Turkey saves $200 mln with solar panels yearly

ANKARA

With its 22 million square meters of solar panels across the country, Turkey saves itself $200 million a year on energy costs, according to the Turkish energy minister.

As a result of such widespread use, Turkey trails only China and the United States in using solar panels to heat water, Energy and Natural Resources Minister Fatih Dönmez said Aug. 6.

“Solar collectors have been installed widely on the rooftops of Anatolia to ensure hot water. Considering this culture, it is not surprising that Turkey ranks third in the world in this area,” he said.

Germany, Brazil, India, Australia, Israel and Italy all trail Turkey in using solar panels to heat water, Dönmez said.
“We aim to create an investor profile [as a country that] produces its own electricity with new [solar] rooftop and façade applications,” said Dönmez.

“We want the rooftops of all homes, hotels, hospitals, public buildings, schools, farmhouses and industrial enterprises to shine with solar panels,” the minister added.

Turkey’s total installed solar energy capacity is around 6,000 megawatts, according to the Energy Ministry.

And thanks to tax incentives, as well as government permission for people to install solar panels providing up to 5 MW without a license, Turkey’s solar collector capacity has increased by 1,500 MW in the last two years.