Guide · Solar PV in Fife
Is solar worth it in Fife? The honest version.
Yes, for most houses with a usable roof — and no, for some, and we will tell you which. This is what our installs across Fife actually generate, two worked examples with every assumption written down, and the situations where we say “not for you”.
Figures last reviewed
3,800–5,200 kWh
A year from a standard 4 kWp system on our Fife installs
1,200–1,400
Sunshine hours a year in Fife — plenty for solar
30–40%
Of generation a home uses itself without a battery
~10–12 years
Modelled payback, solar-only or with battery — assumptions below
Does solar work in Fife’s weather?
Panels generate from light, not heat, and they are slightly more efficient in cooler air. Fife sees roughly 1,200 to 1,400 hours of sunshine a year — less than the south of England, but the standard 4 kWp systems we have fitted across the county generate 3,800 to 5,200 kWh a year. The spread is mostly orientation and shading, not weather.
What Scotland does have is a lopsided year: long summer days and short winter ones, so around two-thirds of the annual output arrives between April and September. That matters for how you use it — and it is the main argument for a battery if your evenings are heavy.
Worked example one: solar only
A 4 kWp system at £7,500 — the middle of our range — generating 4,000 kWh a year. Without a battery a typical household uses about 35% of that as it is made: 1,400 kWh, worth £350 at 25p a unit. The remaining 2,600 kWh is exported; at 12p to 15p a unit under the Smart Export Guarantee that is £312 to £390. Total: roughly £660 to £740 a year, a payback of ten to eleven years, on panels warranted for twenty-five.
| Line | Figure | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Installed cost | £7,500 | Mid-range of £6,000–£9,000 |
| Generation | 4,000 kWh | Within our 3,800–5,200 kWh Fife range |
| Used at home (35%) | 1,400 kWh → £350 | At 25p a unit |
| Exported (65%) | 2,600 kWh → £312–£390 | At 12p–15p SEG |
| Yearly value | £660–£740 | |
| Simple payback | 10–11 years | Before any electricity price rises |
Worked example two: solar plus a battery
The same roof with a 5–10 kWh battery, at £12,000 combined. Self-consumption rises to around 70%: 2,800 kWh used at home, worth £700. Export falls to 1,200 kWh, worth £144 to £180. On a time-of-use tariff the battery also charges overnight at around 7p and displaces daytime units at 25p — call it 5 kWh a night for 250 nights, worth about £225. Total: roughly £1,070 to £1,100 a year, a payback of eleven years.
Notice the battery roughly doubles the saving and roughly doubles the cost, so payback barely moves. It is not a shortcut. What it buys is evening independence, protection from price rises on most of your usage, and — if specified — the lights staying on in a power cut.
| Line | Figure | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Installed cost | £12,000 | Mid-range of £10,000–£14,000 |
| Used at home (70%) | 2,800 kWh → £700 | At 25p a unit |
| Exported (30%) | 1,200 kWh → £144–£180 | At 12p–15p SEG |
| Overnight tariff shifting | ≈ £225 | 5 kWh × 250 nights × 18p difference |
| Yearly value | £1,070–£1,100 | |
| Simple payback | ≈ 11 years | Before any electricity price rises |
When we say it is not worth it
A north-facing roof with nothing else usable. Heavy shading from trees or neighbouring buildings across the middle of the day. A listed front elevation with no rear roof. A house you plan to leave within a few years — solar adds value, but not the whole cost. And a home that is empty all day with no battery and no plan for one: you would export most of what you make for 12p and buy it back at 25p.
In those cases we say so at the survey. It costs us a job and earns us the next three referrals.
Export rates keep changing — plan for that
Smart Export Guarantee rates are set by suppliers and move often. At the time of writing EDF pays 13p a unit to its own electricity customers, or 18p if EDF supplied the system, while Octopus cut its flat rate to 12p in March. We compare the live options with you at handover rather than quoting an old headline, and we track the changes in The Dual Dispatch. Your MCS certificate is what makes you eligible in the first place.
The Dual Dispatch →Our assumptions, in full
- Electricity bought at 25p a unit; off-peak at 7p; export paid at 12p–15p (SEG rates at September 2026).
- Generation of 4,000 kWh a year, inside the 3,800–5,200 kWh we see on standard 4 kWp systems across Fife.
- Self-consumption of 35% without a battery and 70% with one — typical, not guaranteed; your pattern may differ.
- Installed costs at the middle of our published ranges. Your fixed quote will differ.
- Simple payback, ignoring future price rises, inverter replacement and the value added to the house.
These are modelled figures to show the shape of the decision. Your quote comes with the numbers for your house, your usage and your tariff.
FAQ
Frequently asked
Is Scotland too cloudy for solar?
No. Panels work from daylight, not direct sun, and cooler temperatures help. Our standard 4 kWp installs across Fife generate 3,800–5,200 kWh a year — enough to make the numbers work on most usable roofs.
How much does solar generate in winter?
Much less — a December day might give you a tenth of a June day. Around two-thirds of the year’s output comes between April and September. That is why we model against your whole year’s consumption, not a sunny afternoon.
Should I wait for prices to fall?
Panel prices have fallen a long way already and installation labour has not. Meanwhile the 0% VAT rate ends on 31 March 2027 and every year you wait is a year of bills you did not offset. If your roof is right, waiting rarely pays.
What if I move house?
Solar goes with the house and is increasingly valued by buyers, but you are unlikely to recover the full cost on a sale within a few years. If you are planning to move soon, we will say so.
Is a battery worth it?
It roughly doubles the yearly saving and roughly doubles the cost, so payback is similar. It is worth it if your evenings are heavy, you want protection from price rises, or you want backup — not as a way to pay back faster.
Will a north-facing roof work?
It generates 20–30% less than south, and often much less if it is also shaded or shallow. Sometimes east and west faces together beat it. We tell you honestly at the survey whether it is worth doing on your roof.
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Want these numbers for your house?
Free survey. We model your roof, your consumption and your tariff, and show you the assumptions — then you decide.