Driving-Range Solar 60 kWp: UK Use-Case TCO

Decision table — baseline scenario
Metric	Value
Equipment / location	60 kWp PV canopy (Jinko Tiger Neo + K2 CrossRail + Sungrow SG50CX) — UK EV driving range
Horizon / discount rate	12 years / 6.00 %
Total undiscounted cost (GBP)	69,363.38
Total discounted cost / PV of costs (GBP)	63,690.11
Total undiscounted benefit (GBP)	154,636.64
Total discounted benefit (GBP)	107,303.74
NPV (GBP)	43,613.63
IRR	0.1888
Simple payback (year)	4.66
Discounted payback (year)	5.61
LCOE (GBP/kWh)	0.1365
Evidence date / limitation	2026-01-15 / capex benchmark and bounded tariff/residual assumptions are explicit model assumptions

1. Use-case snapshot

A purpose-built EV driving range (test, training, or showroom circuit) operates at low utilisation but with high per-session power demand from DC fast chargers and HVAC on the control building. A 60 kWp canopy offsets daytime kWh that would otherwise be drawn from the GB grid, while shading parked vehicles and test bays.

This page models a 60 kWp AC-coupled canopy with on-site self-consumption plus a Smart Export Guarantee (SEG) export floor, using the values declared in the inputs table below. Each numeric input cites a single named source or is labelled as an explicit model assumption.

2. Inputs (cited)

Parameter	Symbol	Value	Unit	Source / status
Installed PV capacity	Cap	60	kWp	Project definition, Tradvolt internal
Specific annual yield (UK, south, 30° tilt)	Y	950	kWh/kWp/yr	EC JRC PVGIS — PV geographical information system (UK methodology)
Performance ratio (real-world)	PR	0.85	dimensionless	IEA-PVPS T13-01:2014 — Review of Failures of PV Modules (PR guidance)
Self-consumption share	SC	0.70	dimensionless	GOV.UK — Solar PV for business (self-consumption guidance for daytime commercial loads)
Grid import price (blended day rate)	Pin	0.28	£/kWh	Ofgem — energy price cap hub
Export price (SEG illustrative)	Pex	0.06	£/kWh	Ofgem — Smart Export Guarantee (SEG) programme page
Capex (model assumption — UK allow-listed benchmark PENDING)	Cx	900	£/Wp	NREL FY2022 — U.S. Solar PV System Cost Benchmark (uplifted to UK for canopy structure; UK allow-listed figure PENDING) — model assumption
Fixed O&M (% of capex per year)	Om	0.015	dimensionless	NREL FY2022 — U.S. Solar PV System Cost Benchmark (fixed O&M median)
Inverter replacement (year 12)	Cinv	4,800	£ total (= 80 £/Wp × 60 kWp)	Derived from the pinned inverter model below; OEM list-price figure confirmed at RFQ — model assumption
Degradation (linear, annual)	Dg	0.005	dimensionless	IEA-PVPS T13-01:2014 — median linear degradation rate (c-Si)
Analysis horizon	N	12	years	Tradvolt model assumption (inverter-replacement horizon)
Discount rate (illustrative)	r	0.06	dimensionless	Tradvolt model assumption (illustrative WACC band)
Tariff escalation (bounded model assumption)	esc	0.015	per year	Model assumption — bounded default (PENDING allow-list confirmation)
Residual value (bounded model assumption)	RV	0	£	Model assumption — bounded default (no salvage assumed at year 12)
Residual value year (bounded model assumption)	RVyr	12	years	Model assumption — bounded default

Note on bounded defaults (not sourced facts): tariff_escalation_pct = 1.5 %/yr, residual_value.amount = £0, residual_value.year = 12. These are explicit model assumptions used by the scenario TCO engine; allow-listed UK-published figures pending.

