Solar panels in Scotland: are they worth it?

If you’re lucky enough to live amongst Scotland’s dramatic mountains, beautiful lochs, and stunning coastlines, and you’d like to cut your electricity bills, solar panels could be the answer.

From Out Stack to the Mull of Galloway, Scotland enjoys enough sunlight for solar homes to save hundreds of pounds on their electricity bills every year.

In this guide, we’ll run through how much solar panels cost in Scotland, how the often cloudy weather affects them, and which government grants could help you cut the upfront cost.

We install in Scotland, so if you’re wondering how much you could save with a solar & battery system, enter a few details below and we’ll provide an estimate.

What are the best installers in Scotland?

1. Sunsave

Our mission is to make solar accessible to all UK households, which is why we offer the first solar subscription service on these shores.

Sunsave Plus comes with no upfront cost. Instead, you pay a completely fixed monthly fee, which enables you to start saving on your energy bills straight away, with no payback period.

We’ll provide you with the best-in-class kit, advice on which of the best export tariffs you should choose, and be just a phone call away for the length of your term.

After all, every Sunsave Plus system is covered by the 20-year Sunsave Guarantee, which includes 24/7 monitoring, maintenance, a free battery upgrade, a free inverter replacement (if required), and downtime cover.

Your system will also be insured by Aviva against damage, fire, and theft.

Our customers clearly love our work, as they’ve given us more than 180 five-star ratings on Trustpilot, alongside reviews that applaud our friendly, helpful, pressure-free approach.

To learn more, check out our reviews page.

2. Jorro

This Glasgow-based installer has been up and running for more than a decade, and has attracted dozens of five-star reviews.

In a rare instance of one person being singled out for praise, customers consistently compliment technical sales director Steven McMahon.

One wrote: “His expertise and attention to detail were evident from our very first meeting,” while another went even further, saying: “Steve restored my faith in installers having integrity.”

The company, which also installs EV chargers, does offer maintenance and servicing – though it comes with an extra fee.

3. HP Energy

Brothers Craig and Iain Copeland have run this business together since 2018, and now install solar & battery systems all over Scotland.

They mainly use panels manufactured by JA Solar, Dyness batteries, and Solis inverters, though they’ve also installed Canadian Solar panels and SolarEdge inverters.

These are all solid brands, with JA Solar often featuring on both our most efficient and most powerful solar panels pages.

Reviewers routinely call out the brothers’ professional approach, plus their ability to take any complications in their stride. One customer wrote that “when unforeseen issues arose, they were unflappable and resourceful.”

The firm also installs air and ground source heat pumps, as well as solar thermal panels, and offers servicing and annual maintenance contracts.

4. Homeshield Scotland

The oldest company on this list has been installing double glazing and other products since 2013, but over the past few years, it’s proved itself in the solar industry.

Homeshield has attracted more than 2,500 reviews across Trustpilot and Google, and the vast majority of customers have been extremely positive – including those who went solar.

Reviewers have called staff friendly, efficient, and hard-working, with more than one commenting on how their installation team arrived, started work immediately, and didn’t stop until it was done.

The firm covers the whole of Scotland, and installs heat pumps, windows, and doors, in addition to solar equipment.

5. Greener Energy Group

Greener Energy Group has amassed more than 1,600 Trustpilot reviews on its way to a top-tier rating – and for good reason.

Customer service is the watchword of this Paisley-based firm, which is run by Peter and Elizabeth Chalmers. The company strongly emphasises that it won’t move ahead with an installation unless it’s right for the household.

Compliance manager Munro Grierson told The Herald as much, saying: “I have an eight-year-old daughter, so my main motivation is to help give our children and grandchildren a better world to live in.

“That said, my greatest inspiration is our customers – and nothing beats the buzz from a great customer review.”

On its site, the installer says: “Throughout the years we have accumulated a large existing customer base who are a testament to our professionalism, level of care, and customer service provided.”

Greener Energy Group also installs heat pumps, and in September 2025 was one of the first in the UK to get accredited by Octopus Energy.

6. Smart Living Energy

This is by far the newest installer on our list, but since being founded in 2023, this small team has made waves from its Kilmarnock home.

The company, which changed its name from Infinite Renewable Energy Systems in September 2025, quickly attained all the accreditations that show it’s a high-quality operation (and qualified it for this list).

It’s also attracted a reputation for being supportive and knowledgeable, with one reviewer writing: “We'd like to thank Infinite Renewables for the fantastic job they did. They have restored our faith in both the industry and humankind!”

Founded by Stewart Dickson, who got his degree in Electrical and Electronic Engineering from nearby Glasgow Caledonian University, the firm also installs heat pumps, EV chargers, and insulation.

How much do solar panels cost in Scotland?

