President of the Council of Higher Education (YÖK), Prof. Dr. Erol Özvar stated that universities' renewable energy investments make a significant contribution to Türkiye's green transformation and the 31st Conference of the Parties (COP31) process of the United Nations (UN) Framework Convention on Climate Change.
According to the statement made by YÖK, universities in Türkiye are taking important steps to meet the electricity needs of their campuses from renewable sources through solar energy investments.
Some universities provide most of their consumption from solar, while others increase their production capacity with new investments on a megawatt scale. Solar energy is used in different applications in research projects, agricultural production and in the daily life of students, as well as on campuses.
Tokat Gaziosmanpaşa University meets the entire electricity needs of its campus with solar energy investments.
Bayburt University provides approximately 80.7 percent of its electricity needs with solar energy systems. Bilkent University produces 3 million 1 thousand 320 kilowatt hours of electricity annually from solar energy systems, meeting 11.85 percent of its total consumption.
Ankara University also contributes to renewable energy production with its solar power plant.
Universities expand capacity with megawatt-scale investments
New solar energy investments of universities are also gaining momentum.
While Ondokuz Mayıs University and Gebze Technical University continue their solar power plant installation works, the projects aim to meet some of their electricity needs and reduce energy costs.
Recep Tayyip Erdoğan University, Erciyes University and Fırat University aim to produce electricity with solar energy projects and meet some of their energy needs from here.
While Atılım University has reached approximately 1.84 megawatt-peak installed power in solar energy systems, Sivas Cumhuriyet University aims to meet 20 percent of its electricity needs, Bitlis Eren University 95 percent, and Afyon Kocatepe University 70 to 80 percent.
Rooftops and parking lots are turning into energy production areas
Universities use solar panels not only in land-based power plants but also on the roofs of buildings on campus and in parking lots.
While Afyonkarahisar Health Sciences University has a 2 megawatt solar energy system, Yüksek İhtisas University plans to install a 200 kilowatt solar energy system and 100 kilowatt energy storage infrastructure in addition to its existing 140 kilowatt power plant.
Necmettin Erbakan University, KTO Karatay University, Selçuk University and Süleyman Demirel University have systems, new projects and feasibility studies for electricity production from solar energy.
It is planned to produce approximately 3 million kilowatt-hours of electricity annually with the 2 thousand kilowatt solar power plant at Iğdır University. The 138 kilowatt-peak capacity power plant under construction at Yalova University is aimed to be completed by the end of 2027 and produce 144 thousand 900 kilowatt hours of electricity annually.
While Marmara University aims to increase solar energy production with rooftop photovoltaic systems at the Recep Tayyip Erdoğan Complex in Maltepe-Başıbüyük, it is planned to install a 160 kilowatt-peak capacity rooftop system in the Morphology building at Aksaray University.
Istanbul Sabahattin Zaim University's rooftop solar energy system with a peak capacity of 653.72 kilowatts and 1108 panels produced 271 thousand 210 kilowatt hours of electricity in the January-May period.
In universities, solar energy is not only limited to electricity production, it is also the subject of research, agriculture and technology projects.
With the PV-AgroCycle Project of Burdur Mehmet Akif Ersoy University, it is aimed to develop agrivoltaic systems that bring together solar energy production and agriculture in the same area.
With the TÜBİTAK-supported project of Karabük University, a system that enables more efficient use of electricity obtained from solar panels has been developed. In laboratory tests, it was determined that the system followed the maximum power point with an average efficiency of 98 percent.
Mardin Artuklu University developed a mobile irrigation machine that provides irrigation by using solar energy. Yozgat Bozok University also established a 25-watt panel panel station at Boğazlıyan Vocational School so that students can charge their phones with solar energy.
While Van Yüzüncü Yıl University supports renewable energy production with solar energy and biogas applications, Harran University continues its campus approach that combines solar energy production with research and education processes.
In universities, solar energy is not only limited to electricity production, it is also the subject of research, agriculture and technology projects.
"Investments made by universities contribute to Türkiye's green transformation goals"
The President of the Council of Higher Education, Prof., whose views were included in the statement. Dr. Erol Özvar stated that the investments made by universities in the field of renewable energy contribute to Türkiye's green transformation goals.
Emphasizing that investments ranging from solar power plants to rooftop photovoltaic systems strengthen the capacity of universities to meet their energy needs from clean sources, Özvar stated that higher education institutions will also contribute to the COP31 process with their applications and research in this field.
Özvar emphasized that the knowledge of Turkish universities in energy efficiency and sustainable campus practices reflects Türkiye's scientific and technological capacity in the fight against climate change.
