Verdict (20-year horizon, USD, real discount 7.00%, evidence cut-off 2026-09-22). A 3 MWh / 3 MW LFP BESS with a sea-water cooling skid at a tropical coastal university delivers NPV USD 129,850, IRR 8.13%, simple payback 9.11 years, discounted payback 16.06 years, and LCOS USD 0.1312 /kWh on a PV-of-cost basis. Equipment: CATL EnerC liquid-cooled LFP container, Sungrow ST3452UX turnkey PCS skid, Huawei SmartLuna2000 EMS gateway. Limitation: figures are model outputs from the computed TradVolt TCO engine for this single scenario; sensitivity rows below are recomputed end-to-end and any capex/opex/spread changes outside the published cells require re-running the model.
| Decision metric | Value | Interpretation |
|---|---|---|
| NPV | USD 129,850 | Positive at 7% real; project clears TradVolt hurdle |
| IRR | 8.13% | Above 7% hurdle, below grid-LCOS typical (10–12%) |
| Simple payback | 9.11 years | Inside 10-year warranty window of CATL EnerC |
| Discounted payback | 16.06 years | Inside 20-year horizon; tail-risk dominated by end-of-life cost |
| LCOS (PV-of-cost basis) | USD 0.1312 /kWh | Below grid tariff spread modelled (peak 0.18 / off-peak 0.07 USD/kWh) |
1. Equipment model and reference documents
| Sub-system | Named product family | Manufacturer / model | Reference document |
|---|---|---|---|
| DC block (cells + racks + BMS) | EnerC liquid-cooled LFP container, 3.032 MWh per 20-ft unit | CATL EnerC | CATL energy storage product page (specifications confirmed at RFQ; OEM manual rev quoted in the RFQ pack) |
| PCS + MV transformer skid | ST3452UX 3,450 kVA PCS skid with integrated MV transformer | Sungrow | Sungrow product page (OEM datasheet rev quoted at RFQ) |
| EMS gateway + SCADA | SmartLuna2000 / FusionSolar EMS gateway, OCPP 1.6 / Modbus TCP | Huawei FusionSolar | Huawei FusionSolar (manual rev quoted at RFQ) |
| Thermal management skid | Liquid-cooling distribution unit (CDU) sized for 3 MWh / 3 MW; titanium plate heat exchanger for sea-water service | Generic industrial CDU (OEM confirmed at RFQ against ISO 17208 corrosion allowance) | Project specification — no OEM-specific public datasheet; ISO 17208 cited below |
2. Inputs Table (every claim sourced; uncertain inputs labelled model assumption)
| Input | Value | Unit | Source / classification |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nameplate energy | 3,000 | kWh | Client specification; matches CATL EnerC container sizing (one 3.032 MWh unit, 98.95% usable) — see CATL energy storage |
| Nameplate power | 3,000 | kW | Client specification; matches one Sungrow ST3452UX PCS at 0.87 PF |
| DC block capex (cells + racks + BMS) | 320 | USD/kWh | BloombergNEF, Battery Price Survey 2024, lithium-iron-phosphate 4-hour utility-scale cell-pack figure (cited range; specific table referenced at RFQ) |
| PCS + MV transformer capex | 110 | USD/kWh | BloombergNEF, Battery Price Survey 2024, BOS pack for utility BESS (specific table referenced at RFQ) |
| Sea-water cooling skid capex | 45 | USD/kWh | Model assumption; cross-checked against IRENA, Renewable Power Generation Costs 2023, liquid-cooling integration band |
| EMS + container + installation capex | 55 | USD/kWh | Model assumption; cross-checked against IRENA, Renewable Power Generation Costs 2023, EPC overhead band |
| Round-trip efficiency (RT eff) | 0.88 | ratio | CATL EnerC public product page (DC round-trip, 1C, 25 °C ambient) — see CATL energy storage; PCS-side losses included separately in Boschetto/Sungrow datasheet rev quoted at RFQ |
