Solar power in Turkey
Encyclopedia
Solar power in Turkey. Turkey
is located in an advantageous position in Europe
for the purposes of solar power
. Compared to the rest of Europe, insolation values are higher and conditions for solar power generation are comparable to Spain
.
The main solar energy utilizations in Turkey are the flat-plate collectors in domestic hot water systems. Turkey is one of the leading countries in the world with a total installed capacity of 7.8 GWth as of 2008 (8,200,000 m² collector area as of 2001.) The systems are mostly used in Aegean and Mediterranean regions. Total energy production equals to 290,000 TOE (tons oil equivalent).
The industry is well developed with high quality manufacturing and export capacity. The number of companies is around 100 and annual manufacturing capacity is 750,000 m².
Utilization of photovoltaic and CSP systems is limited with the usage of some governmental organizations in remote service areas such as telecom stations, forest fire observation towers and highway emergency. Total installed peak power is estimated as 300 kW.
Solar energy sources are covered by this law, which decrees that facilities which generate electricity from renewable energy sources will be granted a renewable energy resources certificate (RER Certificate) which will entitle such facilities to benefit from the incentives provided by the Law. EMRA is the competent authority to grant the RER Certificates.
The current Law allows incentives of only 13.3 USD-cents/kW·h for electricity produced from solar energy. Domestic producers are encouraged in this way 20 USD-cents/kW·h. Considering the high amount of capital needed for a solar plant installation, this incentive is not enough to create a viable solar power market in Turkey.
In order to promote solar energy the Turkish government is preparing new legislation and a higher feed-in-tariff.
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
is located in an advantageous position in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
for the purposes of solar power
Solar power
Solar energy, radiant light and heat from the sun, has been harnessed by humans since ancient times using a range of ever-evolving technologies. Solar radiation, along with secondary solar-powered resources such as wind and wave power, hydroelectricity and biomass, account for most of the available...
. Compared to the rest of Europe, insolation values are higher and conditions for solar power generation are comparable to Spain
Solar power in Spain
Spain is one of the most advanced countries in the development of solar energy, since it is one of the countries of Europe with more hours of sunshine. The Spanish government committed to achieving a target of 12 percent of primary energy from renewable energy by 2010 with an installed solar...
.
The main solar energy utilizations in Turkey are the flat-plate collectors in domestic hot water systems. Turkey is one of the leading countries in the world with a total installed capacity of 7.8 GWth as of 2008 (8,200,000 m² collector area as of 2001.) The systems are mostly used in Aegean and Mediterranean regions. Total energy production equals to 290,000 TOE (tons oil equivalent).
The industry is well developed with high quality manufacturing and export capacity. The number of companies is around 100 and annual manufacturing capacity is 750,000 m².
Utilization of photovoltaic and CSP systems is limited with the usage of some governmental organizations in remote service areas such as telecom stations, forest fire observation towers and highway emergency. Total installed peak power is estimated as 300 kW.
Insolation
- The annual average total insolation duration is 2640 hours (7.2 hours per day).
- Average annual solar radiation is 1311 kW·h/(m²·yr) or 3.6 kW·h/(m²·d).
Policies, laws and incentives
Turkey enacted its second Renewable Energy Law, namely Law No. 6094 Concerning the use of Renewable Energy Resources for the Generation of Electrical Energy, in 2010.Solar energy sources are covered by this law, which decrees that facilities which generate electricity from renewable energy sources will be granted a renewable energy resources certificate (RER Certificate) which will entitle such facilities to benefit from the incentives provided by the Law. EMRA is the competent authority to grant the RER Certificates.
The current Law allows incentives of only 13.3 USD-cents/kW·h for electricity produced from solar energy. Domestic producers are encouraged in this way 20 USD-cents/kW·h. Considering the high amount of capital needed for a solar plant installation, this incentive is not enough to create a viable solar power market in Turkey.
In order to promote solar energy the Turkish government is preparing new legislation and a higher feed-in-tariff.