Comparison of Payback Periods of Solar Power Plant in Türkiye and Europe

Abstract

The importance of energy in the world is increasing day by day. Most of the countries’ energy needs are met by fossil fuels. Due to the depletion of fossil fuels, their increasing prices and the damage they cause to the environment, researchers have turned to alternative energy sources. The demand for renewable energy sources as alternative energy has increased significantly in recent years. Solar energy is one of the most popular and widely used energy sources among renewable energy sources all over the world. For this reason, efforts are being made to increase the use of solar energy in Türkiye and European countries. Although the amount of solar radiation in Türkiye is high, it has not reached the expected levels. In this study, the payback periods (PBP) of a 1 MW solar power plant (SPP) connected to the grid between Türkiye and European countries were compared. It is assumed that the compared countries use monocrystalline solar panels with an efficiency of 22.6% at their specific solar radiation values. Additionally, due to the impact of the Russia-Ukraine war on energy prices, the PBP of the SPP was determined based on two scenarios. According to the results, in the first scenario, the highest PBP is in Karaman with 2.75 years, followed by Türkiye with 3.17 years. PBPs in Spain, France and Germany are calculated as 3.6, 5.6 and 5.7 years, respectively. In second scenario (after the Russia-Ukraine war), the highest PBPs were determined as Germany with 2.22 years and France with 3.27 years. PBPs in Spain, Karaman and Türkiye were determined as 2.41, 2.75 and 3.17 years, respectively.

Keywords

• güneş enerjisi
• fotovoltaik
• geri ödeme süresi
• güneş enerjisi potansiyeli
• solar energy
• photovoltaic
• payback period
• solar energy potential