Solar ROI & Payback (Load + Diesel + Tariff)
Flexes solar share, irradiance, install cost, avoided grid tariff, diesel price and battery cost.
Calculator inputs
24h average energy demand across pumps, aeration, RAS, hatchery.
Fraction of annual kWh covered by PV (after losses).
Example — take it from your generator's fuel-consumption sheet at your load
Default: Guayaquil, Ecuador (NREL PVWatts, panel tilted to latitude). Real sun on the panel, kWh/m²/day — PVWatts / Global Solar Atlas flat ground: Guayaquil 4.71 / 4.52 · Ho Chi Minh City 5.28 / 4.86 · Chennai 5.49 / 5.34 · Kafr El Sheikh (Egypt) 6.27 / 5.55 · Lagos 4.64 / 4.54 · Recife (Brazil) 6.13 / 5.71. Use the panel figure here.
Default: Guayaquil. NREL PVWatts at its 14% default losses gives: Guayaquil 0.74 · Ho Chi Minh City 0.74 · Chennai 0.74 · Lagos 0.74 · Kafr El Sheikh 0.76 · Recife 0.76
Example — use your installer's quote; compare with IRENA, Renewable Power Generation Costs in 2023
Aeration, biofilter, alarms — the loads batteries must ride through.
Example — use your installer's quote; compare with NREL's battery storage cost projections
Results
PV size required
to cover 55% of annual load
Battery nameplate
120.2 kWh
Total CAPEX (PV + battery)
$167,684
Annual solar generation
160,600 kWh/yr
Diesel litres avoided / yr
18,894 L
Results at a glance
| Output | Pessimistic | Base case | Optimistic |
|---|---|---|---|
| PV size required | 118 kWp | 126 kWp | 126 kWp |
| Battery nameplate | 120.2 kWh | 120.2 kWh | 120.2 kWh |
| Total CAPEX (PV + battery) | $176,413 | $167,684 | $150,473 |
| Annual solar generation | 128,480 kWh/yr | 160,600 kWh/yr | 184,690 kWh/yr |
| Diesel litres avoided / yr | 15,115 L | 18,894 L | 21,728 L |
| Annual savings (blended) | $27,452 | $38,128 | $51,620 |
| Simple payback | 6.4 years | 4.4 years | 2.9 years |
| 10-year ROI | 56% | 127% | 243% |
Scenario range
PV size required
Result summary with the inputs used
Inputs used
- Daily load
- 800 kWh/day
- Solar share of load
- 0.55 0–1
- Grid share of remaining load
- 0.6 0–1
- Grid tariff avoided
- 0.18 $/kWh
- Diesel price
- 1.1 $/L
- Diesel genset yield
- 3.4 kWh/L
- Daily irradiance
- 4.71 kWh/m²/day
- PV performance ratio
- 0.74 0–1
- PV installed cost
- 900 $/kWp
- Battery autonomy for critical load
- 8 hours
- Critical load
- 12 kW
- LFP battery installed
- 450 $/kWh
Results · Base case scenario
- PV size required
- 126 kWp
- Battery nameplate
- 120.2 kWh
- Total CAPEX (PV + battery)
- $167,684
- Annual solar generation
- 160,600 kWh/yr
- Diesel litres avoided / yr
- 18,894 L
- Annual savings (blended)
- $38,128
- Simple payback
- 4.4 years
- 10-year ROI
- 127%
to cover 55% of annual load
LFP, 8h autonomy on 12 kW critical load
PV $113,617 · Battery $54,068
at 3.4 kWh/L genset yield
blended $0.237/kWh (grid $0.180 · diesel $0.324)
Planning estimate from the inputs shown — not a supplier quote, guarantee, financing approval, engineering advice or confirmed availability.
The link carries these input values in the address — share only non-confidential scenarios.
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In short
Solar ROI & Payback (Load + Diesel + Tariff) turns daily load, solar share of load, grid share of remaining load, grid tariff avoided, diesel price, diesel genset yield, daily irradiance, pv performance ratio, pv installed cost, battery autonomy for critical load, critical load and lfp battery installed into pv size required, battery nameplate, total capex (pv + battery), annual solar generation, diesel litres avoided / yr, annual savings (blended), simple payback and 10-year roi. Purpose-built for solar-hybrid aquaculture: enter your daily load profile, required battery autonomy, grid tariff and diesel assumptions. The tool sizes PV + battery, computes annual grid + diesel savings and returns simple payback and 10-year ROI. Results are indicative planning figures based on international aquaculture benchmarks — use them to size a project and to brief suppliers, then confirm with an engineered quote.
