You don't need a sales call to get a reasonable sense of whether solar makes financial sense for you.
Start with your actual usage
Pull your annual kWh usage from a utility bill, or reverse-engineer it with the kWh usage from bill calculator if you only have a dollar amount handy.
Get a rough system size and cost
Feed that usage into the solar panel calculator for a sizing estimate, then check typical cost at that size with our system size cost pages or the general cost calculator.
Check your specific rate and net metering terms
Your actual utility rate — not a national average — drives the real savings number. Check our rate tracker or your specific utility's page if we cover it, and confirm your state's net metering policy.
Run the payback and savings numbers
With system cost, production estimate, and your rate in hand, the payback calculator and savings calculator give you a genuinely useful estimate — good enough to know whether pursuing real quotes makes sense before investing time in sales calls.
What this self-estimate won't capture
A DIY estimate can't fully replace a site-specific assessment — actual roof shading, structural considerations, and your specific area's permitting costs all require an on-site look. Use your self-estimate as a filter (worth pursuing further, or not) rather than a final number to hold an installer to exactly.
Frequently asked questions
How accurate is a self-estimate compared to a professional quote?
Reasonably accurate for the big-picture numbers (system size, rough cost, approximate payback), but it can't capture site-specific factors like actual shading, roof condition, or precise local permitting costs that a real site assessment reveals.
Should I skip getting real quotes if my self-estimate looks unfavorable?
Not necessarily — a self-estimate uses general assumptions that might not match your specific situation; if it's close to a break-even case, a couple of real quotes can clarify whether your specific roof and situation change the picture.