My Solar Model
This tool projects the return on home solar panels year by year, so you can judge an installer's quote before you sign. It estimates what your panels will produce where you live, then compares paying cash with a loan or a lease over the life of the system.
Input workflow
Find your location by US ZIP code, describe each roof array (panel count, wattage, direction and slope), and the PVWatts solar calculator estimates each array's yearly and monthly output.
Cash, loan or lease
Models electricity prices and their growth, net metering, panel degradation, the federal tax credit, SRECs and utility incentives, loan payments or lease escalators, and an optional home battery.
Operational value
See the payback year, return on investment, net present value and lifetime savings side by side, and save models to compare quotes and scenarios.