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Solar Panels in ZE3 (Shetland Islands)

See if solar pays off for you in Shetland Islands — 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
15.1 years
After this, it's pure profit
Upfront Cost
£10,173
What you pay to get started
Annual Benefit
£672
What you save every year
Profit Over 25 Years
£6,634
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 799 kWh/kW — 16 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 799 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)
799 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: £672, Upfront: £10,173, Break-even: 15.1 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1598 kWh 639 kWh 959 kWh £173 £96 £269 £4,069 15.1 yrs £1,309
3 kW 2397 kWh 959 kWh 1438 kWh £260 £144 £403 £6,104 15.1 yrs £1,964
4 kW 3197 kWh 1279 kWh 1918 kWh £346 £192 £538 £8,138 15.1 yrs £2,618
5 kW 3996 kWh 1598 kWh 2397 kWh £433 £240 £672 £10,173 15.1 yrs £3,273
6 kW 4795 kWh 1918 kWh 2877 kWh £519 £288 £807 £12,207 15.1 yrs £3,927
7 kW 5594 kWh 2238 kWh 3356 kWh £606 £336 £941 £14,242 15.1 yrs £4,582
8 kW 6393 kWh 2557 kWh 3836 kWh £692 £384 £1,076 £16,276 15.1 yrs £5,236

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: £809, Upfront: £12,273, 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 1598 kWh 959 kWh 639 kWh £260 £64 £323 £6,169 19.1 yrs £300
3 kW 2397 kWh 1438 kWh 959 kWh £389 £96 £485 £8,204 16.9 yrs £1,500
4 kW 3197 kWh 1918 kWh 1279 kWh £519 £128 £647 £10,238 15.8 yrs £2,699
5 kW 3996 kWh 2397 kWh 1598 kWh £649 £160 £809 £12,273 15.2 yrs £3,899
6 kW 4795 kWh 2877 kWh 1918 kWh £779 £192 £970 £14,307 14.7 yrs £5,099
7 kW 5594 kWh 3356 kWh 2238 kWh £908 £224 £1,132 £16,342 14.4 yrs £6,299
8 kW 6393 kWh 3836 kWh 2557 kWh £1,038 £256 £1,294 £18,376 14.2 yrs £7,499

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: £877, Upfront: £13,673, Break-even: 15.6 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1598 kWh 1119 kWh 479 kWh £303 £48 £351 £7,569 21.6 yrs £-555
3 kW 2397 kWh 1678 kWh 719 kWh £454 £72 £526 £9,604 18.3 yrs £918
4 kW 3197 kWh 2238 kWh 959 kWh £606 £96 £701 £11,638 16.6 yrs £2,390
5 kW 3996 kWh 2797 kWh 1199 kWh £757 £120 £877 £13,673 15.6 yrs £3,863
6 kW 4795 kWh 3356 kWh 1438 kWh £908 £144 £1,052 £15,707 14.9 yrs £5,335
7 kW 5594 kWh 3916 kWh 1678 kWh £1,060 £168 £1,227 £17,742 14.5 yrs £6,808
8 kW 6393 kWh 4475 kWh 1918 kWh £1,211 £192 £1,403 £19,776 14.1 yrs £8,280

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: £897, Upfront: £15,423, Break-even: 17.2 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1598 kWh 1167 kWh 432 kWh £316 £43 £359 £9,319 26.0 yrs £-2,141
3 kW 2397 kWh 1750 kWh 647 kWh £474 £65 £538 £11,354 21.1 yrs £-587
4 kW 3197 kWh 2334 kWh 863 kWh £631 £86 £718 £13,388 18.7 yrs £967
5 kW 3996 kWh 2917 kWh 1079 kWh £789 £108 £897 £15,423 17.2 yrs £2,522
6 kW 4795 kWh 3500 kWh 1295 kWh £947 £129 £1,077 £17,457 16.2 yrs £4,076
7 kW 5594 kWh 4084 kWh 1510 kWh £1,105 £151 £1,256 £19,492 15.5 yrs £5,630
8 kW 6393 kWh 4667 kWh 1726 kWh £1,263 £173 £1,436 £21,526 15.0 yrs £7,185

