First green public building in Turkey soon to be functional

The first sustainable public building, worth TRY 23.4 million (EUR 7 million) and now 80% complete, is planned to be functional by the end of the year, securing energy savings of 70%, Anadolu reported.

The building is under construction in a project by Turkey’s General Directorate of Renewable Energy and the United Nations Development Programme, adds the article published by the agency’s Energy News Terminal.

The Etimesgut Eryaman Cezeri Green Technology Technical and Industrial Vocational High School will be opened next school year and will include green technologies in its curriculum. The complex in a suburb of Ankara has a building, a workshop, a dormitory and a sports hall.

The project which started in 2011 is funded by the Global Environment Fund (GEF) and the Ministry of Environment and Urbanization and the Ministry of National Education. Erdal Çalikoğlu, deputy head of the directorate, said one of the main targets of the project is to begin operations in compliance with energy efficiency laws and regulations on energy performance in buildings. The relevant law entered into force in 2007.

The building is designed for students to learn in a comfortable and healthy setting while using natural ventilation and optimum lighting techniques. In addition to passive systems such as solar walls for indoor air conditioning, the facility is equipped with a soil-borne heat pump, trigeneration, low-speed displacement heating-cooling systems and air-to-air cross-flow heat exchangers. “We are trying to extend this approach for all building design in Turkey,” Çalikoğlu said.

“Sustainable green buildings are becoming widespread in the private sector, however they are not preferred to be used in the public sector as they are perceived to be costly. Hence, the aim of the project is to show feasibility of these buildings in the public sector,” said Aslı Karabacak, the project manager, adding the main objective is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

According to the UNDP, Turkey has come a long way in setting up the regulatory and institutional framework to promote energy efficiency, and there are national legal acts and regulations on energy efficiency in construction. Last year, the United States Green Building Council (USGBC) included Turkey in Top 10 Countries for LEED (Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design).