Solar Battery Payback Calculator
Estimate solar battery payback from your own battery cost, cycle count, efficiency, and electricity vs feed-in prices.
Model: Price/example values: How it is calculated
How it is calculated
Editorial and technical responsibility: Main-Mietservice. Calculation models checked against reference cases; estimates are not individually verified quotes. Sources, review process and corrections
Formula
Charged energy = usable capacity × full cycles Delivered energy = charged energy × round-trip efficiency Net saving = delivered energy × power price − charged energy × feed-in tariff − servicing Shifted energy falls each year by the degradation rate Payback = the year cumulative savings reach the investment
What this calculator does not account for
- Future electricity prices are held constant — if they rise, payback comes sooner.
- Cycle life and real-world battery lifetime are not guaranteed.
- Subsidies, taxes and finance costs are excluded.
- Backup power and independence have a value that does not appear in euros here.
- Capacity is usable energy charged per cycle before round-trip losses. Forgone feed-in revenue includes energy lost in storage.
About This Calculator
This solar battery payback calculator estimates whether a battery investment can recover its cost using your own assumptions: installed cost, usable capacity, cycle count, round-trip efficiency, electricity price, feed-in tariff, maintenance, and degradation.
How to Use This Calculator
- 1
Enter battery investment, usable capacity, expected cycles per year, and round-trip efficiency.
- 2
Add your electricity price and feed-in tariff to value shifted energy correctly.
- 3
Include annual maintenance, degradation, and your analysis period.
- 4
Review annual net savings, estimated payback years, and lifetime value after investment.
Why Use This Calculator
Input-Driven Economics
Model battery payback using your own tariff and performance assumptions instead of generic market averages.
Clear Payback Signal
See directly whether annual net savings can recover the battery cost within your selected timeframe.
Lifetime Perspective
Include degradation and maintenance to avoid overestimating long-term storage value.
Frequently Asked Questions
Use measured or expected full equivalent cycles per year for your usage pattern. If uncertain, test conservative and optimistic scenarios.
Energy stored in the battery is energy not exported. Feed-in tariff represents the opportunity cost of not selling that energy to the grid.
No. Enter net installed cost after subsidies. Financing costs should be added to annual maintenance or adjusted in your own scenario.
It is the average annual net savings needed to recover your battery investment within the selected analysis period.
Possibly, depending on backup needs and non-financial goals. This calculator focuses on economic payback based on your own inputs.
Recalculate whenever electricity prices, feed-in terms, usage patterns, or battery quotes change materially.
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Disclaimer: This calculator provides estimates for planning purposes only. Actual costs may vary based on your circumstances, location, and market conditions. Not financial advice. See our Terms of Service for full disclaimers.