As India is slowly transiting from the fossil fuel to the renewable energy format for power generation, the concept of energy security, efficiency, usage of clean energy sources and less environmental degradation are the points of focus. The high capital cost involved in the setting up of a solar PV system makes it necessary to evaluate the feasibility based on the economic indices. The work proposed in this article is to evaluate the payback periods for a solar ground-mounted photovoltaic (PV) system installed in the Tirupati Airport (Airports Authority of India) and reflect on the economic feasibility for the same. The results obtained indicate that the investment is feasible, both technologically and economically. The payback periods and the carbon emissions are reduced drastically and making it a clean energy technology. © Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd 2020.