According to the latest report by Energy think tank Ember Energy(formerly Sandbag), Turkey's solar installed capacity has doubled from 9.7GW in July 2022 to more than 19GW by the end of 2024, and exceeded the 2025 PV installed target two years ahead of schedule.

In recent years, the share of PV in Turkey's power mix has continued to increase, thanks to falling PV costs, increased policy support and growing investor interest. The report notes that the government's strategy to promote renewable energy self-sufficiency has played a key role in the rapid development of the photovoltaic industry.

This growth trend is consistent with the global PV expansion, and the promotion of Net Metering and self-use policies has further promoted the growth of residential and commercial PV installations.

Despite major breakthroughs in Turkey's photovoltaic installations, the potential of rooftop photovoltaics has yet to be fully tapped. The report points out that rooftop photovoltaics alone have the potential to add 120GW of installed capacity, which is more than six times the current total installed capacity of photovoltaics in the country.

The development of distributed photovoltaics not only helps to improve energy security and reduce dependence on fossil fuel imports, but also effectively reduces the cost of electricity for businesses and households. However, factors such as grid bottlenecks, unclear policies and regulations, and limited financing channels still restrict the deployment of distributed PV. Ember believes that addressing these obstacles will further unlock the growth potential of Turkey's PV industry.

Currently, utility-scale photovoltaics are the main driver of PV growth in Turkey, but distributed photovoltaics (including rooftop photovoltaics) still face policy and grid access challenges. Experts called on the government to strengthen the incentive mechanism for small PV projects, streamline the approval process, and upgrade the power grid infrastructure to fully unlock the country's PV potential.

With continued policy support and investment, Turkey is poised to become a regional leader in PV development, accelerating the clean energy transition while achieving long-term power affordability and energy independence goals.

In addition, Ember's latest European Electricity Review Report for 2024 shows that photovoltaic power generation has surpassed coal-fired power generation for the first time in the EU, marking a major shift in Europe's energy mix.