Solar savings & payback calculator

This calculator uses your numbers: there are no hidden defaults. Get production from NREL PVWatts or your quote, and your electricity rate from your bill (or EIA average rates by state).

System price before incentives ($)Incentives you're confident you qualify for ($) Year-1 production (kWh)Share of production that offsets your usage at retail rate (%)

Your electricity rate ($/kWh)Assumed yearly rate increase (%) Assumed yearly production loss (%)Yearly maintenance / other costs ($)Years to model

Enter system price, production and electricity rate to see results.

Assumptions and limits

Savings = production × offset share × rate, each year; rate grows by your increase %, production falls by your loss %.
Exported power credited below retail rate should be reflected by lowering the offset share (see net metering).
No financing costs, inflation discounting, taxes or replacement of inverters/batteries are included unless you add them to yearly costs.
Payback is the first year cumulative savings exceed net cost. Results are estimates, not a guarantee of savings.

Solar savings & payback calculator

Assumptions and limits

Solar incentive & price-change alerts