Opening your solar estimate…
See what a saved estimate contains.
Inspect the breakdown before creating an account: the system size, a cost allowance, annual figures and the assumptions behind them.
Fictional example. It uses an 8 kW solar array and illustrative prices. These are not results for your home, a quote or promised savings.
Open the worked example 8 kW solar · 900 kWh monthly use
An illustrative 8 kW solar plan
A fictional home using 900 kWh each month. These inputs demonstrate the saved estimate; they do not describe your home.
Start with the example inputs
- Location used for the example
- ZIP 21201, Maryland
- Electricity use
- 900 kWh/month
- Illustrative electricity rate
- $0.15/kWh
- Solar cost allowance
- $2.75/W
- Solar resource assumption
- 4.5 equivalent sun hours/day
- Annual rate escalation assumption
- 2.5%
No regional observation is used. The resource and rate are illustrative defaults, not measured weather or a verified utility tariff.
For this illustration, every generated kWh is valued at the same retail rate. A real bill comparison needs the applicable tariff, export credits, fixed charges and household load. Battery storage, financing, maintenance, degradation and incentives are excluded.
Illustrative retail valuation, not a prediction of bill savings. Every generated kWh is valued using the model’s electricity rate assumption and annual escalation. Actual savings depend on your tariff, when you use or export electricity, export credits and fixed charges.
- System size
- 8 kW
- Panels
- 20
- Solar cost allowance
- $22,000
- Annual production
- 11,169 kWh
- 25-year gross electricity value
- $57,226
- 25-year value after solar cost
- $35,226
Illustrative break-even: 11.5 years. Value after solar cost subtracts the installation allowance once from the cumulative electricity value. Financing, maintenance and other excluded costs can change actual returns.
How the estimate builds over time
Cumulative electricity value, years 1–25. The table also shows that value after subtracting the initial solar cost.
View annual figures
| Year | Gross electricity value | Cumulative value | Value after solar cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $1,675 | $1,675 | -$20,325 |
| 2 | $1,717 | $3,393 | -$18,607 |
| 3 | $1,760 | $5,153 | -$16,847 |
| 4 | $1,804 | $6,957 | -$15,043 |
| 5 | $1,849 | $8,806 | -$13,194 |
| 6 | $1,896 | $10,702 | -$11,298 |
| 7 | $1,943 | $12,645 | -$9,355 |
| 8 | $1,991 | $14,636 | -$7,364 |
| 9 | $2,041 | $16,677 | -$5,323 |
| 10 | $2,092 | $18,770 | -$3,230 |
| 11 | $2,145 | $20,914 | -$1,086 |
| 12 | $2,198 | $23,112 | $1,112 |
| 13 | $2,253 | $25,366 | $3,366 |
| 14 | $2,309 | $27,675 | $5,675 |
| 15 | $2,367 | $30,042 | $8,042 |
| 16 | $2,426 | $32,469 | $10,469 |
| 17 | $2,487 | $34,956 | $12,956 |
| 18 | $2,549 | $37,505 | $15,505 |
| 19 | $2,613 | $40,118 | $18,118 |
| 20 | $2,678 | $42,796 | $20,796 |
| 21 | $2,745 | $45,542 | $23,542 |
| 22 | $2,814 | $48,355 | $26,355 |
| 23 | $2,884 | $51,240 | $29,240 |
| 24 | $2,956 | $54,196 | $32,196 |
| 25 | $3,030 | $57,226 | $35,226 |
What this estimate assumes
- Preliminary regional sizing, not a roof survey or an installation quote.
- Gross avoided bills value all production at the electricity valuation rate shown. A saved system rate overrides the regional reference where supplied. Actual imports, exports and fixed charges require a utility tariff and an hourly load profile.
- Net benefit subtracts the solar installation allowance once. Financing, maintenance, degradation, incentives and battery storage are excluded.
- Solar-only scenario: no battery cost or outage capability is included.
- Roof material does not adjust production. Roof tilt, azimuth, mounting temperature and a measured shading profile require a site-specific production model; shade categories here are illustrative assumptions.
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