Modelling data showing how blended multi-technology systems can outperform single-technology installations.
The single-technology baseline
A single-technology PPA, typically solar PV, delivers a clear and predictable return. The system generates electricity during daylight hours, the site consumes what it can, and any excess is either exported or curtailed. For many sites, Solar PV alone delivers savings of 10 to 15% on the total energy bill. The financial model is simple: generation multiplied by the difference between grid price and PPA rate equals savings. This is the benchmark against which blended systems should be measured.
Where single technology leaves value on the table
The limitation of a single-technology approach becomes apparent when you examine the consumption profile in detail. Solar generates during the day, but many sites have significant overnight or early morning demand that solar cannot serve. Peak tariff periods often fall in the late afternoon when solar output is declining. Sites with heat demand gain no benefit from electricity-only generation. Each of these gaps represents value that a single technology cannot capture.
The blended advantage
A blended system addresses multiple dimensions of the energy profile simultaneously. Solar handles daytime electricity, CHP provides baseload power and captures heat, and battery storage shifts excess generation to peak tariff periods. The result is not additive: it is multiplicative. Solar excess that would otherwise be exported at low value is stored in batteries and consumed during peak periods at high value. CHP heat that would require a separate gas boiler is captured at marginal cost. The combined system serves a larger proportion of total site demand than the sum of individual technologies would suggest.
Modelling the difference
Our modelling across a range of manufacturing sites shows that blended systems typically deliver 30 to 50% greater savings than solar-only installations on the same sites. The key driver is self-consumption rate: a solar-only system on a typical manufacturing site achieves 60 to 70% self-consumption, while a blended system with CHP and battery achieves 85 to 95%. The financial impact of that difference is substantial over a PPA term that is typically 15 to 20 years for CHP-led designs depending on engine size, up to 25 years for solar-led.
When to choose single vs blended
A single-technology PPA is the right choice when the site profile clearly suits one technology and the additional complexity of a blended system does not deliver proportionate additional value. Sites with excellent solar exposure, high daytime demand, and no significant heat requirement may be best served by solar alone. Blended systems make the strongest case for sites with mixed demand profiles, significant heat requirements, or the need to maximise Scope 2 reduction. The answer is always in the data, and Saber models both options to ensure the recommendation is evidence-based.
