Investment payback calculator for distributed generation sources

The development of a distributed generation payback calculator that can be used for different types of energy technologies such as small wind turbines, fuel cells, microturbines, solar PV and other technologies is presented. The payback calculator takes several inputs such as technology costs, expected life of the project, capacity factor, system size, customer type, and several other relevant parameters. From these inputs, the calculator computes several different outputs including the total energy produced within a year, the rate of return, total expenses, total cash flow, and the discounted payback period in years. The calculator is embedded into a website available for public use. For the basic user, the calculator generates some of the inputs that the user may not be familiar with. For the more advanced user, the calculator allows the user to input the technical, and more detailed information that could generate a more accurate output.