Review of Turkey’s photovoltaic energy status: Legal structure, existing installed power and comparative analysis

Abstract

Energy is defined as the ability to do work and can be converted through variety of processes and used in various applications. Primary energy sources such as petroleum, natural gas, coal, wood, solar etc. can be directly used without being converted to another type of energy. Secondary energy sources, of which electricity and fuel oil are typical examples, are form of energies that are transformed from primary energy sources and are more expensive because of the conversion process and the losses associated. Starting especially with the industrial revolution, meeting the energy demand has been one of the most important concerns of countries. Starting from 1970’s, enforced in particular by the energy crisis, humankind have turned to renewable energy since the production of petroleum, which was the main energy source then, faced an unprecedented shortage and thus increased prices. As one of the main renewable energy sources, solar energy has made a rapid progress in the past decades, with variety of technologies, such as photovoltaics, thermal converters, passive architectural systems and so on. Photovoltaics, which convert solar energy directly into electrical energy, presently play an important role in energy policies of countries.As a developing country, Turkey is experiencing a rapid annual growth of energy demand, including electricity. However, Turkey is extensively dependent on the imported fossil fuel for meeting the increasing demand, with a limited domestic reserve. Therefore, the present energy policy of Turkey is based on cutting down the amount of fossil fuel imported. Solar and wind energies are two of the main candidates to play a major role in cutting down the amount of fossil fuel presently used. In the present study, Turkey’s solar energy potential and photovoltaic development are analyzed. With a relatively high solar energy potential, Turkey’s installed photovoltaic capacity and photovoltaic electricity generation are analyzed in comparison to 5 selected European Union countries (EU-5). In addition, the ratio of installed photovoltaic capacity per capita to solar potential has been analyzed as a function of gross national product. The results indicate that the installed capacities and power generation of countries are not in direct proportion with their solar energy potential. It has also been concluded that Turkey's photovoltaic development is not sufficient in comparison to the EU-5 countries and effective incentive policies are required to be implemented rapidly in order for Turkey to reach their level.