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🇭🇺 Solar Calculator Hungary

Enter your monthly electricity bill in HUF and county — get solar system size, gross metering export income (Ft 18/kWh) vs retail savings (Ft 36/kWh), self-consumption optimization strategy, and payback period.

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Solar system results — Hungary
5 kWp system — 993 kWh/kWp/yr
Gross metering alert: Export earns only Ft 18/kWh — half the retail rate of Ft 36/kWh. Maximise self-consumption! A battery or demand shifting (running appliances during solar peak) can double your effective return on exported energy.
Monthly kWh usage972 kWh/mo
Annual solar production4964 kWh/yr
Self-consumption savings (Ft 36/kWh)Ft 71 482/yr
Grid export income (Ft 18/kWh)Ft 53 611/yr
Total annual benefitFt 125 093/yr
System cost range (HUF)Ft 2 500 000 – Ft 3 500 000
System cost (approx. EUR)~€6410 – €8974
Total installed costFt 3 000 000
Payback period24.0 years
25-year net savingsFt 127 320
Self-consumption strategy: Under gross metering, run dishwashers, washing machines, EV charging, and heat pumps during 10:00–15:00 solar peak hours. Every kWh self-consumed saves Ft 36 instead of earning Ft 18 — doubling your effective return. A battery can shift excess production to evening consumption.
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How to Use This Calculator

Enter your monthly bill and county

Enter your average monthly electricity bill in Hungarian Forints (HUF/Ft) from your supplier (E.ON, EDF DÉMÁSZ, MVM Next, NKM, or others). The calculator uses Hungary's standard household electricity rate of Ft 36/kWh. Select your county — Csongrád-Csanád (3.7 PSH) in southern Hungary is the sunniest; Budapest and Pest (3.4 PSH) receive the least. Hungary overall has better solar resources than most of Western Europe due to its continental climate and flat terrain.

Gross metering vs. annual net metering

This is the critical distinction in Hungary. Systems installed after the 2023 regulatory change use gross metering (bruttó elszámolás): all production is metered, self-consumed electricity saves Ft 36/kWh, but exported electricity earns only Ft 18/kWh — half the retail rate. Legacy systems still on annual net metering (éves nettó elszámolás) credit all production at the full retail rate within the settlement year. If you have an older system, keep this legacy regime as long as possible. For new installations, self-consumption maximisation is essential.

Why self-consumption is critical under gross metering

Under gross metering, every kilowatt-hour you export to the grid earns Ft 18, while every kilowatt-hour you self-consume saves Ft 36 — making self-consumption exactly twice as valuable as export. This means system sizing should match your daytime consumption pattern, not your total monthly bill. A battery storage system or demand-shifting strategy (running appliances 10:00–15:00 during solar peak) dramatically improves economics.

The Formula

Monthly kWh = Monthly Bill (Ft) ÷ Ft 36/kWh (retail rate) Annual production = kWp × PSH × 365 × 0.80 efficiency Self-consumption = Annual kWh × 40% (no battery) or 60% (with battery) Gross metering (new systems): Self-consumption savings = Self-consumed kWh × Ft 36/kWh Export income = Exported kWh × Ft 18/kWh (half retail!) Net metering (legacy systems): All production credited = All kWh × Ft 36/kWh (up to annual usage) System cost = kWp × Ft 500,000–700,000 (~€1,250–1,750/kWp) Payback = Total cost ÷ Annual benefit

Hungary's solar support framework was significantly changed in 2023 when the government replaced the advantageous annual net metering scheme for new installations with gross metering. Under the current METÁR (Megújuló Energia Támogatási Rendszer) framework, residential system operators receive the universal service price for exported energy. Hungary has a relatively low installation cost (Ft 500,000–700,000/kWp) compared to western European markets, partly offsetting the less favorable export compensation. The Hungarian solar market grew rapidly 2020–2023 due to the former net metering regime and remains active despite the regulatory change.

Example

László — Baranya county home, 5kWp, gross metering

László pays Ft 35,000/month for his family home in Baranya. He installs a 5kWp system under the current gross metering regime.

Monthly billFt 35,000
County / PSHBaranya, 3.6 PSH
System size5 kWp
Meter typeGross metering

Result

Annual production~5,256 kWh/yr
Production per kWp~1,051 kWh/kWp/yr
Self-consumption savings~Ft 75,686/yr
Export income (Ft 18/kWh)~Ft 56,765/yr
Total annual benefit~Ft 132,451/yr
System costFt 2,500,000–3,500,000
Payback~22.7 years
25-year net savings~Ft 311,275

Under gross metering, payback extends significantly compared to the legacy net metering regime. To improve economics: size the system to match daytime consumption (not total monthly usage), run high-consumption appliances during solar peak hours (10:00–15:00), and consider battery storage. A self-consumption ratio of 70–80% instead of the 40% default shown here can reduce payback to 12–14 years in a good location like Baranya.

FAQ

Solar remains viable in Hungary but requires a stronger self-consumption focus than before. Under gross metering, export earns only Ft 18/kWh versus Ft 36/kWh retail — making self-consumption 2x more valuable than export. Systems optimized for high self-consumption (small systems matching daytime usage, demand shifting, batteries) can achieve 10–14 year payback. Oversized systems that export most production will struggle to break even within 20 years. Hungary's relatively low installation cost (Ft 500,000–700,000/kWp) and good solar irradiance (3.4–3.7 PSH) keep it viable for well-optimized installations.
Annual net metering (éves nettó elszámolás, legacy): all solar production is netted against your consumption over the full year. Summer surplus credits offset winter consumption at the full retail rate (Ft 36/kWh). This was the highly favorable scheme used before 2023 — existing systems on this scheme should remain on it as long as possible. Gross metering (bruttó elszámolás, new systems): all production is metered separately. Self-consumed electricity avoids purchase at Ft 36/kWh; exported electricity earns only the universal service price (~Ft 18/kWh). The difference creates a strong economic incentive to maximize self-consumption.
Key strategies: (1) Size your system to match daytime consumption — a 3–5kWp system for a household consuming 10–15kWh/day is often better than a 10kWp system that exports 70%. (2) Shift high-consumption appliances to solar peak hours (10:00–15:00): dishwasher, washing machine, tumble dryer, EV charging. (3) Install a home battery (10kWh costs ~Ft 1,500,000) — increases self-consumption from ~40% to ~60–70%. (4) Consider a heat pump water heater timed to solar hours. (5) Use a smart inverter with home energy management to automatically control loads. Target a self-consumption ratio above 60% for good payback under gross metering.
Csongrád-Csanád (3.7 PSH, southern Hungary near Szeged) is Hungary's sunniest county, benefiting from its flat terrain and southern continental climate. Hajdú-Bihar and Baranya (both 3.6 PSH) follow closely. Győr-Moson-Sopron, Veszprém, and Szabolcs-Szatmár-Bereg (3.5 PSH) are solid mid-tier locations. Budapest and Pest county (3.4 PSH) receive slightly less sun due to urban heat island effects and more variable weather, but remain viable solar markets.
Hungary has offered various solar support programmes including EU-funded GINOP and KEHOP grants for businesses and municipalities. Residential grant programmes (Otthon Melege, Zöld Otthon Programok) have been offered periodically with subsidized loans and grants up to 50% of system cost — check the current availability at palyazat.gov.hu and mfb.hu. Some local municipalities also offer supplementary solar grants. VAT (ÁFA) on solar installations is currently 27% — among Europe's highest — which is included in the Ft 500,000–700,000/kWp cost estimates in this calculator.

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