Solar panels have many environmental benefits. It’s a renewable source of energy that is also clean. It also has a financial advantage. Installing solar panels can often increase the value of a user’s property. Solar PV systems can also be used as an investment tool. Solar panels, for instance, can generate surplus energy and help users reduce their electricity bills. Many solar enthusiasts are still curious about the time it takes for solar panels to become financially viable. The solar panel payback calculator is a tool that will help us answer this question. Let’s first understand the meaning of solar panel payback.
Solar Panel Payback Period
The solar payback time estimates the time it will take to recover your investment in solar energy fully. People are turning to solar technology because of the low cost of equipment and rising electricity rates. Understanding how solar technology will pay back from an investment perspective is essential. It is easy to compare quotes from different solar installers and understand the financial benefits of each solar investment option. This will answer your question about how long it takes for solar panels to break even. This brings us to the following topic:
Solar Payback Period Calculation
It is essential to consider the annual and combined costs of going solar to estimate how long it will take to realize solar panel returns on investment. These are the costs and incentives you should consider:
Gross Expense for Solar Panels
The cost of solar panels depends on their size and the equipment they are made of.
Monthly Average Current Usage
Your monthly energy consumption will determine your required size and amount of PV system. Interestingly, the quicker you can recover your solar investment, the higher your monthly bills will be.
Total Energy Generation
While reputable solar installers can provide the best panels to meet your energy requirements, actual energy generation will depend on many factors, including the size and location of your roof and the amount of solar radiation it receives.
Solar Subsidy
All Indian states receive a subsidy of 30% from the government of India. The support is only available for made-in-India panels with a grid-connected setup. To obtain the grant, the consumer must submit a report that includes financial and technical details, maintenance and operation plan, and solar monitoring and information notice to the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy.
Accelerated depreciation benefit
The government promotes solar power in the private and corporate sectors, allowing them to enjoy a higher rate of Depreciation. Accelerated Depreciation is a rapid rate of asset depreciation in the first years of a business. This means asset value will decline in the first years of business due to high depreciation expenses. The lower depreciation expense will have little effect on asset value.
The average depreciation rate of a plant is 15%. According to section 32 of the Income Tax Act, industrial and commercial users can claim up to 40% tax benefits from accelerated Depreciation.
Steps to Calculate your Solar Payback Period
You have two options: use a solar panel payback calculator or this method:
Calculate the Combined Cost: To calculate the combined costs, subtract the rebates or incentives from the total price of the solar PV system.
Calculate Annual Rewards: Add your financial benefits and any savings or other incentives to the equation.
Final calculation: Divide the total expense by the annual benefits to calculate the time it takes to recover investment costs. Then, each month of savings can count as your direct benefit.