Energy Efficiency at Turkey

Based on the studies , some of achieved conclusions regarding Energy Efficiency at Turkey are listed below:

1- Since for a long period of time, Turkish general energy policy is focused on short term solutions for meeting the increasing energy demand, there have been no sufficient investments in the energy efficiency area. However, from now on, it is very crucial to support energy efficiency studies, excepted as one of the alternative policies by the world.
2- Energy policies should be evaluated together with the sustainable development policies (economy and environment). For instance, in medium and long term plans, incentive and funding mechanisms should be developed to make investments for sectors consuming less energy but having more value-added. In addition, in Turkish sustainable development policy, not only increase in per capita energy consumption but also development of living standards should be accepted as an indicator.
3- Although the studies were started in 1981, Law on Energy Efficiency was enacted in 2007. Law on Energy Efficiency, being good framework legislation, has very broad scope and for preventing the problems during implementations, required structural, institutional and regulatory improvements should be done as soon as possible.
4- While doing the required improvements, it is very important to take the opinions, recommendations, etc. of all related stakeholders. Especially in the preparation period of regulations, it should be considered that they should be based on Turkey’s conditions and should be easily implemented. In other words, preparing regulations should not be copied from other countries.
5- To be able to easily implement provisions of the Law and related regulations, government should develop wide range both national and international funding mechanisms for the actors in the market.
6- Government should make demonstration project mainly in the public sector in order to be an example for the actors in the market.
7- For monitoring the energy efficiency implementations, monthly and/or yearly action plans, including targets and related measures on the basis of a sector, should be prepared and by means of this monitoring and evaluating studies, the success and/or failure within the sector can be easily followed and future plans, programs and predictions can be made accurately on the basis of formed database.
8- It is obviously said that the awareness studies for the public even for the individual have the utmost importance. Even though government develops wide range funding mechanisms, first of all individual should believe the necessity of the efficient use of energy and subsequent benefits of the obtained energy saving.
9- Energy prices should reflect the real costs for emphasizing the profits gained by energy saved trough applied energy efficiency measures in order to support the awareness studies for the public. Especially, in case of electrical energy consumption, ratios of lost and illegal usages should be reduced as much as possible and equal conditions for the consumers should be provided.