Solar Panel

Solar Panel

Solar energy is a renewable energy source that is easy to install and use, does not pollute the environment and does not create harmful waste.

Solar energy is the radiant energy released by the fusion process in the core of the sun (the conversion of hydrogen gas into helium). The sun is a clean and inexhaustible renewable energy source that emits approximately 3.9×10²⁶ W of power. Only a very small fraction of this energy emitted by the sun reaches the Earth. On average, 1,367 W of power falls on every square metre of the outer surface of the atmosphere. Of this radiation reaching the atmosphere, a portion, generally made up of X-rays and ultraviolet rays, is absorbed, while another portion is reflected. 

Efforts to harness such a vast and renewable energy source have accelerated in recent years. Countries have sped up the transition to renewable energy in order to avoid the environmental damage caused by fossil resources. As a result, a great deal of research is being carried out on heat and electricity generation from solar energy, and its use is increasing year by year. Although there are several methods for generating electricity from solar energy, the general trend has focused on photovoltaic systems, in which sunlight is converted directly into electricity.  Work on harnessing solar energy gained pace especially after the 1970s; solar energy systems have advanced technologically and declined in cost, and have established themselves as an environmentally clean energy source. Its status as a clean energy source and its low operating cost after installation increase the importance of solar energy in particular. 

Solar Radiation in Türkiye

INSTALLATION AREAS

Why

should you invest in solar energy?

As experts often emphasise, future energy needs will be met by renewable energy. In the coming years, conventional fuels will give way to

solar, wind and hydroelectric energy. While natural gas and coal put investors under strain with their high costs, solar energy stands out as a completely unlimited and free resource.

Everyone can now produce their own energy and earn income from any surplus over their consumption. Benefiting from all of these advantages is now much easier…

What are the advantages of being a solar power plant (SPP) investor?

Energy costs and expenses make up almost half of production costs and of product prices on the market. For producers, solar energy means lower costs and greater competitiveness.

For consumers, the most effective way to save is always to produce your own energy without interruption. Moreover, by selling what you generate beyond your consumption, you can earn money and shorten the payback period of your investment. On top of all this, the energy sector should be the first sector in which production is ‘domestic and national’.

Who can invest in a solar power plant?

In unlicensed investments, legal entities cannot install power plants. Only public institutions and quasi-public bodies, universities, renewable energy cooperatives and municipalities can obtain permits. In licensed investments, the winners of the ministry tenders held for plant installation in areas determined by the Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources can invest once they obtain permits. In addition, projects built solely to meet one’s own needs, without selling to the grid and outside any purchase guarantee, are also permitted.

Can solar energy technology become a profitable investment in the long term?

Solar power plants can operate for a total of 25 years. The money spent on installation can be paid back in 5 years, and over the remaining 20 years the plant provides its investor first with free and uninterrupted energy and then with a regular income.

What criteria should be considered when choosing an investment partner for a solar power plant investment?

The sector is new to Türkiye, and implementation requires experience. Companies without sufficient experience sometimes mislead investors. A proper investment and installation requires ‘electrical-electronic-mechanical’ knowledge. For an investment partnership, companies with the necessary training, knowledge and experience in these three critical areas of expertise should be preferred.

SOLAR ENERGY INVESTMENTS WORLDWIDE

In 2022, worldwide investment in solar panels hit a record, rising by 49 per cent.

Following the climate crisis and rising energy prices, sales of solar panels installed on the roofs of homes and businesses broke records in 2022, rising by 49 per cent.

Experts say that, owing to economic and political uncertainty, climate change, the pandemic and similar factors around the world, the idea of households “generating the energy they need themselves” is becoming increasingly widespread among citizens.

According to SolarPower Europe, a European Union (EU)-affiliated research company, in 2022 solar panels on homes and businesses around the world generated 118 billion watts (gigawatts, or GW) more energy than the previous year.

Globally, more than 36 million households are now able to meet all of their energy needs at home using solar panels alone.

According to the data, in 2023 solar power plants and small-scale rooftop installations on homes and businesses in EU countries will reach a level sufficient to meet 57 per cent of the continent’s energy needs.

Looking at Europe, investment in solar energy rose by an average of 45 per cent in 2023, and of the 1.2 trillion TW of “sustainable green energy”, a total of 1,612 TW (terawatt) hours was obtained from solar panels. 

SolarPower Europe President Aristotelis Chantavas notes that there have been repeated crises worldwide, especially over fossil fuels such as oil and natural gas, and that people have now realised these crises never end. 

Chantavas said: “People everywhere are turning to solar energy more than ever. In a year marked by energy and climate crises, solar energy has become a way out and a source of hope for citizens.”

“1 Terawatt of Investment Every Year by 2030”

Looking at the past 10 years globally, we see that investment in solar energy in particular, and in other sustainable, environmentally friendly green energy systems, has been steadily increasing and breaking records.

It took the countries of the world about 22 years to reach 1 terawatt of electricity a year from solar energy. According to experts, however, investment in these systems has been advancing at record levels in recent years. 

For this reason, the data indicate that by 2030 enough investment in solar energy systems will be made to obtain 1 terawatt of energy every year.

SOLAR ENERGY INVESTMENTS IN EUROPE

Which Are the Main Countries Investing in Solar Energy in Europe?

According to the SolarPower Europe report, the leading countries in solar energy will soon invest far more in this area.

In 2022, the number of countries installing at least 1 GW a year more than doubled, from 12 to 26. The report forecasts that by 2025 more than 50 countries will install more than 1 GW of solar energy a year.

According to the data, a total of 12 countries in Europe are investing heavily in solar energy systems. Spain, Germany, Poland, the Netherlands and Italy lead these countries.

Poland’s investment in solar energy has gone beyond forecasts. Under a new law in the country, homeowners generate electricity with solar panels installed on their roofs, earn money by selling this energy and even receive a small reward from the state. As a result, there is great demand in the country for small-scale rooftop solar panels.

Looking worldwide, the 26 countries that invested the most in solar panels and power plants, whether small or large scale, in 2022 are as follows:

1. China
2. United States of America
3. India
4. Brazil
5. Spain
6. Germany
7. Japan
8. Poland
9. Netherlands
10. Australia
11. South Korea
12. Italy
13. France
14. Taiwan
15. Chile
16. Denmark
17. Türkiye
18. Greece
19. South Africa
20. Austria
21. United Kingdom
22. Mexico
23. Hungary
24. Pakistan
25. Israel
26. Switzerland