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: £911, Upfront: £17,173, Break-even: 18.9 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1598 kWh 1199 kWh 400 kWh £324 £40 £364 £11,069 30.4 yrs £-3,782
3 kW 2397 kWh 1798 kWh 599 kWh £487 £60 £547 £13,104 24.0 yrs £-2,173
4 kW 3197 kWh 2397 kWh 799 kWh £649 £80 £729 £15,138 20.8 yrs £-565
5 kW 3996 kWh 2997 kWh 999 kWh £811 £100 £911 £17,173 18.9 yrs £1,044
6 kW 4795 kWh 3596 kWh 1199 kWh £973 £120 £1,093 £19,207 17.6 yrs £2,653
7 kW 5594 kWh 4196 kWh 1399 kWh £1,135 £140 £1,275 £21,242 16.7 yrs £4,262
8 kW 6393 kWh 4795 kWh 1598 kWh £1,298 £160 £1,457 £23,276 16.0 yrs £5,871

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: £924, Upfront: £19,623, Break-even: 21.2 yrs
System Annual output Self-use Exported Bill saving Export income Annual benefit Upfront cost Break-even 20-year net
2 kW 1598 kWh 1231 kWh 368 kWh £333 £37 £370 £13,519 36.6 yrs £-6,123
3 kW 2397 kWh 1846 kWh 551 kWh £500 £55 £555 £15,554 28.0 yrs £-4,460
4 kW 3197 kWh 2461 kWh 735 kWh £666 £74 £740 £17,588 23.8 yrs £-2,796
5 kW 3996 kWh 3077 kWh 919 kWh £833 £92 £924 £19,623 21.2 yrs £-1,133
6 kW 4795 kWh 3692 kWh 1103 kWh £999 £110 £1,109 £21,657 19.5 yrs £530
7 kW 5594 kWh 4307 kWh 1287 kWh £1,166 £129 £1,294 £23,692 18.3 yrs £2,194
8 kW 6393 kWh 4923 kWh 1470 kWh £1,332 £147 £1,479 £25,726 17.4 yrs £3,857

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 ZE3

Figures below are tailored to ZE3 — click through for full league tables.

Solar Payback Index Rank #2865 of 2997
13.1 years (UK avg 11.3 years)
~£620 /yr • £8,138 upfront
Standing-Charge Drag Rank #2891 of 2997
35.9% (UK avg 21.7%) drag on savings
£223 fixed • ~£620 /yr value

Your Area at a Glance

Your Electricity Rate
27.06p/kWh
Daily Fixed Charge
61.00p/day
Local Sunshine
799kWh/kW
A 1 kW system generates ~799 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 South

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

ZE1 (Shetland Islands)
≈30.8 km away
Local sunshine: ~744 kWh/kWp · -7% vs ZE3
ZE2 (Shetland Islands)
≈45.9 km away
Local sunshine: ~731 kWh/kWp · -9% vs ZE3
KW17 (Orkney Islands)
≈134.2 km away
Local sunshine: ~789 kWh/kWp · -1% vs ZE3
KW15 (Orkney Islands)
≈137.3 km away
Local sunshine: ~834 kWh/kWp · +4% vs ZE3
KW16 (Orkney Islands)
≈152.5 km away
Local sunshine: ~806 kWh/kWp · +1% vs ZE3
KW1 (Highland)
≈190.1 km away
Local sunshine: ~815 kWh/kWp · +2% vs ZE3

Similar sunshine across the UK

G76 (East Renfrewshire)
~799 kWh/kWp · -0% vs ZE3
PA17 (North Ayrshire)
~796 kWh/kWp · -0% vs ZE3
BT82 (Derry City and Strabane)
~795 kWh/kWp · -0% vs ZE3