Rooftop photovoltaic power installations in Tehran generated 3,500 kilowatt hours of electricity in the last fiscal year (ended in March), chief executive officer of Tehran Province Electricity Distribution Company said.
“Not only did this volume help reduce load pressure on the national grid, it also contributed to curbing greenhouse gases in the sprawling capital city in 2019,” Hossein Sabouri was quoted as saying by ISNA.
Generating the same amount of power (3,500 kWh) with fossil fuels would need 800,000 liters of oil that would release 2,245 tons of CO2 in the 1-year period, he said.
As per a directive by the Energy Ministry in 2016, it is mandatory for all state-run firms and organizations (ministries and government-affiliated institutions) to meet at least 20% of their electricity need from solar panels.
“Since then, there has been a considerable rise in the number of rooftop PVs,” the CEO noted, adding that around 4,000 rooftop PVs are up and running across the nation.
According to the official, the Renewable Energy Organization of Iran (Satba) has signed an agreement with Tehran's power supply companies assuring households and companies of purchasing their solar photovoltaic electricity.
Based on the deal, all private entities can apply for selling the surplus electrical power they produce soon after their equipment is okayed by the relevant authorities.
It is mandatory for all state-run firms and organizations to meet at least 20% of their electricity need from solar panels
According to Sabouri, the move is in line with Energy Ministry policy to increase distributed power generation to help stabilize the supply side in the region, especially in summer when sizzling heat adds pressure on the national power grid.
Distributed generation refers to the electricity produced in small quantities near the point of use, as alternative or supplement to traditional centralized grid-connected power.
It reduces the cost and complexity associated with transmission and distribution, while offsetting peak electricity demand and stabilizing the local grid. Most small-scale units in Iran are powered by diesel.
The ministry guarantees the purchase of electricity generated by all renewable sources or 20 years.
Individuals and private entities need to invest about 170 million rials ($1,000) to set up their own 1-kilowatt power generation facility.
According to the statistics, each household uses 2.5 KW of electricity on average. By investing 850 million rials ($5,000), people can generate 5 KW and sell the excess to the government’s power grid.
Sabouri noted that investors in renewable projects who incorporate domestically-made equipment can sell their electricity at rates 30% higher than the normal tariffs. Iran's installed electricity capacity amounts to 84 GW.
The largest amount of power is produced with the help of fossil fuel-based power plants, hence the share of renewables in Iran’s energy mix is less than 900 MW.
Of the total 84,000 MW capacity, 850 MW comes from renewables -- 44% solar, 40% wind power, 13% small hydroelectric plants, 2% geothermal and 1% biomass.
Renewable technologies such as wind and solar PV have experienced spectacular growth over the past two decades, creating whole new global industries and helping curb greenhouse gas emissions. Even faster deployment of renewables will be vital if the world is to meet its climate goals and other long-term sustainable energy objectives.
Caption: The government guarantees purchase of electricity generated by all renewable sources for 20 years.
