Solar finance and payback calculator for South Africa

See whether solar improves monthly cash flow, what it may cost over the finance term, and when the system pays for itself. Every assumption stays visible.

Free planning tool

Solar finance and payback calculator

Compare cash payback with a financed system, using your own bill, tariff and assumptions.

R 2 500
R 110 000
70%
Payment route
Cash payback
5.2 years
20-year net saving
R 851 001
Year-one saving
R 1 750/mo
Estimated array
4.4 kW

About 8 × 550 W panels

Roughly 23.3 m² of usable roof

Indicative scenario only. It excludes finance fees, tax effects, maintenance, export credits and site-specific generation. The assumptions are visible below so the result can be challenged instead of treated as a quote.

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Assumptions and limitations
  • Planning yield: 1 550 kWh/kWp/year. SolarGuide conservative national planning assumption; replace with site-specific irradiation at design stage.
  • Bill offset: 70%. User-selected scenario; actual self-consumption and tariff structure determine realised savings.
  • Panel roof allowance: 2.6 m² plus 12% spacing. Planning allowance for a modern residential panel; verify the selected module datasheet and roof layout.
  • Annual tariff escalation: 8%. User-selected scenario, not a forecast or approved future tariff.
Plan checks:
  • Roof area, shade and orientation have not been checked yet.

Cash payback

System price divided by first-year savings is easy to compare, but it does not include the time value of money or maintenance.

Finance cash flow

Compare the estimated repayment with the bill saving. Credit approval, fees and the lender's actual rate still determine the real payment.

A reusable solar plan

The result already uses the same plan structure intended for the roof estimator and future panel, inverter and battery compatibility tool.

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