[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":82},["ShallowReactive",2],{"example-lcoe-en":3,"faq-lcoe-en":42,"sources-lcoe-en":76},{"input":4,"output":13},{"location":5,"systemKwp":6,"initialInvestment":7,"annualOperatingCost":8,"lifetimeYears":9,"discountRate":10,"retailPricePerKwh":11,"feedInTariffPerKwh":12},"52.52,13.405",10,10150,152.25,25,0.03,0.311,0.077,{"lcoe":14,"discountedCost":15,"discountedEnergyKwh":16,"lcoeWithUndiscountedDenominator":17,"undiscountedErrorPercent":18,"savingsVsRetail":19,"marginVsFeedIn":20,"lcoeAtDiscount2":21,"lcoeAtDiscount6":22,"lcoeCtPerKwh":23,"naiveCtPerKwh":24,"marginVsFeedInCt":25,"savingsVsRetailCt":26,"steps":27,"warnings":41},0.07549562712730772,12801.151735997075,169561.4994284449,0.05298666461832782,29.814922221949626,0.23550437287269227,0.0015043728726922834,0.0691969778547863,0.09649829524496326,7.549562712730771,5.298666461832783,0.15043728726922834,23.550437287269226,[28,33,37],{"label":29,"expression":30,"value":15,"unit":31,"provenance":32},"discountedCost","I_0 + Σ (M_t + F_t)\u002F(1+r)^t","Waehrung","exact",{"label":34,"expression":35,"value":16,"unit":36,"provenance":32},"discountedEnergy","Σ E_1*(1-d)^(t-1)\u002F(1+r)^t","kWh",{"label":38,"expression":39,"value":14,"unit":40,"provenance":32},"lcoeResult","NPV(costs) \u002F NPV(energy)","Waehrung\u002FkWh",[],[43,46,49,52,55,58,61,64,67,70,73],{"q":44,"a":45},"What does a self-generated kilowatt-hour of solar power cost?","In the reference case (10 kWp for €10,150, 25 years, 3% discount rate) it is 7.55 ct\u002FkWh — computed correctly with both numerator AND denominator discounted. Depending on the discount rate (2–6%) the value ranges from 7.10 to 9.90 ct. For comparison: grid power averages 31.1 ct for existing customers in Germany.",{"q":47,"a":48},"Why do other LCOE calculators deviate by 30%?","Because they discount only the costs but not the energy: 235,560 undiscounted instead of 165,328 discounted kilowatt-hours in the denominator give 5.43 instead of 7.55 ct — 29.8% too cheap, and the error always points the same way. This calculator shows both values side by side so the difference stays visible.",{"q":50,"a":51},"Is feeding in still worth it?","Economically, practically no: since 1 August 2026 the German feed-in tariff (7.70 ct for partial feed-in up to 10 kWp) sits slightly BELOW the reference case's cost of energy (7.55 ct). Every exported kilowatt-hour is a slight loss. The entire return of a German PV system comes from self-consumption — 31 ct saved instead of 7.70 ct earned.",{"q":53,"a":54},"Which discount rate should I choose?","There is no „correct“ choice — the three presets answer different questions: 0% means „money in versus money out, no interest comparison“. 3% means „I would otherwise have invested the money safely“. If you finance the system, enter your effective loan rate. The choice moves the result by over 20% — which is why the calculator always shows the band.",{"q":56,"a":57},"Are inverter replacement and insurance included?","As a lump sum, yes: the annual operating cost (rule of thumb 1–2% of the investment) bundles insurance, maintenance, metering and reserves for the inverter. To see the replacement as a dated single item, use the payback calculator — there it appears as a visible setback in year 13.",{"q":59,"a":60},"Is the LCOE the same as the price at which the system pays off?","No — the LCOE is the cost price per kilowatt-hour over the lifetime. Whether the system pays off is decided by comparison: every self-consumed kilowatt-hour saves the power price (31.1 ct), every exported one earns the tariff (7.70 ct). If the LCOE sits in between, only self-consumption makes money — exactly what the chart with the reference lines shows.",{"q":62,"a":63},"What does my own solar kilowatt-hour cost?","For 10 kWp at 10,150 euros in the Berlin region the calculator finds 7.55 ct\u002FkWh over 25 years — with discounting, degradation and operating costs. Grid power costs 31.1 ct by comparison. Every self-consumed kilowatt-hour therefore saves about 23.6 ct. The feed-in tariff at 7.7 ct sits only just above the generation cost — exported power barely carries itself.",{"q":65,"a":66},"Why is the naive calculation 30 percent too low?","Because it omits two things. First degradation: in year 25 the modules deliver about 12 percent less than in year one, so the denominator shrinks. Second discounting: a kilowatt-hour twenty years from now is worth less today than one tomorrow. Investment divided by yield times lifetime gives 5.30 ct in the example — the full calculation gives 7.55 ct. That difference is not a nicety but almost a third.",{"q":68,"a":69},"How much does system size affect the levelised cost?","Strongly, as long as the investment does not grow with it. At a constant 10,150 euros, 5 kWp gives 15.05 ct\u002FkWh, 10 kWp gives 7.55 ct and 20 kWp gives 3.76 ct. In practice the investment does rise — but less than proportionally, because scaffolding, electrical work and commissioning barely depend on module count. That is exactly where the advice to fill the roof comes from.",{"q":71,"a":72},"Is exporting worth it at these generation costs?","Only just, and it depends on the site. At 7.55 ct generation cost and a 7.7 ct tariff, 0.15 ct per exported kilowatt-hour remains — effectively break-even. At a poorer site or with a more expensive system it tips into the red. So the statement is not “exporting does not pay” but: exporting carries itself, self-consumption earns. The gap between 7.7 ct and 31.1 ct is the real lever.",{"q":74,"a":75},"Which discount rate should I use?","The one matching your alternative. Paying from your own capital, use the return the money would otherwise have earned — 2 to 4 percent is usual. Financing it, use the loan rate. Using 0 percent ignores the time value and flatters the result. The calculator therefore reports a band from 2 to 6 percent, so the spread stays visible instead of disappearing into a single figure.",[77],{"name":78,"url":79,"retrievedAt":80,"version":81},"Bundesnetzagentur SMARD electricity price analysis, StromAuskunft price index (as of 2026-08-06) and EEG remuneration rates per § 48 EEG 2023","https:\u002F\u002Fwww.smard.de","2026-08-06","Q3\u002F2026 (EEG-Sätze H2\u002F2026)",1786101752948]