Techno-economic and environmental analysis of a photovoltaic system in Istanbul

Increasing global energy demand and fluctuating costs drive mankind to sustainable and cost-effective energy solutions. Renewable resources and relevant energy-generating technologies stand out as sustainable and eco-friendly options. In recent years, with a significant decrease in energy production costs, solar energy has come to the fore and increased its production share in the national economies. Solar based electricity production technologies are preferred not only with their cost-effectiveness but also with their contribution to combating climate change and achieving sustainable development targets. In this context; the aim of this study is to analyze the techno-economic and environmental aspects of a system consisting of photovoltaic (PV) modules that use solar energy as a source to provide electrical power demand in a campus located in Istanbul. The solar potential of the Turkish Naval Academy of the National Defense University has been calculated based on the available rooftop area for PV modules in the campus, the availability of per unit area of the roof, the efficiency, inverter efficiency and temperature effects on the PV array's performance. The potential of the roof-mounted PV system was calculated using a modified calculation and then the feasibility of the proposed energy system has been developed by the RETScreen simulation tool. As a result, it is calculated that the proposed system will reach positive cash flow at the end of four years repayment period and continue its profit condition throughout the 25 years project life cycle, which will decrease the total greenhouse gas emissions by 93% and save 721.1 tons of crude oil. It has been evaluated as a cost-effective and environment-friendly application for the campus of the Turkish Naval Academy.