How much carbon does solar actually avoid?
The emissions a rooftop system displaces over its life, and what that looks like in terms you can picture.
Your details
Your estimate
Carbon avoided over 25 yearsEstimated
123.2 – 169.3 tonnes
Emissions that would otherwise have come from generating the same electricity on the grid.
- Each year
- 5.34 – 7.33 tonnes
- Units generated
- 7,848 – 8,943 units / year
- Roughly equivalent to
- 254 – 349 trees
- Or not driving
- 38,704 km
- Petrol not burnt
- 2,310 – 3,174 litres
- Lifetime generation
- 1,81,204 – 2,06,488 units
Carbon avoided annually once the system is running.
Clean electricity displacing grid supply.
An illustration, not a measurement. Species and age change this a lot.
Another illustration, based on an average petrol car.
The same comparison expressed as fuel.
Across the full 25-year projection.
This is an estimate, not a quote.
This is an estimated range based on average conditions in your area. Your actual numbers depend on site-specific factors we verify before quoting.
Rates last verified 2026-08-06
Get the number we stand behind
Origian Power stands behind the number our engineer gives you after a free site visit — not the number above.
- Your actual generation, which depends on the roof rather than the rating
- The grid mix at the time you generate, which shifts year on year
Why the comparisons are hedged
Tonnes of carbon dioxide are almost impossible to picture, which is why every environmental calculator reaches for trees and car journeys. The comparisons are genuinely useful, and they are also softer than they look: absorption varies by species and age, and vehicle emissions vary by car and by driver.
So they are shown as illustrations rather than as findings. The tonnage itself is the figure to trust; the trees are there to make it imaginable.
Origian was founded to make this planet a better place, not just for the humans but for all the living beings combined. This page exists because of that line, which is why it asks nothing of you. The economic case is a separate question.
Questions about this estimate
How is the carbon figure worked out?
From the units your system would generate and the emissions intensity of the grid it displaces. Every unit you generate is a unit the grid does not have to produce, and the Indian grid still runs substantially on coal, which is what makes the displacement worth counting.
Are the tree and car comparisons accurate?
They are illustrations, not measurements. A tree’s absorption depends on species, age and climate; a car’s emissions depend on the vehicle and how it is driven. We show them because tonnes of CO2 are hard to picture, not because the equivalence is precise.
Does manufacturing the panels cancel this out?
No. Manufacturing does carry an emissions cost, and a panel takes a period of operation to repay it, but that period is a small fraction of a system’s working life. Over twenty-five years the balance is strongly positive.
Does this change if the grid gets cleaner?
Yes, and it should. As more renewable capacity comes onto the grid, each displaced unit avoids less carbon than it does today. The figures here reflect the grid as it currently is.
Ready to find out what solar would do for your bill?
Book a free site survey. We assess your roof, your consumption and your connection, then tell you what is actually worth installing.