Photovoltaic Solar Power Plant of Soguksu: A Case Study

Abstract

Investments in photovoltaic solar power plants continue to increase across all provinces of Türkiye. However, Bursa is not among the regions that receive the highest levels of solar radiation compared to the eastern parts of the country. The Soğuksu power plant, located in the village of the same name in Bursa, was commissioned in March 2017 with an installed capacity of 7 MW. In this study, the actual generation data of the power plant for 2022 were analyzed, and the performance ratio (PR) and capacity factor (CF) were calculated. The results show that the minimum electricity generation occurred in December 2021 with 401.21 MWh, while the total electricity production in 2022 reached 10.64 GWh. During the summer season, the plant generated 7,262.8 MWh, corresponding to 68% of its annual production. The lowest performance ratio was observed in June at 75.1%, while the highest capacity factor was recorded in July at 28%. Furthermore, the performance ratios for November, December, and January exceeded 100%. Since the PR is calculated based on the solar energy values reported in the regional solar atlas, such results indicate a notable discrepancy between the published data and the actual site conditions. The exceptionally high PR values during the winter months may suggest that the region experiences milder winters and receives higher solar radiation than the atlas values imply.