The Mevlana Mosque in Bursa, which had solar panels installed on its roof, along with the mosque’s affiliated Quran course, no longer pay electricity bills. They now also make a profit by selling excess energy to the electricity distribution company, earning between 15,000 to 20,000 Turkish Liras per month. The association managers of the Mevlana Mosque in Yeşilyayla Mahallesi, Yıldırım district, decided to install a solar panel system to produce their own electricity in order to cover high electricity bills. They brought this idea to life by gathering the necessary financial support from philanthropists and mosque congregants.
EARNING 15-20 THOUSAND LIRAS
Initially, a 40-panel system was installed on the roof of the Quran course building, generating 10 kilowatt-hours of electricity per day. The number of panels was gradually increased over time. With a total of 62 solar panels installed on both the Quran course and the mosque later on, the mosque management no longer pays electricity bills and also earns between 15,000 to 20,000 Turkish Liras per month by selling excess energy to Uludağ Electricity Distribution Inc. Erdal Koptagel, a member of the Mevlana Mosque Preservation Association, stated that the mosque does not have any income from rent, therefore its needs are covered by the mosque congregation. He said, “Our mosque didn’t have any income. Because of the lack of income, we were constantly collecting money among ourselves to cover the expenses. We collected money and bought the electric panels. We have 62 panels in total; 22 on the mosque and 40 on the Quran course. We generate our own electricity and sell the excess to the electricity distribution company. This way, we are not a burden on the people and we also make money. We are standing on our own feet. We don’t have any other income.” Koptagel mentioned that they generate income for the mosque by selling excess electricity to UEDAŞ, saying, “As long as the sun is shining, electricity production is good. It contributes around 15,000 to 20,000 Turkish Liras to the mosque each month.”