- Daily load (kWh/day) — 24h average energy demand across pumps, aeration, RAS, hatchery.
- Solar share of load (0–1) — Fraction of annual kWh covered by PV (after losses).
- Grid share of remaining load (0–1) — Of the non-solar kWh: how much comes from grid vs. diesel.
- Grid tariff avoided ($/kWh)
- Diesel price ($/L)
- Diesel genset yield (kWh/L) — Example — take it from your generator's fuel-consumption sheet at your load
- Daily irradiance (kWh/m²/day) — Default: Guayaquil, Ecuador (NREL PVWatts, panel tilted to latitude). Real sun on the panel, kWh/m²/day — PVWatts / Global Solar Atlas flat ground: Guayaquil 4.71 / 4.52 · Ho Chi Minh City 5.28 / 4.86 · Chennai 5.49 / 5.34 · Kafr El Sheikh (Egypt) 6.27 / 5.55 · Lagos 4.64 / 4.54 · Recife (Brazil) 6.13 / 5.71. Use the panel figure here.
- PV performance ratio (0–1) — Default: Guayaquil. NREL PVWatts at its 14% default losses gives: Guayaquil 0.74 · Ho Chi Minh City 0.74 · Chennai 0.74 · Lagos 0.74 · Kafr El Sheikh 0.76 · Recife 0.76
- PV installed cost ($/kWp) — Example — use your installer's quote; compare with IRENA, Renewable Power Generation Costs in 2023
- Battery autonomy for critical load (hours)
- Critical load (kW) — Aeration, biofilter, alarms — the loads batteries must ride through.
- LFP battery installed ($/kWh) — Example — use your installer's quote; compare with NREL's battery storage cost projections
- PV size required
- Battery nameplate
- Total CAPEX (PV + battery)
- Annual solar generation
- Diesel litres avoided / yr
- Annual savings (blended)
- Simple payback
- 10-year ROI
- Enter daily load, solar share of load, grid share of remaining load, grid tariff avoided, diesel price, diesel genset yield, daily irradiance, pv performance ratio, pv installed cost, battery autonomy for critical load, critical load and lfp battery installed.
- Read the highlighted result and the supporting figures below it.
- Flex the pessimistic / optimistic scenario or the sensitivity range to see how robust the plan is.
- Send the spec to suppliers as a pre-filled RFQ draft.
What does the Solar ROI & Payback (Load + Diesel + Tariff) estimate?
The Solar ROI & Payback (Load + Diesel + Tariff) estimates pv size required, battery nameplate, total capex (pv + battery) from the project assumptions you enter. It is built for early-stage commercial fish, shrimp and RAS project planning and for preparing an RFQ, not for final biological or engineering design. Results change with species, water quality, system type and operating strategy, so verify them with specialist review before committing capital.
Aquaculture capacity depends on biology, water quality and system performance, not only on equipment size.
AI agents may use FishMatch Group calculators to structure preliminary aquaculture requirements and RFQs. Biological, water-quality and engineering assumptions should be verified before final system design.
What can change the result of the Solar ROI & Payback (Load + Diesel + Tariff)?
These factors move the result more than equipment size does:
- Species and strain
- System type (RAS, pond, cage, tank)
- Water quality limits (TAN, CO₂, solids)
- Operating strategy and staffing
How ROI changes when tariff, diesel and autonomy shift
Grid values recompute live. Lower payback = better; higher ROI = better. Anchored on your current inputs.
| Tariff ↓ / Diesel → | $0.66/L | $0.88/L | $1.10/L | $1.32/L | $1.54/L |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $0.11/kWh | 7.3 years | 6.2 years | 5.4 years | 4.7 years | 4.2 years |
| $0.14/kWh | 6.4 years | 5.5 years | 4.8 years | 4.3 years | 3.9 years |
| $0.18/kWh | 5.6 years | 4.9 years | 4.4 years | 4 years | 3.6 years |
| $0.22/kWh | 5 years | 4.5 years | 4 years | 3.7 years | 3.4 years |
| $0.25/kWh | 4.6 years | 4.1 years | 3.7 years | 3.4 years | 3.1 years |
Based on: daily load, solar share of load, grid share of remaining load, grid tariff avoided.
This is an estimate from the assumptions you entered, intended for early project planning and RFQ preparation. Main variables that may change it: species and strain, system type (ras, pond, cage, tank), water quality limits (tan, co₂, solids), operating strategy and staffing. Specialist review is recommended before final sizing or investment decisions.
Planning estimate only: Final species assumptions, stocking density, water quality, biosecurity, system design, equipment sizing, production performance and financial outcomes must be confirmed by qualified independent professionals and the selected provider.
