Orkney, Scotland
Solar and batteries in Orkney, sized to your roof.
Twelve panels (6.36 kWp) here make about 5,150 kWh a year for £6,360 installed, designed around your roof on a free 30-minute video call.
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What a roof in Orkney can generate
PVGIS puts Orkney at 810 kWh per kWp a year, 12% below the mean of our 85 county estimates. 76% of it arrives between April and September, peaking in May.
Generation per kWp, month by month
Show the monthly figures
| Month | kWh/kWp |
|---|---|
| January | 13.7 |
| February | 35.3 |
| March | 68.5 |
| April | 102 |
| May | 124 |
| June | 113 |
| July | 113 |
| August | 96.8 |
| September | 69.9 |
| October | 43.4 |
| November | 20.2 |
| December | 10.1 |
Source: PVGIS v5.2 (European Commission JRC), SARAH3 database, 1 kWp, 14% system loss, 35 degree pitch, due south, checked September 2026.
Our GB average is 925 kWh per kWp a year, the mean of the 85 county PVGIS estimates we publish; at 810, Orkney is 12% below it.
How Orkney compares
Orkney ranks 77th of the 85 counties we track for solar yield, 4% below the Scotland average of our estimates. Lower light changes the strategy rather than the answer: pair the array with off peak charging at 8.5p and the model still finds £752 a year on a typical 12 panel system, most of it from cutting 26.32p imports.
Every figure here assumes a clear, south-facing roof at 35 degrees in the middle of Orkney. Yours will differ; the calculator below lets you test panels, batteries and export rates first.
The charger is in the installed price but left out of payback: charging savings depend on your mileage and tariff, which the design call models properly.
Your real roof and usage, worked through on a free 30-minute video call. Use the full form or leave three details below.
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Generation from PVGIS v5.2 (European Commission JRC, SARAH3), retrieved August 2026 for a representative point in Orkney (58.9918, -3.0976), assuming 1 kWp, 14% system loss, 35 degree pitch, due south. Import valued at 26.32p/kWh (Ofgem price cap average, Oct to Dec 2026); off-peak charging at 8.5p/kWh where used (a supplier's published off-peak rate, checked September 2026); export at the scenario you pick, from the dated tariff table. Prices are installed pricing, August 2026, standard installations; 530W LONGi panels at £1,000 per kWp. Estimates for illustration, not a quote: your free design call prices your actual roof.
Connecting solar to the Orkney network
The centre of Orkney sits in Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks' North Scotland licence area on NESO's boundary map, as does every town we cover there, so SSEN is the network operator (DNO) a system here is registered with.
Below 3.68kW per phase of inverter and battery output, the G98 route applies: the installation is notified to SSEN within 28 days of commissioning, with no prior approval.
Anything bigger is a G99 case and is applied for first. SSEN says it can take up to 45 working days to issue a quotation for a generation connection above 3.68kW per phase and up to 50kW.
Sources: NESO DNO licence areas (3 May 2024); SSEN, micro-generation connections page, checked 25 September 2026. G98 vs G99, explained.
Beyond the panels: heating and car charging in Orkney
A heat pump in Orkney
Solar and a heat pump pull in opposite directions through the year: Orkney's roofs make 500 kWh from November to February on a 12-panel system, and 2,840 kWh from May to August. The heating season leans on the grid, so off-peak rates do the heavy lifting.
Scottish homes apply through Home Energy Scotland rather than the Boiler Upgrade Scheme: up to £7,500 in grant for a heat pump, up to £7,500 more as an optional interest-free loan, and a £1,500 uplift for rural and island homes (checked 28 September 2026).
Charging an EV in Orkney
From April to September, 76% of a Orkney roof's yearly output arrives, peaking at about 790 kWh in May on 12 panels. A car parked at home in daylight can soak up what the house, at around 70 kWh of daytime use that month, cannot.
Renters and flat owners with private off-street parking can get 75% off a chargepoint and its installation, up to £500 per socket, until 31 March 2027 (gov.uk, checked 28 September 2026). The calculator above adds a 7.4kW smart charger from £1,100 installed.
Installed prices, the same across Orkney
Every system is designed around your roof on the free call before anything is fitted.
Common questions about solar in Orkney
What could a roof in Orkney generate?
PVGIS puts a roof in Orkney at 810 kWh per kWp a year, 2.22 peak sun hours a day averaged across the seasons. A 12-panel, 6.36 kWp system makes about 5,150 kWh a year, most of it between April and September.
What would 12 solar panels cost in Orkney?
£6,360 for 12 panels (6.36 kWp), the same as in every other place we cover, because solar is priced at £1,000 per kWp installed rather than by area. A battery adds its own installed price on top. Where Orkney differs is output: about 5,150 kWh a year from that system.
Do I need permission from the DNO for solar in Orkney?
Usually not in advance. SSEN, the network operator for Orkney, only needs a G98 notification within 28 days of commissioning for systems up to 3.68kW per phase. Bigger inverter or battery outputs need G99 approval first. SSEN says it can take up to 45 working days to issue a quotation for a generation connection above 3.68kW per phase and up to 50kW. "See our DNO explainer.
How much would export pay on a system in Orkney?
It is exported. With typical use and no battery, about 4,215 kWh of the 5,150 kWh a 12-panel system makes in Orkney goes to the grid, around £506 a year at 12p. A battery keeps more of it for the evening; the export rates table shows what suppliers pay.
Do solar panels work in winter in Orkney?
Yes, at a lower level. PVGIS gives Orkney 10.1 kWh per kWp in December and 13.7 in January, so a 12-panel system makes about 60 kWh and 90 kWh in those months, against 790 kWh in May. Winter output mostly covers daytime use rather than exporting.
Nearby in Scotland
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Reading for Orkney homeowners
The same guidance we would talk through on your call, written down and sourced.
Solar installation day: exactly what happens, hour by hour
The week before, the day itself hour by hour, and the paperwork that follows.
Read the guide →Sigenergy SigenStor review: the 5-in-1 tower examined
The 5-in-1 tower reviewed by a site that does not sell it, warranty arithmetic included.
Read the guide →How solar aware EV charging actually works
The CT clamp, the surplus tracking and the 1.4kW floor that catches people out.
Read the guide →How an air source heat pump actually works
It moves heat rather than making it. The cycle, the efficiency numbers and the trade-offs.
Read the guide →What the Smart Export Guarantee actually is
The scheme obliges suppliers to pay above zero, and leaves the rate to them.
Read the guide →G98 or G99: which one applies, what the application involves, and how long it takes
The G98 line sits at 3.68kW per phase. Above it, your network operator has to say yes first.
Read the guide →Get my free quote
Takes about two minutes. We call or text within one working day to book your free 30-minute video design call at a time that suits you. We design it around your roof and your numbers, and our MCS-certified, fully insured installation teams install it.