Renewable Energy's Potential Scrutiny by PVSYST and RETSCREEN softwares Case study: Khoy City, Iran

Energy is one of the most critical factors in economic development but achieving a sustainable development is impossible without environmental protection and improving the economic conditions. If a country is dependent on energy, any structural reform policies to reduce energy consumption may reduce the economic growth. Saving energy consumption, and the development and application of alternative technologies, especially renewable energy, has a significant role in controlling and reducing the consumption of fossil energy carriers, and consequently, reducing the emission of environmental pollutants and achieving a sustainable development. This article deals with the feasibility of constructing the renewable energy power plants in the Khoy city. First, using the RETSCREEN software, the economic and environmental conditions of construction of renewable energy power plants in the Khoy city are examined. Using the PVSYST software, the requirements for constructing the solar power plants are discussed in a specialized way. In this work, the inflation rate is 12% and the interest rate is 4%. The construction of solar and geo-thermal power plants in this city can be prioritized based on the results obtained. The solar power plant has a production capacity of 30 MW. 212194 m of land and a capital of 40 million dollars are required to construct this solar power plant. The pay-back period of this project in the Khoy city is estimated at 25 years.