Estimate your potential annual savings from a solar panel installation.
Your estimated annual savings will appear here.
Understanding Your Potential Solar Savings
Installing solar panels can be a significant investment, but it also offers substantial long-term savings on your electricity bills. This calculator helps you estimate these savings by considering key factors about your electricity consumption and the potential solar system's performance.
How the Calculation Works
The "Free Solar Savings Calculator" estimates your potential annual savings based on the following logic:
Estimated Annual Solar Production: This is calculated by multiplying the system size by the average daily sunlight hours, then by the number of days in a year, and finally by the system's performance ratio.
Annual Production (kWh) = System Size (kW) * Sunlight Hours/Day * 365 days/year * Performance Ratio
Value of Generated Solar Energy: This represents how much money you'd save by generating your own electricity instead of buying it from the utility. It's calculated by multiplying the annual solar production by your average electricity price per kWh.
Value of Generated Energy ($) = Annual Production (kWh) * Electricity Price ($/kWh)
Estimated Annual Savings: For this simplified calculator, we are directly using the "Value of Generated Energy" as the estimated annual savings. This assumes that all generated solar energy offsets your grid electricity consumption. In reality, savings can be affected by net metering policies, time-of-use rates, and whether the solar energy is consumed on-site or sent back to the grid.
Estimated Annual Savings ($) = Value of Generated Energy ($)
Key Input Factors Explained:
Average Annual Electricity Usage (kWh): This is the total amount of electricity you consume over a year. Knowing this helps determine how much of your usage solar panels could potentially cover.
Average Electricity Price ($/kWh): This is the rate you pay your utility company for each kilowatt-hour of electricity. Higher electricity prices mean greater potential savings from solar.
Solar System Size (kW): This refers to the generating capacity of the solar panel system, measured in kilowatts (kW). Larger systems can generate more electricity.
System Performance Ratio: Solar panels don't operate at 100% efficiency due to factors like temperature, shading, dust, and inverter efficiency. The performance ratio (typically between 0.75 and 0.9) accounts for these real-world losses.
Average Peak Sunlight Hours Per Day: This indicates the amount of direct sunlight your location receives daily that is equivalent to peak solar production conditions. This varies significantly by geography and climate.
Use Cases for this Calculator:
Preliminary Savings Estimation: Get a quick idea of potential financial benefits before consulting with solar installers.
Comparing Scenarios: See how changing system size or electricity prices might affect your savings.
Budgeting for Solar: Understand the potential return on investment for a solar installation.
Disclaimer: This calculator provides an estimation based on the inputs provided and simplified assumptions. Actual savings may vary due to site-specific factors, installation costs, available incentives, utility rate structures, and system degradation over time. For an accurate assessment, consult with qualified solar professionals.
function calculateSolarSavings() {
var annualUsage = parseFloat(document.getElementById("annualElectricityUsage").value);
var electricityPrice = parseFloat(document.getElementById("electricityPricePerKwh").value);
var systemSize = parseFloat(document.getElementById("systemSizeKw").value);
var performanceRatio = parseFloat(document.getElementById("systemPerformanceRatio").value);
var sunlightHours = parseFloat(document.getElementById("sunlightHoursPerDay").value);
var resultDiv = document.getElementById("result");
resultDiv.classList.remove("error"); // Reset any previous error styling
var missingInputs = [];
if (isNaN(annualUsage) || annualUsage <= 0) missingInputs.push("Annual Electricity Usage");
if (isNaN(electricityPrice) || electricityPrice <= 0) missingInputs.push("Average Electricity Price");
if (isNaN(systemSize) || systemSize <= 0) missingInputs.push("Solar System Size");
if (isNaN(performanceRatio) || performanceRatio 1) missingInputs.push("System Performance Ratio (must be between 0.01 and 1)");
if (isNaN(sunlightHours) || sunlightHours 0) {
resultDiv.innerHTML = "Please enter valid numbers for: " + missingInputs.join(", ") + ".";
resultDiv.classList.add("error");
return;
}
// Calculate estimated annual solar production in kWh
var annualProduction = systemSize * sunlightHours * 365 * performanceRatio;
// Calculate the value of generated solar energy (estimated savings)
var estimatedSavings = annualProduction * electricityPrice;
// Display the result
resultDiv.innerHTML = "Estimated Annual Savings: $" + estimatedSavings.toFixed(2);
}