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We use your location to provide localized solar offers and incentives.
We serve MA, NH, CT, RI, ME, VT, NJ, PA, and TX
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NuWatt designs, installs, and manages solar, battery, heat pump, and EV charger systems across 9 states. One company, one warranty, one point of contact.
Get a Free QuoteFull transparency on every assumption, data source, and formula behind our AI bill analysis and solar savings projections.
When you upload a photo or PDF, our AI vision model reads the document and extracts key fields: utility provider name, monthly kWh consumption, rate per kWh, total charge, billing period, and state. Account numbers are automatically masked for privacy.
Your extracted rate per kWh is compared against the EIA-reported state average. This helps identify whether you are on an above-average or below-average rate plan, which directly impacts solar ROI.
Using your monthly kWh, we calculate annual consumption and size a system to offset 90% of it. The formula divides target annual kWh by (peak sun hours per day x 365 days) to determine system capacity in kW.
Annual production is multiplied by your rate, then projected over 25 years with 2.5% annual rate escalation and 0.5% annual panel degradation compounded year over year.
System cost (size in watts x state-specific cost per watt) divided by first-year savings gives simple payback in years. No federal tax credit is applied since Section 25D expired December 31, 2025.
| Data Point | Source | Update Frequency |
|---|---|---|
| State average electricity rates | EIA Electric Power Monthly | Quarterly |
| Peak sun hours by state | NREL PVWatts / TMY3 data | Annually |
| Solar cost per watt by state | NREL Annual Technology Baseline + NuWatt install data | Quarterly |
| Rate escalation factor | EIA Annual Energy Outlook 2025 | Annually |
| Panel degradation rate | Manufacturer warranty specs (industry standard) | As needed |
| Bill data extraction | AI vision model (real-time) | Per upload |
| Assumption | Value | Rationale |
|---|---|---|
| Solar offset target | 90% of annual usage | Maximizes ROI without producing excess that utilities credit at below-retail rates. |
| Annual rate escalation | 2.5% per year | Midpoint of EIA Annual Energy Outlook 2025 projections (2.0-3.0%). |
| Annual panel degradation | 0.5% per year | Industry standard; matches tier-1 manufacturer warranty guarantees. |
| System lifetime | 25 years | Standard solar panel warranty period and financial modeling horizon. |
| Federal tax credit | $0 (Section 25D expired) | Residential ITC expired December 31, 2025. No federal incentive for homeowner purchases. |
| Max residential system | 25 kW | Typical residential cap; larger systems require commercial interconnection agreements. |
| MA solar cost per watt | $3.20/W | Based on NuWatt install data and NREL benchmarks for the state. |
| TX solar cost per watt | $2.70/W | Lower labor costs and permitting fees in Texas market. |
| MA peak sun hours | 4.2 hours/day | NREL TMY3 data annual average for Massachusetts. |
| TX peak sun hours | 5.2 hours/day | NREL TMY3 data annual average for Texas. |
A Massachusetts homeowner uploads a bill showing 850 kWh/month at $0.28/kWh.
Annual Savings
$2,575
9,198 kWh x $0.28
Monthly Savings
$215
$2,575 / 12
25-Year Savings
$77,854
With 2.5% escalation, 0.5% degradation
Simple Payback
7.5 years
$19,200 / $2,575
Cumulative savings over 25 years account for both rising electricity rates and declining panel output:
Total = SUM(year 1 to 25) of:
annualProduction x rate x (1.025)^(year-1) x (0.995)^(year-1)
Where 1.025 is the 2.5% annual rate escalation and 0.995 is the 0.5% annual panel degradation factor.
The bill analyzer does not assess roof orientation, shading, or available area. For roof-specific design, use our Solar Calculator.
Solar costs use state averages, not city or installer-specific quotes. Actual installed costs may vary by 10-15%.
Savings assume a flat rate. Homeowners on TOU plans may save more or less depending on when their solar produces.
The estimate assumes grid-tied solar without battery storage. Adding a battery changes the economics significantly.
The analysis uses one month of data. Seasonal variation means actual annual usage may differ from 12x the uploaded month.
State-level programs (SMART, REG, ConnectedSolutions) are not factored in. Use our Rebate Checker for incentive details.
Upload a photo of your electric bill and see your personalized solar savings estimate in under 10 seconds.
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