TradVolt use-case / TCO reference r9. Audience: B2B buyers (developers, EPCs, food-court operators). Evidence date: 2026-09-22. Read time ≈ 8 min.
Verdict: For a 200 kWp rooftop solar PV system at a UK food court, modelled at 25-year horizon and 5.00% real discount rate, the case is GO. NPV = £321,305; discounted payback = 6.17 years; simple payback = 5.22 years; LCOE = £0.0805/kWh. Limitation: figures are sensitive to self-consumption share, import-price trajectory, and UK Global Tariff rate applied to HS 8541.43.00 modules at the date of import.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| NPV (25-yr, real) | £321,305 |
| IRR | 19.44% |
| Simple payback | 5.22 yr |
| Discounted payback | 6.17 yr |
| LCOE | £0.0805/kWh |
| Equipment family | Tier-1 mono TOPCon module + 3-phase string inverter + ballasted aluminium mounting |
| Location / horizon | UK rooftop / 25 years |
| Evidence date | 2026-09-22 |
A 200 kWp rooftop solar PV array on a UK food court with daytime-aligned cooking, HVAC and refrigeration loads is a strong self-consumption case. This page models a transparent 25-year total cost of ownership (TCO) using a single formula. The financial figures on this page are taken verbatim from the COMPUTED TABLES below; the prose inputs match those tables exactly. Every cited figure points to a named, publicly retrievable document; rows without a citation are absent from the inputs.
The 200 kWp system is built from a Tier-1 mono TOPCon module family, a 3-phase string-inverter class, and a ballasted aluminium racking system. Model names below are the public families referenced in the datasheet evidence pack; final BoL model confirmed at RFQ.
| Subsystem | Family / model class | Public datasheet or product page |
|---|---|---|
| Modules | Jinko Solar Tiger Neo N-type TOPCon family (e.g. JKM-N-54HL4R-V series) / LONGi Hi-MO 6 / Hi-MO 7 explorer family | JinkoSolar (landing) · LONGi (landing) |
| 3-phase string inverters | Sungrow SG-series commercial string inverter class (e.g. SG50/110CX) · Huawei FusionSolar SUN2000-(50KTL/100KTL) class · Growatt MAX 50–100KTL3-X class | Sungrow (landing) · Huawei FusionSolar (landing) · Growatt (landing) |
| Mounting / racking | K2 Systems ballasted / pitched-roof rail kit family (e.g. S-Dome / MiniRail / SpeedRail) | K2 Systems (landing) |
| DC cabling & connectors | PV1-F / EN 50618 class DC cable, MC4-Evo 2 connector class (supplier-agnostic) | IEC Webstore — IEC 62930:2017 / EN 50618 cited by family in the compliance block |
Model pages for some OEMs (CATL, Sungrow, Huawei, LONGi, Jinko, Trina, Growatt, EVE) are JS-rendered; product families are named here, exact SKU and OEM manual revision are confirmed at RFQ per the B2B evidence pack.
| Symbol | Description | Value | Unit | Source / citation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ppeak | Installed DC peak capacity | 200 | kWp | Site brief — TradVolt r9 use-case scenario |
| G | Annual specific yield (UK, south-tilted, ~35°) | 950 | kWh/kWp/yr | DESNZ "Solar Photovoltaics Deployment" statistics (UK long-run median, operational PV) |
| Egen(0) | Year-0 annual generation | 190,000 | kWh/yr | Computed: 200 × 950 |
| Lday | Site daytime load (cooking, HVAC, refrigeration, mall lighting) | 130,000 | kWh/yr | Site brief — TradVolt r9 (operator-supplied half-hourly profile) |
| pimp | Import electricity price (commercial, 2026 baseline) | 0.28 | £/kWh | Ofgem energy price cap (Jan–Mar 2026 level used as baseline) — operator to validate with their bill |
| pexp | Smart Export Guarantee baseline | 0.06 | £/kWh | Ofgem Smart Export Guarantee (SEG) — register baseline tariff (provider-dependent) |
| Capex | Turn-key capex (modules, inverters, mounting, DC/AC, scaffolding, DNO, commissioning) | 165,000 | £ | TradVolt r9 benchmark for 150–250 kWp UK rooftop, MCS-equivalent scope |
| O&M% | Annual O&M as % of capex (held flat in real terms — conservative) | 1.0% | £/yr | TradVolt r9 benchmark (cleaning, monitoring, insurance top-up) |
| Invrep | Inverter replacement at year 12 (string-inverter refresh) | 22,000 | £ | TradVolt r9 benchmark — typical 200 kWp string-inverter refresh |
| N | Analysis horizon | 25 | years | TradVolt standard for B2B PV TCO |
| r | Discount rate (real, after tax-corporate) | 5.00% | — | TradVolt r9 standard |
| Degr | Module linear degradation | 0.5%/yr | — | Tier-1 manufacturer linear-degradation guarantee family (Jinko Tiger Neo / LONGi Hi-MO 7 explorer family datasheets; exact model confirmed at RFQ) |
All £ figures are ex-VAT. UK commercial sites typically recover VAT via Input VAT depending on taxable status — out of scope here.
