Solar Savings & Break-Even Calculator

⚡ Energy Usage Profile

📅 Seasonal Daily Consumption — Look at the seasonal comparison graph on the back of your electricity bills. ↗ energy.gov.au guide

☀️ Summer Average

kWh / day

❄️ Winter Average

kWh / day

📊 Estimated annual average used for calculations 40.0 kWh/day

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Your Postcode

Enter your postcode to auto-fill your state, solar zone, grid rate & feed-in tariff — or set them manually below.

⚡ Energy Usage Profile

Annual Average Daily Consumption (kWh) Auto-calculated from your seasonal figures above

Load Profile When does your household use power?

⚙️ Advanced Settings Tariff, rebates & VPP — auto-filled with smart defaults

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💡 Electricity Tariff Structure

State: ✓ Rates auto-filled for your state

Tariff Type:

Grid Rate ($/kWh) Your single flat rate from your bill

Feed-in Tariff ($/kWh) ⓘWhat your retailer pays for surplus solar you export to the grid. Rates vary widely (1¢–10¢). Check your last bill or compare retailers at energymadeeasy.gov.au. What your retailer pays for solar exports

Feed-in Tariff ($/kWh)

Daily Supply Charge (¢/day) Fixed connection fee — solar doesn't eliminate this

🔆 System Specifications

Solar Array Size (kW) Total panel capacity

Inverter Capacity (kW) Max AC output — typically ~75% of panel kW

Add Battery Storage Turn on to model solar + battery

Battery Usable Capacity (kWh) LFP chemistry recommended (BYD, Sungrow, etc.)

Battery Round-Trip Efficiency (%) ⓘEnergy lost charging + discharging. 94% means 6¢ in every $1 of stored solar is lost to heat. LFP (LiFePO₄) batteries are best-in-class here. LFP typically 92–96%; default 94

💰 Costs, Rebates & VPP Net out-of-pocket auto-calculated — expand to adjust

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💰 Financial Outlay & Rebates

Gross System Cost ($) Total cost before any rebates — auto-estimated from system size & state

STC Rebate — Auto-Estimated ($) ⓘSmall-scale Technology Certificates — a federal upfront discount assigned at point of sale. Value depends on system size, your solar zone, and the current STC spot price (~$38). Based on system size & state. Edit if you know your exact amount.

Federal Battery Rebate ($) Cheaper Home Batteries Scheme — $372/kWh (2026). Auto-fills when battery is on.

State Rebate / Other Incentives ($) VIC: up to $1,400 · QLD: up to $4,000 (battery) · Enter 0 if unsure

⚙️ Technical & Environmental Variables

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⚡ Results update instantly as you adjust any input

📊 Your Solar Economics

— Year 1 Savings

— Break-Even

— 10-Year Savings

— 25-Year Savings

Payback progress (25-year system life) —

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Current annual electricity bill —

Solar self-consumption saving —

Export feed-in earnings —

Remaining grid import cost —

⚡ VPP credits & event bonuses —

New annual electricity bill —

☀️ Gen: — kWh 🏠 Self-used: — kWh (—%) ⚡ Exported: — kWh 🔋 Grid import: — kWh

🔋 Solar Only vs Solar + Battery — At a Glance

Metric	☀️ Solar Only	⚡ Solar + Battery
Upfront Out-of-Pocket	—	—
Break-Even Year	—	—
10-Year Net Savings	—	—
25-Year Net Savings	—	—

Battery figures use current battery inputs. "Solar Only" uses same system size, state, and tariff — without battery or VPP.

📈 Visual Analysis

Cumulative Net Position — 25 Years

📋 Year-by-Year Breakdown

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Year	Annual Saving	Cumulative Saving	Net Position	Grid Rate

✍️ Quote Output Block

Copy-paste ready text for your customer quote — drop into Section 2 (System Summary) of your solar proposal.

Fill in the inputs above to generate your quote text.

Assumptions & disclaimers: This calculator provides estimates only. STC values are estimated at $38/certificate using CER deeming zone factors. Cheaper Home Batteries Scheme rebate applied at $372/kWh (2026 Federal Budget). VPP participation credits and event bonuses are user-estimated inputs; actual earnings vary by provider and grid conditions. Battery degradation, panel degradation, and electricity price inflation compound annually. Self-consumption rates are estimates based on load profile; actual rates vary. This calculator does not constitute financial advice. Consult a Clean Energy Council accredited installer for a site-specific assessment.