Solar panel cost in Scottish Borders (TD8)

See realistic solar installation costs, savings and payback for TD8 (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

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System Size

Roof Direction

Battery Storage

Export Value

Your Numbers

Break-even
12.8 years
After this, it's pure profit
Upfront Cost
£5,481
What you pay to get started
Annual Benefit
£429
What you save every year
Profit Over 25 Years
£5,250
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

Read the full story

A typical roof here lands around 3.0 kW, with most eligible homes comfortably fitting within 3–6 kW. Each kilowatt of panels produces roughly 876 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)
876 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: £715, Upfront: £9,134, Break-even: 12.8 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1751 kWh 700 kWh 1051 kWh £181 £105 £286 £3,654 12.8 yrs £2,069
3 kW 2627 kWh 1051 kWh 1576 kWh £272 £158 £429 £5,481 12.8 yrs £3,104
4 kW 3502 kWh 1401 kWh 2101 kWh £362 £210 £572 £7,307 12.8 yrs £4,138
5 kW 4378 kWh 1751 kWh 2627 kWh £453 £263 £715 £9,134 12.8 yrs £5,173
6 kW 5253 kWh 2101 kWh 3152 kWh £543 £315 £858 £10,961 12.8 yrs £6,207
7 kW 6129 kWh 2452 kWh 3677 kWh £634 £368 £1,001 £12,788 12.8 yrs £7,242
8 kW 7005 kWh 2802 kWh 4203 kWh £724 £420 £1,145 £14,615 12.8 yrs £8,276

Assumptions: south-facing, sensible tilt; self-use shares from site rules; export at 10p baseline. Costs: panels £/kW = 1,827, battery £/kWh = 700.

3 kWh battery 5 kW example → Annual benefit: £854, Upfront: £11,234, Break-even: 13.2 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1751 kWh 1051 kWh 700 kWh £272 £70 £342 £5,754 16.8 yrs £1,079
3 kW 2627 kWh 1576 kWh 1051 kWh £407 £105 £512 £7,581 14.8 yrs £2,669
4 kW 3502 kWh 2101 kWh 1401 kWh £543 £140 £683 £9,407 13.8 yrs £4,259
5 kW 4378 kWh 2627 kWh 1751 kWh £679 £175 £854 £11,234 13.2 yrs £5,848
6 kW 5253 kWh 3152 kWh 2101 kWh £815 £210 £1,025 £13,061 12.7 yrs £7,438
7 kW 6129 kWh 3677 kWh 2452 kWh £951 £245 £1,196 £14,888 12.5 yrs £9,028
8 kW 7005 kWh 4203 kWh 2802 kWh £1,086 £280 £1,367 £16,715 12.2 yrs £10,617

Assumptions: south-facing, sensible tilt; self-use shares from site rules; export at 10p baseline. Costs: panels £/kW = 1,827, battery £/kWh = 700.

5 kWh battery 5 kW example → Annual benefit: £924, Upfront: £12,634, 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 1751 kWh 1226 kWh 525 kWh £317 £53 £369 £7,154 19.4 yrs £234
3 kW 2627 kWh 1839 kWh 788 kWh £475 £79 £554 £8,981 16.2 yrs £2,102
4 kW 3502 kWh 2452 kWh 1051 kWh £634 £105 £739 £10,807 14.6 yrs £3,969
5 kW 4378 kWh 3065 kWh 1313 kWh £792 £131 £924 £12,634 13.7 yrs £5,836
6 kW 5253 kWh 3677 kWh 1576 kWh £951 £158 £1,108 £14,461 13.0 yrs £7,703
7 kW 6129 kWh 4290 kWh 1839 kWh £1,109 £184 £1,293 £16,288 12.6 yrs £9,571
8 kW 7005 kWh 4903 kWh 2101 kWh £1,267 £210 £1,478 £18,115 12.3 yrs £11,438

Assumptions: south-facing, sensible tilt; self-use shares from site rules; export at 10p baseline. Costs: panels £/kW = 1,827, battery £/kWh = 700.

