Solar Aquaculture ROI Calculator
Flexes irradiance, install cost, avoided tariff and performance ratio — the four biggest ROI levers.
Calculator inputs
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.
Example — use your installer's quote; compare with IRENA, Renewable Power Generation Costs in 2023
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
Results
Annual generation
127.2 MWh/yr
Annual energy savings
$22,899
System CAPEX
$90,000
Simple payback
3.9 years
10-year ROI
154%
Results at a glance
| Output | Pessimistic | Base case | Optimistic |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual generation | 108,771 kWh/yr | 127,217 kWh/yr | 146,936 kWh/yr |
| Annual energy savings | $17,621 | $22,899 | $30,416 |
| System CAPEX | $99,000 | $90,000 | $81,000 |
| Simple payback | 5.6 years | 3.9 years | 2.7 years |
| 10-year ROI | 78% | 154% | 276% |
Scenario range
Annual generation
Result summary with the inputs used
Inputs used
- PV system size
- 100 kWp
- Daily irradiance
- 4.71 kWh/m²/day
- Installed cost
- 900 $/kWp
- Grid / diesel tariff avoided
- 0.18 $/kWh
- Performance ratio
- 0.74 0–1
Results · Base case scenario
- Annual generation
- 127,217 kWh/yr
- Annual energy savings
- $22,899
- System CAPEX
- $90,000
- Simple payback
- 3.9 years
- 10-year ROI
- 154%
127.2 MWh/yr
$900/kWp installed
Planning estimate from the inputs shown — not a supplier quote, guarantee, financing approval, engineering advice or confirmed availability.
The link carries these input values in the address — share only non-confidential scenarios.
Turn this result into 1–3 supplier quotes
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How supplier matching works
- 1. Private brief. Your spec goes only to manufacturers we have selected for the right category, capacity and export experience.
- 2. Confidential outreach. Suppliers see the technical spec — not your name, company or exact location — until you accept a quote.
- 3. Comparable quotes. Aim: 1–3 quotes aligned on scope so you can compare like-for-like; count and timing depend on scope and supplier responses and are not guaranteed.
- 4. Financing intro (optional). If needed, we introduce your project to a financing partner. No fee to buyers.
In short
Solar Aquaculture ROI Calculator turns pv system size, daily irradiance, installed cost, grid / diesel tariff avoided and performance ratio into annual generation, annual energy savings, system capex, simple payback and 10-year roi. Solar PV can offset part of a farm's pumping, aeration and RAS electricity. This tool estimates annual generation, energy savings, payback years and 10-year ROI from CAPEX, irradiance and grid tariff. Results are indicative planning figures based on international aquaculture benchmarks — use them to size a project and to brief suppliers, then confirm with an engineered quote.
- PV system size (kWp)
- Daily irradiance (kWh/m²/day) — Default: Guayaquil, Ecuador (NREL PVWatts, panel tilted to latitude). Real sun on the panel, kWh/m²/day — PVWatts / Global Solar Atlas flat ground: Guayaquil 4.71 / 4.52 · Ho Chi Minh City 5.28 / 4.86 · Chennai 5.49 / 5.34 · Kafr El Sheikh (Egypt) 6.27 / 5.55 · Lagos 4.64 / 4.54 · Recife (Brazil) 6.13 / 5.71. Use the panel figure here.
- Installed cost ($/kWp) — Example — use your installer's quote; compare with IRENA, Renewable Power Generation Costs in 2023
- Grid / diesel tariff avoided ($/kWh)
- 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
- Annual generation
- Annual energy savings
- System CAPEX
- Simple payback
- 10-year ROI
- Enter pv system size, daily irradiance, installed cost, grid / diesel tariff avoided and performance ratio.
- 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 Aquaculture ROI Calculator estimate?
The Solar Aquaculture ROI Calculator estimates annual generation, annual energy savings, system capex 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.
Two aquaculture systems with the same nominal capacity can differ widely in cost because scope, redundancy, energy strategy and site conditions differ.
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 Aquaculture ROI Calculator?
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
Based on: pv system size, daily irradiance, installed cost, grid / diesel 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 Aquaculture ROI Calculator · 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
Solar PV can offset part of a farm's pumping, aeration and RAS electricity. This tool estimates annual generation, energy savings, payback years and 10-year ROI from CAPEX, irradiance and grid tariff.
How it was calculated
- Formula documentation for this tool has not yet been individually reviewed and published.
Where each value comes from
- PV system size
- Buyer input
- Daily irradiance
- Buyer input
- Installed cost
- Buyer input
- Grid / diesel tariff avoided
- Buyer input
- Performance ratio
- 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.
- Add battery storage for critical loads (biofilter, oxygenation) — see the Battery Storage calculator.
- Check your result against NREL PVWatts for your site: its defaults are 14% total system losses and 96% inverter efficiency (PVWatts Version 5 Manual, NREL 2014).
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.
| PV system size | 100 kWp |
|---|---|
| Daily irradiance | 4.71 kWh/m²/day |
| Installed cost | 900 $/kWp |
| Grid / diesel tariff avoided | 0.18 $/kWh |
| Performance ratio | 0.74 0–1 |
| Annual generation | 127,217 kWh/yr |
|---|---|
| Annual energy savings | $22,899 |
| System CAPEX | $90,000 |
| Simple payback | 3.9 years |
| 10-year ROI | 154% |
Who should use the solar aquaculture roi calculator?
Farm owners and engineers sizing grid, generator, solar or battery supply for pumps, aerators and other farm loads.
What decision does it support?
What power capacity and energy cost the farm should plan for, and whether backup or solar is worth quoting.
What inputs do you need?
- PV system size (kWp)
- Daily irradiance (kWh/m²/day)
- Installed cost ($/kWp)
- Grid / diesel tariff avoided ($/kWh)
- Performance ratio (0–1)
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 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.
- PV system size: starts at 100 kWp
- Daily irradiance: starts at 4.71 kWh/m²/day
- Installed cost: starts at 900 $/kWp
- Grid / diesel tariff avoided: starts at 0.18 $/kWh
- Performance ratio: starts at 0.74 0–1
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.
- Add battery storage for critical loads (biofilter, oxygenation) — see the Battery Storage calculator.
- Check your result against NREL PVWatts for your site: its defaults are 14% total system losses and 96% inverter efficiency (PVWatts Version 5 Manual, NREL 2014).
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