
On April 6, 2022, a strategy meeting was held with Bağcılar Municipality to discuss enhancing energy efficiency and integrating renewable energy sources. The meeting aimed to review the municipality’s current efforts, challenges faced, and future plans. Participants included representatives from Bağcılar Municipality and experts from the EU4ETTR project.
The discussions highlighted the municipality's efforts to reduce energy consumption in public buildings and focused on national legislation requiring a 15% reduction in energy use. Bağcılar Municipality detailed current measures, including the replacement of inefficient boilers and the installation of solar panels, but acknowledged the need for a comprehensive action plan. Expert Mr. Valius Serbenta emphasized Turkey's potential for solar energy and recommended developing a strategy to leverage this potential for long-term savings. He suggested that the municipality use its existing budget to invest in solar panels and achieve potential returns through energy savings. The meeting also noted Bağcılar’s efforts towards ISO 50001 certification and underscored the need for a detailed strategy document to access international funding opportunities, such as those from the World Bank and EBRD. The meeting concluded with a call for clear action plans and strategic development to improve energy efficiency in both municipal and residential sectors.