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ROI & Total Cost of Ownership

Calculate the full lifetime cost of a generator including purchase, installation, fuel, maintenance, and compare against grid electricity.

Investment Details

Site prep, fuel tank, cabling, commissioning

Operating Parameters

Oil, filters, service, repairs

For payback comparison

Annual Fuel Cost
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Cost / kWh
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10-Year TCO
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Payback Period
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Understanding Generator TCO

Total Cost of Ownership includes:

  1. Capital expenditure (CAPEX): purchase price + installation + commissioning
  2. Fuel cost: The dominant operating cost. Calculated as: kVA × PF × Load% × SFC × Hours × Fuel Price
  3. Maintenance cost: Routine service, oil/filter changes, repairs — typically 3–5% of purchase price annually
  4. Residual value: A well-maintained generator retains 10–20% of purchase price after 10 years
Annual Fuel Cost = kVA x 0.8 x Load% x 0.26 L/kWh x Hours/Day x 365 x Fuel Price$/L
TCO = CAPEX + (Annual Fuel + Annual Maint.) x Years - Residual Value