Whats the payback period for a typical commercial system?
A. Commercial systems typically have a 5-7 year payback (calculated on the after-rebate cost). So these systems pay for themselves early on in their expected life, and go on to generate tens of thousands of dollars in positive cash flow during their entire life cycle. The actual payback will depend on several site specific factors, from the peak demand charges you pay based on your consumption, and where systems are financed, the interest rate and terms of the loan, the borrowers tax bracket, and assumptions about the rate at which electric rates will continue to rise over time.
