Capacity Factor Analysis in Small Scale Hydropower Plants and a Practice Specific to Giresun

Energy is the fundamental element of social and economic sustainability in every aspect of life, from the smallest living body to large scale industrial facilities. In Turkey rapidly increasing industrial development process lead to extensive energy demand, which is met largely from imported fossil sources. Especially in recent years, as a result of increasing environmental awareness and economic and strategic reasons, a portion of the energy deficit is fed from, clean and reliable hydroelectric power plants with great importance. In our country, a total of 295511 GWh electricity was produced in 2017. About 41368 GWh (14%) of the total amount was generated by large hydraulic plants and 17082 GWh (5.78%) by small hydraulic plants. In this study, small hydroelectric power (SHP) stations are considered to reduce the increasing energy cost and for this purpose SHP in Giresun are analyzed leading to private additives in the capacity factor analysis. According to the results it is possible to conclude that thetime of power plant investment is shortened as the capacity factor increases in hydroelectric power plants.