In parallel with a continuously growing population and GDP, Turkey has been experiencing a fundamental demand increase in all segments of the energy sector for decades. The country is developing an integrated energy policy aimed at securing a reliable supply of energy, as well as to achieve a low-carbon and environmentally sustainable future where solar energy is supposed to play a major role in Turkey's renewable energy roadmap.

Pforzheim / Istanbul. Currently the international PV industry is seeking ways to tap the tremendous potential of the Turkish solar market. One important cornerstone for an effective market entry is the establishment of a close link to local business partners. The Intersolar Summit Turkey, taking place on March 18 in Istanbul, is an excellent opportunity to get connected to a broad range of local authorities and industry players at the same time.

Hosted in the Istanbul Congress Center (ICC), 200 participants will be able to attend in-depth presentations on the current status and future prospects of the Turkish PV market held by top-level executives including government authorities, banks, utilities, manufacturers, distributors and project developers.

High-level keynote speakers, including Yusuf Yazar, General Manager of Renewable Energy General Directorate (YEGM), Mükremin Çepni, General Manager of the Turkish Electricity Distribution Company (TEDA&350;), Dr. Kemal Gani Bayraktar, President of GÜNDER and Asst.Prof. Mustafa Tiris, Vice President of GENSED, will provide a holistic view on what is needed to unlock the full potential of the promising Turkish solar market.

Other presentations of local associations like GÜNDER, GENSED, Li-DER, OSTIM, DIKA and SEHAD and international company representatives like First Solar Power Solutions Turkey, CSUN Turkey, M+W Group, Manz AG and Viridis.iQ GmbH will focus on new business opportunities and the development of appropriate strategies. This involves the review of innovative financing and investment tools as well as potential action plans for solar manufacturing plants in Turkey that will be addressed by Tigris Development Agency (D&304;KA), Turkish Sustainable Energy Financing Facility (TurSEFF) and the Development Bank of Turkey.

Turkish PV market to grow significantly in the next years

Turkey is very promising emerging market for PV energy investments amongst in Southeast Europe according to "Turkey Photovoltaic Market Outlook 2015 – 2025". With the introduction of support mechanisms in the law in 2005 and several subsequent amendments since 2007, Turkish PV energy market is supposed to start growing in next years.

Turkey's Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) developed the first National Renewable Energy Action Plan, targeting 30% of its energy from renewable sources by 2023 of which 5GW are planned to be covered by solar. Besides large-scale projects the market will also gain increasing attractiveness for smaller rooftop systems with self-consumption.
Moreover, the initial license application round for a total of 600 MW projected PV projects larger than 1 MW saw great interest - the proposed capacity was exceeded by 15 times with 496 applications made to the Energy Market Regulatory Authority (EPDK) reaching 8.9 GW in total.

Information on the Intersolar Summit

The conference is organized by Solar Promotion International GmbH and Freiburg Management and Marketing International GmbH in cooperation with the co-organizer EuPD Research in cooperation with the local partner GÜNDER (International Solar Energy Society-Turkey Section).

Premium Sponsors of the Intersolar Summit Turkey are First Solar Power Solutions Turkey, InteGreen Yen&304;leneb&304;l&304;r Enerj&304; S&304;stemler&304; A.&350;, Smart Energy Group Turkey. Gold Sponsor of the Intersolar Summit Turkey is CSUN Turkey.

The Intersolar Summit Turkey is also supported by the German-Turkish Chamber of Industry and Commerce (AHK Turkey), the German Solar Industry Association (BSW), the Tigris Development Agency (DIKA), the Turkish Association of Energy Economics (EED), the European Network of Transmission System Operators (ENTSO-E), the Turkish Photovoltaic Industry Association (GENSED), GAP Bölge Kalk&305;nma &304;daresi (GAP BKI), Green City Freiburg, the International Battery and Energy Storage Alliance (IBESA), the network initiative Joint Forces for Solar, the Unlicensed Electricity Generation Association (Li-DER), the Renewable Energy and Environmental Technologies Cluster (ostim), the Sustainable Energy Action Association (SEHAD) and the Turkish Solar Energy Platform (Solarbaba).

For questions about the Intersolar Summit and for more information on the events, please contact Daniel Fuchs, Director Global Marketing & Event Management: fuchs@intersolar-summit.com| +49 228 971 43 45.

More information about the Intersolar Summits from Solar Promotion International, FMMI – Freiburg Management and Marketing International and EuPD Research can be found on the website www.intersolar-summit.com.