Harbor 5 MWp Solar PV — Use-Case & TCO (EU)
Decision (first 100 words): Equipment: 5 MWp DC ground-mount PV array on a Northern EU harbor perimeter; modules LONGi Hi-MO 6 Explorer LR7-72HGD-580M (580 Wp TOPCon) and Sungrow SG350HX string inverters (350 kW, 1500 V DC, 12 MPPT), mounted on K2 Systems N-Rack (driven-pile ground-mount kit + S-Rack rail, hot-dip galvanized per ISO 1461 to ISO 12944 C5-marine; installation manual revision to be confirmed at RFQ). Location: Northern EU coastal member state. Horizon: 5 years. Discount rate: 6.00 %/yr. Evidence date: 2026-01-15. Limitation: benefit inputs (tariff, self-consumption, escalation, residual value) are bounded model assumptions, not market-priced facts. Verdict: 5-year discounted TCO = EUR 4,014,935.94 (undiscounted EUR 4,065,379.71); NPV = EUR −2,282,090.88; IRR = −21.01 %; simple payback = none; discounted payback = none; LCOE = EUR 0.2026/kWh. Base case does not repay CAPEX inside the 5-year horizon under the stated bounded benefit assumptions.
| Metric | Value | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Location / equipment | Northern EU harbor, 5 MWp DC; LONGi Hi-MO 6 Explorer LR7-72HGD-580M modules + Sungrow SG350HX inverters | Mounting: K2 Systems N-Rack, ISO 1461 HDG to ISO 12944 C5-marine; manual revision confirmed at RFQ |
| Horizon | 5 years | Tradvolt use-case scope |
| Discount rate | 6.00 % | Bounded default (energy infrastructure) |
| PV of costs (EUR) | 4,014,935.94 | Discounted total cost |
| PV of benefits (EUR) | 1,732,845.07 | Discounted total benefit |
| NPV (EUR) | -2,282,090.88 | Negative — CAPEX not recovered inside 5-yr horizon |
| IRR | -0.2101 | Negative over 5 years |
| Simple payback (year) | — | None within horizon |
| Discounted payback (year) | — | None within horizon |
| LCOE (EUR/kWh) | 0.2026 | Computed from §4 tables |
| Evidence date | 2026-01-15 | — |
| Limitation | Tariff, self-consumption, escalation, residual = bounded model assumptions | Recompute at RFQ if changed |
1. Use-Case Context
A 5 MWp DC ground-mounted solar PV array deployed on a brownfield harbor perimeter in a Northern EU coastal member state. The installation feeds on-site harbor loads (cranes, cold storage, lighting) with surplus exported to the grid. Coastal exposure imposes elevated corrosion-protection requirements (ISO 12944 C5-marine corrosivity category) on racking, cabling, and inverter enclosures; mounting is hot-dip galvanized to ISO 1461 with coating thickness suitable for the C5-marine design class. The 5-year horizon is a Tradvolt use-case scope choice and is shorter than the typical 25-year PV asset life; results below reflect only the modelled 5-year window.
2. Equipment Family and OEM Citations
The 5 MWp PV array is specified by exact, publicly-marketed OEM model numbers and their datasheets / product pages. Mechanical mounting design parameters (coating thickness, torque values) are taken from the K2 Systems N-Rack installation manual; final BoM model numbers and manual revisions are confirmed at RFQ stage.
| Component | Exact OEM model | Family / class | OEM datasheet / product page URL |
|---|---|---|---|
| Modules | LONGi Hi-MO 6 Explorer LR7-72HGD-580M (580 Wp TOPCon n-type monocrystalline-Si) | LONGi Hi-MO series, 580 Wp class, utility 1–10 MW ground-mount | LONGi Hi-MO X6 product page (model designation LR7-72HGD-580M named in text) |
| Inverters | Sungrow SG350HX (350 kW, 1500 V DC, 3-phase string inverter, 12 MPPT) | 1500 V DC, 3-phase string inverter, 250–350 kW class, utility-scale ground-mount | Sungrow string inverter range (SG350HX named in text) |
| Mounting structure | K2 Systems N-Rack (driven-pile ground-mount kit) + S-Rack rail, hot-dip galvanized to ISO 1461 | Coastal/marine-rated ground-mount kit; design class ISO 12944 C5-marine | K2 Systems N-Rack product page (installation manual revision confirmed at RFQ) |
Mechanical/coating parameters for ISO 12944 C5-marine mounting: hot-dip galvanizing per ISO 1461 with average coating thickness ≥ 85 µm on steel thickness ≥ 3 mm (typical for C5-marine design life). Pile and rail torque values per K2 Systems N-Rack installation manual (revision confirmed at RFQ). Module and inverter IP ratings per each manufacturer's datasheet. Limits (torque, SOC, voltages) governing the N-Rack sub-system on this page are taken from the N-Rack installation manual revision current at project award; the exact manual revision is to be confirmed at RFQ stage.
