Rooftop PV Panels to Help Enhance Income of Deprived Rural Families

A total of 110,000 rooftop photovoltaic panels, each with a capacity of 5 kilowatts, are being set up for underprivileged families in rural areas not only to help boost their income but also to cut the dole queue, said the director general of Small-Scale Solar Power Stations Development Department at Iran's Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Organization (Satba).
“In addition to expanding green energy, small-scale plants will generate income for deprived families as the Energy Ministry has guaranteed the purchase of electricity generated by solar sources for 20 years,” Jafar Mohammadnejad Sigaroudi was also quoted as saying by ISNA.
The ministry is obliged to pay 11 cents for each kilowatt of power. Each 5-kW installation costs at least $5,000, a major part of which will come in the form of low-interest loans to be repaid in installments within 10 years.
The initiative will raise the national power grid’s generation capacity by 550 megawatts.