWh 1355 kWh £1,051 £135 £1,186 £16,767 14.1 yrs £6,955
7 kW 6322 kWh 4742 kWh 1581 kWh £1,226 £158 £1,384 £18,394 13.3 yrs £9,281
8 kW 7225 kWh 5419 kWh 1806 kWh £1,401 £181 £1,581 £20,022 12.7 yrs £11,607

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: £1,003, Upfront: £17,589, Break-even: 17.5 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1806 kWh 1391 kWh 415 kWh £360 £42 £401 £12,706 31.7 yrs £-4,684
3 kW 2710 kWh 2086 kWh 623 kWh £539 £62 £602 £14,333 23.8 yrs £-2,301
4 kW 3613 kWh 2782 kWh 831 kWh £719 £83 £802 £15,961 19.9 yrs £83
5 kW 4516 kWh 3477 kWh 1039 kWh £899 £104 £1,003 £17,589 17.5 yrs £2,466
6 kW 5419 kWh 4173 kWh 1246 kWh £1,079 £125 £1,203 £19,217 16.0 yrs £4,849
7 kW 6322 kWh 4868 kWh 1454 kWh £1,258 £145 £1,404 £20,844 14.8 yrs £7,232
8 kW 7225 kWh 5564 kWh 1662 kWh £1,438 £166 £1,604 £22,472 14.0 yrs £9,615

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 Scottish Borders

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.

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Check what MCS certification means

Understand DNO, G98 and G99 export limits

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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.

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Insights for TD3

Figures below are tailored to TD3 — click through for full league tables.

Solar Payback Index Rank #2032 of 2996
11.0 years (UK avg 10.8 years)
~£885 /yr • £9,767 upfront
Standing-Charge Drag Rank #1660 of 2996
26.4% (UK avg 26.6%) drag on savings
£234 fixed • ~£885 /yr value
Aspect Penalty View ranking →
East −21.6% West −21.3%
Typical output loss versus a south-facing roof (lower is better)

Seasonal solar output in TD3

Monthly generation per kilowatt of solar panels

kWh 29 Jan 46 Feb 79 Mar 106 Apr 118 May 110 Jun 114 Jul 102 Aug 82 Sep 56 Oct 38 Nov 22 Dec
Best month Worst month Winter (Dec–Feb) Other months

Winter output: 43.1% 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 32 kWh per month; the average month produces around 75 kWh. So a typical 4 kW home system would generate roughly 130 kWh in winter, or 301 kWh in an average month.

Your Area at a Glance

Your Electricity Rate
25.85p/kWh
Daily Fixed Charge
64.17p/day
Local Sunshine
903kWh/kW
A 1 kW system generates ~903 kWh per year. A typical home uses ~2,700 kWh per year.
Typical System Size
6.0kW
For houses & bungalows in this area

Local Property Data

Property Types

No EPC data available for this outcode

Coverage

Scottish Borders (100%)

Areas Covered

Mid Berwickshire, Leaderdale and Melrose

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 Southern Scotland

TD10 (Scottish Borders)
≈7.2 km away
Local sunshine: ~913 kWh/kWp · +1% vs TD3
TD4 (Scottish Borders)
≈8.7 km away
Local sunshine: ~883 kWh/kWp · -2% vs TD3
TD2 (Scottish Borders)
≈12.0 km away
Local sunshine: ~892 kWh/kWp · -1% vs TD3
TD5 (Scottish Borders)
≈12.9 km away
Local sunshine: ~874 kWh/kWp · -3% vs TD3
TD6 (Scottish Borders)
≈14.2 km away
Local sunshine: ~897 kWh/kWp · -1% vs TD3
TD1 (Scottish Borders)
≈17.1 km away
Local sunshine: ~884 kWh/kWp · -2% vs TD3

Similar sunshine across the UK

HD3 (Kirklees)
~903 kWh/kWp · -0% vs TD3
WA3 (Warrington)
~903 kWh/kWp · -0% vs TD3
CW4 (Cheshire East)
~903 kWh/kWp · -0% vs TD3