JIC_V4_N3_RP1 Abdülsamed Tabak Mustafa Sacid Endiz Journal on Instrumentation & Control Engineering 2321 – 1148 4 3 1 6 Solar Energy Potential, Solar Radiation, Cost Analyzes, Payback Period, Investment In this study, the comparative analyzes of solar Photovoltaic (PV) energy production potential between Van which is situated in the far east of Turkey, and Antalya which is situated in the south of Turkey, using dynamic PVSOL Expert 6.0 simulation tool regarding annual temperatures and solar radiation capacity was performed. The objective of this paper is to explain and help in better understanding of which part of the country should be invested regarding solar energy generation. Ignoring the average annual temperatures, Antalya seems to be advantageous since, the solar radiation capacity is high, but considering the temperature’s negative effects on the solar panels, the advantages of Antalya decreases. Since, the average annual temperatures in Antalya are higher than Van, the payback period of the investment increases by 3.44%, although the solar radiation capacity is much more than in Van. Under the same conditions, the solar energy production potential difference between the two cities is only 6.25%. As can be clearly seen from the simulation results performed in this study, there are not too much differences regarding solar energy production potential between Antalya and Van. Related to the cost of an investment for a solar power plant investment, both the cities can be selected. May - July 2016 Copyright © 2016 i-manager publications. All rights reserved. i-manager Publications http://www.imanagerpublications.com/Article.aspx?ArticleId=7061