Arçelik begins solar panel production

Having realized a significant investment in the field of renewable energy, Arçelik is starting solar panel production. Fatih Kemal Ebiçlioğlu, President of Koç Holding Durable Consumer Goods Group, announced that the production facility was realized with an investment of 10 million euros. The Arçelik Solar Panel Production Facility Launch was held at the Arçelik Beylikdüzü Campus. Fatih Kemal Ebiçlioğlu, President of Koç Holding Durable Consumer Goods Group, said in his speech here that Arçelik is a company that has extensive activities in the field of sustainability in the sector. Ebiçlioğlu stated that the solar panel production facility, realized with an investment of 10 million euros, will contribute to the company's sustainability efforts. Expressing that Turkey has a privileged position in terms of its ability to access solar energy, Ebiçlioğlu said, "Arçelik's stepping into this field will also contribute to a rapid transformation in Turkey. We believe that Arçelik will create significant awareness in this field with its approximately 3 thousand dealership organization and ability to reach almost all districts of Turkey. We believe that investments in the field of renewable energy will quickly reach higher levels." Ebiçlioğlu said, "I think that we will see the extra advantage of Arçelik's ability to reach the end consumer more in the coming period. I think that you can actually respond to the desire and appetite of small-medium scale enterprises to use these products in areas we never expected. I wholeheartedly believe that our dealers will contribute to very valuable works in terms of implementing the creative suggestions of our end consumers in this field. When viewed from this aspect, I think that this initiative of ours is a valuable initiative not only for our country but also in all geographies where we operate." Drawing attention to the importance of the European market in this area, Ebiçlioğlu stated that as a company, they closely follow developments such as the 2030 and 2050 targets within the scope of the European Union (EU) Green Deal and take steps accordingly. Arçelik Deputy General Manager Responsible for Production and Technology Nihat Bayız also said that sustainability and digitalization are the two indispensable focal points of the company. Bayız stated that they attach importance to energy-efficient product production based on this and said, "It is also very critical for products to receive this energy from renewable energy sources. Therefore, our ultimate goal is to move towards net zero emission homes and provide this service end-to-end. One of the most important components behind this is to provide the renewable energy source inside the home." Stating that technology is developing very rapidly in the solar panel sector, Bayız said that Arçelik follows the latest technologies in this field with its R&D power. Investment exceeding 10 million euros Arçelik Turkey General Manager Can Dinçer also pointed out Turkey's investments and roadmap in the field of renewable energy to AA, saying, "As the Arçelik family, we set out to contribute to Turkey's growth plan and dream of becoming one of the world's leading countries in solar energy. With our investment exceeding 10 million euros, we entered the solar energy sector with our production capacity of 1 million units, which we will achieve by the end of the year." Dinçer stated that Arçelik differentiates itself with its business model as well as its engineering and R&D power, and said, "The consumer will be able to come to Arçelik and receive solar panel service from a single point. As you know, nearly 3 thousand of our dealers are actively working in all of Turkey's provinces and districts. We will also be present in solar services with this system and infrastructure we have established." Stating that they aim to further increase the localization rate, Dinçer said, "We built our road map, all our R&D power on this. As a leading brand in this regard, we have an active road map not only in Turkey, but especially in Southern Europe." Emphasizing that they prioritize domestic demand, Dinçer said, "Demand is quite high in Turkey. We primarily focus on meeting the demand in Turkey. However, we have infrastructure all over the world. We want to use this to write a success story in solar panels, starting with Southern Europe." The facility, located on a total area of 11 thousand square meters, has an annual production capacity of 550 thousand panels with 38 different stations and 29 machines. It is planned to double the annual production capacity with the capacity increase investment. Arçelik will offer a comprehensive service ranging from the installation of its 550-watt panels, which have a 12-year product guarantee and a minimum of 83 percent linear performance guarantee for 25 years, to obtaining the necessary permits and maintenance services. The company, which has installed the first products from its Beylikdüzü facility, which has started test production, in container cities established with the support of Koç Group companies in the earthquake zone, also aims to support the meeting of a part of the electricity need.