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Solar panel cost in Shetland Islands (ZE2)

See realistic solar installation costs, savings and payback for ZE2 (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
16.0 years
After this, it's pure profit
Upfront Cost
£10,173
What you pay to get started
Annual Benefit
£634
What you save every year
Profit Over 25 Years
£5,674
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 28.36p/kWh with a 62.07p/day standing charge. Your postcode’s south-facing sunshine yield is 731 kWh/kW — 84 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 731 kWh per year on a south-facing roof. We value self-used electricity at 28.4p and exported surplus at a baseline 10p via SEG. Use the calculator above for your exact tariff.

Unit rate
28.4p/kWh
Standing charge
62.1p/day
Sunshine yield (south)
731 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: £634, Upfront: £10,173, Break-even: 16.0 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1462 kWh 585 kWh 877 kWh £166 £88 £254 £4,069 16.0 yrs £1,002
3 kW 2193 kWh 877 kWh 1316 kWh £249 £132 £380 £6,104 16.0 yrs £1,503
4 kW 2924 kWh 1170 kWh 1754 kWh £332 £175 £507 £8,138 16.0 yrs £2,004
5 kW 3655 kWh 1462 kWh 2193 kWh £415 £219 £634 £10,173 16.0 yrs £2,505
6 kW 4386 kWh 1754 kWh 2631 kWh £498 £263 £761 £12,207 16.0 yrs £3,006
7 kW 5117 kWh 2047 kWh 3070 kWh £580 £307 £887 £14,242 16.0 yrs £3,507
8 kW 5848 kWh 2339 kWh 3509 kWh £663 £351 £1,014 £16,276 16.0 yrs £4,008

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: £768, Upfront: £12,273, Break-even: 16.0 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1462 kWh 877 kWh 585 kWh £249 £58 £307 £6,169 20.1 yrs £-24
3 kW 2193 kWh 1316 kWh 877 kWh £373 £88 £461 £8,204 17.8 yrs £1,013
4 kW 2924 kWh 1754 kWh 1170 kWh £498 £117 £614 £10,238 16.7 yrs £2,051
5 kW 3655 kWh 2193 kWh 1462 kWh £622 £146 £768 £12,273 16.0 yrs £3,089
6 kW 4386 kWh 2631 kWh 1754 kWh £746 £175 £922 £14,307 15.5 yrs £4,127
7 kW 5117 kWh 3070 kWh 2047 kWh £871 £205 £1,075 £16,342 15.2 yrs £5,164
8 kW 5848 kWh 3509 kWh 2339 kWh £995 £234 £1,229 £18,376 15.0 yrs £6,202

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: £835, Upfront: £13,673, Break-even: 16.4 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1462 kWh 1023 kWh 439 kWh £290 £44 £334 £7,569 22.7 yrs £-888
3 kW 2193 kWh 1535 kWh 658 kWh £435 £66 £501 £9,604 19.2 yrs £419
4 kW 2924 kWh 2047 kWh 877 kWh £580 £88 £668 £11,638 17.4 yrs £1,725
5 kW 3655 kWh 2558 kWh 1096 kWh £726 £110 £835 £13,673 16.4 yrs £3,031
6 kW 4386 kWh 3070 kWh 1316 kWh £871 £132 £1,002 £15,707 15.7 yrs £4,337
7 kW 5117 kWh 3582 kWh 1535 kWh £1,016 £153 £1,169 £17,742 15.2 yrs £5,643
8 kW 5848 kWh 4093 kWh 1754 kWh £1,161 £175 £1,336 £19,776 14.8 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.

7.5 kWh battery 5 kW example → Annual benefit: £855, Upfront: £15,423, Break-even: 18.0 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1462 kWh 1067 kWh 395 kWh £303 £39 £342 £9,319 27.2 yrs £-2,477
3 kW 2193 kWh 1601 kWh 592 kWh £454 £59 £513 £11,354 22.1 yrs £-1,090
4 kW 2924 kWh 2134 kWh 789 kWh £605 £79 £684 £13,388 19.6 yrs £297
5 kW 3655 kWh 2668 kWh 987 kWh £757 £99 £855 £15,423 18.0 yrs £1,683
6 kW 4386 kWh 3202 kWh 1184 kWh £908 £118 £1,026 £17,457 17.0 yrs £3,070
7 kW 5117 kWh 3735 kWh 1381 kWh £1,059 £138 £1,197 £19,492 16.3 yrs £4,457
8 kW 5848 kWh 4269 kWh 1579 kWh £1,211 £158 £1,368 £21,526 15.7 yrs £5,844

