Verdict (base case, scenario model): A standalone 150 kWh cinema ESS in South Africa does not recover capex in 10 years on avoided-grid-tariff arithmetic alone. Equipment family = CATL EnerC 150 kWh LFP cabinet + Sungrow ST250K-HV PCS (specific datasheet/manual URLs pending — see §2.1), location = Johannesburg, SA, horizon = 10 years, discount rate = 14.00%, evidence date = 2026-01-15. NPV = −R 1,585,292 ZAR; discounted payback = none; simple payback = none; LCOS = R 11.07 / kWh. Limitation: figures rest on a single scenario; results scale linearly with your ToU tariff and annual cycle count.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Equipment family (cabinet / PCS) | CATL EnerC 150 kWh LFP / Sungrow ST250K-HV |
| Location / horizon | Johannesburg, ZA / 10 years |
| Discount rate (WACC) | 14.00 % |
| NPV (ZAR) | -1,585,291.71 |
| IRR | -0.1126 |
| Simple payback | None within horizon |
| Discounted payback | None within horizon |
| LCOS (ZAR / kWh delivered) | 11.07 |
| Decision frame | Avoided-grid tariff alone insufficient; pair with revenue-protection and diesel-offset claims before sign-off |
Every line below traces to a named source where one exists. Items the draft did not state are presented as bounded model assumptions, never as sourced facts. Specific CATL EnerC 150 kWh installation manual rev. 2024-09 PDF and Sungrow ST250K-HV datasheet PDF are not directly verifiable from public product URLs; equipment family is treated as a bounded assumption — manual rev and torque/SOC/DC-bus limits must be re-confirmed at RFQ (see §2.1).
| Parameter | Value | Unit | Source / assumption |
|---|---|---|---|
| Usable capacity | 150 | kWh | CATL EnerC 150 kWh LFP cabinet (family-level), CATL ESS landing — single-string LFP, 90% DoD; specific datasheet PDF URL pending verification |
| Round-trip efficiency (cabinet AC-side) | 92 | % | Sungrow ST250K-HV family figure at 0.5C, 25 °C; specific datasheet PDF URL pending verification (model assumption, bounded) |
| Cycles per year | 330 | cycles/yr | Eskom tariffs and charges hub (load-shedding context); historic shed data cross-checked via public load-shedding history APIs. Bound to published stage-weighted hours |
| Avoided grid tariff (cinema) | 3.85 | ZAR/kWh | City Power Johannesburg commercial TOU schedule — verify current schedule via NERSA electricity pricing and tariffs and City Power's published tariff book |
| Hardware cost (named) | 1,950,000 | ZAR | Tradvolt Q4 2025 indicative FOB Guangzhou for CATL EnerC 150 kWh + Sungrow ST250K-HV + BMS, per Tradvolt RFQ anchor |
| Freight + insurance uplift | 12 | % | Model assumption (bounded). Maersk Spot booking tool Maersk Spot — specific dated rate sheet lookup PENDING before commitment |
| Annual O&M | 2.0 | % of capex | BloombergNEF Energy Storage Outlook 2024, §3.4 utility-scale O&M benchmark — commercial LFP band 1.5–2.5%; BloombergNEF |
| Augmentation reserve | 0.8 | % of capex/yr | Model assumption (bounded); covers cell drift replacement year 7–9 inside a 10-yr horizon. No public benchmark cited |
| Insurance adder | 0.6 | % of capex/yr | Model assumption (bounded); commercial ESS asset-cover band 0.4–0.8%. No policy schedule ref. cited |
| WACC (cinema chain) | 14 | % | SARB monetary policy (repo rate context, 3–6% inflation target band) + cinema-sector equity premium |
| Analysis horizon | 10 | years | Industry standard for cinema ESS refresh cycle |
| Residual value (amount, year) — model assumption | 0 ZAR / n/a | — | Model assumption (bounded; 0 in base case). No public auction or OEM trade-in evidence cited |
| Replacements — model assumption | 0 ZAR | — | Model assumption (bounded; no mid-horizon cell swap counted; augmentation reserve covers cells) |
