Verdict (base case). For a 600 kWh behind-the-meter battery energy storage system serving a multi-site fitness network in a saltwater-coastal (ISO 12944-2:2017 category C5-RM) climate, over a 10-year horizon at an 8.00% discount rate, the computed PV of costs = USD 495,628.19 per site, PV of benefits = USD 61,196.16 per site, NPV = −USD 434,432.02 per site, simple payback = none, discounted payback = none, and LCOS = USD 0.3729/kWh delivered. Equipment: Sungrow ST2752UX liquid-cooled PCS container + BYD MC Cube commercial LFP battery cabinet (publicly marketed OEM models — see §2). Evidence date: 2026-09-22. Limitation: revenue stream is energy-only and does not close the cost gap within the 10-year horizon; cost-only and revenue-only numbers are both reported.
| Decision metric | Value | Note |
|---|---|---|
| PV of costs (10 yr, r=8.00%) | USD 495,628.19 | Scenario model output |
| PV of benefits (10 yr, r=8.00%) | USD 61,196.16 | Energy-only at bounded default USD/kWh |
| NPV (cost − benefit) | −USD 434,432.02 | Negative; revenue does not recover cost in 10 yr |
| LCOS | USD 0.3729/kWh | PV cost / lifetime kWh delivered |
| Simple payback | None | Benefit < cumulative cost in every year |
| Discounted payback | None | Same on discounted basis |
| IRR | n/a | No sign change in cumulative cash flow |
Document type: Use-case + TCO. Scope: 600 kWh battery energy storage system (BESS) across a multi-site fitness chain in a saltwater-coastal climate (ISO 12944-2:2017 corrosivity category C5-RM). Values are illustrative model outputs from the inputs table; not market quotes. No real-world deployment or third-party benchmark is asserted.
The application is a behind-the-meter battery system installed at multiple fitness-club locations to (a) reduce demand charges during the 17:00–21:00 peak window, (b) provide ride-through for short utility disturbances affecting HVAC and lighting loads, and (c) shift solar self-consumption on sites with rooftop PV. The coastal atmosphere requires C5-RM-rated enclosures, stainless or hot-dip galvanized fasteners, and conformal-coated PCBs.
Publicly marketed equipment models considered (model pages are JS-rendered on the OEM site; specific datasheet/manual revision confirmed at RFQ stage against the OEM PDF the supplier ships):
Selection of any specific model, kWh rating, and C-rate is subject to the OEM datasheet valid at the order date and to local grid-code interconnection requirements. No certificate is held by TradVolt for the listed product families; the envelope in §7 below is recommended, not certified.
Each row is either marked [ASSUMED] as an explicit bounded model assumption or carries a citation to a regulator, customs, or standards body. Items without a primary source citation are model assumptions and may be replaced by the reviewer.
| Input | Value | Unit | Source / Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Usable energy capacity | 600 | kWh | [ASSUMED] per-site system size |
| DoD limit | 90 | % | [ASSUMED] LiFePO4 industry convention |
| Round-trip efficiency (DC) | 92 | % | [ASSUMED] manufacturer-typical commercial LiFePO4 |
| Cycles per day | 1.2 | cycles/day | [ASSUMED] one full cycle + two partial peaks |
| Operating days per year | 330 | days/yr | [ASSUMED] gyms operate 360 days/yr with 30 maintenance days |
| Annual degradation | 2.0 | %/yr | [ASSUMED] LiFePO4 calendar + cycle fade |
| Analysis horizon | 10 | years | [ASSUMED] standard commercial BESS TCO horizon |
| Discount rate (WACC) | 8.0 | % | [ASSUMED] commercial project WACC |
| CAPEX — battery modules | 210,000 | USD | [ASSUMED] USD 350/kWh × 600 kWh |
| CAPEX — PCS / hybrid inverter | 48,000 | USD | [ASSUMED] USD 80/kWh × 600 kWh |
| CAPEX — BMS + EMS + metering | 22,000 | USD | [ASSUMED] |
| CAPEX — C5-RM enclosure + HVAC | 36,000 | USD | ISO 12944-2:2017, corrosivity category C5-RM (very high, marine) — Paints and varnishes — Corrosion protection of steel structures by protective paint systems — Part 2: Classification of environments. Catalogue: ISO catalogue search "12944". |
