Residential Calculators

Solar + Battery Calculator

Should you store your solar or send it to the grid? Compare export compensation with the value of using that energy later, then test how battery size, efficiency, cost, and incentives change the result.

Where are you in the process?

Choose the comparison that matches your decision. You can switch paths at any time without losing the inputs below.

Your location

Enter your ZIP and we'll estimate climate, solar resource, utility, and residential electricity rate. Confirm the export credit against your electric bill or utility tariff below.

Enter a 5-digit ZIP to auto-fill location assumptions.

Climate zone—
Solar resource—
Electricity rate—

Your household electricity use

Use the same input method as the Battery Size and Backup Runtime calculators. Annual kWh is best; monthly usage or an average bill can be converted into an annual estimate.

kWh/yr

Your solar production

Use an actual annual production figure when you have one. Otherwise, estimate production from system size, local peak sun hours, and a user-adjustable performance factor.

kW DC
%

Accounts for orientation, temperature, inverter, wiring, shading, and other losses.

%

Use your solar monitoring data if available. This is the energy potentially available to charge a battery.

¢/kWh

Enter the avoided-cost, net-billing, or net-metering credit your utility actually pays for exports.

Battery and project economics

Enter the incremental cost of adding storage. The model limits annual shifting to available solar exports, remaining household electricity needs, and one full battery charge per day.

kWh
%
$
$
%/yr
Better use of the next solar kWhStore itBased on retail and export rates
Added annual battery value$0Versus solar without a battery
Simple battery payback—Net battery cost ÷ first-year value
Simple system payback—Select the package path to calculate

Annual energy and bill comparison

ScenarioGrid purchasesSolar exportsNet energy cost
Estimated solar production
0 kWh/yr
Solar shifted through battery
0 kWh/yr
Self-consumption
0% → 0%
Battery utilization
0%
10-year added battery value
$0
Break-even export credit
0¢/kWh

How this estimate works

  • Stored-solar valueRetail rate × round-trip efficiency, less the export credit forgone
  • Charging limitLowest of available exports, remaining household load, or one full charge per day
  • Solar estimateSystem kW × local peak sun hours × 365 × performance factor
  • Payback scopeBattery cost and incentives only; financing, tax effects, TOU arbitrage, VPP revenue, and resilience value are excluded

This is an annualized planning model, not an hourly production simulation or engineering design. Seasonal mismatch, clipping, battery operating reserve, tariff details, taxes, fixed charges, demand charges, and program dispatch rules can materially change actual results.