Performance analysis of a 500-kWp grid-connected solar photovoltaic power plant in Kahramanmaraş

In today's world, the daily need for and cost of energy sources increase and this forces industrial institutions to seek for new ways to generate their own energy. The developments in photovoltaic systems have recently drawn attention in the business world. Although their installation costs are high, they are environmentally friendly and profitable investments in the long run. The cost analysis of a large-scale photovoltaic generator in the climatic conditions of Kahramanmara\c{s} will lead the way to new investments. In this study, the modeling and cost analysis of an on-grid photovoltaic generator of 500 kW, which was installed to provide energy for a textile factory located in the Pazarc{\i}k district of Kahramanmara\c{s} Province (37.5$^{\circ}$N, 37.3$^{\circ}$E; altitude: 748 m), was performed. The findings suggest that the photovoltaic generator of 500 kW installed in the Pazarc{\i}k district of Kahramanmara\c{s} Province in August 2013 produces 816,639 MWh energy and reaches its initial cost in 6.2198 years. Therefore, photovoltaic generators are significantly useful when the climatic conditions in Kahramanmara\c{s} are taken into account.