Solar Panel Calculator Philippines
Enter your monthly Meralco bill and see the solar system size, number of panels, roof area, and realistic installed cost for your home.
Rates & prices last verified: 2026-09Recommended system:
| Monthly usage covered | |
|---|---|
| Number of panels (580 W each) | |
| Roof area needed | |
| Estimated installed cost (grid-tie) | |
| Estimated monthly savings | |
| Simple payback |
Next step: check the numbers against your actual usage with the solar payback calculator, which accounts for net metering exports.
How the calculation works
Your bill is converted to monthly kilowatt-hours using the current Meralco residential rate (₱14.7424/kWh as of 2026-09). System size is then daily usage ÷ (peak sun hours × 0.80) — the 0.80 performance ratio covers inverter, wiring, and heat losses that every real rooftop system experiences. Cost uses current installer pricing of ₱35k–₱55k per kWp for grid-tie systems (2026-05); small systems tend toward the high end.
Worked example: the ₱5,000 bill
₱5,000 ÷ ₱14.74 ≈ 339 kWh per month, or 11.3 kWh a day. Dividing by (4.5 sun hours × 0.80) gives 3.1 kWp — six 580 W panels needing about 16 m² of roof. At 2026 pricing that's roughly ₱110,000–₱173,000 installed, saving about ₱5,000 a month — a payback in the 2–3 year range, consistent with the 3.1-year national average Ember reported this year.
Frequently asked questions
What size solar system do I need for a ₱5,000 monthly bill?
Around 3.1 kWp. At the current Meralco rate (₱14.74/kWh, 2026-09), ₱5,000 buys about 339 kWh a month. Offsetting all of it at 4.5 peak sun hours needs roughly 3.1 kWp — 6 580 W panels on about 16 m² of roof.
How much does solar installation cost in the Philippines in 2026?
Grid-tie systems run about ₱35,000–₱55,000 per kWp installed (as of 2026-05). Small systems price at the high end: 3 kWp quotes commonly land at ₱165,000–₱225,000. Hybrid systems with batteries cost roughly ₱43,000–₱79,000 per kWp.
Do I need batteries?
Not for a grid-tie system, which is what most Metro Manila homes install. You stay connected to Meralco, use solar by day, and draw from the grid at night. Batteries make sense for areas with frequent brownouts, but roughly double the cost per kWp.
How accurate is this calculator?
It uses the current Meralco residential rate, conservative Philippine sun hours, and a standard 80% performance ratio, so results are realistic planning figures. Actual quotes vary with roof type, brand, and location — get 2–3 installer quotes and compare against this estimate.