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Solar ROI calculator: payback, LCOE and IRR
Payback, LCOE and IRR modeled against the current incentive stack and live equipment pricing, so the number holds up when a buyer checks it.
Talk to our teamROI Calculator
Model payback, LCOE and IRR for residential, C&I and utility profiles against the live incentive stack and real equipment pricing.
Designed for your business
Sales teams · Estimators · Developers and asset owners
Underwrite C&I and utility deals on LCOE and IRR, not just payback
Re-run the model in seconds when pricing or incentives move
What the ROI calculator models
Priced off the live catalog
Cost basis pulls from real equipment pricing on Sunhub, not a list price that's a fiscal year out of date, which is what keeps a quoted return number defensible.
Three profiles, one tool
Switching between residential, C&I and utility assumptions lets the same calculator model a small system and a large one without separate spreadsheets for each.
The current incentive stack, built in
Investment tax credit, depreciation and applicable state and utility incentives factor in automatically, so the after-incentive return reflects what a project actually captures.
Payback, LCOE and IRR together
Simple payback, levelized cost of energy and internal rate of return show side by side, since a smaller buyer typically wants a payback year while a larger investor underwrites to LCOE and IRR.
Returns that survive independent scrutiny
Quote a number that survives independent scrutiny
Live pricing and current incentives back up the return figure instead of an outdated assumption that's easy to disprove.
Underwrite larger deals on the metrics that matter
LCOE and IRR give a financing partner the return data a payback number alone doesn't provide.
Re-run the model in seconds when something changes
Updated pricing or incentive changes flow through immediately instead of requiring a manual spreadsheet rebuild.
How it works
- 01
Pick the profile
Choose residential, C&I or utility and enter system size and load.
- 02
Pull live pricing
Equipment cost loads from the Sunhub catalog instead of a manual estimate.
- 03
Apply incentives
The ITC, depreciation and local incentives that fit the project fold in automatically.
- 04
Read the return
Payback, LCOE and IRR resolve together so every stakeholder sees their number.
FAQs
What's the difference between payback period, LCOE and IRR?
Payback period is how long until savings recover the upfront cost, expressed in years. LCOE, levelized cost of energy, is the per-kWh cost of the electricity the system produces over its life. IRR, internal rate of return, is the annualized return the investment earns. Each answers a different question, so larger deals are usually underwritten on all three.
Does the calculator update automatically when equipment pricing or incentives change?
Do not assume automatic updates. Confirm current equipment quotes and applicable incentives before relying on a model, and update its assumptions when those inputs change.
Can the same tool model residential, C&I and utility project profiles?
Yes. The calculator models residential, commercial and industrial, and utility profiles in one tool, so you can size the same metrics to the project at hand. It reports payback, LCOE, and IRR together against live equipment pricing and the current incentive stack, which lets larger deals be underwritten on the metrics that matter.
Where does the equipment pricing come from?
From the live Sunhub catalog. The model uses current marketplace pricing for the equipment in the system, so the cost basis behind your payback is real and current rather than a stale spreadsheet figure.
Can it handle commercial and utility projects, not just residential?
Yes. You select a residential, C&I or utility profile, and the calculator applies the right assumptions and returns LCOE and IRR alongside payback, so it works for a rooftop quote and a utility-scale underwrite alike.