3. TCO Input Assumptions
Rows below distinguish cited public references from bounded model defaults (flagged as "Model assumption" where the draft did not state a value).
| Parameter | Value | Unit | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Installed DC capacity | 5,000 | kWp | Project specification (Tradvolt use-case brief) |
| Specific yield (Northern EU coastal) | 950 | kWh/kWp/yr | EU PVGIS (JRC) calculator, SARAH2 — coastal Northern EU band |
| Year-1 energy (model input) | 4,750,000 | kWh | Derived from 5,000 kWp × 950 kWh/kWp — matches §4 table |
| Annual performance degradation | 0.5 | %/yr | IEA PVPS Trends in PV Applications 2024 (Task 13 inputs) |
| CAPEX (turnkey, coastal-rated) | 750 | EUR/kWp | UK DESNZ solar PV cost data — C&I EPC benchmark; cross-checked against Fraunhofer ISE Photovoltaics Report (PDF) |
| Year-1 OPEX (O&M + insurance + lease) | 12 | EUR/kWp/yr | Model assumption (bounded default for C&I harbor PV O&M) |
| OPEX inflation | 2.5 | %/yr | Bank of England Monetary Policy Report Aug 2025 — Model assumption for ceiling |
| WACC (discount rate) | 6.0 | %/yr | Tradvolt bounded default for energy infrastructure discounting (model assumption; aligns with EU Reference Scenario 2024 discount-rate convention) |
| Analysis horizon | 5 | years | Tradvolt use-case scope |
| Residual value amount | 0.00 | EUR | Model assumption (no terminal salvage credited at year 5) |
| Residual value year | 5 | year | Model assumption (terminal year aligned with horizon) |
| Tariff per kWh (blended on-site + export) | 0.0850 | EUR/kWh | Model assumption (bounded default; not a market-priced fact) |
| Tariff escalation | 1.5 | %/yr | Model assumption (bounded default) |
| Self-consumption share | 0 | % | Model assumption (asset.pv.self_consumption_pct ZERO-AS-MISSING — no value stated in the draft; bounded default = all energy valued at export tariff) |
| Export tariff per kWh | 0.0850 | EUR/kWh | Model assumption (bounded default; equals blended tariff in absence of on-site share) |
Note on bound: The benefit inputs above (tariff, escalation, self-consumption, residual) are bounded model assumptions, not sourced market prices. Recompute TCO/NPV/LCOE/IRR if any of these bounded defaults is changed. The COMPUTED TABLES in §4 are the only arithmetic in this page; do not re-derive.
4. TCO Results — COMPUTED TABLES (verbatim)
The two tables below are the computed, computed output of Tradvolt's TCO model for the inputs in §2–§3. All arithmetic on this page is sourced from these tables.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Currency | EUR |
| Horizon (years) | 5 |
| Discount rate | 6.00 % |
| Total undiscounted cost (EUR) | 4,065,379.71 |
| Total discounted cost / PV of costs (EUR) | 4,014,935.94 |
| Total undiscounted benefit (EUR) | 2,059,221.88 |
| Total discounted benefit (EUR) | 1,732,845.07 |
| NPV (EUR) | -2,282,090.88 |
| IRR | -0.2101 |
| Simple payback (year) | — |
| Discounted payback (year) | — |
| LCOE (EUR/kWh) | 0.2026 |
| Year | Cost (EUR) | Benefit (EUR) | Net (EUR) | Discount factor | Discounted net (EUR) | Energy (kWh) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 3,750,000.00 | 0.0000 | -3,750,000.00 | 1.00 | -3,750,000.00 | 0.0000 |
| 1 | 60,000.00 | 403,750.00 | 343,750.00 | 0.9434 | 324,292.45 | 4,750,000.00 |
| 2 | 61,500.00 | 407,757.22 | 346,257.22 | 0.8900 | 308,167.69 | 4,726,250.00 |
| 3 | 63,037.50 | 411,804.21 | 348,766.71 | 0.8396 | 292,831.25 | 4,702,618.75 |
| 4 | 64,613.44 | 415,891.37 | 351,277.93 | 0.7921 | 278,245.02 | 4,679,105.66 |
| 5 | 66,228.77 | 420,019.09 | 353,790.31 | 0.7473 | 264,372.70 | 4,655,710.13 |
5. Verdict by Scenario
Verdict language references the COMPUTED TABLES in §4 only. No additional financial figures are introduced here.
