Turkiye's Ambitious Plan to Enhance Energy Efficiency in Public Buildings

Turkiye has been taking bold steps to enhance energy efficiency in its public buildings, aiming to reduce reliance on imports and achieve energy security. The World Bank-funded Turkiye Energy Efficiency in Public Buildings project is helping curb energy consumption by renovating and retrofitting central government buildings, including offices, hospitals, and schools across the country. The results have exceeded expectations, with energy use falling by an average of 40% in over 370 buildings that have been retrofitted.

Key Takeaways:

• The building sector represents about one-third of Turkiye's total energy consumption, with much of it directly from coal and natural gas.
• Energy efficiency measures in buildings, such as better insulation, efficient heating and cooling technologies, and LED lighting, combined with solar panels to generate clean energy, are being implemented in public hospitals, schools, and government offices.
• The Turkiye Energy Efficiency in Public Buildings project has resulted in a 40% average reduction in energy use in over 370 buildings that have been retrofitted.
• In the Ortakoy 80th Year Vocational and Technical Anatolian High School, energy efficiency measures led to a 60-70% reduction in electricity consumption from the national grid.
• The upgrades in the school have not only saved money but also positively impacted learning, with temperatures in classrooms increasing and absenteeism decreasing.
• At the Hastanesi Kandira State Hospital, energy efficiency measures have resulted in a 30% reduction in energy consumption and a 420-tonne decrease in carbon emissions.
• The government of Turkiye is scaling up its efforts to renovate its entire public building stock, with an estimated investment of $8.8 billion required.
• The project has provided technical training to over 3,500 people, helping build a skilled workforce for jobs in energy services and construction.

Statistics:

• Energy costs savings: $2 million (30% reduction)
• Carbon emissions reductions: 420 tonnes
• Number of buildings retrofitted: 370
• Average reduction in energy use: 40%
• Population benefiting from energy-efficient buildings: 165,000
• Students impacted by energy-efficient upgrades: 500

Sources:

• World Bank - "Turkiye Energy Efficiency in Public Buildings Project" (no date)
• Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change, Republic of Turkiye - No " (no date)
• World Bank press release - "Turkiye: Improving Energy Efficiency in Public Buildings" (no date)
• Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change, Republic of Turkiye, in a webinar - "Turkiye's Energy Efficiency Goals and Initiatives"