It was determined that Turkiye’s rooftop solar energy potential could enable the creation of a capacity of at least 120 gigawatts, and thus 45% of the total electricity consumption could be met by solar power plants that can be installed on rooftops.
High-resolution satellite images were analyzed by the energy think tank Ember, and the solar energy potential that could be installed on roofs outside the 11 provinces declared as disaster areas was calculated and the roofs were classified according to their suitability for panel installation.
In the analysis showing that the solar energy capacity to be installed on roofs can play an important role in Turkiye’s energy transformation, it was determined that Turkiye’s rooftop solar energy potential could create a capacity of at least 120 gigawatts.
It has been calculated that 148 terawatt hours of electricity can be produced annually from this capacity that can be installed on roofs, and thus, the need corresponding to 45% of Turkiye’s total electricity consumption in 2022 can be met from these power plants.
According to the report, the subsidy on electricity tariffs reached approximately $3.6 billion in the 12-month period between September 2022 and August 2023 in residences, which are the consumer type with the lowest electricity tariff in Turkiye. It has been determined that with solar power plants that can be installed on roofs, Turkiye can save money from the financial incentives given in electricity tariffs by reducing its external dependence on fossil fuels in electricity production.
According to Ember, these power plants are more attractive because they do not require land, they provide production at the same point as consumption, and they are a method of electricity production that everyone can be a part of.
Rooftop solar energy potential by city
In the total rooftop solar energy potential of 120 gigawatts calculated within the scope of the study, Istanbul ranked first with 10.4 gigawatts, Ankara with 10.1 gigawatts and Izmir with 9.3 gigawatts.
This potential was measured as 3.1 gigawatts in Manisa, 2.8 gigawatts in Afyon, 2.5 gigawatts in Kocaeli and 1.9 gigawatts in Tekirdag.
In terms of the 148 terawatt hours of electricity production that can be produced using rooftop solar energy potential, Ankara ranked first on a city basis with 12.5 terawatt hours and Izmir with 12.4 terawatt hours, and this capacity was determined as 11.4 terawatt hours for Istanbul.
The production potential was calculated as 8.6 terawatt hours in Konya, 6.4 terawatt hours in Manisa, 5.4 terawatt hours in Bursa, 5.3 terawatt hours in Afyon and 4.7 terawatt hours in Balikesir. The production potential was determined as 5.5 terawatt hours in Antalya and 4.5 terawatt hours in Mugla.
Looking at the ratio of rooftop solar energy production potential to billed electricity consumption by province, it was estimated that this ratio was 113% in Konya, 88% in Ankara and 76% in Izmir.
The rate in question was calculated as 27% in Istanbul and 42% in Bursa, which are large cities in the north that receive less sunlight, are industrialized and have high electricity consumption.
Rooftop installations accounted for half of new solar capacity in the world
Of the total 239 gigawatts of new solar energy capacity commissioned in the world last year, 118 gigawatts were rooftop solar power plants.
While rooftop solar power plant installations increased by 49% last year compared to the previous year, Australia was the leader in solar energy capacity per capita by 2022. One in every three houses in the country has a rooftop solar power plant.
This country was followed by the Netherlands and Germany, which obtained 40% of their solar electricity production from residential roofs. By the end of 2022, 66% of the solar energy installed capacity in European Union countries will be rooftop power plants.
There is a rooftop potential of nearly 10 times the current installed capacity in solar energy
Ember Regional Leader Ufuk Alparslan, in his evaluation of the analysis, stated that priority is given to roofs in the energy transformation policies implemented in the world.
Stating that Turkiye has ambitious targets in solar energy, Alparslan said:
“Turkiye’s roofs have a potential close to ten times the current solar energy installed capacity. In addition to the potential of existing roofs, tens of thousands of new buildings are being built in Turkiye every year, and this number will increase even more due to the reconstruction of the earthquake zone. Imposing panel obligations on new buildings and public buildings and tendering suitable apartment building roof areas by municipalities can enable us to reach our energy targets and enable people to produce their own electricity cheaply.”
Solar energy and targets in Turkiye
The share of solar energy in electricity production in Turkiye was 4.7% in 2022. The share of solar in electricity production was calculated as 5.7% in the first half of this year.
Turkiye’s solar energy installed capacity increased to 11.2 gigawatts as of the end of November.
According to the National Energy Plan announced by the Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources at the end of 2022, Turkiye plans to increase its solar energy installed power to 52.9 gigawatts by 2035.
According to the 12th Development Plan published in October 2023, Turkiye’s solar energy installed capacity is aimed to reach 30 gigawatts by the end of 2028. In order to reach this capacity, 3.4 gigawatts of solar energy installed power needs to be built in Turkiye every year in the 2024-2028 period.
Source: Trthaber / Prepared by Irem Yildiz