How Fast Will Commercial Solar Pay Back? (Real Numbers)

Short answer: 3 to 4 years for most commercial setups in India. After that, you're generating power for free for the next 25+ years.

A real example: a petrol pump in Medchal

• Pre-solar bill: ₹38,000/month
• 15 kW rooftop system installed: ₹7.8 lakh
• Post-solar bill: ₹6,200/month
• Monthly savings: ₹31,800
• Payback: 24 months

Numbers like these repeat across states; what moves them is the local commercial tariff (₹8.5-₹11/unit) and the site's irradiance.

Why C&I payback beats residential

Commercial tariffs are higher, so every solar unit displaces more rupees. Add accelerated depreciation (40% in year 1) and the math gets aggressive. For consumption too large for the roof, open access lands power at ₹3.2-₹4.8/unit against ₹7-₹9 grid tariffs.

What kills payback

• Cheap panels that degrade fast
• Undersized inverters
• No monitoring → silent faults
• Vendors who vanish after install

This is why we build for 30 years, not for the warranty.