Business owners in Port Harcourt, Warri, Effurun and Yenagoa ask one thing: "When will I get my money back?"
The formula
Payback (months) = System cost ÷ Monthly savings
Step 1: Monthly savings
| Saving | How to work it out |
|---|---|
| Fuel | Litres per day × price × 30 |
| Generator servicing | Yearly cost ÷ 12 |
| Grid units | Units replaced × your real price per unit |
| Lost sales | Your estimate per outage day |
Step 2: Example
A shop burns 8 litres of petrol a day at about ₦1,500.
- Fuel: 8 × 1,500 × 30 = ₦360,000
- Servicing: ₦180,000 ÷ 12 = ₦15,000
- Total: ₦375,000 a month
System cost: ₦4.9M.
4,900,000 ÷ 375,000 ≈ 13 months
After payback
Panels last 25+ years. Lithium lasts 8 to 15 years. After payback, most of that money stays in your business.
Things that speed payback
- Running heavy loads in the day
- Inverter ACs and LED lights
- A hybrid inverter that also uses grid power
Try the solar calculator and read solar vs diesel for businesses.