| CAPEX — stainless hardware + coating | 9,500 | USD | [ASSUMED] 316L fasteners, conformal-coat upgrade |
| CAPEX — transport + install + commissioning | 34,000 | USD | [ASSUMED] ~10% of equipment CAPEX |
| OPEX — annual preventive maintenance | 7,200 | USD/yr | [ASSUMED] 1.2% of equipment CAPEX |
| OPEX — corrosion inspection (extra) | 2,400 | USD/yr | [ASSUMED] coastal-specific semi-annual visual + thermal scan |
| OPEX — HVAC filter + desiccant | 1,800 | USD/yr | [ASSUMED] |
| OPEX — software / EMS subscription | 3,600 | USD/yr | [ASSUMED] |
| OPEX — Year 7 module augmentation | 42,000 | USD | [ASSUMED] 20% capacity top-up to offset degradation |
| End-of-life dismantling (Year 10) | 6,000 | USD | [ASSUMED] |
| Residual value (year 10) | 0 | USD | [ASSUMED] — bounded at zero for a 10-year horizon; explicit default for residual_value.amount per model spec |
| Residual value timing | 10 | years | [ASSUMED] — explicit default for residual_value.year per model spec |
| ESS charging cost (electricity to charge) | 0.00 | USD/kWh | [ASSUMED] — bounded at zero in this cost-only run; explicit default for asset.ess.charge_cost_per_kwh per model spec |
| Value per kWh discharged | 0.046 | USD/kWh | [ASSUMED] — bounded default for asset.ess.value_per_kwh_discharged per model spec (informational; used only in the benefit column) |
| CAPEX framing (uniform to Y0) | 359,500 | USD | [ASSUMED] all upfront in Year 0 per the computed table |
residual_value.amount = 0 USD; residual_value.year = 10; asset.ess.charge_cost_per_kwh = 0 USD/kWh; asset.ess.value_per_kwh_discharged = 0.046 USD/kWh. The first three are set to make this a conservative cost-only view; the last is the benefit-side mirror used to populate the benefit column in §4.The figures below are produced by the scenario model from the inputs in §3. They are the only financial figures on this page. Treat them as computed.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Currency | USD |
| Horizon (years) | 10 |
| Discount rate | 8.00 % |
| Total undiscounted cost (USD) | 571,745.81 |
| Total discounted cost / PV of costs (USD) | 495,628.19 |
| Total undiscounted benefit (USD) | 90,054.48 |
| Total discounted benefit (USD) | 61,196.16 |
| NPV (USD) | -434,432.02 |
| IRR | n/a |
| Simple payback (year) | — |
| Discounted payback (year) | — |
| LCOS (USD/kWh) | 0.3729 |
| Year | Cost (USD) | Benefit (USD) | Net (USD) | Discount factor | Discounted net (USD) | Energy (kWh) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 359,500.00 | 0.0000 | -359,500.00 | 1.00 | -359,500.00 | 0.0000 |
| 1 | 15,000.00 | 9,845.94 | -5,154.06 | 0.9259 | -4,772.28 | 213,840.00 |
| 2 | 15,300.00 | 9,649.02 | -5,650.98 | 0.8573 | -4,844.81 | 209,563.20 |
| 3 | 15,606.00 | 9,456.04 | -6,149.96 | 0.7938 | -4,882.04 | 205,371.94 |
| 4 | 15,918.12 | 9,266.92 | -6,651.20 | 0.7350 | -4,888.83 | 201,264.50 |
| 5 | 16,236.48 | 9,081.58 | -7,154.90 | 0.6806 | -4,869.51 | 197,239.21 |
| 6 | 16,561.21 | 8,899.95 | -7,661.26 | 0.6302 | -4,827.90 | 193,294.42 |
| 7 | 58,892.44 | 8,721.95 | -50,170.49 | 0.5835 | -29,274.00 | 189,428.53 |
| 8 | 17,230.29 | 8,547.51 | -8,682.78 | 0.5403 | -4,691.03 | 185,639.96 |
| 9 | 17,574.89 | 8,376.56 | -9,198.33 | 0.5002 | -4,601.46 | 181,927.16 |
| 10 | 23,926.39 | 8,209.03 | -15,717.36 | 0.4632 | -7,280.18 | 178,288.62 |
Reading the table: costs (Column "Cost (USD)") include the 359,500 USD upfront CAPEX in Year 0, recurring OPEX (Y1–Y6, Y8–Y9), a Year 7 module augmentation (one-shot OPEX line of 42,000 USD plus recurring OPEX) and a Year 10 end-of-life dismantling line. Benefits are computed at 0.046 USD/kWh discharged times the energy column, discounted at 8%. The cumulative discounted net never crosses zero, hence no payback within 10 years. CAPEX represents ≈73% of the PV of costs; the C5-RM enclosure + corrosion-inspection line carries ≈USD 46k of incremental CAPEX+OPEX vs an inland baseline.
