Chapter 2:
Status of hybrid solar plants in Türkiye
In this chapter
Although hybrid solar emerges as a solution, its installed capacity remains insufficient
Since 2019, Türkiye’s installed solar power capacity has increased by 16.1 GW, yet despite the installation advantages and compatibility with other sources, hybrid solar capacity has reached only 1.4 GW.
2.1
History of hybrid power plants in Türkiye
Hybrid energy systems are power plants that generate electricity from different energy sources and operate together by sharing the same transmission line. The primary goal of these systems, which share the same transmission line, is to ensure transmission line efficiency and continuity in energy production. Hybrid power plants were first included in Türkiye’s regulations in March 2020. However, in the first two years, installed capacity reached only 100 MW. This limited development paved the way for new regulations that opened the path for hybrid investments.
In March 2022, a decision was made to allocate 1.3 GW of capacity for hybrid plants. Under this decision, the maximum hybrid capacity that plants could apply for was limited to 15% of the installed capacity of the main plant, excluding wind.
By August 2022, only 42% of the announced capacity had been allocated, leaving 0.8 GW of capacity remaining. With the regulatory change implemented in September 2022, the 15% restriction was lifted, and by January 2023, 88% of the 1.3 GW capacity had been allocated to investors. In March 2023, the total capacity available for allocation was increased to 1 GW.
2.2
Installed hybrid solar capacity reached 1.4 GW
Türkiye’s total installed hybrid solar power capacity reached 1.4 GW in May 2025. Solar power plants are the most common type of hybrid power plants due to their ease of installation, low cost and efficiency in production. As of May 2025, nearly all of the 3.5 GW of production licenses granted were awarded to solar energy projects. However, only 41% (1.4 GW) of the licensed capacity has been put into operation.
Hybrid solar power plant installation licences have been granted to five different sources: wind, hydroelectric, biomass, geothermal and thermal. Wind power plants hold the largest share at 61% (2.2 GW), followed by thermal power plants with 15%, hydroelectric plants with 13%, and other renewable sources with 11%. Similar trends are observed in completed installations. Wind power plants, accounting for 66% of the commissioned capacity, stand out as the most common host for hybrid solar installations.
2.3
Complementarity of solar with wind and hydroelectric resources
To further improve the utilisation efficiency of a power plant’s transmission line, complementary energy sources need to be planned jointly. In this regard, combining solar power plants with wind and hydroelectric plants is a key practice for improving efficiency.
Seasonal variations in generation enable a high level of complementarity between solar power and run-of-river hydropower plants. Run-of-river hydroelectric plants do not have the ability to store water for future production. In Türkiye, the production capacity of these plants begins to increase in March when rainfall and snowmelt start, peaks in April-May, and begins to decrease in the summer months when solar plants achieve their highest production. When comparing the production profiles of these two sources, they are highly complementary.
This complementarity is evidenced by a negative correlation between the electricity generation of run-of-river hydroelectric and solar power plants. Correlation is a measure that shows the relationship between two variables and the strength of that relationship. The correlation value ranges from -1 to +1, with values closer to the limits indicating a stronger relationship. A positive value means the variables move together, while a negative value means they move in opposite directions.
According to hourly electricity generation data for 2024, the correlation between run-of-river hydro and solar generation is -0.13. During May—when hydro generation starts to decline—and in August—when it reaches its lowest level—the correlation is -0.19. These results indicate that as one source’s generation increases, the other’s decreases, highlighting their complementary nature.
Hybrid solar power plants can help improve the efficiency of dammed hydroelectric plants. Dammed hydroelectric plants can store incoming water and shift their generation to different months based on price forecasts and rainfall conditions to maximise the efficiency of water used for production. In Türkiye, in the winter months of 2024, the correlation between dammed hydro and solar generation was close to zero (-0.06). However, a negative correlation of -0.33 in the spring and summer months indicates stronger complementarity. By utilising the energy generated from hybrid solar systems during the spring and summer, dam plants can store more water for use in winter when electricity prices are higher. This allows hydro plants to increase generation during winter, reduce reliance on fossil fuel-based electricity, and contribute to lowering energy imports.
As with hydroelectric power plants, solar energy can also complement wind power generation. In particular, during the summer, Türkiye’s wind generation typically begins to decline around 6am when the sun rises and reaches its lowest point around 9–10am. Wind generation then increases through the afternoon, peaking in the evening hours. Solar power plants, on the other hand, start generating around 6am and reach maximum output by midday. According to 2024 data, during the summer months when solar generation is at its peak, wind generation increases by 49% from its lowest point in the day to its maximum output. The hourly correlation between wind and solar generation during the 6am to 6pm period in summer months is approximately -0.10. Due to the variable and unpredictable nature of wind generation, combining it with solar generation can significantly improve the efficiency of grid connection lines.
2.4
Hybrid solar added 14% to the output of hydroelectric and wind plants in 2024
Hybrid solar power plants clearly demonstrated their impact in Türkiye in 2024. In 25 wind and hydroelectric power plants where data was reliably accessible, the addition of hybrid solar power plants increased the amount of electricity delivered to the grid by an average of 14%. Thanks to this increase, the average connection capacity factor rose by 5 percentage points, reaching 32%.
The impact is even more significant during solar’s summer peaks. During the summer months, when run-of-river production was at its lowest and solar production at its highest, hybrid solar plants contributed an additional 7 percentage points to the capacity factor, while in dammed power plants the contribution was 6 percentage points. In wind power plants, during July when solar production levels were highest, the contribution was 10 percentage points.
When we examine the plants individually, the picture becomes even more impressive. In Malatya, one of the provinces with the highest solar potential, the Wind-1 plant, with its 10 MW hybrid solar power plant, almost doubled its capacity factor, reaching an average of 43% in 2024. This rate is 9 percentage points higher than the average capacity factor of 34% of all wind power plants in Türkiye in 2024. Similarly, in Adıyaman, another province with one of the highest solar potentials, the Run-of-River-1 plant, with its 8 MW hybrid solar power plant, increased its capacity factor by 13 percentage points in 2024, from 32% before to 45% with solar.
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