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: £869, Upfront: £17,173, Break-even: 19.8 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1462 kWh 1096 kWh 365 kWh £311 £37 £347 £11,069 31.9 yrs £-4,119
3 kW 2193 kWh 1645 kWh 548 kWh £466 £55 £521 £13,104 25.1 yrs £-2,679
4 kW 2924 kWh 2193 kWh 731 kWh £622 £73 £695 £15,138 21.8 yrs £-1,238
5 kW 3655 kWh 2741 kWh 914 kWh £777 £91 £869 £17,173 19.8 yrs £202
6 kW 4386 kWh 3289 kWh 1096 kWh £933 £110 £1,042 £19,207 18.4 yrs £1,642
7 kW 5117 kWh 3837 kWh 1279 kWh £1,088 £128 £1,216 £21,242 17.5 yrs £3,083
8 kW 5848 kWh 4386 kWh 1462 kWh £1,244 £146 £1,390 £23,276 16.7 yrs £4,523

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: £882, Upfront: £19,623, Break-even: 22.2 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1462 kWh 1126 kWh 336 kWh £319 £34 £353 £13,519 38.3 yrs £-6,462
3 kW 2193 kWh 1688 kWh 504 kWh £479 £50 £529 £15,554 29.4 yrs £-4,968
4 kW 2924 kWh 2251 kWh 672 kWh £638 £67 £706 £17,588 24.9 yrs £-3,474
5 kW 3655 kWh 2814 kWh 841 kWh £798 £84 £882 £19,623 22.2 yrs £-1,980
6 kW 4386 kWh 3377 kWh 1009 kWh £958 £101 £1,059 £21,657 20.5 yrs £-486
7 kW 5117 kWh 3940 kWh 1177 kWh £1,117 £118 £1,235 £23,692 19.2 yrs £1,008
8 kW 5848 kWh 4503 kWh 1345 kWh £1,277 £134 £1,411 £25,726 18.2 yrs £2,502

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 ZE2

Figures below are tailored to ZE2 — click through for full league tables.

Solar Payback Index Rank #2964 of 2997
16.0 years (UK avg 12.6 years)
~£507 /yr • £8,138 upfront
Standing-Charge Drag Rank #2961 of 2997
44.7% (UK avg 24.6%) drag on savings
£227 fixed • ~£507 /yr value
Aspect Penalty View ranking →
East −19.8% West −21.0%
Typical output loss versus a south-facing roof (lower is better)

Your Area at a Glance

Your Electricity Rate
28.36p/kWh
Daily Fixed Charge
62.07p/day
Local Sunshine
731kWh/kW
A 1 kW system generates ~731 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

Shetland North, North Isles, Shetland South, Shetland Central, Shetland West, Lerwick North and Bressay

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

ZE1 (Shetland Islands)
≈16.8 km away
Local sunshine: ~744 kWh/kWp · +2% vs ZE2
ZE3 (Shetland Islands)
≈45.9 km away
Local sunshine: ~799 kWh/kWp · +9% vs ZE2
KW17 (Orkney Islands)
≈171.6 km away
Local sunshine: ~789 kWh/kWp · +8% vs ZE2
KW15 (Orkney Islands)
≈175.5 km away
Local sunshine: ~834 kWh/kWp · +14% vs ZE2
KW16 (Orkney Islands)
≈188.4 km away
Local sunshine: ~806 kWh/kWp · +10% vs ZE2
KW14 (Highland)
≈229.6 km away
Local sunshine: ~813 kWh/kWp · +11% vs ZE2

Similar sunshine across the UK

PA19 (Inverclyde)
~756 kWh/kWp · +3% vs ZE2
DL11 (North Yorkshire)
~765 kWh/kWp · +5% vs ZE2
G84 (Argyll and Bute)
~766 kWh/kWp · +5% vs ZE2