Rıza Köroğlu, director of Istanbul-based Total Energy Efficiency, told the Anadolu Agency (AA) that if Turkey reached the level of Germany - the world's leading energy efficient nation - the country could save $39 billion (TL 87.15 billion) on its $65 billion annual energy spend.
Turkey could save more than half of its spending on energy by
adopting energy-efficiency policies, an expert has said. Rıza Köroğlu, director
of Istanbul-based Total Energy Efficiency, told the Anadolu Agency (AA) that if
Turkey reached the level of Germany - the world's leading energy efficient
nation - the country could save $39 billion (TL 87.15 billion) on its $65
billion annual energy spend.
Köroğlu's comments come after recent statements from two
ministers about the need to adopt and support energy efficiency policies.
"Germany spends 1 kilowatt of electricity for the same work that Turkey
spends 2.5 kilowatts of electricity on. If Turkey manages to reach Germany's
level, Turkey could save up to 60 percent of its spending," he said.
Energy efficiency is not a choice; it is a requirement, he
added. Turkey has the potential to save TL 15 billion annually by adopting
energy efficiency policies, the country's Energy and Natural Resources Minister
Taner Yıldız said on Monday. Turkey has saved TL 3 billion over the last three
years by using energy efficient methods, a sum equal to the amount needed to
build a large hydro-electric power plant, the minister said.
Minister of
Finance Mehmet Şimşek also announced last week that his department was prepared
to support energy efficiency with specific policies. Energy spending is the
biggest contributor to Turkey's current account deficit, Şimşek said. He
announced plans for lowering a special consumption tax for house appliances
with high energy efficiency and payment installments for building insulation.
Germany is in first place when it comes to energy efficiency
due to a 20 percent reduction target in primary energy consumption by 2020
compared with 2008, according to a report published by the Washington-based
American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy. The report lists the first 16
countries with the highest energy efficiency numbers.
Germany came first
globally because of its mandatory codes requiring both residential and
commercial buildings to reduce energy consumption as well as tax reduction and
loan regulations, the report said. Italy is in second place with the help of
its efficiency. The European Union as a whole came in third while China and
France both tied for fourth. Britain and Japan made the top five.
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