Energy situation and renewables in Turkey and environmental effects of energy use

The effects on global and environmental air quality of pollutants released into the atmosphere from fossil fuels in power plants provide strong arguments for the development of renewable energy resources. Clean, domestic and renewable energy is commonly accepted as the key for future life, not only for Turkey but also for the world. In this regard, the objective of this paper is to present a review of the energy situation, technical and economical potential and utilization of renewables, including hydraulic energy, biomass energy, solar energy, wind energy and geothermal energy, in Turkey and then concerned with greenhouse gas emissions status, especially in air pollution, and environmental impacts of renewable energy sources. The renewable energy potential of the country, their present utilization, and greenhouse gas emissions status are evaluated based on the available data. The present paper shows that there is an important potential for renewables in Turkey and making use of renewable energy and energy efficiency resources to provide energy services to the electricity consumers can provide significant environmental benefits for Turkey. (C) 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.