Ahmet Erdem, President of the Energy Efficiency Association, who was a guest at the Anadolu Agency (AA) Energy Terminal Program, stated that increasing energy demand, emissions, climate change and geopolitical risks have made energy efficiency strategic in terms of national security.
Erdem stated that energy efficiency should be at the center of individual and social decisions, and emphasized that in addition to reducing energy imports and foreign dependency, it will also make a significant contribution to Türkiye reaching its 2053 net zero emission target.
Stating that buildings rank first in final energy consumption in Türkiye with a share of approximately 33 percent, Erdem said:
"On average, 55 percent of the energy consumed in a building is allocated to heating and 15 percent to hot water production. Energy efficiency in buildings needs to be addressed with a holistic approach. Building insulation standards in Türkiye have been updated and moved further. The issue of efficiency should not be neglected in the process of creating earthquake-resistant cities. Energy efficiency measures make a significant contribution to the budgets of households, institutions and companies."
Efficiency is at the forefront in industry and transportation
Erdem pointed out that Türkiye has made significant progress in energy efficiency in the last 20 years and stated that development in this field will increase the global competitiveness of the industry.
Emphasizing that energy intensity in Türkiye has improved by over 30 percent, and this rate has reached approximately 50 percent in industry, Erdem continued as follows:
"An annual average improvement of around 3.5 percent was achieved in the industry in the period 2015-2025. Efficiency will become increasingly important in exports to Europe within the scope of the Border Carbon Regulation Mechanism. Approximately 30 percent of the final energy consumption in Türkiye occurs in industry. Significant efficiency opportunities arise by preventing heat losses in industrial facilities, reusing waste heat, reducing pressure losses and updating heating-cooling systems. The state provides incentives for efficiency up to 30 percent."
Erdem stated that approximately 27 percent of the final energy consumption in Türkiye comes from the transportation sector and said that electric vehicles make a significant contribution to energy efficiency.
Emphasizing that electric vehicles are approximately 3 times more efficient than internal combustion engine vehicles, Erdem noted that 18 percent of new cars sold in Türkiye this year are electric and the number of electric vehicles is approaching 500 thousand.
Pointing out that the use of public transportation and railways, as well as the transition to electric vehicles, will increase energy efficiency in transportation, Erdem said, "Fuel savings of around 10-15 percent can be achieved by driving in accordance with traffic flow and speed rules, avoiding sudden accelerations and decelerations. Replacing old vehicles with more efficient models and incentive and taxation regulations taking into account fuel consumption can also contribute to energy efficiency in transportation." made his assessment.
"Energy efficiency does not mean compromising on comfort"
Stating that efficiency in data centers, whose energy consumption increases with artificial intelligence and digitalization, should be taken into account from the investment stage, Erdem stated that the share of data centers in global energy demand is approximately 1.5 percent today and is expected to more than double by 2030.
Erdem stated that the energy need in data centers continues to increase and a significant part of the consumption is devoted to cooling, and that these centers, heating-cooling systems and electric vehicles will have a significant share in Türkiye's future energy demand.
Underlining that energy efficiency is not a sacrifice but a culture that should become a part of individual and corporate decisions, Erdem said, "Doing the same job with less energy is important for the country's economy, environment and personal budget. 6-7 percent energy savings can be achieved by changing the ambient temperature by one degree in daily life. Reducing the vehicle speed also reduces energy consumption. Energy efficiency does not mean compromising on comfort." he said.
Energy efficiency agenda at COP31
Erdem noted that the 31st Conference of the Parties (COP31) to the United Nations (UN) Framework Convention on Climate Change to be held in Antalya is important in terms of promoting Türkiye's energy efficiency studies and cooperation opportunities on the international platform.
Referring to the importance of efficiency, electrification and domestic resources in Türkiye's energy transformation, Erdem said:
"I find COP31 useful in terms of Türkiye's ability to share good examples of efficiency and the emergence of areas where it can work with other countries. The most important transformation in Türkiye's energy future is reducing foreign dependency and increasing self-sufficiency in energy supply. Electrification, energy efficiency and increasing production from domestic resources will support this goal. Global energy transformation accelerates new technologies and investment in low-emission resources. Technologies such as small modular reactors, fusion and hydrogen will become more prominent in the coming period. Reducing Türkiye's dependence on foreign energy and increasing production from domestic resources will support this goal. "Energy efficiency is one of the areas that will yield the fastest results in strengthening supply security with domestic resources. Achieving a 10 percent efficiency increase in the energy produced and consumed in Türkiye can be achieved in a shorter time than establishing new production facilities."
Erdem drew attention to the importance of the targets of reducing Türkiye's energy intensity by 40 percent and saving 240 billion dollars by 2040, within the scope of the 2040 National Energy Vision announced by the Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Alparslan Bayraktar.
Stating that approximately 8.5 billion dollars of investment was made in the 2017-2024 period within the scope of the first National Energy Efficiency Action Plan, Erdem noted that it is aimed to prevent 100 million tons of carbon emissions with the second action plan in force.
