Renewable Energy, Solar & Wind Manufacturing worked example

Renewable Automation Payback with automation cell capital investment of 62,500 $: a worked example

What does the result look like when automation cell capital investment reaches 62,500 $? The full calculation is worked below with real intermediate numbers. Use it when renewable automation payback in renewable energy, solar and wind manufacturing is being put in front of a capital committee and the savings story needs to hold up.

The inputs for this scenario

  • Automation cell capital investment: 62,500 $ (raised for this scenario; the documented default is 25,000)
  • Annual labor and scrap savings: 18,000 $ / yr (unchanged)
  • Annual maintenance and support cost: 2,500 $ / yr (unchanged)

Working through the calculation

  • Applying the documented formula (Net annual renewable automation payback savings = annual renewable automation payback savings - annual renewable automation payback support cost) to the inputs above produces each figure below.
  • At this operating point the engine returns 4.03 yr for renewable automation payback payback period, the number this scenario is built around.
  • At this operating point the engine returns 15,500 $ / yr for net annual renewable automation payback savings.
  • At this operating point the engine returns 62,500 $ for renewable automation payback investment.
  • At this operating point the engine returns 15,000 $ for five-year net renewable automation payback value.

How this compares with the baseline

  • Against the tool's baseline example, where automation cell capital investment sits at 25,000 $ and the headline result is 1.61 yr, this scenario comes in 150% above the baseline at 4.03 yr.
  • A figure at this level is achievable when automation cell capital investment is genuinely sustained, not just peaked for a shift. Simple payback ignores the time value of money, ramp-up losses, and residual value - it is a screening tool, not a substitute for NPV or IRR on large projects.

Results at a glance

  • Renewable automation payback payback period: 4.03 yr (headline result)
  • Net annual renewable automation payback savings: 15,500 $ / yr
  • Renewable automation payback investment: 62,500 $
  • Five-year net renewable automation payback value: 15,000 $

Run it with your numbers

  • Every input above is editable in the live Renewable Automation Payback calculator, which recalculates instantly and can be shared with the inputs intact.

Last reviewed 2026-05-12.