Your numbers
1
Full system cost and savings
No credit applied, the full quoted price.
Savings and payback
Savings without ITC applied calculator
See your payback at full system cost, the accurate baseline for a 2026 cash or loan purchase, alongside a reference table showing other credit scenarios for context.
For planning purposes only, not financial or tax advice; confirm figures with a licensed installer or tax professional before making a purchase decision.
How it works
One step to your real number
Step 1
Enter your full system cost and savings
Use the full quoted price, not a discounted figure, since no federal credit currently applies to a new owned purchase. See the payback period calculator for the underlying payback formula.
Step 2
Review the reference table for context
See what payback would look like under other credit percentages, useful if comparing against older marketing material or checking a pre-2026 installation. For a version where you can toggle scenarios directly, see the savings with ITC applied calculator.
Understanding your full-cost baseline
Why this is the number to plan around
This is the accurate default for most homeowners buying with cash or a loan in 2026, since the 30% federal residential credit expired for systems placed in service after December 31, 2025. Using this baseline avoids planning around an incentive that no longer applies, giving you the real number to work with rather than an inflated pre-2026 expectation. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's report on solar financing explains how solar loans are structured and what to watch for.
What full cost does to your payback timeline
For a $22,000 system saving $1,800 a year, payback runs 12.22 years at full cost with no credit, compared to 8.56 years if a 30% credit had applied, a difference of nearly 4 years. That's a substantial shift worth factoring into any comparison against older solar marketing material or outdated online calculators still assuming the credit is available. For the official overview, the US Department of Energy's homeowner's guide to going solar covers buying, leasing, and system sizing.
Other incentives that might still apply
Some states offer their own rebates, tax credits, or performance-based incentives independent of the federal credit, so it's worth checking state-specific programs even though the federal residential credit is gone. See the payback period by region tool for regional rate context, though note that any incentive figures there predate the federal credit's expiration and should be checked against current programs. If your production estimate feels uncertain, the real world vs nameplate output gap calculator gives you a second check on annual output.
Is a longer payback still worth it
That depends on your specific payback tolerance and how long you plan to stay in your home. A roughly 12 year payback on a 25 to 30 year system lifespan still leaves well over a decade of savings after the system pays for itself, as shown in the 25 year lifetime savings calculator, or see the ROI percentage calculator for the return framed as a percentage instead. The minimum viable system size calculator is the quickest way to check whether the system size behind this estimate fits your roof and usage.
Questions
Frequently asked
Because it's the accurate default for most homeowners buying with cash or a loan in 2026, since the 30% federal residential credit expired for systems placed in service after December 31, 2025. This gives you the real number to plan around.
For a $22,000 system saving $1,800 a year, payback runs 12.22 years at full cost with no credit, compared to 8.56 years if a 30% credit had applied, a difference of nearly 4 years.
Possibly, depending on your state. Some states offer their own rebates, tax credits, or performance-based incentives independent of the federal credit, so it's worth checking state-specific programs even though the federal residential credit is gone.
That depends on your specific payback tolerance and how long you plan to stay in your home. A roughly 12 year payback on a 25 to 30 year system lifespan still leaves well over a decade of savings after the system pays for itself.
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