| Scenario | LCOE (EUR/kWh) | Verdict |
|---|---|---|
| Base case | 0.2026 | NPV −2,282,091 EUR, IRR −21.01 %, simple payback = none, discounted payback = none over 5 years. Cash payback is beyond the 5-year horizon under the stated bounded benefit assumptions. |
| CAPEX −10% (assumed) | qualitative | Strong on cost; recompute full TCO/NPV/payback at RFQ before any procurement commitment. |
| CAPEX +10% (assumed) | qualitative | Marginal; defer or re-tender BoS. Recompute at RFQ. |
| Yield ±5% (assumed) | qualitative | Affects LCOE and benefits only; recompute at RFQ. |
| WACC ±2 pp (assumed) | qualitative | Recompute NPV and discounted payback at RFQ. |
6. Mini Certification Block
| Standard | Scope | Status / Citation |
|---|---|---|
| IEC 61215-1:2021 ed2 (TC 82) | Crystalline-Si PV module design qualification — Part 1: Test requirements | Required; cite document edition: IEC 61215-1:2021 ed2 (TC 82) |
| IEC 61215-1-1:2021 (TC 82) | Crystalline-Si PV module design qualification — Part 1-1: c-Si special requirements | Required for c-Si modules; cite document edition: IEC 61215-1-1:2021 (TC 82) |
| UL 61730-1 (PV module safety qualification — Part 1) | Module safety | Required (supplier to provide); cite document edition: UL 61730-1 product page |
| IEC 62109-1:2010 (TC 82) | Safety of power converters for use in PV power systems — Part 1: General requirements | Required for inverters; cite document edition: IEC 62109-1:2010 (TC 82) |
| IEC 62109-2:2011 (TC 82) | Safety of power converters for use in PV power systems — Part 2: Particular requirements for inverters (use jointly with IEC 62109-1) | Required for inverters; cite document edition: IEC 62109-2:2011 (TC 82) |
| EN 50549-1 (EU grid connection) | Inverter + plant grid compliance | Required |
| ISO 1461 (hot-dip galvanizing) | Coastal mounting corrosion protection | Required for ISO 12944 C5-marine corrosivity category |
| ISO 12944 C5-marine (coating durability) | Mounting durability class | Required for harbor coastal exposure; design parameters per K2 Systems N-Rack installation manual (revision confirmed at RFQ) |
7. HS Code / Customs Reference Block
| HS Code | Description | Duty Rate (EU) |
|---|---|---|
| 8541.43 | Photovoltaic cells assembled in modules or made up into panels | Verify at EU TARIC consultation before each shipment |
| 8504.40 | Static converters (inverters) | Verify at EU TARIC before each shipment |
| 7308.90 | Structures and parts of structures, of iron or steel (mounting) | Verify at EU TARIC before each shipment |
| 8544.49 | Other electric conductors, for a voltage not exceeding 1,000 V (DC cabling) | Verify at EU TARIC before each shipment |
Lookup Instructions: Confirm exact duty rate, anti-dumping measures, and any surveillance measures via the official EU TARIC database before each shipment. Rates depend on country of origin and declared customs value. For non-EU destinations, also consult: USITC HTS, UK Global Tariff, Japan Customs, Australian Border Force, SARS, Ghana Revenue Authority, Uganda Revenue Authority. Logistics terms per ICC Incoterms 2020; wood packaging per IPPC ISPM 15; lithium battery transport per IATA DGR and the UN Manual of Tests and Criteria (ST/SG/AC.10/11/Rev.7, UN 38.3 provisions).
Disclaimer: Duty rates, tariff measures, and classification rulings change. This page does not assert a specific duty rate; customs declarations must rely on the official TARIC lookup and a licensed customs broker.
8. Call to Action
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