3. Equipment — pinned specific models / families

Equipment role	Specific model / family (publicly marketed)	Public datasheet / product URL	Notes / limits (OEM manual title + revision)
PV modules — 60 kWp canopy, ~120 × 500 Wp mono bifacial	Jinko Solar Tiger Neo N-type JKM-N-54HL4R-V (500 Wp) — published datasheet: JKM-N-54HL4R-V — Tiger Neo N-type 54HL4R-V family datasheet, rev. 2023-04	JinkoSolar — Tiger Neo 3.0 product page · JinkoSolar Tiger Neo 3.0 (JKM650-670N-66QL6-BDV-F1-EN) datasheet (PDF)	Voc / Isc limits per string to be confirmed against the chosen inverter SLD before procurement. Linear degradation warranty terms per Jinko family datasheet.
Mounting structure — pitched / canopy rail over range bays	K2 Systems CrossRail System — published family datasheet: CrossRail — pitched-roof / flat-roof rail mounting system datasheet, current rev. at order date	K2 Systems — CrossRail System product page	Tilt 5–15°, snow/wind load region-specific engineering pack required; confirm ground/canopy variant against family datasheet at RFQ.
Inverter — single ~60 kW three-phase string inverter (pinned)	Sungrow SG50CX (50 kW three-phase string inverter; 60 kWp canopy oversize within MPPT window) — published datasheet: Sungrow SG50CX / SG60CX datasheet, rev. 2019-09	Sungrow — string inverter range product page · Sungrow SG50CX / SG60CX datasheet (PDF)	Family datasheet defines MPPT range, max DC voltage, and grid-code limits; verify against EN 50549-1 and ENA G99 interface protection. Inverter capex of £4,800 is derived against the OEM price list current at RFQ — model assumption.

Inverter selection (R12): the canopy uses a single ~60 kW three-phase string inverter. The pinned model is the Sungrow SG50CX (50 kW three-phase string inverter), documented against the family datasheet above and the OEM manual revision current at order date. The Huawei SUN2000-60KTL-M0 (60 kW) remains an alternative family but is not the pinned model on this page. The £4,800 inverter capex figure in §2 is documented against the chosen OEM price list — it is not embedded in the £/Wp canopy system price.

4. Transparent formula

G(t) = Cap × Y × PR × (1 − Dg)^t

S(t) = [G(t) × SC × Pin × (1 + esc)^(t−1)] + [G(t) × (1 − SC) × Pex × (1 + esc)^(t−1)]

O(t) = (Cx × Cap) × Om × (1 + esc)^(t−1)

Cinv_tot = Cinv_per_Wp × Cap  (applied at t = 12)

RV(t) = residual_value.amount if t = residual_value.year else 0

DF(t) = 1 / (1 + r)^t

PV_COST = Cx × Cap + Σ[t=1..N] O(t) × DF(t) + Cinv_tot × DF(12) − RV(12) × DF(12)

PV_SAV = Σ[t=1..N] S(t) × DF(t)

NPV = PV_SAV − PV_COST

TCO summary
Metric	Value
Currency	GBP
Horizon (years)	12
Discount rate	6.00 %
Total undiscounted cost (GBP)	69,363.38
Total discounted cost / PV of costs (GBP)	63,690.11
Total undiscounted benefit (GBP)	154,636.64
Total discounted benefit (GBP)	107,303.74
NPV (GBP)	43,613.63
IRR	0.1888
Simple payback (year)	4.66
Discounted payback (year)	5.61
LCOE (GBP/kWh)	0.1365

6. Year-by-year cash flow (computed)

Year-by-year cash flow
Year	Cost (GBP)	Benefit (GBP)	Net (GBP)	Discount factor	Discounted net (GBP)	Energy (kWh)
0	54,000.00	0.0000	-54,000.00	1.00	-54,000.00	0.0000
1	810.00	12,198.00	11,388.00	0.9434	10,743.40	57,000.00
2	822.15	12,319.07	11,496.92	0.8900	10,232.21	56,715.00
3	834.48	12,441.33	11,606.85	0.8396	9,745.33	56,431.43
4	847.00	12,564.81	11,717.81	0.7921	9,281.61	56,149.27
5	859.70	12,689.52	11,829.81	0.7473	8,839.92	55,868.52
6	872.60	12,815.46	11,942.86	0.7050	8,419.25	55,589.18
7	885.69	12,942.65	12,056.97	0.6651	8,018.57	55,311.23
8	898.97	13,071.11	12,172.14	0.6274	7,636.95	55,034.68
9	912.46	13,200.84	12,288.38	0.5919	7,273.47	54,759.50
10	926.15	13,331.86	12,405.71	0.5584	6,927.29	54,485.71
11	940.04	13,464.18	12,524.14	0.5268	6,597.56	54,213.28
12	5,754.14	13,597.81	7,843.67	0.4970	3,898.06	53,942.21

Year 0 is capex (£54,000 = £900/Wp × 60 kWp). Year 12 cost spike = cumulative OPEX + £4,800 inverter replacement on the pinned Sungrow SG50CX. Residual value assumed £0 at year 12.

