About this site
solarpaybackcheck.com answers one question: at your address, with your electricity bill, how long would solar take to pay for itself, and what would you have left over after it did.
Why it exists
Most solar calculators are built by companies that sell solar. That is not a conspiracy, it is just an incentive, and it shows up in small ways: a single confident number instead of a range, a federal tax credit that no longer exists quietly left in, an assumption that your utility pays full retail for every exported kilowatt-hour.
We sell no panels, so we had no reason to do any of that. The result is a calculator that will tell you solar is a poor investment where that is true. In Washington State it currently reports that the cautious end of the range may never repay the system, which is not a good sales pitch and is the correct answer.
How the numbers are produced
- Production comes from NREL PVWatts, the US Department of Energy model the industry uses, run against typical weather for your ZIP code.
- Electricity prices come from EIA state averages, with the vintage year shown to you.
- Install costs are current market ranges for a cash purchase.
- The federal residential credit is excluded, because it expired for systems purchased after 31 December 2025.
Every assumption is listed on the results page, before you are asked for anything. If one of them looks wrong for your situation, you can see it and discount the answer accordingly.
What this is not
We are not a solar installer, contractor, lender or utility. We do not sell equipment, install anything, finance anything, or service existing systems. Nothing here is a quote, and no model that has not seen your roof can produce one.
How it is paid for
The estimate is free and asks for nothing. If you request the full report and consent to it, we introduce you to solar companies covering your ZIP code, and they pay us for that introduction. That is the entire business model and it is why the report asks for contact details.
It also explains why we have no interest in flattering the numbers: an installer who receives an introduction from someone with unrealistic expectations has wasted their time, and stops paying for introductions.
Who operates it
Techpillars Oy
Registered in Finland
hello@solarpaybackcheck.com
Privacy requests, deletion and California opt-outs go to privacy@solarpaybackcheck.com. Full detail is in the privacy policy.