Solar payback
When does solar pay for itself?
Your solar cost on one side, the generator fuel and hookup fees it replaces on the other. Watch for the year the lines cross.
How the math works
- Yearly operating cost =
generator gal/hour × hours a year × fuel price + hookup nights × fee. - Each year adds that again. Solar is a flat line at the price you paid.
- Breakeven is the first full year where the running total passes the solar cost.
- No inflation, no resale value, no battery replacement. Simple on purpose, so you can see every number.
Added in this rebuild. Same 0.75 system efficiency as the original Megawatt solar and battery tools where it applies. This is a planning tool. Have a qualified electrician check anything you wire.