Design and techno economic analysis of a solar power plant at kirklareli üniversity kayali campus

In this study, a ground-mounted, fixed-tilt photovoltaic (PV) plant was designed for Kırklareli University's Kayalı Campus to meet the campus's electricity demand, and its techno-economic feasibility was investigated. Within this scope, the campus's 2022–2024 electricity consumption data were analysed, the site's solar potential was determined using Meteonorm 8.2 global irradiation series, and three capacity scenarios (S-1 = 2.48 MWₚ; S-2 = 2.80 MWₚ; S-3 = 3.40 MWₚ) were simulated in the PVsyst 8.0.9 environment. The simulations employed 550 Wp bifacial monocrystalline modules together with 320 kW string inverters equipped with twelve MPPT inputs; the array layout, a 35° module tilt, and a DC/AC ratio of approximately 1.10–1.18 were selected through performance optimisation. The results indicate an annual net yield of 3.6–5.0 GWh, a specific yield of ≈ 1 462 kWh kWₚ⁻¹ yr⁻¹, and an average performance ratio of 87.2 %. The 3.40 MWₚ S-3 scenario fully satisfies campus demand, prevents ≈ 1 860 t CO₂ emissions per year, and lowers the LCOE to the 0.025–0.030 USD kWh⁻¹ range. Economic evaluation was conducted via payback period, net present value (NPV), internal rate of return (IRR), and LCOE metrics based on 25-year cash flows; ±10 % variations in module degradation, tariff escalation, and discount rate were subjected to sensitivity analysis. The sensitivity analysis showed that even under the most pessimistic combination (+10 % CAPEX, –10 % tariff, –5 % yield, and a +2-point increase in discount rate), the NPV remained positive and the discounted payback period did not exceed ≈ 8.5 years, while in the most optimistic case it fell below 6 years. In the baseline scenario, S-3 exhibits a simple payback period of ≈ 4.7 years, a discounted payback period of ≈ 6.6 years, an NPV (10 % discount) of +1.1 MUSD, an IRR of ≈ 15 %, and an LCOE of 0.025–0.030 USD kWh⁻¹. Consequently, solar-powered electricity generation at Kayalı Campus is technically feasible, financially sustainable, and environmentally beneficial, and the study provides a representative design-feasibility framework for PV projects at the university scale.