Account admins control two groups of settings that shape how Aurora calculates pricing and financial analysis across all projects:
- Pricing defaults — configure which pricing methods are available to users and set account-wide baselines for price per watt, starting price, and more.
- Financing defaults — set the financial modeling assumptions (project life, degradation, O&M costs, discount rate, and more) that drive financial analysis outputs like NPV, LCOE, and payback period.
Only account admins can make changes to these settings. Other users can view them but cannot edit them.
| Currency: The currency used across all pricing displays is set at the organization level, not in Pricing defaults. To change it, go to Settings > Account > Organization profile and update the Currency field. This affects all projects and proposals account-wide. |
In this article:
- Pricing default settings
- General pricing
- System pricing methods
- Storage pricing methods
- Visibility
- Component-based pricing
- Financing default settings
- Residential settings
- Commercial settings
Pricing default settings
To access pricing defaults, go to Settings > Pricing defaults, then click Edit in the upper-right corner.
| Note: Changes to pricing defaults apply to new designs. Existing designs retain the pricing method and values that were set when they were created, unless a rep or admin manually updates them. |
General pricing
| Setting | Description |
| Starting price | A fixed dollar amount added to the cost of every design, before any pricing method is applied. |
System pricing methods
Enable any combination of the three pricing methods below. Enabled methods appear as options on the Pricing page in Sales Mode and Design Mode. If more than one is enabled, users with pricing permissions can switch between them.
| Pricing method | Description |
| Price per component | System price is calculated as the sum of individual component prices multiplied by quantities. Component prices are set manually per component in Database. Components include modules, inverters, DC optimizers, combiner boxes, load centers, disconnects, service panels, and meters. |
| Flat price | A single, user-set currency amount for the total system price. |
| Price per watt (PPW) | System price is calculated as a base PPW multiplied by the STC system size in watts. |
Additional settings:
| Setting | Description |
| Default pricing method | If more than one method is enabled, this sets which appears as the default for new projects. |
| Base PPW | The default price per watt applied to every design. Only relevant when Price per watt is enabled. |
| Allow PPW to be edited | When on, users with pricing permissions can edit the PPW directly on the Pricing page in Sales Mode or Design Mode. |
Storage pricing methods
Storage pricing is configured independently from system pricing. Enable one or both options below.
| Pricing method | Description |
| Price per battery | Storage price is calculated as battery unit price multiplied by quantity. Battery prices are set per model in Database > Batteries. This method is always available and is the default. |
| Flat storage price | A single, user-set currency amount for the total storage cost. Useful when a lender or external party provides a total battery cost to enter directly. If both methods are enabled, reps can switch between them on the Pricing page. |
To enable flat storage pricing:
- Go to Settings > Pricing defaults.
- Click Edit.
- Under Storage pricing methods, enable Flat price.
- Optionally set Flat price limits — enter a Minimum and/or Maximum. If a rep enters a value outside this range, they'll see an error and won't be able to save until they correct it.
- Click Save.
| Note: There is no Default pricing method selector for storage — Price per battery is always the default. If flat storage pricing is also enabled, reps can switch methods using the pencil icon next to Storage component total on the Pricing page. |
Visibility
| Setting | Description |
| Show PPW dropdown | When on, a dropdown showing PPW calculations appears on the Pricing page. The dropdown displays: Base PPW (system price ÷ system size), System PPW with storage (base price + adders, discounts, energy optimizations, incentives, and storage), Gross PPW without storage (base price + adders, discounts, energy optimizations, incentives, and any dealer or service fees associated with the loan), and Gross PPW with storage (same as above, plus storage). |
Component-based pricing
When Price per component is enabled, individual component prices are set per item in the Database — not on this settings page. To set a component price:
- Go to Database and select a component type (e.g., Modules, Inverters, Batteries).
- Click a model name to open the left-hand tray.
- Click Edit in the lower-right corner of the tray.
- Enter the price in the Price field.
- Click Save. Once saved, whenever that model is used in a design, its cost will appear on the Pricing and Financing pages and in the System Summary in Sales Mode.
For batteries, you can set tiered pricing: a price for the 1st unit and a different price for the 2nd unit and beyond. Partner-specific price variants are also supported.
| Note: If you update a component's price in the Database, existing designs that use that component will retain the old price until the design is manually edited and saved. Only new designs will automatically pick up the updated price. |
| Note: "Components" here refers to solar system components only — not batteries. Battery costs are priced independently using the per-unit price set in Database > Batteries, or flat storage price, regardless of which system pricing method is selected. For example, even when using PPW or flat price for the solar system, batteries are always priced from the Database. |
Financing default settings
Financing defaults set the assumptions Aurora uses when calculating financial outputs such as net present value (NPV), levelized cost of energy (LCOE), and payback period. Settings are split into two tabs: Residential and Commercial.
To access financing defaults, go to Settings > Financing, then click Edit in the upper-right corner.
Residential settings
Project details
| Setting | Description |
| Project life | The expected lifespan of the project in years, used to determine the length of the financial analysis. Default is 25 years, reflecting standard residential solar panel warranties. |
Electricity rate
| Setting | Description |
| Utility bill savings/feed-in tariffs are taxed? | Enable if utility bill savings or feed-in tariff revenue are considered taxable income for your customers. Not common for standard residential installs, but may apply in certain states or commercial structures. |
System and maintenance
| Setting | Description |
| Annual degradation | The percentage by which the system's energy output declines each year. Used as a fallback when the module-level degradation setting is off or not specified. The industry standard for modern monocrystalline panels is approximately 0.5% per year. |
| Inverter replacement cost | The estimated cost to replace the inverter, expressed as $/W of rated AC power. Factors into long-term financial projections. Typical residential replacement costs range from $0.15–$0.25/W for string inverters. |
| Inverter life | The expected number of years until the inverter needs replacement. String inverters typically last 10–15 years; microinverters 20–25 years. Aurora's default of 13 years is a reasonable conservative estimate for string inverters. |
| Storage life | The expected number of years until the battery needs replacement. Most lithium-ion batteries last 10–15 years depending on manufacturer and chemistry. If your customers commonly install storage, set this to reflect the battery technology you most often deploy (10 years is a conservative default). |
Financing comparisons
| Setting | Description |
| Enable financing comparisons | When on, sales reps can compare financing options side by side in proposals using the Compare button on financing cards. |
Discounts
| Setting | Description |
| Discount rate | The interest rate used to discount future cash flows to present value, affecting NPV, LCOE, and several proposal variables. |
See the Discount rate article for more detail on how this value is calculated and applied.
Prepayment and down payment
| Setting | Description |
| Allow prepayment amount to be editable | When on, users can add a custom prepayment amount to a financing option directly in Sales Mode and on the pricing page. |
| Allow for a down payment | When on, users can add a down payment to a financing option. Applies to both residential and commercial projects. |
Payback period
| Setting | Description |
| Sales Mode – show payback period | When on, the payback period is displayed in Sales Mode and the web proposal. Applies to both residential and commercial projects. |
| Note: For mortgage-style loans with a $0 down payment, the payback period may display as 0 years. This reflects how Aurora calculates payback when no upfront cash outlay occurs under the selected financing structure. |
Commercial settings
The Commercial tab includes all of the fields above — except Enable financing comparisons, which is residential only — plus the following additional sections:
Incentives
| Setting | Description |
| Default commercial incentives | Pre-populate default incentives (such as ITC, rebates, or state programs) for commercial projects. If no incentives are added here, the field will show "No incentives added." Incentives can also be applied at the individual project level. |
Operation and maintenance
| Setting | Description |
| Fixed O&M cost | Annual fixed O&M cost per kW of system capacity ($/kW/year). Covers predictable costs like inspections, cleaning, and insurance. Per NREL's Annual Technology Baseline, commercial PV fixed O&M averages approximately $19–$21/kW/year. |
| Variable O&M cost | Variable O&M cost per kWh of energy produced ($/kWh). For most commercial systems this is $0.00–$0.005/kWh. |
| O&M cost inflation | The annual rate at which O&M costs are expected to increase. A common assumption is 2–3%, in line with general inflation. |
| Tax deductible? | Enable if O&M costs are tax-deductible for the project owner. Often applicable for commercial and C&I installations. |
Depreciation
| Setting | Description |
| National depreciation | The depreciation schedule for federal/national tax purposes. Default is 5-year MACRS with 50% bonus depreciation — the standard schedule for commercial solar assets under U.S. federal tax rules. |
| Local depreciation | The depreciation schedule for state/local tax purposes. Default is 5-year MACRS with no bonus depreciation. |
| Note: MACRS (Modified Accelerated Cost Recovery System) is the U.S. tax depreciation method for business assets. Solar systems qualify for 5-year MACRS, meaning the cost is deducted over a 5-year schedule. Bonus depreciation allows a larger deduction in the first year. The default shown here reflects Aurora's preconfigured settings — bonus depreciation rates have changed over time and may differ from the current rate applicable to your projects. Consult a tax advisor for current rates and eligibility. See What is depreciation? and How do I see the amount of depreciation? for more detail. |
| Note: Changes to financing defaults apply to new projects. Existing projects retain the values that were in effect when they were created unless manually updated. |
Related articles
- Adders and discounts
- Loan Modeling Overview
- Discount rate
- Custom Financing Products: Overview
- Adjusting pricing in Sales Mode