ENERGY EFFICIENCY IN RESIDENTIAL AREAS: A CRITIQUE ON MASS HOUSING PROJECTS OF HOUSING DEVELOPMENT ADMINISTRATION OF TURKEY (TOKI)

The rapid increase in energy demand and consumption has intensified the necessity of developing new methods to ensure energy efficiency. When heating, cooling, lighting and other equipments in buildings are accounting for 24% of total energy consumption, it is inevitable to take more initiatives to reduce energy consumption in the construction sector. New residential areas cannot anymore be the places, where natural resources are consumed recklessly. They should be designed as livable areas, where preserving and using natural resources is possible. In recent years, a national urbanization and housing development process has begun in Turkey and with the new legal regulations, Housing Development Administration of Turkey (TOKI) has been put in charge and authorized extensively to administer this process. To construct sustainable residential areas and optimize energy demand, the participation of such leading institutions in housing development and development of energy efficiency strategies are essential. In this context, the aim of this study is to analyze housing development projects of TOKI in terms of energy efficiency. More specifically, using the energy efficiency criteria of the site environment data, technical and technological developments, and building design and construction, it assesses the selected housing projects of TOKI in different geographies of Turkey. In the light of the findings, the paper proposes new principles to adapt energy efficiency methods in housing development projects.