Commercial Solar Calculator: ROI, 48E Credit & Payback
Model your business's solar + battery project in 60 seconds. Enter your monthly electric bill and state to see system size, the Section 48E tax credit, MACRS depreciation, net cost, and payback — with optional battery storage and bonus-credit adders.
Estimates are SolarIQ modeling for typical PWA-compliant or sub-1-MW projects and are not tax or financial advice. Confirm eligibility, prevailing-wage/apprenticeship status, and bonus adders with a qualified tax professional.
How the Numbers Stack Up
Commercial solar economics rest on two federal benefits homeowners can't use together: the Section 48E Clean Electricity Investment Credit and 5-year MACRS depreciation. A project that meets prevailing-wage and apprenticeship rules — or comes in under 1 MW — earns a 30% base credit, rising to as much as 50% with the domestic-content and energy-community bonuses.
On top of that, solar is 5-year MACRS property. With 100% bonus depreciation, a business can typically deduct the full depreciable basis (system cost minus half the credit) in the first year, worth roughly 22% of system cost at a combined ~26% tax rate. Stacked, the two benefits commonly cut net cost by more than half and bring payback into the 4–7 year range.
Projects should generally begin construction by July 4, 2026 to secure the most favorable treatment — one reason businesses weighing solar this year are scoping timelines now.