Solar ROI Calculator

Calculate return on investment and payback period for your solar system

Investment Details

Total solar system investment including installation
Monthly reduction in electricity bills
Investment:5,00,000 | Savings:3,000/month
Annual savings: ₹36,000

System Parameters

Annual increase in electricity tariff rates
Yearly maintenance, cleaning, and repair costs
Expected operational lifespan of solar system
Parameters: 5% tariff increase, ₹5,000 maintenance
System life: 25 years | Total maintenance: ₹1,25,000

Payback Period

Simple Payback
13y 10m
167 months
Break-even Year
Year 12
Monthly Recovery
3,000

ROI Analysis

Return on Investment
218.64%
Over 25 years
Total Savings
15,93,176
Net Profit
10,93,176

Financial Summary

Initial Investment:5,00,000
Total Maintenance (25yr):1,25,000
Total Investment:6,25,000
Net Benefit:10,93,176

Investment Analysis

ROI breakdown over 25 years with 5% annual tariff increase

Quick Summary

System Cost:5,00,000
Monthly Savings:3,000
Payback Period:13y 10m
ROI:218.64%
Total Savings:15,93,176
Net Profit:10,93,176

Year-wise Savings Analysis

How Solar ROI Calculation Works

Simple Payback Period

Payback period = System cost ÷ Monthly savings = ₹5,00,000 ÷ ₹3,000 = 167 months

Break-even in Year 12 when cumulative savings exceed system cost

ROI Calculation

Net profit = Total savings - Total investment = ₹15,93,176 - ₹6,25,000 = ₹10,93,176

ROI = (Net profit ÷ System cost) × 100 = 218.64% over 25 years

Escalation Factor

Annual savings increase due to electricity tariff hikes. Year 1: ₹36,000 → Year 10: ₹55,847.82

Tariff increase: 5% annually | Maintenance: ₹5,000/year

Total Investment vs Returns

Total investment over 25 years = System cost + Maintenance = ₹5,00,000 + ₹1,25,000 = ₹6,25,000

Returns exceed investment by ₹10,93,176 providing 218.64% ROI

Solar Investment Analysis

Investment Benefits:

  • Positive ROI: 218.64% return over 25 years
  • Quick Payback: 13 years 10 months
  • Rising Savings: 5% annual tariff increase
  • Asset Value: Property value enhancement

Risk Factors:

  • Maintenance:5,000/year operational costs
  • Technology: Panel degradation over time
  • Policy: Changes in net metering regulations
  • Weather: Seasonal generation variations

Your ₹5,00,000 Solar Investment:

Payback: 13y 10m
ROI: 218.64%
Net Profit: ₹10,93,176
Break-even: Year 12
Monthly: ₹3,000/month
Total Savings: ₹15,93,176

The Solar ROI Calculator helps you evaluate whether a solar investment makes financial sense. Using your system cost, monthly electricity savings, expected tariff increases and maintenance costs, it calculates your payback period, break-even year, and percentage return on investment over the system's life.

Solar ROI Calculator - FAQs

How is the payback period calculated?

Simple payback period = total system cost ÷ monthly electricity savings (in months). The calculator also computes a more detailed break-even year using cumulative year-wise savings that grow with rising electricity tariffs.

How is ROI (%) calculated?

ROI = (net profit over the system's life ÷ system cost) × 100, where net profit is total savings over the years minus the system cost and total maintenance costs.

Why do yearly savings increase over time?

Electricity tariffs typically rise a few percent each year, so the value of the electricity your solar system offsets grows annually — this is factored into the year-wise savings projection.

What maintenance costs are factored in?

By default we assume about 1% of system cost per year for cleaning, monitoring and minor repairs, but you can adjust this input to match your own estimate.

Are the electricity rate increase and system life assumptions accurate?

They're configurable planning assumptions (default 5% annual tariff increase, 25-year system life). Actual tariff hikes and panel lifespan vary and can change over time, so adjust the inputs to match your local conditions.