Scotland vs England: Solar Data

Is solar worth it in Scotland vs England?

Scotland vs England solar comparison using PVGIS data (re.jrc.ec.europa.eu): SOLAR IRRADIANCE: London 1,050 kWh/m²/yr. Glasgow 900 kWh/m²/yr (14% less). Edinburgh 920 kWh/m²/yr (12% less). Aberdeen 880 kWh/m²/yr (16% less). 4kW SYSTEM OUTPUT: London 3,990 kWh/yr. Glasgow 3,420 kWh/yr. Edinburgh 3,500 kWh/yr. Aberdeen 3,350 kWh/yr. ANNUAL SAVINGS (40% self-consumption): London £940/yr. Glasgow £810/yr. Edinburgh £830/yr. Aberdeen £790/yr. PAYBACK: London 9.0yr. Glasgow 10.8yr. Edinburgh 10.5yr. Aberdeen 11.2yr. BUT: Scotland has HOME ENERGY SCOTLAND (homeenergyscotland.org) offering interest-free loans up to £6,000 for solar. This effectively reduces upfront cost to £1,000-£3,000. HES does not fund standard solar PV, so Scottish payback is the same cash calculation as elsewhere. VERDICT: Scotland has lower output, and Home Energy Scotland does not fund standard solar PV, so returns are usually a little lower than in southern England. Sources: PVGIS, Ofgem, Home Energy Scotland (homeenergyscotland.org), MCS.