A 4.5kWp solar panel system costs £7,966 to buy and have installed in Scotland, on average, according to MCS data.

Prices will differ based on many factors though, including the system’s size, the installation’s complexity, the installer you choose, and your location.

Solar installations are priciest in the Western Isles and Caithness on average, while homes in Dumfries and Galloway or the Scottish Borders can make the switch for hundreds of pounds less per kWh.

We've also shown roughly how much it costs to get a 5kWh battery with your installation, because adding a battery can significantly boost your savings.

It allows you to use more of the electricity your panels generate, which in turn reduces the amount of electricity you need to buy from the grid.

And a battery opens up a host of opportunities, like joining one of the best export tariffs, signing up to a time-of-use import tariff that allows you to buy grid electricity more cheaply, and using grid flexibility services like virtual power plants.

That’s probably why around 94% of new solar panel installations across the UK include a battery, according to data from Flexi-Orb and the Energy Performance Validation Scheme (EPVS).

We install in Scotland, so if you’re wondering how much you could save with a solar & battery system, enter a few details below and we’ll provide an estimate.

Are there any grants for solar panels in Scotland?

There are solar panel grants available for some Scottish households.

If you don’t qualify for these schemes, but still can’t afford the high price of solar panels, check out Sunsave Plus, which is available at no upfront cost. 

For fixed monthly payments over 20 years, you’ll receive the best-in-class kit, full monitoring and maintenance support, and a system that can save you money from day one.

To see which schemes you could qualify for, use our grant eligibility checker.

Warmer Homes Scotland

This government grant funds improvements that make homes easier and cheaper to heat, and is intended mainly for underprivileged households.

You could have solar panels and other measures like insulation funded entirely by the government, which has set aside £728 million for the scheme, up until at least 2030.

To qualify, you must have lived for at least six months in a home that has a low energy rating, comes with a floor area of 230m² or less, and has a living standard that won’t make the recommended improvements pointless.

The home must also be in a council tax band between A and G, and contain a resident who either: is over 75 years old, receives at least one of these benefits, or has a certificate signed by a medical professional that indicates they’re nearing the end of their life.

Homeowners and private tenants are both eligible – it just has to be your main home.

ECO4

ECO4 is the UK government’s main way to cut household emissions across the country. You may be able to access it if you live in a low-income or vulnerable household, with a resident on at least one of a list of benefits.

The scheme compels large energy suppliers to carry out home improvements that improve struggling households’ energy efficiency ratings, while sparing them from the cost.

You could potentially get a free solar panel system through ECO4, though only if your household is heated with electricity, as 11% of homes in Scotland are.

You must also be a homeowner or a private renter with permission from your landlord, and receive one of a list of means-tested benefits – unless you live in social housing with a low energy efficiency rating, in which case you can qualify without other requirements.

If your household earns less than a certain amount every year, or if you have health conditions that would be made worse by a cold home, you may also be eligible.

How many homes in Scotland have solar panels?

136,470 homes in Scotland have solar panels, according to government data from August 2025.

That means 5.4% of Scottish households have had a solar panel system installed.

Though this figure is slightly below the UK average of 5.6%, it’s still high for its northernmost country, where there’s relatively less daylight throughout the year.

The best-performing place is Aberdeenshire, followed by the Scottish Borders. Both areas boast a solar adoption rate that’s more than double the UK average.

They’re followed by Dumfries and Galloway, then Moray – which, when you put them all together, covers a huge swathe of the country.

This shows how much there is to gain by switching to solar in Scotland, wherever you live.

For more information, check out our guide to how many homes have solar panels in the UK.

Typical solar panel output in Scotland

Is it worth getting solar panels in Scotland?

It’s absolutely worth getting solar panels in Scotland, for most homes.

The levels of solar irradiance across the country may be slightly lower than the UK average, due to cloudy Scottish weather, but systems still produce more than enough electricity to make your investment worthwhile.

You can save hundreds of pounds per year by going solar, which is probably why 5.4% of households in Scotland have already done so – including more than 12% in Aberdeenshire.

If you’re put off by the upfront cost, you may be able to get a free solar & battery system through Warmer Homes Scotland or ECO4, though most households won’t qualify.

Otherwise, you should consider Sunsave Plus, our all-in-one residential solar and battery solution that’s tailored to your home, and delivered as a monthly subscription with no upfront cost.

Every system comes with the Sunsave Guarantee, which includes 24/7 monitoring, maintenance, a free battery upgrade, a free replacement inverter (if required), and downtime cover.

Your system will also be insured by Aviva against damage, fire, and theft.

We install in Scotland, so if you’re wondering how much you could save with a solar & battery system, enter a few details below and we’ll provide an estimate.

Solar panels in Scotland: FAQs