As of early 2024, Turkey’s installed solar capacity is 12.2GW.⁶⁷

The country plans to increase capacity to almost 53 GW by 2035.⁵

The finding of specific and exact energy prices by source is challenging due to limited data availability online. Detail is as follows:³⁴³⁵³⁶

• Solar Tariff:  $0.04 to $0.05 per kWh
• Coal Generation Cost:  $0.6 to $0.07 per kWh
• Natural Gas Generation Cost:  $0.058 to $0.070 per kWh​
• Wind Farm Generation cost: $0.04 to $0.06 per kWh
• Hydropower Generation Cost: $0.020 to $0.051 per kWh
• Others (Nuclear & Biomass) Cost: $0.06 to $0.10 per kWh

The shares of resources in electricity generation in South Africa for 2023 were distributed as follows:⁷

• Coal: 36.3%
• Natural Gas: 21.4%
• Hydropower: 19.6%
• Wind: 10.4%
• Solar: 5.7%
• Geothermal: 3.4%
• Other Sources: 3.2%

In Turkey, the average daily availability of electricity from the national grid is generally high. Exact hourly data is not available on the internet. Most regions experience consistent power supply with minimal interruptions. However, there are regional variations, particularly in the eastern and southeastern parts of the country, where the solar energy potential in Turkey could help address more frequent outages due to older infrastructure and higher transmission losses.⁸⁴

Turkey has seen a significant rise in residential solar installations, with approximately 2,500 MW of capacity installed. The growth in rooftop solar installations has been driven by recent regulatory changes promoting net metering and other incentives for small-scale solar systems. These regulations have facilitated the adoption of residential solar power, leading to a steady increase in capacity over the past few years.¹³

Turkey has a total number of 5413 solar farms as per latest data whereas Turkey is projected to install approximately 3000 – 4000 more plants to achieve its 2030 goal. Turkish Electricity Transmission Corp. (TEİAŞ) said the country’s total solar power capacity hit 13.9 gigawatts at the end of April, Anadolu Agency reported. Turkey has a 32.9 GW solar power goal for 2030, rising to 52.9 GW for 2035.¹⁴⁵

The off-grid solar market in Turkey is limited but growing with current capacity around 50 MW and projections to reach 200 MW by 2030.¹⁰¹⁶

The on-grid solar market in Turkey is set to expand significantly with current installed capacity expected to rise 53 GW by 2035.¹⁰¹⁷

The average salary of workers in the solar industry is described below.¹⁸³⁷

• Electrical Engineer: $300 – $1500
• Electrician: $200 – $800
• Design Engineering Manager: $1000 – $1800
• Solar Energy System Installer: $200 – $900
• Solar Energy / Solar Power Engineer: $400 – $1500

As of Tuesday, August 6, 2024, the population of Turkey is 86,304,189, based on Worldometer elaboration of the latest United Nations data.¹⁹

The average overhead cost of solar panel production in Turkey includes several key components:

Raw Material Costs: The prices of essential raw materials such as silicon, aluminum, and copper are significant and fluctuate based on global market conditions.

Labor Costs: Labor costs in Turkey for solar panel manufacturing are relatively moderate compared to Western countries.³¹

• Minimum Wage: around $507 USD per month as of January 1, 2024.
• Average Salary: The average sits around roughly $400-650 USD per month, but can vary significantly by industry, experience, and location

Utilities and Energy Costs: Energy costs are a substantial part of the overhead due to the high electricity consumption required in production.³³³

Electricity Charges: The average electricity price in Turkey increased from .0967 USD/KWh in 2021 to 0.121 USD/KWh

Water Charges: In 2023, the average cost of water in Turkey totaled 54 U.S. cents per cubic meter. This represented a four percent decrease in water cost compared to the value recorded in 2019

Facility Maintenance: Maintenance costs, including rent, equipment maintenance, and repairs, can vary. These costs typically range from $3,000 to $7,000 per month depending on the facility’s size and location. Here’s a rough estimate of rents.³²

• Smaller Factories (500-1000 sqm): $1,250 – $2,500 USD per month
• Medium Factories (1000-2000 sqm): $2,500 – $3,750 USD per month
• Larger Factories (2000+ sqm): $3,750+ USD per month

Administrative Expenses: These include the costs associated with administrative staff salaries, office supplies, and other general expenses, which add up to about 10-15% of the total production cost. The average salary of workers in the solar industry is described below.¹⁸³⁷

• Design Engineering Manager: $1200 – $1800
• Solar Energy / Solar Power Engineer: $1000 – $1500
• Solar Installation Electrician: $600 – $900

Quality Control: Ensuring that the solar panels meet performance and safety standards involves expenses for testing and inspections.

