In the next two years, 7,500 five-kilowatt rooftop photovoltaic panels will be installed for households in South Khorasan Province.
The eastern province has great potential to produce clean energy with at least 3,200 hours of sunshine throughout the year, IRNA reported.
Applicants will be provided with low-interest loans and the Energy Ministry will guarantee the purchase of the generated electricity.
Upon the launch of rooftop panels families will each earn about $70 per month.
Last year a 7 MW solar power plant in Sarbisheh City and a 10 MW plant in Khusf City were inaugurated. Now 322 large-scale and rooftop solar power stations with total capacity of over 21 megawatts are operating in the province.
South Khorasan ranks the seventh among Iranian provinces in terms of installment and development of solar rooftops.
The province’s dry climate and desert terrain make farming difficult but still 35% of the population relies on agriculture. Needless to say, drought has taken a heavy toll on the largely farming community leaving in its trail a barren landscape and abandoned rural areas.
Expanding solar farms and rooftop photovoltaic power stations will help create jobs, especially in rural areas, where people are migrating in unusually big numbers due to the water crisis and worsening economic conditions.
The government has said it is determined to develop renewable energy in the poor and remote areas. Expanding solar farms and rooftop photovoltaic installations reduces consumption of fossil fuels and reduces environmental pollutants.
More large-scale solar farms will be built in the province as legal permits have been issued for the construction of 32 solar power stations with a total capacity of 60 MW.
Furthermore, promoting and expanding renewable energy by supplying nomads with cheap and light portable photovoltaic panels is on the government’s agenda.
The panels generate enough power to help households meet their needs like watching TV, charging emergency lights and cell phones in the middle of a plain or a desert.
There are 2,200 nomadic families in the province without electricity. Nomads generally move from one place to another in search of pasture and water for cattle, set up tents and nurture livestock.
Harnessing Wind Energy
The province has also proper conditions to harness wind energy as there are suitable wind corridors in different regions.
The average wind speed for cost-effective conversion of wind energy to electricity is about 23 kilometers per hour, while the wind speed in some areas is close to 33 km per hour.
Construction of a 50 MW wind power plant in Doreh rural district of Sarbisheh is underway and three more permits have been issued for wind plants with a total capacity of 150 MW in the eastern province.
South Khorasan has a long border with Afghanistan. In recent years, one of the main needs of the neighboring country has been electricity from Iran.
By increasing production from renewable energies, a part of the power can be exported and contribute to economic growth in the region.
Installed capacity of renewables is less than 1,000 MW -- negligible compared to 84,000 MW of total power output.
The government is collaborating with the private sector to promote renewables and raise clean energy output to 5,000 MW by 2022.