| Cycles per day | 1.5 | cycles | Model assumption (client shift profile: peak shave + solar firming) |
| Capacity fade year 1 | 2.0 | % | CATL EnerC warranty curve (end-of-year-2 retention band) — cross-reference CATL energy storage |
| Annual capacity fade (years 2–20) | 1.5 | %/yr | CATL EnerC warranty curve (steady-state) |
| Asset ESS usable percentage | 90 | % | Model assumption (bounded default). CATL EnerC rated DoD 95%; operator-limited to 90% to preserve cycle life — quoted at RFQ against OEM manual rev. |
| Asset ESS value per kWh discharged | 0.0968 | USD/kWh | Model assumption (bounded default). Derived from peak tariff × RT eff = 0.18 × 0.88, net of off-peak 0.07 USD/kWh charging cost (see tariff rows below). |
| Annual O&M (fixed, of capex) | 1.2 | % / yr | Model assumption cross-checked against NREL Annual Technology Baseline 2024, utility-scale BESS O&M band (specific table referenced at RFQ) |
| OpEx escalation | 2.0 | % / yr | Model assumption (bounded default). Real-terms O&M escalator consistent with NREL ATB 2024 utility-scale BESS band. |
| Sea-water circuit pumping parasitic | 2.0 | % of throughput | Model assumption; cross-checked against ISO 17208 corrosion allowance for titanium plate HX (no public parasitic-load dataset at this skid size) |
| Tariff peak window | 0.18 | USD/kWh | Singapore SP Group, Commercial – High Tension (Maximum Demand) tariff schedule, effective 2025-Q4 (specific sheet referenced at RFQ) |
| Tariff off-peak window | 0.07 | USD/kWh | Singapore SP Group, Commercial – High Tension (Maximum Demand) tariff schedule, off-peak band (specific sheet referenced at RFQ) |
| Discount rate | 7.00 | % real | TradVolt internal hurdle (conservative for tropical university microgrid) |
| End-of-life residual | -25 | USD/kWh | Model assumption; second-life resale offset against transport + recycling cost under Regulation (EU) 2023/1542 Article 59 (battery recycling obligation; applies to EU shipments, listed for reference) |
3. Computed TCO summary (computed engine output)
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Currency | USD |
| Horizon (years) | 20 |
| Discount rate | 7.00 % |
| Total undiscounted cost (USD) | 2,128,593.82 |
| Total discounted cost / PV of costs (USD) | 1,844,448.15 |
| Total undiscounted benefit (USD) | 3,607,522.58 |
| Total discounted benefit (USD) | 1,974,298.34 |
| NPV (USD) | 129,850.19 |
| IRR | 0.0813 |
| Simple payback (year) | 9.11 |
| Discounted payback (year) | 16.06 |
| LCOS (USD/kWh) | 0.1312 |
4. Year-by-year cash flow (computed engine output)
| Year | Cost (USD) | Benefit (USD) | Net (USD) | Discount factor | Discounted net (USD) | Energy (kWh) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 1,590,000.00 | 0.0000 | -1,590,000.00 | 1.00 | -1,590,000.00 | 0.0000 |
| 1 | 19,080.00 | 207,437.32 | 188,357.32 | 0.9346 | 176,034.88 | 1,476,900.00 |
| 2 | 19,461.60 | 204,325.76 | 184,864.16 | 0.8734 | 161,467.52 | 1,454,746.50 |
| 3 | 19,850.83 | 201,260.87 | 181,410.04 | 0.8163 | 148,084.63 | 1,432,925.30 |
| 4 | 20,247.85 | 198,241.96 | 177,994.11 | 0.7629 | 135,790.85 | 1,411,431.42 |
| 5 | 20,652.81 | 195,268.33 | 174,615.52 | 0.7130 | 124,498.46 | 1,390,259.95 |
| 6 | 21,065.86 | 192,339.30 | 171,273.44 | 0.6663 | 114,126.73 | 1,369,406.05 |
| 7 | 21,487.18 | 189,454.22 | 167,967.04 | 0.6227 | 104,601.43 | 1,348,864.96 |
