Abstract:

The fact that the average global temperature in 2021 will be higher than 1 °C for the seventh time in a row (2015-2021) compared to the pre-industrial revolution period emphasises the significance of the Paris Agreement, which clarifies why the increase should be limited to 1.5 °C. The knowledge that buildings are responsible for 40% of energy consumption and 36% of greenhouse gas emissions in the European Union, which is attempting to meet the agreement's targets, has accelerated energy efficiency research in this field. The fact that 70% of the carbon emissions created by buildings during their life cycle occur during the operation phase serves as the foundation for energy efficiency strategies. Local and international resources related to current energy efficiency studies in the housing sector, which is one of the major factors to world energy consumption and carbon emissions, are investigated in this review, and feasible alternatives are offered under each of the topics. According to the study outcomes, it is estimated that the insulation to be applied to the building facades will save between 12% and 47% in heating costs, while the saving rate of electricity consumption due to lighting will be between 50% and 75% as a result of the replacement of old-type bulbs with new-generation LED bulbs. It has been determined that replacing inefficient boilers that use fuel oil with contemporary biofuel boilers can save 20% to 30% on fuel expenses. In the continuation of the study, it is aimed to contribute to the academy and private sector experts who will carry out studies to increase energy efficiency in buildings by compiling Turkey's energy outlook, current efficiency policies and current housing statistics. In Turkey, where the housing sector constitutes an important consumption item, the most comprehensive legal regulation in this field is the Energy Efficiency Law No. 5627 published in 2007. Many researchers have concluded that the difficulties encountered in energy efficiency applications are not primarily due to a lack of regulations and directives but rather to difficulties came across during study implementation, particularly the fact that households are not adequately informed about the improvements to be made. It has been calculated that a large-scale restoration initiative in Turkey, where 62.8% of the building stock belongs before the relevant legislation, can avert an annual waste of more than $7 billion dollars.

Keywords: