Calculate
How many years until a solar system pays for itself — and what the 25-year return looks like once it's paid off. Enter your state and bill for a location-specific answer.
Adjust the form to see your payback.
Get quotes to confirm → Full cost breakdown →Payback is the point where your accumulated savings equal what you paid. We add up each year's bill savings — growing about 3% a year as utility rates rise — plus any state SREC or production payments, until the running total covers your net cost. After that year, everything the system produces is profit for the rest of its 25–30 year life.
ROI here is the 25-year net gain divided by the net cost. A shorter payback and higher electricity rates both push ROI up; the end of the 30% federal credit in 2026 pushes it down.