Wind-Solar Hybrid Calculator
Size a complementary wind and solar system for reliable power.
About this calculator
Wind and solar tend to be seasonally and diurnally complementary — wind often runs stronger at night and in winter when solar output is lowest — which is the whole rationale for pairing them rather than relying on either alone, though this calculator itself models only the annual totals, not that hour-by-hour complementarity. Annual production for each source is estimated the same simple way: rated capacity (kW) × capacity factor × 8,760 hours in a year, then summed for total annual production. Solar and wind shares are just each source's contribution as a percentage of that combined total, useful for seeing at a glance which resource is doing the heavier lifting at your site.
Self-sufficiency compares total annual production against your annual load (daily load × 365), capped at 100% — a number above 100% on an annual basis doesn't mean you're never drawing from the grid, since production and consumption rarely line up hour-to-hour; it just means your system generates at least as much energy as you use over the full year, assuming grid backup, batteries, or net metering to bridge the gaps. Total system cost is a straightforward sum of installed cost per kW for each technology times its capacity, and the blended LCOE divides that total cost by lifetime energy production over an assumed flat 20-year system life, with no maintenance costs, financing, or performance degradation factored in. Use this for rough sizing and complementary-mix comparisons, not as a substitute for an hourly production model or a real financial pro forma.
Inputs
Results
Total Annual Production
28,908 kWh
Self-Sufficiency
100%
How to Use This Calculator
- Enter the solar array capacity in kW and its typical capacity factor (%).
- Enter the wind turbine capacity in kW and its typical capacity factor (%).
- Set your average daily electricity load in kWh, plus the installed cost per kW for solar and wind.
- Review the total annual production, self-sufficiency rate, solar/wind generation share, and total system cost.
- Hybrid systems reduce storage requirements by leveraging complementary generation profiles.
How the result changes with Solar Capacity
| Solar Capacity | Total Annual Production | Self-Sufficiency |
|---|---|---|
| 5 | 21,024 kWh | 100% |
| 7.5 | 24,966 kWh | 100% |
| 15 | 36,792 kWh | 100% |
| 25 | 52,560 kWh | 100% |
What each input means
- Solar Capacity
- Solar array size in kilowatts.
- Wind Capacity
- Wind turbine rated capacity in kilowatts.
- Solar Capacity Factor
- Average solar capacity factor for your location.
- Wind Capacity Factor
- Average wind capacity factor for your location.
- Daily Load
- Average daily electricity consumption.
- Solar Cost
- Installed cost per kW of solar.
- Wind Cost
- Installed cost per kW of wind.
How this is calculated
Worked example, using the default values
- Identify Input Parameters4 parametersSolar Capacity = 10, Wind Capacity = 5, Solar Capacity Factor = 18, Wind Capacity Factor = 30 = 7 input(s) provided
- Calculate Total Annual ProductionTotal Annual Production28908 = 28908
- Calculate Self-SufficiencySelf-Sufficiency100 = 100
- Calculate Solar ShareSolar Share55 = 55
- Calculate Wind ShareWind Share45 = 45
Engine last updated . Checked against 2 independently-derived tests — how we verify calculators. Built by Paul Gunder, a software engineer, not a licensed financial, medical, or legal professional.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why can Self-Sufficiency show 100% even though I'll still draw power from the grid sometimes?
Self-sufficiency compares your total annual production against your annual load (daily load times 365) on a purely annual basis, and the calculator caps the result at 100%. It doesn't model hour-by-hour matching between when your system generates and when you actually consume electricity, so hitting 100% here means your system generates at least as much as you use over the full year, assuming grid backup, batteries, or net metering to bridge the gaps when production and consumption don't line up.
How is the blended LCOE calculated across two different technologies?
Total system cost is the sum of solar capacity times solar cost per kW plus wind capacity times wind cost per kW, and that total is divided by total annual energy production multiplied by an assumed 20-year system life. It's a single blended number covering both technologies together, with no maintenance costs, financing, or performance degradation factored in for either source.
Where do the default solar and wind capacity factor values come from, and should I change them?
The defaults (18% for solar, 30% for wind) are reasonable ballpark figures, but actual capacity factors vary substantially by location, panel orientation, turbine height, and local wind or sun resource. If you have site-specific data — from a solar production estimator or a wind resource assessment for your actual location — enter those instead for a materially more accurate result.
Does the calculator model the day/night or seasonal complementarity between wind and solar?
No — despite wind and solar often being complementary in practice (wind frequently runs stronger at night and in winter when solar output is lowest), this calculator only sums each source's independently estimated annual total. It doesn't simulate how their outputs interleave hour by hour or season by season, so it's useful for rough sizing and mix comparison but not for predicting how much storage or grid backup you'd actually need.
Related Calculators
The questions that sit next to this one — chosen by subject, including calculators filed under a different category.
Solar System Size Calculator
Calculate KW system size from electricity usage and sun hours.
Wind EnergyWind Turbine Output Calculator
Calculate annual energy production from wind turbine specs and wind speed.
Commercial SolarSolar REC Revenue Calculator
Solar REC value from production.
Corporate EventsHybrid Event Cost Calculator
Combined in-person and virtual event cost comparison.
Climate ScienceRenewable Energy Mix Calculator
Optimal generation mix for target carbon reduction.
More in Energy & Utilities.