The official Scottish figures
The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) draws the size and price of every solar system from the MCS installation database and publishes the averages each year. The 2025/26 release, published on 28 May 2026, includes 28,369 Scottish installations: 22,170 of them up to 4 kW and 5,596 between 4 and 10 kW (DESNZ solar PV cost data). The price covers the panels, the inverter, fitting, connection and any VAT charged.
- Up to 4 kW: Scotland average £1,944 per kW, down from £1,962 in 2024/25. The Great Britain median was £1,780.
- 4 to 10 kW: Scotland average £1,662 per kW, down from £1,743. The Great Britain median was £1,697.
The regional table gives averages, which a few expensive jobs pull upwards; the middle price, the median, is usually a little lower. The Energy Saving Trust's simpler benchmark is a typical 4.5 kWp system for around £7,600 (Energy Saving Trust).
Prices by system size
A Scottish roof is sized by its usable area and orientation, not by a standard package. Detached houses, which are 23.9% of Scottish households (Census 2022), often take more than a tenement roof shared between several flats. The table applies the 2025/26 Scottish averages to common sizes, assuming 400-watt panels.
| Size | Panels (about) | Rate | Total | Yearly kWh in Edinburgh, south roof |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2.5 kW | 6 | £1,944 | £4,850 | 2,258 |
| 3 kW | 8 | £1,944 | £5,850 | 2,709 |
| 4 kW | 10 | £1,944 | £7,800 | 3,612 |
| 5 kW | 13 | £1,662 | £8,300 | 4,515 |
| 6 kW | 15 | £1,662 | £9,950 | 5,418 |
| 8 kW | 20 | £1,662 | £13,300 | 7,224 |
The last column uses PVGIS's 903 kWh per kW for a south-facing 35° roof in Edinburgh (PVGIS 5.3); our yield by place tool gives the figure for your area and roof.
Reading the size bands
Most systems in the data are small: of the 28,369 Scottish installations in the 2025/26 analysis, 22,170 were up to 4 kW, about 78% (our arithmetic from DESNZ). That band also carries the higher price per kW. In 2025/26 the 4 to 10 kW average was 14.5% lower per kW than the band below it, and it fell further over the year: down 4.6% against 0.9% for the smaller systems, by our arithmetic.
The reason is that much of a job costs the same whether eight panels go up or fourteen: the scaffold, the inverter, the electrical work and the grid paperwork. Spread over more kW, those fixed costs shrink per kW. The table above shows the effect at the boundary, where 5 kW priced at the larger-band average costs little more than 4 kW at the smaller-band one. If your roof has space for more, ask the installer to price both sizes before you settle on one.
Scotland against England
For small systems, Scotland was one of the cheaper parts of Great Britain in 2025/26. The gap is a few hundred pounds per kW at most, smaller than the difference you will often see between two quotes for the same roof.
| Region | Average per kW |
|---|---|
| Scotland | £1,944 |
| London | £2,177 |
| South West | £2,177 |
| North West | £2,021 |
| North East | £1,878 |
What moves a Scottish quote
Tenement and shared roofs
Work on a tenement roof affects every owner, and scaffold for a four-storey sandstone tenement costs more than for a bungalow. Agreement among owners comes first; see solar on tenements and flats.
Stone, slate and roof strength
Older slate roofs may need repairs first, and if the roof structure needs strengthening a building warrant is needed. West Lothian Council, for example, says a warrant is not required for panels on a one or two-storey house when the roof can carry the load (West Lothian Council).
The grid connection
Larger systems, and many with batteries, need the network operator's agreement under G99 before connection, which can add time. Our guide to SP Energy Networks and SSEN connections explains when.
A planning application
Most Scottish homes need none, but a listed building, a home in a World Heritage Site or the street-facing slope in a conservation area does, and the application adds a fee and several weeks to the timetable. Our planning permission guide sets out when Class 6HA covers you.
Parts and extras
Panel and inverter choice, optimisers for shaded roofs and bird mesh all change the price. Ask for each to be listed separately.
Adding a battery
DESNZ also publishes official battery statistics for existing homes. In 2025/26 the median installed price was £1,300 per kWh of storage under 6 kWh, £890 from 6 to 11 kWh and £630 from 11 to 30 kWh (DESNZ battery statistics). Home Energy Scotland no longer funds batteries for households that can pay. Our battery guide covers sizing for long Scottish summer days.
Quotes with a battery included
The two official benchmarks are separate: DESNZ's battery prices cover the battery, its fitting and connection, and leave out any panels installed alongside it (DESNZ battery statistics). So ask for the panels and the battery to be priced on separate lines, then check each against its own yardstick. By our arithmetic, a 4 kW array at the Scottish small-system average (£7,800) plus a 5 kWh battery at the median for that size (£6,500) comes to about £14,300. A single bundled figure makes that check impossible, and a high battery price can hide inside a total that looks reasonable.
Checking your quote
- Divide the price by the size in kW and set the result against the Scottish average for that size.
- Check the quote names the panel and inverter models, the scaffold, the grid route and every warranty.
- Compare at least three written quotes from MCS-certified installers.
- Confirm VAT is shown at 0% if the work is finished by 31 March 2027. HMRC says that from 1 April 2027 the rate on installed solar panels and batteries in homes reverts to 5%, so a quote for work finishing later should say how VAT will be charged (HMRC Notice 708/6).
A price well above the average may be justified by access or extra work, but the installer should explain it. The installer guide has the full checklist, and the funding guide covers the help some households can get.