Solar Power Plant Investment: What to Get Right in the Feasibility Study

The feasibility study is the most critical step because it determines, before capital is committed, whether a solar power plant (SPP) can deliver the yield and return the investor expects. Land analysis, irradiation data, grid connection capacity and cost projections must all be completed at this stage.

Land analysis covers slope and orientation, ground conditions and geotechnical constraints, land-use and zoning status, site access and the distance to the grid connection point. Irradiation analysis should rely on reliable long-term data rather than a single year, and it should be converted into an energy yield estimate that reflects the specific module, inverter and layout choices.

Grid connection capacity is often the deciding factor: the capacity available at the relevant substation or distribution network determines how much power the plant can export. Cost projections then bring together equipment, construction, MV connection and operating costs so that the investor can assess return scenarios on a realistic basis.

The most common mistakes are inadequate shading analysis, failing to account for cable losses and inverter sizing errors, and each of them can leave a plant producing below its expected yield. Shading analysis must cover not only nearby obstacles but also the horizon profile and row-to-row shading between module tables, especially in winter months when the sun is low.

Cable losses are frequently underestimated: long DC string runs and AC lines to the transformer station cause voltage drop and energy losses throughout the life of the plant, so conductor sizing should be treated as an economic optimization rather than a simple compliance check. Inverter sizing errors, such as an unsuitable DC/AC ratio or a poor match between strings and the inverter's input window, lead to clipping or inefficient operation.

Each of these mistakes is relatively cheap to correct on paper and expensive to correct in the field. That is why a feasibility study should be prepared with the same engineering rigor as the detailed design.

Integrated engineering matters because the assumptions in a feasibility study are only as good as their execution in design, construction and commissioning. Miratek Elektrik provides an integrated service for solar projects, from feasibility analysis to turnkey installation, so that the yield and cost assumptions in the study carry through to the plant that is actually built.

Our engineering team evaluates each project with site-specific parameters to give investors the most accurate return projections. With 50 MW of installed solar capacity and MV connection experience across the 1–35 kV range, we handle SPP design, installation and commissioning, the MV grid connection and the design approval process with TEDAŞ (the Turkish Electricity Distribution Company) and the relevant distribution company as a single point of contact across Türkiye.