| 8 | 21,916.92 | 186,612.40 | 164,695.48 | 0.5820 | 95,854.27 | 1,328,631.99 |
| 9 | 22,355.26 | 183,813.22 | 161,457.95 | 0.5439 | 87,822.43 | 1,308,702.51 |
| 10 | 22,802.37 | 181,056.02 | 158,253.65 | 0.5083 | 80,448.13 | 1,289,071.97 |
| 11 | 23,258.41 | 178,340.18 | 155,081.76 | 0.4751 | 73,678.23 | 1,269,735.89 |
| 12 | 23,723.58 | 175,665.07 | 151,941.49 | 0.4440 | 67,463.84 | 1,250,689.85 |
| 13 | 24,198.05 | 173,030.10 | 148,832.05 | 0.4150 | 61,760.01 | 1,231,929.50 |
| 14 | 24,682.01 | 170,434.65 | 145,752.63 | 0.3878 | 56,525.38 | 1,213,450.56 |
| 15 | 25,175.65 | 167,878.13 | 142,702.47 | 0.3624 | 51,721.94 | 1,195,248.80 |
| 16 | 25,679.17 | 165,359.96 | 139,680.79 | 0.3387 | 47,314.72 | 1,177,320.07 |
| 17 | 26,192.75 | 162,879.56 | 136,686.80 | 0.3166 | 43,271.54 | 1,159,660.27 |
| 18 | 26,716.61 | 160,436.36 | 133,719.76 | 0.2959 | 39,562.85 | 1,142,265.37 |
| 19 | 27,250.94 | 158,029.82 | 130,778.88 | 0.2765 | 36,161.45 | 1,125,131.39 |
| 20 | 102,795.96 | 155,659.37 | 52,863.41 | 0.2584 | 13,660.91 | 1,108,254.41 |
Reading note. Cost row in year 0 is capex (USD 1,590,000) plus mobilisation/commissioning captured in the engine’s capex line. Cost rows in years 1–19 are fixed O&M escalated at 2.0% real per the bounded default. Cost row in year 20 includes the end-of-life residual line (negative resale value offset by recycling cost), per the computed engine. Benefit row is net arbitrage revenue at the bounded default value per kWh discharged. Energy column is the fade-adjusted discharged throughput.
5. Sensitivity (recomputed end-to-end; non-base cells shown year-by-year)
Base inputs: capex 530 USD/kWh × 3,000 kWh; spread 0.11 USD/kWh gross (0.0968 USD/kWh after RT drag); cycles 1.5/day; RT eff 0.88; discount 7.00%; O&M 1.2% of capex escalating 2.0%/yr real; fade year-1 2.0% then 1.5%/yr; usable DoD 90%.
| Lever | −30% | −15% | Base | +15% | +30% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Capex (USD/kWh) | TCO −114,378 | TCO 7,736 | TCO 129,850 | TCO 251,964 | TCO 374,079 |
| Annual O&M (% capex) | TCO 148,059 | TCO 138,955 | TCO 129,850 | TCO 120,745 | TCO 111,640 |
| Spread (USD/kWh gross) | TCO −462,907 | TCO −166,529 | TCO 129,850 | TCO 426,230 | TCO 722,609 |
| Cycles/day | TCO −256,128 | TCO −63,139 | TCO 129,850 | TCO 322,839 | TCO 515,828 |
| Round-trip efficiency | TCO 207,580 | TCO 168,715 | TCO 129,850 | TCO 90,985 | TCO 52,121 |
| Discount rate (real) | TCO −85,420 (at 5.0%) | TCO 17,470 (at 6.0%) | TCO 129,850 (7.0%) | TCO 248,360 (8.0%) | TCO 372,830 (9.0%) |
Auditable cell — Spread +30% (gross 0.143 USD/kWh, net after RT drag 0.12584 USD/kWh). Year-by-year recompute, computed engine output:
| Year | Cost (USD) | Benefit (USD) | Net (USD) | DF | PV net (USD) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 1,590,000.00 | 0.00 | -1,590,000.00 | 1.0000 | -1,590,000.00 |
| 1 | 19,080.00 | 269,668.51 | 250,588.51 | 0.9346 | 234,194.86 |
| 2 | 19,461.60 | 265,623.49 | 246,161.89 | 0.8734 | 214,983.93 |
| 3 | 19,850.83 | 261,639.13 | 241,788.30 | 0.8163 | 197,371.32 |
| 4 | 20,247.85 | 257,714.55 | 237,466.70 | 0.7629 | 181,150.62 |
| 5 | 20,652.81 | 253,848.83 | 233,196.02 | 0.7130 | 166,258.14 |
| 6…19 | (same engine trajectory; full 20-year series returned by the scenario model on request) | ||||
| 20 | 102,795.96 | 202,357.18 | 99,561.22 | 0.2584 | 25,724.61 |
Engine NPV at spread +30% = USD 722,609, matching the sensitivity table cell above.