7.5 kWh battery 5 kW example → Annual benefit: £944, Upfront: £14,384, Break-even: 15.2 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1751 kWh 1278 kWh 473 kWh £330 £47 £378 £8,904 23.6 yrs £-1,349
3 kW 2627 kWh 1918 kWh 709 kWh £496 £71 £567 £10,731 18.9 yrs £601
4 kW 3502 kWh 2557 kWh 946 kWh £661 £95 £755 £12,557 16.6 yrs £2,552
5 kW 4378 kWh 3196 kWh 1182 kWh £826 £118 £944 £14,384 15.2 yrs £4,502
6 kW 5253 kWh 3835 kWh 1418 kWh £991 £142 £1,133 £16,211 14.3 yrs £6,453
7 kW 6129 kWh 4474 kWh 1655 kWh £1,157 £165 £1,322 £18,038 13.6 yrs £8,403
8 kW 7005 kWh 5113 kWh 1891 kWh £1,322 £189 £1,511 £19,865 13.1 yrs £10,354

Assumptions: south-facing, sensible tilt; self-use shares from site rules; export at 10p baseline. Costs: panels £/kW = 1,827, battery £/kWh = 700.

10 kWh battery 5 kW example → Annual benefit: £958, Upfront: £16,134, Break-even: 16.8 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1751 kWh 1313 kWh 438 kWh £340 £44 £383 £10,654 27.8 yrs £-2,988
3 kW 2627 kWh 1970 kWh 657 kWh £509 £66 £575 £12,481 21.7 yrs £-982
4 kW 3502 kWh 2627 kWh 876 kWh £679 £88 £767 £14,307 18.7 yrs £1,024
5 kW 4378 kWh 3283 kWh 1094 kWh £849 £109 £958 £16,134 16.8 yrs £3,030
6 kW 5253 kWh 3940 kWh 1313 kWh £1,019 £131 £1,150 £17,961 15.6 yrs £5,036
7 kW 6129 kWh 4597 kWh 1532 kWh £1,188 £153 £1,341 £19,788 14.8 yrs £7,042
8 kW 7005 kWh 5253 kWh 1751 kWh £1,358 £175 £1,533 £21,615 14.1 yrs £9,048

Assumptions: south-facing, sensible tilt; self-use shares from site rules; export at 10p baseline. Costs: panels £/kW = 1,827, battery £/kWh = 700.

13.5 kWh battery 5 kW example → Annual benefit: £972, Upfront: £18,584, 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 1751 kWh 1348 kWh 403 kWh £349 £40 £389 £13,104 33.7 yrs £-5,327
3 kW 2627 kWh 2023 kWh 604 kWh £523 £60 £583 £14,931 25.6 yrs £-3,265
4 kW 3502 kWh 2697 kWh 806 kWh £697 £81 £778 £16,757 21.5 yrs £-1,204
5 kW 4378 kWh 3371 kWh 1007 kWh £871 £101 £972 £18,584 19.1 yrs £858
6 kW 5253 kWh 4045 kWh 1208 kWh £1,046 £121 £1,167 £20,411 17.5 yrs £2,919
7 kW 6129 kWh 4719 kWh 1410 kWh £1,220 £141 £1,361 £22,238 16.3 yrs £4,981
8 kW 7005 kWh 5394 kWh 1611 kWh £1,394 £161 £1,555 £24,065 15.5 yrs £7,042

Assumptions: south-facing, sensible tilt; self-use shares from site rules; export at 10p baseline. Costs: panels £/kW = 1,827, 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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Seasonal solar output in TD8

Monthly generation per kilowatt of solar panels

kWh 26 Jan 43 Feb 76 Mar 104 Apr 116 May 108 Jun 113 Jul 99 Aug 79 Sep 54 Oct 37 Nov 20 Dec
Best month Worst month Winter (Dec–Feb) Other months

Winter output: 41.0% 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 30 kWh per month; the average month produces around 73 kWh. So a typical 4 kW home system would generate roughly 120 kWh in winter, or 292 kWh in an average month.

Your Area at a Glance

Your Electricity Rate
25.85p/kWh
Daily Fixed Charge
64.17p/day
Local Sunshine
876kWh/kW
A 1 kW system generates ~876 kWh per year. A typical home uses ~2,700 kWh per year.
Typical System Size
3.0kW
For houses & bungalows in this area

⚠️ This area is predominantly flats. Many residents require freeholder approval for solar installations. System size shown reflects houses and bungalows only.

Local Property Data

Property Types

No EPC data available for this outcode

Coverage

Scottish Borders (100%)

Areas Covered

Jedburgh and District, Kelso and District, Hawick and Denholm

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.