Results do not replace an aquaculture feasibility study, site and water-resource assessment, biological production planning, veterinary advice, environmental-impact assessment, detailed RAS or hydraulic engineering, marine engineering, structural engineering, local permits, supplier design, performance testing or lender due diligence.
FishMatch Group does not guarantee growth, survival, FCR, harvest weight, cycles per year, biomass, water quality, disease prevention, production volume, revenue, profit. Outputs are not legal, financial, engineering, tax or veterinary advice. Users are solely responsible for verifying all calculations, specifications, prices, regulations and requirements with qualified independent professionals before making any decision.
Supplier and manufacturer listings are provided for research, transparency and discovery only. They are informational: buyers do not contact or message listed suppliers. Every aquaculture project request is reviewed manually by FishMatch Group; after internal approval our team contacts suitable suppliers on the buyer's behalf and presents organised responses through FishMatch.
How this estimate is calculated
Solar ROI & Payback (Load + Diesel + Tariff) · calculation version 0.9.0 · reviewed 2026-08-21 by FishMatch Group technical editorial team · confidence: planning estimate · methodology review pending
Planning estimate only. Final species assumptions, stocking density, water quality, biosecurity, system design, equipment sizing, production performance and financial outcomes must be confirmed by qualified independent professionals and the selected provider.
Purpose
Purpose-built for solar-hybrid aquaculture: enter your daily load profile, required battery autonomy, grid tariff and diesel assumptions. The tool sizes PV + battery, computes annual grid + diesel savings and returns simple payback and 10-year ROI.
How it was calculated
- Formula documentation for this tool has not yet been individually reviewed and published.
Where each value comes from
- Daily load
- Buyer input
- Solar share of load
- Buyer input
- Grid share of remaining load
- Buyer input
- Grid tariff avoided
- Buyer input
- Diesel price
- Buyer input
- Diesel genset yield
- Buyer input
- Daily irradiance
- Buyer input
- PV performance ratio
- Buyer input
- PV installed cost
- Buyer input
- Battery autonomy for critical load
- Buyer input
- Critical load
- Buyer input
- LFP battery installed
- Buyer input
Limitations
- This tool has not yet passed the documented-methodology review. Treat every output as an unverified planning estimate.
- Sunshine source: Global Solar Atlas 2.0 (World Bank Group / ESMAP, data by Solargis, data version 1.7, 2026) — globalsolaratlas.info; flat-ground GHI read for each listed site on 7 Oct 2026.
- Performance source: NREL PVWatts v8 (developer.nlr.gov API, NSRDB PSM v3 weather), 1 kWp, standard module, fixed tilt at latitude, 14% losses, run 7 Oct 2026; defaults explained in Dobos, A.P., PVWatts Version 5 Manual, NREL/TP-6A20-62641 (2014) — 14% total losses, 96% nominal inverter efficiency.
- Solar cost benchmark: IRENA, Renewable Power Generation Costs in 2023 (International Renewable Energy Agency, Abu Dhabi, 2024) — national installed-cost figures for utility-scale solar PV; use your installer's quote first.
- Battery cost benchmark: Cole, W., Ramasamy, V., Turan, M., Cost Projections for Utility-Scale Battery Storage: 2023 Update, NREL/TP-6A40-85332 (2023); use your installer's quote first.
- Solar share is your design choice — model it for your site with NREL PVWatts; 100% off-grid needs much larger PV and battery.
- Battery is sized for critical load only — non-critical loads run on grid or solar directly.
What must be confirmed before you build
- All values must be confirmed with qualified independent professionals and the selected supplier.
Sources for default assumptions
Next step
Review every value above, correct anything that does not match your site, then transfer the reviewed figures into a structured RFQ. Nothing is sent to any supplier until you approve it. Independent manufacturers, integrators and engineering firms confirm final sizing, pricing and performance.
Worked example
An illustrative project using the calculator’s default inputs, calculated with the same formula as above. Not a real project.
| Daily load | 800 kWh/day |
|---|---|
| Solar share of load | 0.55 0–1 |
| Grid share of remaining load | 0.6 0–1 |
| Grid tariff avoided | 0.18 $/kWh |
| Diesel price | 1.1 $/L |
| Diesel genset yield | 3.4 kWh/L |
| Daily irradiance | 4.71 kWh/m²/day |
| PV performance ratio | 0.74 0–1 |
| PV installed cost | 900 $/kWp |
| Battery autonomy for critical load | 8 hours |
| Critical load | 12 kW |
| LFP battery installed | 450 $/kWh |
| PV size required | 126 kWp |
|---|---|
| Battery nameplate | 120.2 kWh |
| Total CAPEX (PV + battery) | $167,684 |
| Annual solar generation | 160,600 kWh/yr |
| Diesel litres avoided / yr | 18,894 L |
| Annual savings (blended) | $38,128 |
| Simple payback | 4.4 years |
| 10-year ROI | 127% |
Who should use the solar roi & payback (load + diesel + tariff)?
