The role of renewable energy sources in meeting Turkey's electrical energy demand

In recent years, using excessively of fossil fuels has led to serious energy crisis and environmental pollution on a global scale. The demand for energy is increasing at an exponential rate due to the exponential growth of world population. At the present time primary energy sources are dominated by fossil fuels, with nearly 80% of global energy demand supplied from crude oil, natural gas, and coal. As in many other countries, Turkey is heavily dependent on fossil fuels to meet its energy requirements. Fossil fuels account for approximately 88% of the country's total primary energy consumption. Turkey is strongly dependent on import of these sources. Today, a large proportion of energy consumption in Turkey is consumed as electricity energy. The country's electricity demand has been growing very rapidly. A far greater percentage of Turkey's electricity generation is created with fossil fuels like coal, natural gas, and oil. In spite of Turkey's heavy dependence on fossil fuels for energy demand, the country has a large potential for development of renewable resources of every type. The Turkish government has been attaching great importance to the development and utilization of renewable energy in recent years. The aim of this study is to review the current status and future developments of the renewable energy sources that are more suitable for generation of electricity in Turkey.