Residential Solar Panel Payback Calculator
Installing a rooftop solar array transforms monthly utility bills into predictable long-term savings by producing clean, local energy every day. This calculator walks through how a typical 5 kW system, averaging 4.5 peak sun hours, offsets consumption and when that investment pays back.
Sunlight converted to electricity depends on your system size, local irradiance, and panel efficiency. Higher efficiency panels deliver more usable kilowatt-hours per square foot, which translates directly into lower bills at your current electricity rate.
Track both the annual energy production and the payback timeline: first quantify kWh generation, then multiply by your retail rate to get annual savings, and finally divide the net installation cost (after incentives) by those savings.