Comparative thermoeconomic analysis of terrestrial and floating solar energy power plants

The need for energy is increasing day by day due to the damage caused by fossil fuels to the environment. This situation directs countries to renewable energy sources. Considering the annual insolation rate of solar energy, its potential in Turkey is quite high. Taking this potential into consideration, determining the initial installation costs of the systems, conducting feasibility studies and planning the investment are important. The use of a large part of the land in the installation of terrestrial solar power plants is a disadvantage. The use of floating solar power plants is of great importance to protect valuable land and water resources. In this context, energy production values were compared and economically analyzed using the PVsyst program for terrestrial solar power plants and floating solar power plants in the Van region, and it was observed that floating solar power plants produced 10% more energy than terrestrial solar power plants. In the light of the data obtained from the economic analysis, it has been revealed that the initial investment cost for the floating system is 7% more than the land type system, and the return on investment is shorter. Within the scope of this thesis, it is aimed to increase the efficiency of solar power plants, to contribute to the knowledge in the field of renewable energy, to serve as a resource for the energy sector to leave a cleaner environment to future generations and for investors to make the right decision about which power plant to establish.