Solar Calculator — Estimate Solar System Size, Cost and Payback
Rafiqy's Solar Calculator helps homeowners estimate solar system size, install cost, monthly savings and payback using their current electricity bill, location and appliance load. It is built for people searching for a solar calculator, solar system calculator, solar size calculator or solar payback calculator, with the assumptions tuned for Pakistan.
What this tool helps you do
- 3-step wizard: bill → appliances → results
- City-based peak sun hours for 11 Pakistani cities
- Load calculator with 10 common appliances
- System size, cost range (PKR), payback & battery recommendation
- "Is Solar Worth It?" verdict + copy-as-text summary
How it works
Rafiqy's Solar Calculator helps homeowners estimate solar system size, install cost, monthly savings and payback using their current electricity bill, location and appliance load. It is built for people searching for a solar calculator, solar system calculator, solar size calculator or solar payback calculator, with the assumptions tuned for Pakistan.
The tool uses city-specific sun-hour assumptions, a visible derating factor, current installed-cost ranges, and current net billing assumptions so the recommendation is more realistic than a one-size-fits-all quote. Self-consumed electricity is valued differently from exported electricity, which matters much more after the move from older net metering logic to net billing.
Use it to compare a full net-billing setup against a smaller self-consumption-focused system, understand whether battery storage is worth considering, and test common scenarios like a PKR 20,000 bill, a PKR 30,000 bill, or a home with daytime occupancy and AC load.
The result is a planning estimate, not a contractor quote, but it gives you a strong benchmark for system sizing, cost conversations, payback expectations, and installer quote comparison. The page also explains the sizing formula, meter-fee assumptions, and the main factors that change your result.
Frequently asked questions
- How does this solar calculator work?
- The calculator starts from either your electricity bill or appliance-based daily load, converts that into estimated daily kWh usage, divides by your city's peak sun hours, and applies a real-world derating factor of 0.80 for heat, dust, inverter and wiring losses. It then estimates monthly generation, self-consumption, exported units, monthly savings, cost range and payback.
- How accurate is this solar calculator for Pakistan?
- The Solar Planner gives range-based estimates using 2026 Pakistan market rates of PKR 130–200/W installed. It models the current NEPRA net billing policy (Dec 2025) with PKR 11/unit export rate. Always get 2–3 installer quotes before committing — use this tool as your baseline to compare against.
- What solar system size do I need in Pakistan?
- Most homes with a PKR 15,000–25,000/month bill need a 5–7 kW on-grid system. The Solar Planner calculates your specific load using your bill and appliance usage, divides by your city peak sun hours, and applies a 0.80 derating factor for real-world efficiency losses.
- How much does solar cost in Pakistan in 2026?
- A fully installed on-grid system costs PKR 130,000–200,000 per kW in 2026. A 5 kW system costs PKR 6.5–10 lakh including panels, inverter, mounting, wiring, and installation. Battery is a separate add-on (LiFePO4 5 kWh: PKR 2.25–2.80 lakh).
- What is net billing in Pakistan and how is it different from net metering?
- NEPRA replaced net metering with net billing in December 2025. Under net billing, excess electricity you export to the grid is paid at a fixed PKR 11/unit — not at the retail rate. This means exporting surplus is far less valuable than self-consuming it. Right-sizing for self-consumption is now more important than ever.
- Which cities in Pakistan have the best solar potential?
- Quetta and Sukkur lead with 6.0 peak sun hours/day. Karachi, Hyderabad, and Multan average 5.5 hours. Lahore, Faisalabad, and Peshawar get 5.0 hours. Islamabad and Rawalpindi receive 4.8 hours. More sun hours means a smaller system covers the same load.
- Do I need a battery with my solar system in Pakistan?
- If you face 4+ hours of daily load-shedding, a battery is strongly recommended. A grid-tied inverter shuts down during outages. Under net billing, a battery also converts PKR 11/unit exported energy into PKR 45–70/unit self-use, improving your payback by 1–2 years for high-export households.
- How long is the solar payback period in Pakistan in 2026?
- For bills above PKR 25,000/month, payback is typically 3–5 years (Strongly Recommended). For PKR 15,000–25,000, expect 5–8 years (Recommended). For PKR 10,000–15,000, expect 8–12 years (Worth Considering). Below PKR 5,000/month, payback exceeds 12 years.
- What changes the solar payback period the most?
- The biggest factors are your monthly bill, how much of the solar power you use yourself during the day, your city sun hours, the installer's PKR-per-watt quote, whether net billing fees apply, and whether you add battery storage. A slightly smaller self-consumption-focused system can sometimes beat a larger export-heavy one.
- What are the net billing meter fees in Pakistan?
- Net billing requires a bi-directional solar AMI meter separate from your regular smart meter. Fees vary by DISCO: IESCO ~PKR 55,000, LESCO ~PKR 80–90,000 (fee doubled recently, private purchase banned), FESCO ~PKR 45,000, MEPCO/PESCO ~PKR 42,000, HESCO/QESCO ~PKR 40,000.
Related guides
- Solar Calculator Guide: System Size, Cost, Net Billing & PaybackA practical solar calculator guide covering system size, install cost, net billing, meter fees, battery prices, right-sizing and payback with current Pakistan assumptions.
- How Much Solar Do I Need for a 20,000 Bill?A practical guide to sizing solar for a PKR 20,000 monthly electricity bill, including units, city sun hours, daytime usage and net billing effects.
- How Much Solar Do I Need for a 30,000 Bill?A practical sizing guide for households with a PKR 30,000 monthly electricity bill, including when 5kW is enough and when 6–7kW becomes more realistic.
- 5kW Solar System Price Guide: Cost, Inverter Quality & Hidden FeesA practical 2026 guide to 5kW solar system pricing, including equipment quality, net billing costs, battery choices, and when 5kW is enough.
- Smaller Solar System vs Full Net Billing: Which Is Smarter?A practical guide to deciding between a full net-billing solar setup and a smaller self-consumption-focused system when export value is weak.
- 10kW Solar System Price Guide: When a Bigger System Pays OffA practical guide to 10kW solar system pricing, including who should consider it, what hidden costs matter, and when 10kW becomes too much for a home.