Istanbul’s public museums to save on electricity bills

Umut Erdem ISTANBUL - Hürriyet Daily News

Topkapı Palace, a leading tourist attraction in Istanbul, utilizes less power for lighting since all its electricity lines are renewed as a part of a broad energy saving plan.

Turkey’s Culture and Tourism Ministry has embarked on an ambitious plan to save on its electricity bills by going green in Istanbul museums and buildings linked to the ministry. 

The cost of lighting Istanbul’s large museums has become too costly, according to the ministry, prompting it to sign an agreement with a private energy firm to conduct an energy study of Topkapı Palace, the Hagia Sophia, and the Turkish and Islamic Arts Museum. 

“We have realized that by making small investments, we can achieve important savings,” said Murat Usta, an official with the Culture and Tourism Ministry. 

He said they increased energy savings by renovating all the electricity compensation lines at the Hagia Sophia and Topkapı Palace museums, thereby increasing electricity savings.

Meanwhile, Usta said the ministry had held an auction and would award a contract to the company that produced the most cost-effective electricity savings scheme. 

“As a result, we will switch to green energy in museums like the Hagia Sophia, Topkapı Palace and [elsewhere],” Usta said.