Each scenario below varies one lever from §3. TCO figures are recomputed from the same formula. Only the levers listed change. No new financial figures are asserted here — the computed numbers are the verbatim tables in §4.
| Component | Indicative HS subheading | Duty rate | Lookup tool |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lithium-ion battery modules | 8507.60 | PENDING — confirm in destination tariff | EU: TARIC · US: USITC HTS · UK: UK Global Tariff |
| PCS / hybrid inverter | 8504.40 | PENDING — confirm in destination tariff | as above |
| BMS / EMS control unit | 8537.10 | PENDING — confirm in destination tariff | as above |
| Steel cabinet / enclosure | 7308.90 or 9403.20 | PENDING — confirm in destination tariff | as above |
| Cables, connectors, misc. | 8544.60 / 8536.69 | PENDING — confirm in destination tariff | as above |
| Other destination lookups: Japan Customs · Australian Border Force · SARS · Ghana Revenue Authority · Uganda Revenue Authority. Logistics references: ICC Incoterms 2020 · IATA DGR · IPPC ISPMs (ISPM 15 wood packaging) · FIATA. | |||
Disclaimer: duty rates above are marked PENDING. TradVolt does not assert any duty rate as fact. The integrator / importer is solely responsible for customs classification, applicable duties, import VAT, and any preferential origin treatment.
| Topic | Document / body | URL |
|---|---|---|
| TCO formula | TradVolt scenario model, run on 2026-09-22 against inputs in §3 | tradvolt.com |
| Customs — EU | Regulation (EU) 2023/1542 (EU Battery Regulation) | eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2023/1542/oj |
| Customs — EU duty lookup | European Commission TARIC consultation | ec.europa.eu TARIC |
| Customs — US duty lookup | USITC Harmonized Tariff Schedule | hts.usitc.gov |
| Customs — UK duty lookup | UK Global Tariff | trade-tariff.service.gov.uk |
| Customs — Japan | Japan Customs (English) | customs.go.jp/english/ |
| Customs — Australia | Australian Border Force | abf.gov.au |
| Customs — South Africa | South African Revenue Service | sars.gov.za |
| Customs — Ghana | Ghana Revenue Authority | gra.gov.gh |
| Customs — Uganda | Uganda Revenue Authority | ura.go.ug |
| US customs (general) | US Customs and Border Protection | cbp.gov |
| US trade promotion | US International Trade Administration | trade.gov |
| Logistics terms | ICC Incoterms 2020 | iccwbo.org Incoterms 2020 |
| Dangerous goods (air) | IATA Dangerous Goods Regulations programme | iata.org DGR |
| Wood packaging | IPPC ISPMs (ISPM 15) | ippc.int ISPMs |
| EV charging protocol | Open Charge Alliance (OCPP) | openchargealliance.org |
| Freight forwarding docs | FIATA | fiata.org |
| Market data | International Energy Agency | iea.org |
| Standard — anti-corrosion | ISO 12944-2:2017 — Paints and varnishes — Corrosion protection of steel structures by protective paint systems — Part 2: Classification of environments. Full designation in text; catalogue search via ISO. | iso.org catalogue "12944" |
| Standard — cell safety | UN Manual of Tests and Criteria, UN ST/SG/AC.10/11/Rev.7 (UN 38.3 lithium battery provisions). Full designation in text. | unece.org UN Manual of Tests and Criteria |
| Standard — industrial lithium cells/batteries | IEC 62619:2022 ed2 — Safety requirements for secondary lithium cells and batteries for use in industrial applications incl. stationary/ESS (TC 21/SC 21A) | webstore.iec.ch publication 64073 |
| Standard — stationary batteries (US) | UL 1973 — Batteries for Use in Stationary and Motive Auxiliary Power Applications | shopulstandards.com UL 1973 |
| Standard — US storage installation | NFPA 855 — Standard for the Installation of Stationary Energy Storage Systems | nfpa.org NFPA 855 |
| Standard — EV conductive charging | IEC 61851-1:2017 — Electric vehicle conductive charging system — Part 1: General requirements (TC 69) | webstore.iec.ch publication 33644 |
| OEM — Sungrow PCS (design basis) | Sungrow ST2752UX liquid-cooled container (2752 kWh, 1500 V DC, −30…50 °C); pairs with SG3150/4400UD-MV inverter family | sungrowpower.com ST2752UX |
| OEM — BYD battery cabinet (design basis) | BYD Energy Storage — MC Cube commercial/industrial LFP (specific SKU for this 600 kWh site TBD pending RFQ) | bydenergy.com |
| OEM — EVE Energy cells (alternative, reference) | EVE Energy — LFP prismatic cells; specific model TBD pending RFQ | evebattery.com/en |
| OEM — K2 Systems mounting | K2 Systems — PV mounting rail and kit family; specific kit TBD pending RFQ | k2-systems.com/en/ |
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