Enter what the system costs and what you currently pay the utility. We'll show the simple payback and the more realistic one.
Real-world payback is almost always shorter than simple payback, because it credits savings from a bill that keeps growing.
Further reading: Cash vs. Loan vs. Lease vs. PPA: Which Solar Financing Actually Wins?
Simple payback is the number most installers quote because it's a one-line calculation. It's not wrong, just conservative — it assumes your electricity rate never changes for the life of the loan. The real-world figure runs the same year-by-year model as our ROI calculator, just distilled down to the one number most people actually want first.
6-10 years is strong in most markets, 10-15 is typical, and anything longer usually means low local rates, high install costs, or an undersized offset percentage.
No — this compares upfront cost to bill savings. If you're financing, check the Solar Loan Calculator to see your monthly cash-flow picture instead of the ownership payback.