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Solar panel cost in Shetland Islands (ZE1)

See realistic solar installation costs, savings and payback for ZE1 (Shetland Islands) 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
17.8 years
After this, it's pure profit
Upfront Cost
£10,173
What you pay to get started
Annual Benefit
£572
What you save every year
Profit Over 25 Years
£4,121
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 23.40p/kWh with a 58.28p/day standing charge. Your postcode’s south-facing sunshine yield is 744 kWh/kW — 71 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 744 kWh per year on a south-facing roof. We value self-used electricity at 23.4p and exported surplus at a baseline 10p via SEG. Use the calculator above for your exact tariff.

Unit rate
23.4p/kWh
Standing charge
58.3p/day
Sunshine yield (south)
744 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: £572, Upfront: £10,173, Break-even: 17.8 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1489 kWh 596 kWh 893 kWh £139 £89 £229 £4,069 17.8 yrs £505
3 kW 2233 kWh 893 kWh 1340 kWh £209 £134 £343 £6,104 17.8 yrs £758
4 kW 2978 kWh 1191 kWh 1787 kWh £279 £179 £457 £8,138 17.8 yrs £1,010
5 kW 3722 kWh 1489 kWh 2233 kWh £348 £223 £572 £10,173 17.8 yrs £1,263
6 kW 4467 kWh 1787 kWh 2680 kWh £418 £268 £686 £12,207 17.8 yrs £1,515
7 kW 5211 kWh 2085 kWh 3127 kWh £488 £313 £800 £14,242 17.8 yrs £1,768
8 kW 5956 kWh 2382 kWh 3573 kWh £557 £357 £915 £16,276 17.8 yrs £2,020

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: £672, Upfront: £12,273, Break-even: 18.3 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1489 kWh 893 kWh 596 kWh £209 £60 £269 £6,169 23.0 yrs £-797
3 kW 2233 kWh 1340 kWh 893 kWh £314 £89 £403 £8,204 20.4 yrs £-145
4 kW 2978 kWh 1787 kWh 1191 kWh £418 £119 £537 £10,238 19.1 yrs £506
5 kW 3722 kWh 2233 kWh 1489 kWh £523 £149 £672 £12,273 18.3 yrs £1,158
6 kW 4467 kWh 2680 kWh 1787 kWh £627 £179 £806 £14,307 17.8 yrs £1,809
7 kW 5211 kWh 3127 kWh 2085 kWh £732 £208 £940 £16,342 17.4 yrs £2,461
8 kW 5956 kWh 3573 kWh 2382 kWh £836 £238 £1,074 £18,376 17.1 yrs £3,112

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: £721, Upfront: £13,673, 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 1489 kWh 1042 kWh 447 kWh £244 £45 £289 £7,569 26.2 yrs £-1,798
3 kW 2233 kWh 1563 kWh 670 kWh £366 £67 £433 £9,604 22.2 yrs £-947
4 kW 2978 kWh 2085 kWh 893 kWh £488 £89 £577 £11,638 20.2 yrs £-96
5 kW 3722 kWh 2606 kWh 1117 kWh £610 £112 £721 £13,673 19.0 yrs £755
6 kW 4467 kWh 3127 kWh 1340 kWh £732 £134 £866 £15,707 18.1 yrs £1,606
7 kW 5211 kWh 3648 kWh 1563 kWh £854 £156 £1,010 £17,742 17.6 yrs £2,457
8 kW 5956 kWh 4169 kWh 1787 kWh £976 £179 £1,154 £19,776 17.1 yrs £3,308

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: £736, Upfront: £15,423, Break-even: 20.9 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1489 kWh 1087 kWh 402 kWh £254 £40 £295 £9,319 31.6 yrs £-3,428
3 kW 2233 kWh 1630 kWh 603 kWh £382 £60 £442 £11,354 25.7 yrs £-2,517
4 kW 2978 kWh 2174 kWh 804 kWh £509 £80 £589 £13,388 22.7 yrs £-1,606
5 kW 3722 kWh 2717 kWh 1005 kWh £636 £101 £736 £15,423 20.9 yrs £-695
6 kW 4467 kWh 3261 kWh 1206 kWh £763 £121 £884 £17,457 19.8 yrs £215
7 kW 5211 kWh 3804 kWh 1407 kWh £890 £141 £1,031 £19,492 18.9 yrs £1,126
8 kW 5956 kWh 4348 kWh 1608 kWh £1,017 £161 £1,178 £21,526 18.3 yrs £2,037