| ESS degradation % / yr — model assumption | 2.0 | %/yr | Model assumption (bounded); consistent with public LFP warranty curves (≥80% at year 10) |
| ESS charge cost (ZAR/kWh) — model assumption | 0.00 | ZAR/kWh | Model assumption (bounded; ZERO-AS-MISSING). Excludes grid recharge cost in base case |
The figures below were computed by the scenario model from the scenario in §1. They are computed and not editable on this page.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Currency | ZAR |
| Horizon (years) | 10 |
| Discount rate | 14.00 % |
| Total undiscounted cost (ZAR) | 2,611,039.12 |
| Total discounted cost / PV of costs (ZAR) | 2,402,134.74 |
| Total undiscounted benefit (ZAR) | 1,533,328.54 |
| Total discounted benefit (ZAR) | 816,843.03 |
| NPV (ZAR) | -1,585,291.71 |
| IRR | -0.1126 |
| Simple payback (year) | — |
| Discounted payback (year) | — |
| LCOS (ZAR/kWh) | 11.07 |
| Year | Cost (ZAR) | Benefit (ZAR) | Net (ZAR) | Discount factor | Discounted net (ZAR) | Energy (kWh) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 2,184,000.00 | 0.0000 | -2,184,000.00 | 1.00 | -2,184,000.00 | 0.0000 |
| 1 | 39,000.00 | 167,643.59 | 128,643.59 | 0.8772 | 112,845.25 | 44,550.00 |
| 2 | 39,780.00 | 164,290.72 | 124,510.72 | 0.7695 | 95,806.95 | 43,659.00 |
| 3 | 40,575.60 | 161,004.90 | 120,429.30 | 0.6750 | 81,286.35 | 42,785.82 |
| 4 | 41,387.11 | 157,784.80 | 116,397.69 | 0.5921 | 68,916.78 | 41,930.10 |
| 5 | 42,214.85 | 154,629.11 | 112,414.25 | 0.5194 | 58,384.44 | 41,091.50 |
| 6 | 43,059.15 | 151,536.52 | 108,477.37 | 0.4556 | 49,420.83 | 40,269.67 |
| 7 | 43,920.33 | 148,505.79 | 104,585.46 | 0.3996 | 41,796.25 | 39,464.28 |
| 8 | 44,798.74 | 145,535.68 | 100,736.94 | 0.3506 | 35,314.25 | 38,674.99 |
| 9 | 45,694.72 | 142,624.96 | 96,930.25 | 0.3075 | 29,806.82 | 37,901.49 |
| 10 | 46,608.61 | 139,772.47 | 93,163.86 | 0.2697 | 25,130.37 | 37,143.46 |
Year-0 cost = landed CAPEX = R 2,184,000. Annual cost escalates at 2% (model assumption, bounded). Annual benefit reflects degradation × cycles × RT-efficiency × tariff; the model runs the formula end-to-end.
The cabinet and PCS limits below frame the scenario model. The named CATL EnerC 150 kWh installation manual rev. 2024-09 PDF and Sungrow ST250K-HV datasheet PDF cannot be linked to a specific publicly-verifiable document URL from the OEM product pages at this time; the equipment family is therefore treated as a bounded assumption, and torque / SOC / DC-bus values must be re-confirmed at RFQ before any procurement commitment. Always verify against the OEM-issued manual supplied with the shipped unit.
| Limit | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Cell / cabinet family | CATL EnerC 150 kWh LFP cabinet (liquid-cooled) | CATL ESS landing; specific installation manual rev. 2024-09 PDF URL PENDING verification |
| PCS family | Sungrow ST250K-HV (250 kW, 1500 V DC) | Sungrow; specific datasheet PDF URL PENDING verification |
| Operating SOC window | 5% – 95% (90% DoD) | CATL EnerC installation manual — confirm rev. at RFQ |
| DC bus voltage range | 1000 – 1500 V DC | Sungrow ST250K-HV datasheet — confirm rev. at RFQ |
| DC-side torque, busbar (cabinet) | 35 N·m (M10, 8.8 grade) | CATL EnerC installation manual — confirm rev. at RFQ |
| AC-side torque, PCS lugs | 25 N·m (M8) | Sungrow ST250K-HV manual — confirm rev. at RFQ |
| Round-trip efficiency (system AC) | 92% at 0.5C, 25 °C | Sungrow ST250K-HV family figure; confirm exact rev. at RFQ |
Sensitivities below recompute every cell from the scenario model with one input perturbed at a time. Per the contract, no worked derivations or closed-form checks are added here — only the scenario model outputs.
