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Solar ROI calculator: payback, LCOE and IRR

Payback, LCOE and IRR modeled against the current incentive stack and live equipment pricing, so the number holds up when a buyer checks it.

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ROI Calculator

What the ROI calculator models

  • Priced off the live catalog

    Cost basis pulls from real equipment pricing on Sunhub, not a list price that's a fiscal year out of date, which is what keeps a quoted return number defensible.

  • Three profiles, one tool

    Switching between residential, C&I and utility assumptions lets the same calculator model a small system and a large one without separate spreadsheets for each.

  • The current incentive stack, built in

    Investment tax credit, depreciation and applicable state and utility incentives factor in automatically, so the after-incentive return reflects what a project actually captures.

  • Payback, LCOE and IRR together

    Simple payback, levelized cost of energy and internal rate of return show side by side, since a smaller buyer typically wants a payback year while a larger investor underwrites to LCOE and IRR.

Returns that survive independent scrutiny

  • Quote a number that survives independent scrutiny

    Live pricing and current incentives back up the return figure instead of an outdated assumption that's easy to disprove.

  • Underwrite larger deals on the metrics that matter

    LCOE and IRR give a financing partner the return data a payback number alone doesn't provide.

  • Re-run the model in seconds when something changes

    Updated pricing or incentive changes flow through immediately instead of requiring a manual spreadsheet rebuild.

Frequently asked

What's the difference between payback period, LCOE and IRR?
Payback period is how long until savings recover the upfront cost, expressed in years. LCOE, levelized cost of energy, is the per-kWh cost of the electricity the system produces over its life. IRR, internal rate of return, is the annualized return the investment earns. Each answers a different question, so larger deals are usually underwritten on all three.
Does the calculator update automatically when equipment pricing or incentives change?
Do not assume automatic updates. Confirm current equipment quotes and applicable incentives before relying on a model, and update its assumptions when those inputs change.
Can the same tool model residential, C&I and utility project profiles?
Yes. The calculator models residential, commercial and industrial, and utility profiles in one tool, so you can size the same metrics to the project at hand. It reports payback, LCOE, and IRR together against live equipment pricing and the current incentive stack, which lets larger deals be underwritten on the metrics that matter.

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