In solar conversations the first question almost never changes: “How many years before it pays for itself?” The honest answer is “it depends on the project”, but the calculation behind that answer is perfectly clear. In this article we open up that calculation, so that you can also interrogate any quote put in front of you on your own.
The four variables of payback
- Yield: Ankara is above the Turkish average for solar irradiation; 1 kWp of panel installed at the right angle produces roughly 1,400-1,600 kWh a year. Shading, orientation and tilt pull that number down.
- Self-consumption ratio: how much of the electricity you generate you use immediately is the heart of the calculation. Every kWh used on the spot is a saving at the full tariff; the surplus fed to the grid is valued lower under net metering.
- Tariff: the higher the price you pay for electricity, the faster a solar plant pays back. Because commercial tariffs are generally higher than residential ones, payback is shorter for businesses.
- Installation quality: poor design — the wrong angle, no shading analysis, a mismatched inverter — quietly shaves 10-20% off the yield, and that goes straight onto the payback period.
Why does it pay back faster for businesses?
A factory or a shop consumes most of its electricity during the day — that is, exactly during generating hours. The self-consumption ratio is naturally high and the tariff is higher than a household one; when the two combine, the payback period shortens. In a home, if the house is empty during the day a significant share of the generation goes to the grid; this is where energy storage or shifting consumption into daylight hours (timing the washing machine and dishwasher, charging an EV) comes in.
If you have an electric car, the arithmetic changes
A home with an EV is one of the most profitable scenarios for solar: charging the car from the sun during the day brings your most expensive “fuel” close to free. Among the customers for whom we design an EV charging station together with the solar plant, the overall payback is noticeably shorter.
Five questions to ask when you receive a quote
- Was a shading analysis carried out, and were you given a yield simulation (annual kWh)?
- On what assumption was the self-consumption ratio calculated?
- What are the warranty periods for the panels and the inverter? (Separating product from performance.)
- Who will handle the net metering application and the official process?
- Is monitoring (generation tracking) included?
We put a yield simulation and a payback table specific to you in every quote; the assumptions are stated and the arithmetic can be checked. The whole process is on our Ankara solar plant installation page.
Ask for a free site survey and a capacity calculation for your project.
WhatsApp / Phone: (0501) 557 80 89 • bilgi@projenza.com
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