To make optimum use of the open space in holy shrines and associated property in South Khorasan Province, installation of 22 small-scale solar power farms has long been on the agenda and 12 are operational, general director of the provincial Endowments and Charity Affairs Organization said.
The solar farms are spread over cities of the eastern province. “Eight are in Boshrouyeh, four in Birjand, four in Nehbandan, three in Sarbisheh, two in Khusf and one in Ferdows,” Bargh News website quoted Parviz Bakhshipour as saying.
“The capacity of each farm varies between five and 50 kilowatts and total production capacity of 22 plants is 310 kW,” he said, adding that the installations are less than 100 kilometers away from the power transmission lines.
Together the PV installations generate 78,000 kilowatt hours of electricity per month.
Each five-kilowatt solar installation cost $3,000. The Energy Ministry guarantees purchase of power from renewable sources for 20 years.
In addition to generating revenue, PV installations help generate clean energy and protect the environment, Bakhshipour said.
Households in some deprived regions of the province that have solar panels on their rooftops earn $70 a month.
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
Helping Lorestan Nomads
In related news, director general at the department of tribal affairs in Lorestan said 2,000 nomadic families who have no access to electricity have been identified in the province and are to be equipped with portable solar panels by the end of the year (March 2021).
Saeed Karimi said solar panels will be manufactured by domestic companies and sold to nomads in the western province to use their own electricity for their needs like charging emergency lights and cellphones during their journeys.
Nomads generally move from one place to another in search of pasture and water for cattle, set up tents and nurture livestock.
Technology provides the opportunity to help nomadic communities with facilities to ease their daily, often difficult, tasks without interfering in their traditional lifestyles.
Iran is largely dependent on thermal power and renewables account for less than 1,000 megawatts of the total annual output of 84,000 MW.
According to official reports, by the end of the current fiscal, 25,000 nomad families will be equipped with portable solar power generators.
Over 5,000 nomadic households in remote areas now have access to renewable energy, namely solar power.
The government is collaborating with the private sector to promote renewables and wants to raise clean energy output to 5,000 MW by 2022.