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Turkey is continuously improving its energy infrastructure, here are some significant measures:

• Turkey’s energy landscape is currently undergoing a transformation with a strong emphasis on sustainability.
• Turkey has committed to increasing its renewable energy capacity significantly by 2030.
• A significant milestone in this transformation is the establishment of the Karapınar solar plant which has a capacity of more than 1000 MW.
• Turkey has embarked on several other projects in line with targets for 2030 including wind farms, hydro projects, and geothermal plants.
• Looking towards the future, Turkey has set an ambitious goal to source 30% of its energy from renewable sources by 2030.
• Solar energy is expected to play a key role in achieving this goal, contributing an estimated 20% to the total energy mix.
• Efforts are currently underway to enhance the reliability and stability of the grid.

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Turkish Government has regulations in place to support solar energy adoption including:

• The Energy Market Regulatory Authority (EPDK) is responsible for regulating the electricity sector including the use of solar photovoltaic (PV) systems.
• Energy Resources Law (RER Law) in Turkey is designed to foster the growth of renewable energy through incentives and support mechanisms. It mandates that investors seeking to develop renewable energy projects, particularly solar, must secure a generation license from the Energy Market Regulatory Authority (EMRA). Additionally, the law introduces a preliminary license process for applications and sets ambitious targets for increasing the country’s renewable energy capacity, with a focus on solar and wind power. This legislation is a key driver in Turkey’s push towards a sustainable energy future.
• Licensing Requirement: Solar power systems generating over 5 MW must obtain a license from the Energy Market Regulatory Authority to connect to the grid.
• Feed-in Tariffs: Since 2021, feed-in tariffs for new solar installations are set in Turkish lira, capped at approximately US$0.05 per kWh, and determined by the president. The duration of feed-in tariffs is 10 years, which has faced criticism for being too short.
• Ahead of the planned roll-out of a regulatory framework for small-scale grid-connected solar photovoltaic systems, the EPDK has initiated a phase of public consultation. This is aimed at garnering general feedback on proposed regulation underpinning this landmark initiative.
• The Green Industry Project, funded by the World Bank, aims to assist Turkish industries in adopting a more sustainable approach. Key components of the project include:
  • KOSGEB: Providing repayable financing to SMEs for green transformation initiatives, including investments in renewable energy, resource efficiency, waste management, and circular economic practices.
  • TÜBİTAK: Offering grants and reimbursable financing to support green innovation initiatives undertaken by Turkish companies.

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Here’s a concise summary of Turkey’s Solar Initiatives:

• Turkey has committed to increasing its renewable energy capacity significantly by 2030.
• The government is expanding its electricity-generation capacities through renewable independent power projects (IPP) with plans to derive at least 30% of electricity from renewables by 2030.
• Turkey’s integrated energy company is seeking international partners to increase its renewable energy projects
• Commercial operations of Turkey’s largest utility-scale solar photovoltaic independent power project Karapınar started recently.
• Turkey has embarked on several other projects in line with targets for 2030 including wind farms and geothermal plants.
• Turkey has also set up a new government entity to oversee its renewable energy plans.
• These efforts underscore Turkey’s commitment to transitioning to renewable energy sources.

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Here are the top Solar power projects in Turkey currently operation:

Karapinar Solar PV Park

• Capacity: 1,347MW
• Location: Konya

Izmir Solar PV Project

• Capacity: 240MW
• Location: Izmir

Bor-2 Solar PV Park

• Capacity: 140MW
• Location: Nigde

Tosyali Solar PV Park

• Capacity: 140MW
• Location: Osmaniye

Erzin-1 Solar PV Park

• Capacity: 100MW
• Location: Erzin

Several large-scale solar projects are being planned to get introduced:

Izmir Solar Power Plant

• Location: Izmir
• Capacity: 500 MW (planned)

Antalya Solar PV Plant

• Location: Antalya
• Capacity: 300 MW (planned)

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Several key players in Turkey’s solar market include:

• CW Energy: Founded in 2010, CW Energy is a leading company in the photovoltaic energy sector in Turkey, with an annual production capacity of 1.3 GW. They offer a range of services including solar power plant operations, system design, and various solar solutions.
• HT Solar Energy: Established in 2016, HT Solar Energy specializes in the production of solar cells and modules, exporting to several countries with an annual capacity of 1.2 GW. It’s recognized as a Tier 1 Module Manufacturer by Bloomberg New Energy Finance.
• Halk Enerji Yatırımları Üretim İnşaat Taahhüt Ticaret ve Sanayi A.S: This company is identified as a leader in the Turkish solar energy industry, contributing significantly to the market with its renewable energy solutions.
• Asunim Group: Asunim operates in the solar energy sector, providing technological solutions and playing a pivotal role in advancing renewable energy technology in Turkey.
• GO Enerji: GO Enerji is involved in various aspects of energy production, from manufacturing solar panels to constructing energy facilities in Turkey.
• Eko Renewable Energy Inc: Eko Renewable Energy is known for its sustainable energy solutions and is a key player in the transition towards cleaner energy sources in Turkey².
• Ödül Enerji: Based in Kayseri, Ödül Enerji is a solar energy equipment supplier that contributes to the solar energy expansion in Turkey.
• Sonetrol Enerji: Sonetrol Enerji is another significant supplier of solar energy equipment, located in Kocasinan, and is part of the growing solar industry in Turkey.