Türkiye expands rooftop solar under net-zero strategy

Türkiye is promoting rooftop solar systems to strengthen decentralized renewable energy capacity and deepen household involvement in the energy transition. A regulation enacted last year by the Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change Ministry requires buildings exceeding 2,000 square meters in total construction area to supply a minimum of 10% of their electricity consumption from renewable sources such as solar panels or heat pumps.

Stricter renewable energy requirement

The updated regulation doubled the earlier 5% obligation, aligning with Türkiye’s target of achieving net-zero emissions by 2053 and lowering dependency on imported energy. Residential complexes are also permitted to offset shared electricity costs through on-site renewable generation. While direct subsidies for individual rooftop solar systems remain limited, green financing instruments and sustainability-linked loans are available. Meanwhile, commercial enterprises and agricultural producers benefit from grants and structured support schemes.

Solar energy investments have expanded rapidly in agriculture, where photovoltaic systems power irrigation pumps, greenhouses and cold storage units. This trend has reduced operational costs for farmers while strengthening rural energy resilience.

Household participation in energy transition

Ozan Erdinc of Yildiz Technical University’s Department of Electrical Engineering told Anadolu that rooftop solar expansion is essential for embedding the energy transition within daily life. “Addressing climate change will not be possible solely through large-scale renewable power plants, but also through individual contributions,” he said.

Erdinc emphasized that local production paired with local consumption minimizes transmission losses and enhances system efficiency. According to him, integrating households into renewable electricity generation transforms the green economy from a policy objective into a practical reality. Numerous scientific studies identify climate change as one of the most pressing global risks, reinforcing the need for diversified clean energy deployment.

Application and installation timeline

Muhammet Rasit Akyol, chair of Sunera Renewable Energy, detailed the residential rooftop solar installation process. The procedure begins with calculating system capacity, followed by submitting technical documentation to the regional electricity distribution company. Once approvals are secured, panels, inverters and mounting systems are installed before grid-connection testing and commissioning.

Akyol noted that the administrative review generally takes two to three months, while installation typically requires two to three weeks depending on system size. In newly constructed buildings, solar infrastructure can be integrated at the planning stage, whereas existing properties require structural and electrical assessments prior to installation.

Under Türkiye’s net metering mechanism, surplus electricity supplied to the grid is deducted from the consumer’s bill within the same billing period. With proper system sizing, annual electricity expenses can be reduced substantially, and excess generation may be sold. For an average household, a 5 kW system using approximately 10 panels is often adequate. Given Türkiye’s solar irradiation levels, such a setup can produce around 8,000 kWh annually, generally sufficient to meet typical residential consumption.