Interactive tool

Solar savings calculator

Estimate your annual production, savings, and payback from four inputs. Production ratios come from NREL state solar-resource data; you supply your own electricity rate and system size for a result tuned to your home, not a national average.

4
inputs
25 yr
horizon modeled
NREL
production basis
Free
no sign-up

Typical residential system: 5–10 kW. National average is around 6 kW.

U.S. average is about $0.15/kWh; check your utility bill for your actual rate.

U.S. average runs about $2.80–$3.80/W before incentives.

How this estimate works

The calculator multiplies your system size by an NREL-based per-kW production ratio for your state (roughly 990–1,900 kWh per kW installed per year), then values that output at your electricity rate. Payback divides the installed cost by annual savings. Actual output depends on roof orientation, shading, panel efficiency, and local weather, for a binding figure, get a site-specific assessment from a licensed installer.

Make the number real

  • Use your actual electricity rate from your latest bill, the default is a national average and usually understates high-rate states. See rates by state
  • Check your state's net-metering rule, it decides what exported power is worth and can swing payback by years. Net-metering guide
  • Then open your state profile for the exact incentive programs that lower the cost above. Find your state

Results are modeled estimates from public data, not a quote or financial advice.

Production ratios are derived from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory's state solar-resource data (about 990 to 1,900 kWh per kW installed per year). According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, the U.S. average residential electricity rate was about 16 cents per kWh in December 2024, and total installed solar capacity reached 124,310 MW. See our methodology for the full calculation.