Solar PV Payback Calculators

[Binger]

Greetings,
Can anyone recommend an on-line solar PV payback calculator that takes into account the 30% Federal (US) Tax Credit and the 5 year accelerated depreciation schedule as well as any individual state/utility incentives? How about any Net Present Value calculators? Thanks in advance for your help.

[Off Grid Solar]

Binger the answer to your question is no. A solar calculator is used for figuring how many solar watts you want to install to power something. It usally starts with a few electric bills and then the work begins. If it is to power something off grid then you need to know the loads of what you are powering. Watt per day into how many hours a day of sun light. This is what a solar calculator is used for. Solar calculators are not based on the total cost of the produce and then the 30% tax credit and the 5 year depreciations for capital equipment. I am not so sure that solar is considered capital equipment. I am not so sure a stand-by generator is considered capital equipment also. I once installed a solar system and for the permit we had to call the system a stand-by generator. It powered a resturant near a power plant. I will never forget the call I got when the grid went down and the only place to eat was this little 100 seat resturant.
The restrant owner ran out of food in days but he was the only game in town.

[stargalaxyme]

solar NPV calculator

There are quite a lot of selections out there. I don't know of online version. But there are free downloadable spreadsheets and software that you can use. If the program doesn't include the most up-to-date incentives, you can manually add in by using the information from http://www.dsireUSA.org

1. Downloadable Spreadsheets:

http://www.toodoc.com/solar-energy-cost-calculation-excel.html

2. Solar Advisor Model by NREL

http://www.nrel.gov/analysis/sam

[John_in_NC]

Don't forget about the SREC's if you do a buy-all sell-all grid tie system.

[stargalaxyme]

I found some more calculators:

http://www.infinitepower.org/calculators.htm

under the solar section

[BPsolar]

Solar Calcs

Here are a few that I am aware of...

National Renewable Energy Lab

http://www.nrel.gov/eis/imby/

Size and Insolation calc

http://www.roofray.com/

American Solar Energy Society

http://www.findsolar.com/index.php?page=rightforme

Solar-Estimate.org

http://www.solar-estimate.org/index.php?verifycookie=1&page=solar-calculator&subpage=