The struggle against climate change, environmental sustainability, and international agreements to which Turkey is a party have directed the nation's economy towards a "Green Transformation" process. At the heart of this transformation lie clean and sustainable renewable energy sources that will reduce dependency on fossil fuels. This fundamental shift in the energy sector is increasing the demand for a qualified technical workforce with competencies in the installation, operation, and maintenance of fields such as solar, wind, geothermal, and bioenergy. The Renewable Energy Technicianship program has been designed to meet this demand. The primary goal of our program is to educate our students as competent technicians equipped with theoretical and practical knowledge in the design, installation, operation, and maintenance of renewable energy systems (Solar, Wind, Geothermal, Biomass). Furthermore, providing fundamental competencies in developing areas such as energy storage technologies and smart grids is among our objectives. Aydın province, where our university is located, offers a unique regional advantage for education in this field. There are currently 15 active Solar Power Plants (SPP), 12 Wind Power Plants (WPP), 19 Geothermal Power Plants (GPP), and 1 Bioenergy Plant operating in our province. This situation provides our students with extensive opportunities for internships, technical visits, and on-site applications during their education, signifying a substantial career opportunity that facilitates their integration into the regional and national workforce upon graduation.

The program was established in 2025 by a YÖK (Council of Higher Education) decision, through the transformation of the 'Alternative Energy Resources Technology' program, which was founded in 2015.

The mission of the "Renewable Energy Technicianship" Program is to cultivate the qualified technical human resources required by the energy sector, in alignment with Turkey's green transformation goals. To this end, the program offers an applied education model based on scientific and technological advancements, strengthened by industry collaborations, and utilizes the rich renewable energy potential of Aydın province as a learning laboratory. Our program aims to prepare its graduates for their careers as sought-after "Renewable Energy Technicians" who are environmentally conscious, committed to ethical principles, innovative, and possess problem-solving abilities.

The vision of the "Renewable Energy Technicianship" Program is to become a leading and benchmark program at the national level in the field of renewable energy technician education. We aspire to evolve into a pioneering educational program with a dynamic curriculum that rapidly adapts to advancements in the sector and technology; whose graduates are the first-choice, competent professionals in the industry; recognized as a solution partner for the regional energy sector; and that has integrated sustainability principles into its own operations.

This associate degree program primarily aims to train professionals with the technical knowledge and skills to carry out the installation, operation, and maintenance processes of power plants that generate electricity from renewable energy sources (Solar, Wind, Geothermal, Biomass). Additionally, it aims to provide students with fundamental competencies in developing fields such as energy storage technologies, smart grids, and energy efficiency applications. Beyond technical knowledge, the program also emphasizes the development of holistic competencies and soft skills necessary for green jobs, such as problem-solving, analytical thinking, project management, and teamwork. To achieve these goals, the rich renewable energy infrastructure of Aydın province (SPPs, WPPs, GPPs) is used as an educational tool, thereby providing students with opportunities for on-site practical training, internships, and technical visits, and ensuring the direct integration of graduates into the regional workforce. Finally, it is dedicated to cultivating conscious technicians who possess an awareness of environmental sustainability, professional ethical responsibility, and knowledge of fundamental environmental legislation and policies, such as the EU Green Deal.

The physical infrastructure encompasses the physical spaces that our program's students will use during their education and the regional facilities they will have access to for practical training. On-Campus Areas: There is a total laboratory area of 140 m 2within Buharkent Vocational School, available for the program's use. Within this physical area, there are 3 laboratories. Regional Application Areas: There are numerous physical facilities operating in Aydın province where our students can develop their professional skills through on-site application, internships, and technical visits: 15 Solar Power Plants (SPP) 12 Wind Power Plants (WPP) 19 Geothermal Power Plants (GPP) 1 Bioenergy Plant

The program's technical infrastructure consists of 2 Electrical and Electronics Laboratories and 1 Alternative Energy Resources Laboratory for the applied education of students. The academic staff who will manage this infrastructure is comprised of 1 Mechanical Engineer (Lecturer) , 1 Industrial Engineer (Lecturer) , and 1 Chemist ( Associate Professor). The current technical equipment and academic personnel meet the minimum qualifications required for the program