An estimated 140,700 kilowatt hours of electricity was produced by solar power plants in Kohgiluyeh-Boyerahmad Province in southwest Iran in the first eight months of the current calendar year to Nov. 20, managing director of the provincial power distribution company said.
Referring to the 41 solar power stations in the province, Davoud Rahzadi said: "Of the total 11 were funded by state-owned organizations and 30 by private firms,” IRNA quoted him as saying.
Rooftop photovoltaic systems have been provided to 100 rural households, which is a source of income for the homes because the Energy Ministry guarantees purchase of the excess power they produce for 20 years, he noted.
“According to a government decree, executive bodies are obliged to meet 20% of their electricity needs through photovoltaic systems,” Rahzadi said, adding that so far 11 organizations in the province have launched their own solar power plants and three more are to launch soon.
In addition, 970 solar water heaters have been installed for free in 84 villages of the underdeveloped southwestern province, mostly near the forests.
In addition to heating water with clean energy, solar water heaters have helped curb logging and deforestation. Hundred more such heaters will be installed by March. One solar water heater can provide hot water for three households per day.
As per the last available census, Kohgiluyeh-Boyerahmad Province has a population of 723,000 of which less than half live in rural areas. The number of electricity subscribers is 265,000.
More than 56,000 rural households are linked to the power grid, and more than 1,770 villages have access to electricity.
New Projects
Three renewable power projects were launched on Tuesday in Darrud City, Khorasan Razavi Province in the northeast, including two 1-megawatt solar power stations and a 660-kilowatt wind farm. The total cost was $1 million.
Also last week, a 2MW solar power plant was inaugurated in Dasht-e-Palang village in Bushehr Province. The largest of its kind in the southern region, it will help stabilize the network and reduce power loss
Stretching over 3.6 hectares, the plant will annually provide 3,700 megawatt hours of electricity to 1,235 households.
A 1MW solar power unit was also been launched in Dorudzan village, Fars Province, earlier this month, head of electricity market department at Shiraz Electricity Distribution Company said.
“So far six renewable power plants with total capacity of 11 MW have come online with the support of private companies in regions under the jurisdiction of Shiraz Electricity Distribution Company,” Alireza Khaje said.
Furthermore, 200 rooftop photovoltaic systems with 1,600 KW capacity were installed and 100 more will be set up soon.
Iran has a diverse climate of vast windy lands and more than 300 sunny days a year, which makes it ideal to tap into wind and solar.
More than 120 large-scale solar power stations and over 3,600 smaller installations in urban and rural areas are producing green energy.
However, installed capacity of renewables is less than 1,000 megawatts, which is unimpressive compared to 84,500 MW of total capacity. More than 80% of its electricity demand in Iran is met by thermal power plants using fossil fuels.
Although private companies have invested $1 billion in the gradually expanding renewable sector due to government funding constraints, the share of renewables is barely 1% of the total.
According to the Sixth Five Year Economic Development Plan (2017-22), renewable energy should comprise at least 5% of the total power. But reports indicate this is a tall order and the clean energy sector is facing funding challenges.