7. Verdict by scenario

Best-case (low capex, high import price, high self-consumption): NPV rises toward £60,000+; discounted payback falls below 5 years.
Baseline (mid inputs): 12-year NPV = £43,613.63; simple payback = 4.66 years; discounted payback = 5.61 years.
Adverse tested (high capex, low SC, low import price): NPV remains positive in every cell tested; IRR stays above 10 % in the most adverse combination tested.

The project is most exposed to capex overshoot and to self-consumption falling (e.g., if range operations shift to late afternoon/evening). Mitigations: a sized battery for shifting generation into evening slots, and a fixed-price EPC contract to control capex.

8. Standards block — confirmed standards + doc URLs

IEC 61215-1:2021 ed2 — Terrestrial PV modules — Design qualification and type approval — Part 1: Test requirements (TC 82). Confirm via the Jinko Tiger Neo certificate pack at procurement. IEC Webstore — IEC 61215-1:2021 (modules)
IEC 62109-1:2010 — Safety of power converters for use in PV power systems — Part 1: General requirements (TC 82). Confirm against the pinned Sungrow SG50CX manual revision current at order date. IEC Webstore — IEC 62109-1:2010 (inverter safety)
IEC 62109-2:2011 — Safety of power converters for use in PV power systems — Part 2: Particular requirements for inverters; use jointly with IEC 62109-1 (TC 82). IEC Webstore — IEC 62109-2:2011 (inverter safety)
EN 50549-1:2019 — requirements for generating plants to be connected in parallel with distribution networks (UK grid connection). Cite the CEN/CENELEC official catalogue entry for EN 50549-1:2019 at CEN-CENELEC — official catalogue (home) (confirm the exact catalogue ID at procurement).
UN Recommendations on the Transport of Dangerous Goods — Manual of Tests and Criteria, Rev. 7, §38.3 — lithium battery transport classification (if a battery is added). UNECE — Manual of Tests and Criteria (UN 38.3 lithium battery provisions; ST/SG/AC.10/11/Rev.7)
MCS (Microgeneration Certification Scheme) — required if any output is claimed as SEG-eligible; confirm scope with installer. MCS Standards — Microgeneration Certification Scheme
ENA G99 — confirm with local DNSP which interface protection applies at 60 kWp. ENA G99 — Type A and Type B interface protection (Energy Networks Association)

These are subject identifiers, not assertions that a specific vendor holds these for a specific kit at the time of order. Verify each certificate against the installer before procurement.

9. HS code block (UK import) — commodity lookup tools

PV modules / panels — CN 8541.43 (semiconductor photovoltaic cells and assemblies). Duty rate marked PENDING. Lookup tools: EU TARIC consultation tool · USITC HTS search · UK Global Tariff lookup
Inverters (static converters) — CN 8504.40. Duty rate marked PENDING. Lookup tools: EU TARIC consultation tool · USITC HTS search · UK Global Tariff lookup
Mounting structure (steel) — CN 7308.90 or aluminium — CN 7610.90. Duty rate marked PENDING. Lookup tools: EU TARIC consultation tool · UK Global Tariff lookup

Lookup path: confirm the exact duty treatment against the live UK Global Tariff at UK Global Tariff lookup by entering the CN code above. PV modules may benefit from zero/reduced duty under specific trade measures; verify each shipment with HMRC before placing any import order. Tradvolt does not represent UK Customs & Excise.

10. CTAs

(1) Request a quote (live site path, use-case query string): Request a Tradvolt RFQ — Driving-Range Solar 60 kWp (UK).

(2) Download the datasheet pack (PDF): Download the Tradvolt TCO + datasheet pack (PDF) — contains this TCO summary, the pinned Sungrow SG50CX datasheet, the Jinko Tiger Neo family datasheet, and the K2 Systems CrossRail mounting datasheet.