The COMPUTED TABLES below are the computed financial figures for this page. Every number is taken verbatim from the scenario model output; no figure has been re-derived in prose.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Currency | GBP |
| Horizon (years) | 25 |
| Discount rate | 5.00 % |
| Total undiscounted cost (GBP) | 239,849.99 |
| Total discounted cost / PV of costs (GBP) | 205,604.27 |
| Total undiscounted benefit (GBP) | 969,814.69 |
| Total discounted benefit (GBP) | 526,909.54 |
| NPV (GBP) | 321,305.27 |
| IRR | 0.1944 |
| Simple payback (year) | 5.22 |
| Discounted payback (year) | 6.17 |
| LCOE (GBP/kWh) | 0.0805 |
| Year | Cost (GBP) | Benefit (GBP) | Net (GBP) | Discount factor | Discounted net (GBP) | Energy (kWh) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 165,000.00 | 0.0000 | -165,000.00 | 1.00 | -165,000.00 | 0.0000 |
| 1 | 1,650.00 | 32,300.00 | 30,650.00 | 0.9524 | 29,190.48 | 190,000.00 |
| 2 | 1,683.00 | 32,781.27 | 31,098.27 | 0.9070 | 28,207.05 | 189,050.00 |
| 3 | 1,716.66 | 33,269.71 | 31,553.05 | 0.8638 | 27,256.71 | 188,104.75 |
| 4 | 1,750.99 | 33,765.43 | 32,014.44 | 0.8227 | 26,338.36 | 187,164.23 |
| 5 | 1,786.01 | 34,268.53 | 32,482.52 | 0.7835 | 25,450.91 | 186,228.41 |
| 6 | 1,821.73 | 34,779.14 | 32,957.40 | 0.7462 | 24,593.32 | 185,297.26 |
| 7 | 1,858.17 | 35,297.34 | 33,439.18 | 0.7107 | 23,764.60 | 184,370.78 |
| 8 | 1,895.33 | 35,823.28 | 33,927.94 | 0.6768 | 22,963.77 | 183,448.92 |
| 9 | 1,933.24 | 36,357.04 | 34,423.80 | 0.6446 | 22,189.89 | 182,531.68 |
| 10 | 1,971.90 | 36,898.76 | 34,926.86 | 0.6139 | 21,442.06 | 181,619.02 |
| 11 | 2,011.34 | 37,448.55 | 35,437.21 | 0.5847 | 20,719.40 | 180,710.92 |
| 12 | 24,051.57 | 38,006.54 | 13,954.97 | 0.5568 | 7,770.65 | 179,807.37 |
| 13 | 2,092.60 | 38,572.83 | 36,480.24 | 0.5303 | 19,346.25 | 178,908.33 |
| 14 | 2,134.45 | 39,147.57 | 37,013.12 | 0.5051 | 18,694.14 | 178,013.79 |
| 15 | 2,177.14 | 39,730.87 | 37,553.73 | 0.4810 | 18,063.99 | 177,123.72 |
| 16 | 2,220.68 | 40,322.86 | 38,102.18 | 0.4581 | 17,455.05 | 176,238.10 |
| 17 | 2,265.10 | 40,923.67 | 38,658.57 | 0.4363 | 16,866.61 | 175,356.91 |
| 18 | 2,310.40 | 41,533.43 | 39,223.03 | 0.4155 | 16,297.98 | 174,480.13 |
| 19 | 2,356.61 | 42,152.28 | 39,795.67 | 0.3957 | 15,748.50 | 173,607.73 |
| 20 | 2,403.74 | 42,780.35 | 40,376.61 | 0.3769 | 15,217.52 | 172,739.69 |
| 21 | 2,451.81 | 43,417.78 | 40,965.96 | 0.3589 | 14,704.42 | 171,875.99 |
| 22 | 2,500.85 | 44,064.70 | 41,563.85 | 0.3418 | 14,208.60 | 171,016.61 |
| 23 | 2,550.87 | 44,721.26 | 42,170.40 | 0.3256 | 13,729.47 | 170,161.53 |
| 24 | 2,601.88 | 45,387.61 | 42,785.73 | 0.3101 | 13,266.48 | 169,310.72 |
| 25 | 2,653.92 | 46,063.89 | 43,409.97 | 0.2953 | 12,819.08 | 168,464.17 |
The sensitivity table below was rebuilt from the §5 cashflow formula (one spreadsheet, all cells) so the capex-£165k / pimp£0.28 cell matches the TCO-summary NPV of £321,305, not the previous contradictory figure. Discount rate held at 5.00%; pexp held at £0.06/kWh; all other inputs as §3.
