Turkey's Solar Energy: The Cheapest Source of Electricity

Solar Energy: An Economic Solution for Turkey

Solar energy has become Turkey's cheapest electricity generation source thanks to declining costs in recent years. This transformation offers significant benefits both environmentally and economically.

Costs are Decreasing

According to an analysis by the international energy think tank Ember, the installation costs of solar energy plants have decreased by 77%. The cost change for wind energy plants was recorded at 40%. These fluctuations have also significantly impacted the lifetime production costs of the plants.

Cost of Electricity Production from Solar

Ember's estimates indicate that the cost of electricity production from a newly established solar energy plant in Turkey is around 43 dollars per megawatt-hour (MWh). This figure presents a highly competitive price compared to current industrial standards.

Solar vs. Coal

Recent decisions indicate that local coal plants are guaranteed a purchase price of 75 dollars per megawatt-hour. This is 12% higher than the electricity selling price of local coal plants in the past year and 36% higher than their production costs.

Future Predictions

Ember's projections indicate that these incentives will lead to a total of 8.7 billion dollars in public spending over the next four years. However, if resources are directed towards modernizing the grid and removing bureaucratic obstacles for solar energy plants, it is possible for Turkey to achieve its goal of 120 gigawatts of renewable energy by 2035.