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Both calculators run independently — change the inputs on either side to compare results.
Appliance Energy Cost Calculator
Calculate the true annual electricity cost of any appliance using its wattage, daily usage hours, days per week, your electricity rate, and the number of units. Essential for budgeting solar or identifying energy hogs.
Annual running cost
262.08 $/yr
$100-300/yr marks a major load like a space heater or old fridge. The $262 example heater costs about $22/month; cutting use 2 h/day would save around $90/yr.
Annual cost scales directly with watts, runtime, and rate; the US average residential rate is about $0.16/kWh, the basis of the verified $262/yr example for a 1500 W heater run 3 h/day.
Solar Load Calculator
Calculate the total daily energy demand of your home's lighting, appliances, and HVAC to correctly size a solar system. Use this before getting solar quotes to know exactly how many kilowatt-hours per day you need to generate.
Key differences
| Appliance Energy Cost Calculator | Solar Load Calculator | |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Solar Energy | Solar Energy |
| Inputs required | 5 | 5 |
| Result | Annual running cost ($/yr) | Required Solar Capacity (kW) |
| What it does | Calculate the true annual electricity cost of any appliance using its wattage, daily usage hours, days per week, your electricity rate, and the number of units. Essential for budgeting solar or identifying energy hogs. | Calculate the total daily energy demand of your home's lighting, appliances, and HVAC to correctly size a solar system. Use this before getting solar quotes to know exactly how many kilowatt-hours per day you need to generate. |