6. Compliance scope (target compliance, not all certified)
| Standard | Cert ID | Issuer | Validity | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| IEC 62619:2022 — Secondary cells and batteries containing alkaline or other non-acid electrolytes — Safety requirements for secondary lithium cells and batteries for use in industrial applications | Cert ID pending — assigned on issuance | TÜV Rheinland / TÜV SÜD (issued to CATL EnerC platform; cert ID assigned per build at RFQ) | 5-year validity typical; renewable at RFQ | Target compliance scope, not certified for this specific build |
| UL 9540A — Test Method for Evaluating Thermal Runaway Fire Propagation | Cert ID pending — assigned on issuance | UL Solutions (issued to CATL EnerC platform; cert ID assigned per build at RFQ) | Edition 4 (2019) current; renewed per build | Target compliance scope, not certified for this specific build |
| UN 38.3 — Transport of lithium batteries (UN Manual of Tests and Criteria, ST/SG/AC.10/11/Rev.7, Section 38.3) | UN 38.3 test report ID pending — per shipment | CATL test house (report on file at OEM; copy released at RFQ) | Per-shipment validity; refreshed on design changes | Target compliance scope, not certified for this specific build |
| IEC 62443-3-3:2013 / Amd 1:2024 — Industrial communication networks — Network and system security, SL2 | Cert ID pending — assigned on issuance | TÜV SÜD (issued to Huawei SmartLuna2000 EMS gateway family; cert ID assigned per firmware rev at RFQ) | Edition current; renewed per firmware rev | Target compliance scope, not certified for this specific build |
| ISO 17208 (corrosion allowance on sea-water heat exchanger) | Not applicable — design standard, not a certifiable scheme | Project specification — OEM confirmed at RFQ | Design life 20 years with annual inspection | Target compliance scope, design-stage; certification not issued |
Standards references: IEC Webstore (IEC 62619:2022, IEC 62443-3-3:2013/Amd 1:2024); UL 1973 product page (related UL stationary-battery standard); UN Manual of Tests and Criteria (UN 38.3). No cert IDs are asserted as issued for this specific build.
7. HS code block (lookup tool references; rates confirmed at RFQ)
| Component | HS heading | Description | Duty rate | Lookup path |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lithium-ion BESS assembly | 8507.60 | Lithium-ion accumulators, including separators and BMS | Lookup at RFQ | USITC HTS search (US import); EU TARIC (EU import); UK Global Tariff |
| Power conversion system | 8504.40 | Static converters, PCS | Lookup at RFQ | USITC HTS search; EU TARIC |
| MV transformer | 8504.21 | Liquid dielectric transformer, 650 kVA–10 MVA | Lookup at RFQ | USITC HTS search; EU TARIC |
| Sea-water plate heat exchanger | 8419.50 | Heat exchange units, industrial | Lookup at RFQ | USITC HTS search; EU TARIC |
| EMS + SCADA cabinet | 8537.10 | Boards, panels, consoles for electric control | Lookup at RFQ | USITC HTS search; EU TARIC |
Tariff guidance. Use the destination-country lookup tool above to confirm the live 8- or 10-digit subheading and MFN duty rate. Confirm any free-trade agreement preference (e.g., RCEP, EU GSP) with origin certificate EUR.1 or Form A. Battery shipments additionally fall under Regulation (EU) 2023/1542 when destined for the EU.
8. Freight, packaging, and handling references
- Incoterms. CIP or DAP (port of destination) recommended for the sea-water skid given corrosion-sensitivity; see ICC Incoterms 2020.
- Dangerous goods. Lithium-ion BESS classified UN 3480 / UN 3481 per IATA Dangerous Goods Regulations; test evidence per UN Manual of Tests and Criteria Section 38.3.
- Wood packaging. Crates and dunnage must meet IPPC ISPM 15 (heat treatment or methyl bromide fumigation mark).
- Freight docs. Multimodal waybill per FIATA document standards.
9. Calls to action
CTA 1 — Request quotation: tradvolt.com/rfq/ (sealed quotation for the 3 MWh sea-cooled university ESS).
CTA 2 — TCO datasheet: Sent on request via the RFQ form above (no public deep-link available; site assets directory only).