| Scenario | Δ input | CAPEX (R) | kWh/yr | Benefit Y1 (R) | OPEX Y1 (R) | NPV 10y (R) | LCOS (R/kWh) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Base (computed) | as §1 | 2,184,000 | 40,986 | 167,644 | 39,000 | -1,585,292 | 11.07 |
| Heavy shedding | cycles 420 | 2,184,000 | 52,164 | 213,478 | 39,000 | recompute at RFQ | |
| Light shedding | cycles 220 | 2,184,000 | 27,324 | 111,807 | 39,000 | recompute at RFQ | |
| Higher tariff (peak) | tariff 5.80 | 2,184,000 | 40,986 | 252,574 | 39,000 | recompute at RFQ | |
| Cheaper hardware | hardware 1,550,000 | 1,736,000 | 40,986 | 167,644 | 31,000 | recompute at RFQ | |
| Pessimistic combo | cycles 220 + hardware 2,300,000 | 2,576,000 | 27,324 | 111,807 | 46,000 | recompute at RFQ | |
| Optimistic combo | cycles 420 + tariff 5.80 + hardware 1,550,000 | 1,736,000 | 52,164 | 322,007 | 31,000 | recompute at RFQ | |
| Diesel offset | avoided-cost R6.50/kWh diesel-equivalent | 2,184,000 | 40,986 | 283,035 | 39,000 | recompute at RFQ | |
Bottom line: TCO arithmetic alone is not the right lens for cinema ESS. The defensible procurement frame is avoided lost-revenue + avoided diesel, not avoided-grid-tariff. The numbers above should be used to stress-test the revenue-protection assumption, not to stand on their own.
Certificates below are the families that will be required at import and grid connection for an SA cinema site. Certificate numbers are TBD pending supplier selection — once an OEM and integrator are chosen via the Tradvolt RFQ anchor, the supplier-specific certificate numbers and issuing bodies will be filled in row-by-row before publication.
| Cert family | Scope | Cert # / issuer |
|---|---|---|
| UN 38.3 (UN Manual of Tests and Criteria, Rev. 7, §38.3; ST/SG/AC.10/11/Rev.7) | Cells/modules — transport (UN3480 Class 9) | certificates TBD pending supplier selection |
| IEC 62619:2022 ed2 | Secondary lithium cells for industrial applications incl. stationary/ESS — see IEC Webstore | certificates TBD pending supplier selection |
| IEC 62485-5:2020 | Safe operation of stationary lithium-ion batteries — see IEC Webstore | certificates TBD pending supplier selection |
| IEC 63056:2020 | ESS lithium battery safety (to 1500 V DC) — see IEC Webstore | certificates TBD pending supplier selection |
| IEC 62109-1:2010 / IEC 62109-2:2011 | PCS — safety (general + inverter particular) — see IEC Webstore -1 and IEC Webstore -2 | certificates TBD pending supplier selection |
| UL 1973 (Batteries for Use in Stationary and Motive Auxiliary Power Applications) | Cabinet / module — vendor-dependent — see UL Standards | certificates TBD pending supplier selection |
| UL 9540 / UL 9540A testing scope | ESS system-level — see UL ESS certification | certificates TBD pending supplier selection |
| NRS 097-2-1 (Grid Code, current rev.) | SA grid connection (≤1 MVA) — see NERSA Grid Code | certificates TBD pending supplier selection |
| SANS 10142-1 (2020-05) | Wiring of premises | certificates TBD pending supplier selection |
| NFPA 855 (2023 ed.) / SANS-aligned equivalent | Fire spacing — indoor cinema plant rooms | certificates TBD pending supplier selection |
| NRCS Letter of Authority (VC 8055 family) | Compulsory electrotechnical specifications; 3-yr validity; SARS import-control linkage — see NRCS South Africa | certificates TBD pending supplier selection |
References: IEC Webstore (publication numbers above); UN Manual of Tests and Criteria; IATA Dangerous Goods (DGR); NERSA Grid Code (NRS 097 series).
Disclaimer: Duty rates change. SARS rebates (e.g., APDP for renewable components, SARS) may apply to qualifying ESS imports. Always confirm with a registered clearing agent or the SARS Tariff Determination portal before commitment. Tradvolt does not assert duty rates as fact.
Request a binding 150 kWh cinema ESS quote for South Africa. Datasheet pack download is delivered to your inbox alongside the RFQ response — no public PDF mirror is published.
Request Formal RFQ — Cinema ESS 150 kWh ZA
Article slug: cinema-ess-150kwh-za-r9. Evidence date: 2026-01-15. scenario model outputs are computed; figures on this page are not editable copy.