Agricultural production cannot be considered without agricultural solar power plants

"Agricultural Production Cannot Be Considered Without Agrivoltaics," Says Industry Expert Under the auspices of the Izmir Metropolitan Municipality and in collaboration with İZFAŞ, BİFAŞ, and EFOR Fuarcılık, the Wenergy Clean Energy Technologies Fair and Congress hosted the "Zorlu Energy Solar Energy Special Session." Moderated by Seda Gök, Managing Editor of Ticaret Gazetesi, the session highlighted key developments in solar energy and its integration with agriculture and other sectors. Yusuf Bahadır Turhan, Chairman of the Board of Solar3GW Association, emphasized the critical importance of agrivoltaics (Agricultural PV systems) amid worsening droughts caused by the climate crisis. "Agrivoltaics is defined as the simultaneous use of land for both agriculture and energy production," he explained. "While the primary goal remains agricultural production, energy production becomes a secondary aim. Elevated solar panels can protect crops from extreme weather while enabling the operation of agricultural machinery beneath them. Unfortunately, agrivoltaics is currently absent in Turkey's legislation. The Ministry of Agriculture and the general public believe solar power plants should only be installed on non-arable land. However, solar panels can actually shield crops from adverse weather conditions." "A Paradigm Shift in Renewable Energy Policy" Turhan pointed out a significant shift in Turkey's renewable energy policies, comparing the past year to "night and day." He noted that from 2017 onward, Turkey had pursued policies favoring domestic coal, contrary to global decarbonization trends such as the Paris Climate Agreement. However, he praised recent changes, including new laws that have spurred substantial applications for solar capacity, nearly reaching 200 GW. "By 2017, Turkey's success in solar energy was a global model," Turhan said. "Although progress stalled later, the integration of storage-enabled solar (Solar 2.0) and market-driven capacity allocation mechanisms can once again make Turkey a global leader." "Solar 2.0 Opens the Door to Energy Storage" Evren Evcit, Director of Solar and Overseas Investments at Zorlu Energy, highlighted the evolution of solar investments globally and in Turkey. He described the transition from "Solar 1.0," characterized by large-scale investments and increasing generation capacity, to "Solar 2.0," which integrates energy storage. "The intermittent nature of renewable energy can now be mitigated with storage, enabling constant supply without relying on base-load capacities," Evcit said. "This will push solar capacity utilization to 100%." Zorlu Energy, he added, prioritizes solar investments to meet Turkey's growing energy demands. "Critical Factors for Green Finance" Selen İnal, Founder of EcoMuse Consulting, discussed the increasing availability of green finance in Turkey. She outlined two key criteria for accessing such funds: the creditworthiness of the company and the technical and commercial performance of the project. "A project's permits, feasibility assumptions, technical design, and equipment quality must inspire confidence in financial institutions," she said. While subsidies can support strategically or environmentally important projects, İnal argued that solar investments are already commercially viable. Instead, policies should foster competition and innovative business models in a liberalized market. "Solar Energy: A Democratic Resource" Özlem Ege Polat, founder of Ege Law Office, highlighted the democratizing potential of solar energy. "In the Solar 1.0 era, significant investments were required, making it inaccessible to smaller investors. Today, even individual consumers can generate electricity at home," she noted. However, she criticized the complexity of current regulations for individual users. "This year has seen significant advancements reflected in regulations, but the dynamic nature of the solar sector often outpaces legislative frameworks."