Erkan CAKAN
The hotel industry has taken action to comply with the Paris Climate Agreement, which sets the goal of limiting global warming to 1.5°C. increasing in recent energy costs accelerated these investments. Many hotel groups in the world aim to provide 100 percent of the energy consumed from renewable sources. Hotels plan to increase the number of solar panels and use sustainable resources in the coming years. Meanwhile, the decision taken by the Energy Market Regulatory Authority (EMRA) to ‘produce as much as you use’ seems to make the industry nervous. Sector representatives point out that the sector works seasonally due to its nature and that there is a different consumption volume every month. According to the world average, 20% of the energy consumed in hotels is obtained from renewable sources.
Aegean, Marmara and Mediterranean hotels produce their electricity on their roofs
Pointing to the increase in renewable energy investments, ÇATIGES CEO Utku Korkmaz said, “Hotels in Turkey also accelerated their SPP investments. In this context, we have installed more than 60 enterprises used for tourism purposes in 15 cities. Aegean, Marmara and Mediterranean regions are leading in these investments”. Noting that the Aegean is ahead in terms of tourism and individual projects, Korkmaz said that Thrace and the Aegean Region are places with high awareness and demand in industrial scale projects. Expressing that they have designed the roofs of many hotels to generate their electricity from the sun with solar power plants in the last 3 years, Korkmaz said, “Many hotels in the Aegean, Marmara and Mediterranean regions produce their electricity on their roofs”.
25 MW installation in 4 years
Expressing that the sector has taken decisive and practical steps to reduce increasing energy costs and global carbon emissions, Korkmaz said, “There are approximately 9 thousand buildings used for hotel purposes in Turkey. These buildings are thought to cover an area of 8 million square meters. Considering the usable structures and their roof areas, a potential of approximately 300 MW is calculated for Turkey,” he said. Informing that the sector can establish a potential of 25 MW in 3-4 years, specific to the defined capacities, Korkmaz said, “There is currently no obstacle or disruptive situation regarding the installation of SPPs on the roofs of the hotels.”
Hotel with unsuitable roof bought land
Arda Gökçe, Chairman of the Board of Göze Energy, stated that all sectors have recently turned to SPP investments with the increase in energy prices and the 4th region incentives in renewable energy, adding that this situation creates an increase in demand for renewable energy. Emphasizing that the tourism industry has made serious investments in this area, Gökçe said, “Currently, we are installing SPPs in 4 big hotels. Our demand is too high. Especially the owners of the hotels, where the installation of GES in their own business was not available, bought land or went to rent it. We expect these projects to start step by step. Most businesses in Antalya, Belek, Manavgat and Alanya purchased land from Isparta in Burdur”.
EMRA decision may cause slowdown
Tourism Noting that the sector has started to attack for the installation of GES, Gökçe pointed out that the latest Energy Market Regulatory Authority (EMRA) decision may cause these investments to slow down. Gökçe said: “In the past, the electricity produced was able to be delivered to the grid through the investor tariff without a limit. Now a limit has been set. You will give to the grid as much as you consume. This situation was a negative picture for seasonal hotels. In fact, it will disrupt the plans and payments of all businesses that make their investments accordingly. Taking such a decision in the absence of an irregular situation is a huge mistake, especially when there is an energy crisis in the world.”
Goal: reduce carbon emissions by 50 percent by 2030
Utku Korkmaz, CEO of ÇATIGES, stated that they are taking action to obtain their energy from renewable sources, whether they are hotel chains or boutique hotels in the world, and to become a consumer, that is, a ‘prosumer’ that also produces electricity, and said, “According to their 2030 commitments, hotel chains operate in the properties they own, manage, lease or franchise. It aims at a reduction of at least 50 percent in emissions from the energy used. It is aimed that new hotels to be built by 2030 will operate at very low/zero carbon emissions. Energy plans that maximize the role of renewable energy are put into use all over the world, especially in the tourism sector.”