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Project Finance Calculators

Four quick estimates for the money side of an equipment decision: lifetime cost of a transformer, payback and NPV, MACRS depreciation, and what imported equipment really costs delivered.

Each tool runs in your browser and sends nothing anywhere. They are planning estimates for comparing options early, not tax, accounting or investment advice.

Transformer TCO Estimator

A transformer loses energy as heat continuously: a fixed no-load loss (core loss, present anytime it's energized, loaded or not) and a load loss (winding loss that scales with the square of the load factor). Over a 20–30 year service life, that loss can cost more than the transformer itself — so total cost of ownership, not sticker price, is often the better basis for comparing bids of the same kVA size. Enter both loss figures from the nameplate or factory test report.

Annual loss cost = [(Pnl × 8760) + (Pll × LoadFactor² × 8760)] × $/kWh

Transformer TCO

Loss figures come from the transformer's nameplate or factory test report — this tool does no lookups of its own.

Investment Payback & NPV Calculator

Simple payback and net present value for a BESS, solar, or efficiency-upgrade investment — how many years until annual savings/revenue cover the upfront cost, and what that cash flow is worth today once a discount rate is applied. Same NPV-of-a-level-annuity method as the Transformer TCO estimator above.

Simple payback (yrs) = Upfront cost / Annual savings  ·  NPV = Annual savings × [1 − (1+r)−n] / r − Upfront cost

Payback & NPV

"Annual savings/revenue" is your own estimate — energy arbitrage, demand-charge reduction, incentive payments, avoided utility spend, whatever applies. This assumes a level (non-escalating) annual figure.
Simple payback ignores the time value of money and stops counting once the analysis period is over — a project that pays back in year 12 of a 15-year analysis still needs the discount rate/NPV figure to judge whether it was worth doing, not just the payback year alone. This also doesn't model financing costs, tax credits/depreciation (see the MACRS estimator below), or savings escalation over time.

MACRS Depreciation Estimator

MACRS (Modified Accelerated Cost Recovery System) lets US businesses depreciate equipment faster than its useful life, using the IRS's published 200%-declining-balance, half-year-convention percentage tables (Publication 946, Table A-1). Most energy equipment falls under 5-year or 7-year property.

MACRS Schedule

Not tax advice. This is the standard MACRS percentage table only — it doesn't account for bonus depreciation (many new energy assets qualify for significant first-year expensing), Section 179 expensing, or your specific tax situation. Confirm your actual depreciation schedule and eligibility with a qualified CPA.

Landed/Delivered Cost Calculator

Sticker price and delivered cost are rarely the same number once freight, duty, and insurance are added — this rolls them into one figure for budgeting.

Landed cost = Equipment price + Freight + (Equipment price × Duty rate) + Insurance

Landed Cost

Freight and insurance are your own estimates or quotes; duty rate should come from an actual customs classification (see the HS code reference) — always confirm with a licensed customs broker before relying on this for a real shipment.

Frequently asked questions

How do you calculate the total cost of ownership of a transformer?

Add the purchase price to the lifetime cost of its energy losses. No-load loss (core loss) runs continuously whenever the transformer is energized; load loss (winding loss) scales with the square of the load factor. Multiply each by 8760 hours/year and your electricity rate to get an annual loss cost, then extend it over the transformer's service life.

What is MACRS depreciation and how is it calculated for energy equipment?

MACRS (Modified Accelerated Cost Recovery System) lets businesses depreciate equipment faster than its useful life using IRS-published percentage tables (5-year and 7-year property are common for energy equipment). This is a simplified estimate only — it doesn't account for bonus depreciation or Section 179 expensing, and isn't tax advice.

How do you calculate the landed or delivered cost of imported equipment?

Add the equipment price, freight, duty (equipment price multiplied by the applicable duty rate), and cargo insurance together. The duty rate depends on the item's actual customs classification, which should come from a licensed customs broker, not an estimate.

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