Scotland
Solar Panels in Orkney and Shetland
We connect homeowners across Orkney and Shetland with MCS-certified solar installers. Britain's northernmost inhabited islands have low winter sun angles but near-24-hour summer daylight, and a strong existing culture of renewable generation thanks to some of the UK's best wind resource.
Solar generation in Orkney and Shetland
Based on PVGIS irradiance data for Scotland, a 4 kWp south-facing system in Orkney and Shetland generates around 3,040 kWh per year. At the April 2026 Ofgem price cap of 24.50p/kWh, that covers £745 of electricity you would otherwise buy from the grid.
On top of bill savings, surplus energy exported to the grid earns Smart Export Guarantee (SEG) payments — typically 4–6p/kWh with the main suppliers, or up to 15p/kWh with specialist tariffs like Octopus Outgoing.
A typical 4 kWp system with a 5 kWh battery costs £7,000–£11,000 installed across Orkney and Shetland. At current energy prices, most homeowners break even within 11–13 years.
Local grid: SSEN Distribution (Scottish Hydro)
Solar installations across Orkney and Shetland connect to the grid via SSEN Distribution (Scottish Hydro). Systems up to 3.68 kW require a G98 notification; larger systems need G99 approval, which can take 45 working days. Your MCS-certified installer handles both — it's included in the installation package, not an extra cost.
About Orkney and Shetland
Near-24-hour summer daylight and a strong existing wind-energy culture partly offset the low winter sun angle here. Skara Brae, a Neolithic village older than Stonehenge, and Shetland's North Sea oil terminal at Sullom Voe sit on Britain's northernmost inhabited islands.
Coverage across Orkney and Shetland
We don't have a dedicated page for an individual Orkney and Shetland town yet, but our installer network already covers Kirkwall, Lerwick and Stromness and every other town and village across the county — submit a quote request below and we'll match you with MCS-certified installers local to your postcode.
Frequently asked questions — Orkney and Shetland
Do you cover every town in Orkney and Shetland, or just the bigger ones?+
We're a matching service covering the whole of Orkney and Shetland, including Kirkwall, Lerwick and Stromness — plus every smaller town and village in between. We connect you with MCS-certified installers who work across the county, whether or not your specific town already has its own dedicated page on this site.
How much electricity will solar panels generate in Orkney and Shetland?+
PVGIS irradiance figures for Scotland put a 4 kWp south-facing system in Orkney and Shetland at around 3,040 kWh of generation a year — worth roughly £745 at the April 2026 Ofgem price cap of 24.50p/kWh. Britain's northernmost inhabited islands have low winter sun angles but near-24-hour summer daylight, and a strong existing culture of renewable generation thanks to some of the UK's best wind resource.
Who is the electricity network operator in Orkney and Shetland?+
SSEN Distribution (Scottish Hydro) manages the local distribution network across Orkney and Shetland. Systems up to 3.68 kW need a G98 notification; larger arrays need G99 approval (up to 45 working days) — your MCS-certified installer files both as part of the installation, at no extra cost to you.
How long is the payback period for solar in Orkney and Shetland?+
A typical 4 kWp system with a 5 kWh battery costs £7,000–£11,000 installed. On Orkney and Shetland's 760 kWh-per-kWp yield and current energy prices, most homeowners break even within 11–13 years, and Smart Export Guarantee (SEG) payments on surplus exported energy reduce that further.