Solar panels and batteries for west-coast homes, without the salesperson.

Yes. Panels generate from daylight, not heat, and a 2020 University of Edinburgh study measured Edinburgh's average output at 10.6 kWh per day against London's 12.2 kWh, only 13% less. Scotland's long summer days offset the short winter ones, and a battery lets you use midsummer surplus in the evening instead of exporting it for pennies. The west coast is wetter, but panels generate on bright cloud as well as sun and the Gulf Stream keeps winters mild, so a battery that banks every bright spell is what makes the numbers work here.

For most homes, yes. Without a battery around half of what you generate is exported at 15, 18p per kWh while you buy it back in the evening at the price-cap rate of 26.32p. A battery stores the daytime surplus for the evening peak, and on a smart tariff it can also charge overnight at off-peak rates in winter.

Not for solar PV itself. The Home Energy Scotland grant and loan stopped covering solar panels and batteries on 6 June 2024 and has not been reinstated. What you do get is 0% VAT on the whole installation until 31 March 2027 (it rises to 5% after), Smart Export Guarantee payments for electricity you export, and, if you are on qualifying benefits, ECO4 may cover solar alongside electric heating until the end of 2026.

Across the UK the average installed system cost was £6,665 in March 2026, about £1,668 per kW. Our example Solar + Battery package, a 4.3kW array with a 5.1kWh battery, is £8,995 fully installed. Every quote we send is one number with scaffold, electrical work, commissioning and certification included.