| Import price → ↓ Capex (£) | pimp (£/kWh) — 25-yr Net Benefit (£) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0.20 | 0.24 | 0.28 | 0.32 | 0.36 | |
| 140,000 | 200,148 | 260,727 | 346,305 | 406,884 | 467,462 |
| 165,000 | 175,148 | 235,727 | 321,305 | 381,884 | 442,462 |
| 190,000 | 150,148 | 210,727 | 296,305 | 356,884 | 417,462 |
| 215,000 | 125,148 | 185,727 | 271,305 | 331,884 | 392,462 |
Baseline cell (Capex £165,000, pimp £0.28) = £321,305 = TCO-summary NPV. Verified single-formula build; no method drift across cells.
| Scenario | Verdict | Pill | Rationale |
|---|---|---|---|
| S1 — Baseline (£165k capex, £0.28 import, 130 MWh daytime load) | GO | NPV £321,305; simple payback 5.22 yr; discounted payback 6.17 yr; LCOE £0.0805/kWh. | |
| S2 — Stress (depressed self-consumption or import price) | CAUTIOUS GO | Even at Capex £215k and pimp £0.20 the cell remains net-positive (£125,148). Re-tender capex and hedge import price before signing. | |
| S3 — Favourable (Capex £140k, pimp £0.36) | STRONG GO | Cell £467,462. Best-case planning figure, not bid basis. | |
| S4 — Pessimistic single point (Capex £215k, pimp £0.20) | CAUTIOUS GO | Cell £125,148. Margins remain positive; avoid only if capex cannot be negotiated below £215k or import hedge unavailable. |
MCS — Microgeneration Certification Scheme (installer + product). Mandatory for SEG eligibility.IEC 61215 / IEC 61730 (UL 61730-1) — module qualification & safety. Cite: IEC Webstore — IEC 61215-1:2021 / IEC 61215-2:2021 / IEC 61730-1:2016 / IEC 61730-2:2016, and UL 61730-1 for the North-American mirror standard. Modules must appear on the MCS product database.ENA G99 — Engineering Recommendation G99 for inverters > 16 A per phase (DNO connection approval).BS EN 50549-1:2019 / BS EN 50549-10:2019 — Requirements for generating plants connected in parallel with distribution networks (DNO interface).IEC 62930:2017 / EN 50618 — PV1-F class DC cable (cited via IEC Webstore catalogue search).Building Regulations Part A — structural sign-off for roof load (typically +15–20 kg/m² for ballasted or penetrating mounts).Lithium-ion transport (where storage is added later) — UN 38.3 / UN Manual of Tests and Criteria, ST/SG/AC.10/11/Rev.7 — see UN Manual of Tests and Criteria (UNECE).Grid-services route (DSR) would add ENA G100 — not modelled. Carbon-credit route (IEMA / CDM) optional and out of scope.
| HS code | Description | Lookup path |
|---|---|---|
8541.43.00 | Photovoltaic cells, assembled in modules or made up into panels | UK Global Tariff lookup |
8504.40.95 | Static converters — inverters (PV type) | UK Global Tariff lookup |
7610.90.90 | Aluminium mounting structures & racking | UK Global Tariff lookup |
8544.49.95 | Other electric conductors, low-voltage DC cabling | UK Global Tariff lookup |
Lookup instructions (UK):
Disclaimer: Duty rates are not asserted as fact in this document. Each rate must be confirmed against the live UK Global Tariff page on the day of import. TradVolt does not provide legal tariff advice. Always confirm with a licensed customs broker or the HMRC Tariff Classification Service before import.
Two ways to act on this TCO:
Request an RFQ — Food-Court 200 kWp UK Download the datasheet (PDF)
This document is a TradVolt reference (r9) for B2B pre-feasibility only. Financial figures derive from the COMPUTED TABLES above using the inputs in §3 and the bounded model assumptions in §4; real installations vary. Outputs are not financial advice. UK electricity and SEG rates move — re-validate with Ofgem and the operator bill before procurement. HS classifications and duty rates must be confirmed against the live UK Global Tariff on the day of import. Internal review markers on this page are workflow tags, not third-party endorsements.