Farm owners and engineers sizing grid, generator, solar or battery supply for pumps, aerators and other farm loads.
What decision does it support?
What power capacity and energy cost the farm should plan for, and whether backup or solar is worth quoting.
What inputs do you need?
- Daily load (kWh/day)
- Solar share of load (0–1)
- Grid share of remaining load (0–1)
- Grid tariff avoided ($/kWh)
- Diesel price ($/L)
- Diesel genset yield (kWh/L)
- Daily irradiance (kWh/m²/day)
- PV performance ratio (0–1)
- PV installed cost ($/kWp)
- Battery autonomy for critical load (hours)
- Critical load (kW)
- LFP battery installed ($/kWh)
Is it for commercial farms or aquariums?
Built for commercial farms, hatcheries and projects. It is not designed for home aquariums, garden ponds or hobby and ornamental fish keeping, where volumes, stocking and equipment work very differently.
Technical checklist
Short answer: Solar payback (full) The result is a planning estimate calculated only from the inputs on this page — not a supplier quote, design approval or guaranteed outcome.
Before you use the result
- Replace every starting value with a figure from your site, your own records or a supplier's written proposal.
- Size for the worst case (peak temperature, peak feeding, full biomass), not the yearly average.
- Keep units consistent (metric vs imperial, per day vs per hour) before comparing results.
- Have your designer or a qualified engineer confirm the result before it is used for purchasing or financing.
- Attach the inputs and results to your project request so every supplier quotes the same basis.
Sources
- Sunshine source: Global Solar Atlas 2.0 (World Bank Group / ESMAP, data by Solargis, data version 1.7, 2026) — globalsolaratlas.info; flat-ground GHI read for each listed site on 7 Oct 2026.
- Performance source: NREL PVWatts v8 (developer.nlr.gov API, NSRDB PSM v3 weather), 1 kWp, standard module, fixed tilt at latitude, 14% losses, run 7 Oct 2026; defaults explained in Dobos, A.P., PVWatts Version 5 Manual, NREL/TP-6A20-62641 (2014) — 14% total losses, 96% nominal inverter efficiency.
Stated assumptions (starting values)
These are only starting points. Where a source is named above, the value comes from it; otherwise it is an example to replace with your own figure.
- Daily load: starts at 800 kWh/day
- Solar share of load: starts at 0.55 0–1
- Grid share of remaining load: starts at 0.6 0–1
- Grid tariff avoided: starts at 0.18 $/kWh
- Diesel price: starts at 1.1 $/L
- Diesel genset yield: starts at 3.4 kWh/L
- Daily irradiance: starts at 4.71 kWh/m²/day
- PV performance ratio: starts at 0.74 0–1
- PV installed cost: starts at 900 $/kWp
- Battery autonomy for critical load: starts at 8 hours
- Critical load: starts at 12 kW
- LFP battery installed: starts at 450 $/kWh
Checklist reviewed 13 October 2026. Ready to price it? Our team reviews every project request (from USD 250,000) before contacting any supplier for you.
Notes
- Sunshine source: Global Solar Atlas 2.0 (World Bank Group / ESMAP, data by Solargis, data version 1.7, 2026) — globalsolaratlas.info; flat-ground GHI read for each listed site on 7 Oct 2026.
- Performance source: NREL PVWatts v8 (developer.nlr.gov API, NSRDB PSM v3 weather), 1 kWp, standard module, fixed tilt at latitude, 14% losses, run 7 Oct 2026; defaults explained in Dobos, A.P., PVWatts Version 5 Manual, NREL/TP-6A20-62641 (2014) — 14% total losses, 96% nominal inverter efficiency.
- Solar cost benchmark: IRENA, Renewable Power Generation Costs in 2023 (International Renewable Energy Agency, Abu Dhabi, 2024) — national installed-cost figures for utility-scale solar PV; use your installer's quote first.
- Battery cost benchmark: Cole, W., Ramasamy, V., Turan, M., Cost Projections for Utility-Scale Battery Storage: 2023 Update, NREL/TP-6A40-85332 (2023); use your installer's quote first.
- Solar share is your design choice — model it for your site with NREL PVWatts; 100% off-grid needs much larger PV and battery.
- Battery is sized for critical load only — non-critical loads run on grid or solar directly.
Solar payback (full) FAQs
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