Cargo-Port Solar 4 MWp UK — Use-Case TCO

computed total cost of ownership for a 4,000 kWp hybrid rooftop + ground-mount solar PV asset at a UK cargo port, evaluated over 25 years at a 6.00% discount rate, in GBP.

Verdict: Base-case NPV £7,567,935.26, undiscounted simple payback 4.42 years, discounted payback 5.27 years, LCOE £0.0829/kWh (8.29 p/kWh) — well below the 24 p/kWh industrial import tariff referenced in inputs; viable across all but the most stressed sensitivity cases. Equipment: hybrid PV array of LONGi Hi-MO 7 (LR7-72HGD-650M) modules, Huawei SUN2000-330KTL-H1 string inverters, K2 Systems SingleRail / MultiRail mounting, deployed at a southern-England container terminal, horizon 25 years, evidence dated 2026-09-22. Limitation: BESS excluded from base case; capex £/Wp, specific yield and self-consumption share are bounded model assumptions (see inputs); duty rates not asserted and require lookup at the time of import declaration.

1. Inputs Table

Every named input carries an attributed source. Items without a defensible citation are presented as assumptions with explicit bounds.

2. Equipment Specification (BOM Review)

Module, inverter and mounting models are real, publicly marketed products. Final electrical limits must be confirmed against each OEM manual at RFQ stage; cite the OEM manual title and revision for any torque, SOC or voltage constraints before commissioning.

Note on alternates: equivalent-tier substitutes that are real, publicly marketed products include Jinko Solar Tiger Neo (e.g. JKM-N-78HL4R-V) (JinkoSolar product landing page), Trina Solar Vertex N (e.g. TSM-NEG19RC.20) (Trina Solar product landing page), Sungrow SG250HX / SG350HX (Sungrow product landing page) and Growatt MAX 250KTL3-X HV (Growatt product landing page). Model choice depends on string architecture, DC/AC ratio and grid-code compliance — confirm at RFQ.

3. scenario TCO Summary (Verbatim)

The table below is the computed numeric output of the scenario model. No other financial figure in this page is computed; no worked derivation, closed-form check or sensitivity outside the computed tables appears in this document.

4. computed Year-by-Year Cash Flow (Verbatim)

Discount factors in this table are 1/(1.06)^t applied to net annual cashflows. Energy column is the computed annual generation in kWh.

Payback basis (explicit): the simple payback of 4.42 years is the undiscounted year at which cumulative displaced-energy net cashflows first turn non-negative. The discounted payback of 5.27 years is the year at which cumulative discounted net cashflows first turn non-negative at r = 6.00%. Both are computed on displaced-energy cashflows; neither is a finance-engine payback incorporating debt amortisation, DSCR or refinancing.

5. Verdict by Scenario

Scenario labels below restate the computed base-case number (LCOE £0.0829/kWh; NPV £7,567,935.26; payback 4.42 / 5.27 yr) alongside plain-English commentary on the sensitivity of that number to input stress. No alternate LCOE figure is asserted in this section that is not already in the computed tables.

• Base (per scenario TCO summary): LCOE 8.29 p/kWh; simple payback 4.42 yr; discounted payback 5.27 yr; NPV £7.57m — comfortably below the 24 p/kWh industrial import tariff referenced above. Economic on displaced-energy basis.
• Tariff headroom: 8.29 p/kWh vs. 24 p/kWh ≈ 65.5% headroom on unit cost; 5.27-yr discounted payback inside a 25-yr horizon.
• Inputs to stress at RFQ stage: capex £/Wp (low 0.70 / mid 0.85 / high 1.05 — see inputs table); specific yield (low 900 / mid 975 / high 1,050 kWh/kWp); self-consumption share (driven by reefer and crane load factor); DNO connection-charge overrun; module degradation step-change; tariff-escalation path (current bounded default 1.5%/yr real).
• Action: a single computed LCOE (8.29 p/kWh) and a single computed payback pair (4.42 yr simple, 5.27 yr discounted) are published for procurement use. No alternate P10/P90 stress LCOE is published in this revision; request a stress sheet from TradVolt at RFQ stage if required for board sponsor modelling.

6. Required Compliance & Standards

7. HS Code & Duty Lookup Block

8. Frequently Asked Questions

What capex per Wp is assumed in the computed base case?

The computed base case uses £0.85/Wp (mid). Bounded range £0.70–£1.05/Wp; low case represents ground-mount-heavy build, high case represents rooftop-heavy build with extended DNO connection.

What specific yield is realistic for a UK cargo port?

The computed base case uses 975 kWh/kWp/yr. Bounded range 900–1,050 kWh/kWp/yr; southern-coast port at the upper bound, northern port or a site shaded by ship-to-shore gantry cranes toward the lower bound.

Is VAT recoverable on a port-side solar installation?

Whether VAT is recoverable depends on the operator's taxable status and qualifying use under HMRC Notice 708. Confirm with a VAT adviser before tendering.

Does the TCO include a battery?

No. The base case is PV-only. A BESS overlay (e.g. CATL EnerC, EVE LF280K-class cells in a DC block, Huawei LUNA2000S-97KWH or Sungrow ST2752UX) would change self-consumption share, capex and duty treatment; modelled separately on request and subject to additional compliance checks (EU 2023/1542, UN 38.3, UL 1973). For an EV charging overlay, IEC 61851-1:2017 and OCPP (Open Charge Alliance — OCA) apply.

How is payback defined?

Simple payback (4.42 yr) = undiscounted year at which cumulative displaced-energy net cashflows first turn non-negative. Discounted payback (5.27 yr) = same at r = 6.00%. Neither is a finance-engine payback incorporating debt amortisation, DSCR or refinancing.

9. Call to Action