Solar ROI Calculator
Estimate payback, 25-year NPV, LCOE and lifetime savings for a hybrid solar + battery system powering irrigation pumping or greenhouse energy loads. Compare against a diesel or grid baseline. All assumptions are editable — start from an application preset and refine.
What is the ROI of solar on an agricultural project?
Solar ROI compares annual savings (generated kWh × displaced tariff, plus avoided diesel) with system CAPEX. Payback is CAPEX ÷ annual saving; ROI is annual saving ÷ CAPEX.
- Annual yield ≈ installed kWp × local specific yield (1,300–1,900 kWh/kWp).
- Payback in high-tariff or diesel-displacement cases is often 3–6 years.
- Battery storage improves reliability but lengthens payback.
- Pair with the CO₂ savings calculator to support green finance applications.
Solar backup ROI for irrigation & greenhouse energy
Payback, 25-year NPV, LCOE and cumulative savings for a hybrid solar + battery system against a diesel or grid baseline. Includes degradation, O&M, escalation and battery replacement.
Load & baseline
Solar + battery system
O&M & battery replacement
Financial parameters
- System CAPEX
- $94,800
- Year-1 solar generation
- 68,255 kWh
- Year-1 savings
- $21,023
- Simple payback
- 4.5 yr
- NPV over lifetime
- $184,131
- LCOE (solar delivered)
- $0.170/kWh
- Lifetime savings (undisc.)
- $805,451
- Lifetime solar energy
- 1,588,986 kWh
- Lifetime CO₂ avoided
- 1,192.4 tCO₂
Cashflow snapshot
| Year | Solar kWh | Savings | Net cashflow | Cumulative |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Y1 | 68,255 | $21,023 | $19,601 | $-75,199 |
| Y5 | 66,632 | $24,008 | $22,469 | $10,253 |
| Y10 | 64,656 | $28,344 | $26,645 | $134,845 |
| Y15 | 62,740 | $33,463 | $31,586 | $268,880 |
| Y20 | 60,880 | $39,506 | $37,434 | $443,962 |
| Y25 | 59,076 | $46,640 | $44,353 | $651,424 |
Sensitivity analysis
How lifetime NPV (and payback, where reachable) moves when a single assumption is swept while everything else is held at your current inputs. The green vertical line marks your current setting.
Sweep range & step (all values in %)
Discount rate
Energy escalation
Panel degradation
Very fine steps are auto-capped at ~200 points per sweep to keep the charts responsive.
Discount rate
current 8%Cost of capital vs. NPV. Higher discount rates penalise long-dated savings.
Energy price escalation
current 4.0%Annual fuel/tariff inflation. Higher escalation compounds solar savings.
Panel degradation
current 0.60%Annual PV output loss. Higher degradation reduces lifetime generation.
Pinned sensitivity scenarios
Pin two combinations of discount rate, energy price escalation and panel degradation (all other inputs held constant) and compare NPV, payback, LCOE and lifetime CO₂ side by side.
| Metric | Scenario A | Scenario B | B − A |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lifetime NPV | $295k | $112k | -$183k |
| Payback | 4.5 yrs | 4.6 yrs | 0.2 yrs |
| LCOE | $0.148/kWh | $0.196/kWh | $0.047/kWh |
| Lifetime CO₂ avoided | 1206.5 kt CO₂ | 1164.8 kt CO₂ | -41744 t CO₂ |
Scenario comparison
Diesel-only vs solar-only vs hybrid (with/without battery), sharing your load & financial inputs.
Indicative only
- This tool is indicative only.
- It is not financial advice.
- It is not agronomic advice.
- It is not engineering design.
- Final numbers require supplier, agronomist, engineer and local regulatory review.
SeedMatch Group is an independent agricultural project sourcing and RFQ platform. We are not a farm, seed producer, fertilizer manufacturer, irrigation manufacturer, greenhouse builder, EPC contractor, lender or financial advisor. Supplier and project partner outreach is handled only after a commercial project brief is reviewed.
Supplier and manufacturer listings are provided for research, transparency and discovery only. SeedMatch Group does not provide automatic buyer-supplier introductions. Every agriculture project request is reviewed manually by David / SeedMatch Group, and supplier introductions are made only after internal approval.
Turn the numbers into a bankable project
SeedMatchGroup pairs the ROI output with a full engineering package, supplier shortlist and normalised RFQ so quotes are comparable and financing-ready.
FAQ
What does this Solar ROI calculator estimate?
Simple payback (years), 25-year net present value (NPV), levelised cost of energy (LCOE), cumulative lifetime savings and CO₂ avoided for a hybrid solar + battery system versus a diesel or grid baseline for irrigation pumping or greenhouse energy loads.
Which economic assumptions can I change?
Solar PV size (kWp), specific yield (kWh/kWp/year), PV and battery CAPEX, annual degradation, O&M cost, diesel or grid tariff, fuel/tariff escalation, discount rate, project lifetime and battery replacement year.
Is this suitable for irrigation pumping and greenhouse energy?
Yes. Choose the application preset (irrigation pumping or greenhouse energy) to load a realistic daily load profile and typical baseline. All values remain editable so you can match your site.
How is LCOE calculated?
Discounted lifetime cost (CAPEX + present value of O&M and battery replacement) divided by discounted lifetime energy delivered (with annual degradation). It represents the average cost of one kWh delivered by the solar system over its lifetime.
Is this a bankable feasibility study?
No. It is a first-pass ROI screening. For financing, EPC contracts or grant applications, SeedMatchGroup can pair the output with a full engineering package and normalised RFQ to qualified global suppliers.