Web platform design to calculate the benefits and installation costs of solar energy use in the aegean region

In this study an internet-based software for determining benefits and costs of solar energy is developed. Developed software enables users to determine electrical energy to be produced by solar energy systems, to compare obtained data, to calculate installation costs of solar energy systems with high precision and to have high quality data for investment. Software developed in this study is internet-based and includes the determination of production calculations and the profit they will bring based on the solar energy systems planned to be installed on business or agricultural lands and the sunshine duration of the provinces in the Aegean Region, the selection and cost calculation of the materials required for the creation of solar energy systems according to their properties, and the determination of the depreciation periods of the systems to be installed. Content determination was made before moving on to the software development phase, with the aim of meeting the needs of the target users. Afterwards, appropriate tools and software were selected to meet the identified needs. At this stage, system provides users easy access to content and information that meets their expectations. Since production and consumption costs are precisely calculated annually and monthly in the software application carried out in line with the determined targets, it directs feasibility studies and gains importance in realizing efficient investments. The software covers the provinces in the Aegean region and offers users a province selection. The 5-year insolation graphs of the selected province give users an idea about the average values. Monthly and annual sunshine durations are calculated according to the data obtained from the website of the General Directorate of Meteorology. During the determination of the installation costs of solar energy systems, panels from different companies are examined and presented to the user. Since the software is designed with a simple user-friendly interface, users will be able to easily access the information they need. Since such tools available to users will serve as a guide, they can contribute to increasing interest in and knowledge about sustainable energy sources.