New app to calculate payback periods of rooftop PV systems

The Amortisator app, initially developed for the German market, is now available on the Apple and Google Play stores. Primarily targeting customer advisors, the app can be accessed for a monthly fee of €9.99 ($10.93).

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Kai Schuhmacher spent years traveling around Germany as a consultant for PV system owners. He said the question that all customers immediately ask is: “When will my photovoltaic system pay off?” The answer depends on many individual factors, with the amortization period generally spanning from eight to 16 years.

Schumacher said many consultants currently still carry out these calculations in Excel spreadsheets that they create themselves, which reportedly is the best way to give their customers the most precise answer possible.

“The online tools that have been available on various websites for years have not really convinced me,” he said.

Schumacher always wanted a uniform and, at the same time, simple calculation method that can be used directly at the customer’s site. He now claims to have developed such a tool himself and called it Amortisator. It is an app that can be bought initially in the Apple Store, and soon in the Google Play Store, and is available in German, English, Spanish, and French.

He said the app is aimed primarily at customer advisors and costs €9.99 ($16.40) per month. It can be cancelled on a monthly basis.

The app offers advisors and customers a quick amortization calculation, which can also be sent to non-users of the app by email. For the calculation, it utilises inputs such as system performance and size, as well as details on rooftops and financing requirements.

Schuhmacher also wants to use the app to give potential PV customers the opportunity to find a customer advisor in their area. In this regard, there is an integrated chat that customers can use to contact them.

Furthermore, the app reportedly helps customers evaluate previous consulting services. All of this is free of charge for those who are potentially interested in photovoltaics, Schumacher said.

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