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: £746, Upfront: £17,173, Break-even: 23.0 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1489 kWh 1117 kWh 372 kWh £261 £37 £299 £11,069 37.1 yrs £-5,098
3 kW 2233 kWh 1675 kWh 558 kWh £392 £56 £448 £13,104 29.3 yrs £-4,148
4 kW 2978 kWh 2233 kWh 744 kWh £523 £74 £597 £15,138 25.4 yrs £-3,197
5 kW 3722 kWh 2792 kWh 931 kWh £653 £93 £746 £17,173 23.0 yrs £-2,246
6 kW 4467 kWh 3350 kWh 1117 kWh £784 £112 £896 £19,207 21.4 yrs £-1,295
7 kW 5211 kWh 3908 kWh 1303 kWh £915 £130 £1,045 £21,242 20.3 yrs £-344
8 kW 5956 kWh 4467 kWh 1489 kWh £1,045 £149 £1,194 £23,276 19.5 yrs £607

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: £756, Upfront: £19,623, Break-even: 25.9 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1489 kWh 1146 kWh 342 kWh £268 £34 £303 £13,519 44.7 yrs £-7,469
3 kW 2233 kWh 1720 kWh 514 kWh £402 £51 £454 £15,554 34.3 yrs £-6,478
4 kW 2978 kWh 2293 kWh 685 kWh £537 £68 £605 £17,588 29.1 yrs £-5,487
5 kW 3722 kWh 2866 kWh 856 kWh £671 £86 £756 £19,623 25.9 yrs £-4,496
6 kW 4467 kWh 3439 kWh 1027 kWh £805 £103 £908 £21,657 23.9 yrs £-3,506
7 kW 5211 kWh 4013 kWh 1199 kWh £939 £120 £1,059 £23,692 22.4 yrs £-2,515
8 kW 5956 kWh 4586 kWh 1370 kWh £1,073 £137 £1,210 £25,726 21.3 yrs £-1,524

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 ZE1

Figures below are tailored to ZE1 — click through for full league tables.

Solar Payback Index Rank #2957 of 2997
15.8 years (UK avg 12.6 years)
~£516 /yr • £8,138 upfront
Standing-Charge Drag Rank #2952 of 2997
43.9% (UK avg 24.6%) drag on savings
£227 fixed • ~£516 /yr value
Aspect Penalty View ranking →
East −19.7% West −20.9%
Typical output loss versus a south-facing roof (lower is better)

Seasonal solar output in ZE1

Monthly generation per kilowatt of solar panels

kWh 11 Jan 27 Feb 62 Mar 95 Apr 118 May 110 Jun 104 Jul 93 Aug 65 Sep 38 Oct 16 Nov 7 Dec
Best month Worst month Winter (Dec–Feb) Other months

Winter output: 24.2% 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 15 kWh per month; the average month produces around 62 kWh. So a typical 4 kW home system would generate roughly 60 kWh in winter, or 248 kWh in an average month.

Your Area at a Glance

Your Electricity Rate
23.40p/kWh
Daily Fixed Charge
58.28p/day
Local Sunshine
744kWh/kW
A 1 kW system generates ~744 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

Shetland Islands (100%)

Areas Covered

Lerwick North and Bressay, Lerwick South, Shetland Central

Data Sources & Assumptions

Solar yield: PVGIS (EU Joint Research Centre), January 2025 data

Electricity rates: Ofgem price cap, Q1 2026

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

ZE2 (Shetland Islands)
≈16.8 km away
Local sunshine: ~731 kWh/kWp · -2% vs ZE1
ZE3 (Shetland Islands)
≈30.8 km away
Local sunshine: ~799 kWh/kWp · +7% vs ZE1
KW17 (Orkney Islands)
≈161.7 km away
Local sunshine: ~789 kWh/kWp · +6% vs ZE1
KW15 (Orkney Islands)
≈165.2 km away
Local sunshine: ~834 kWh/kWp · +12% vs ZE1
KW16 (Orkney Islands)
≈179.2 km away
Local sunshine: ~806 kWh/kWp · +8% vs ZE1
KW14 (Highland)
≈219.4 km away
Local sunshine: ~813 kWh/kWp · +9% vs ZE1

Similar sunshine across the UK

PA19 (Inverclyde)
~756 kWh/kWp · +1% vs ZE1
DL11 (North Yorkshire)
~765 kWh/kWp · +3% vs ZE1
G84 (Argyll and Bute)
~766 kWh/kWp · +3% vs ZE1