What is Iran's potential for solar-based electricity generation?

Iran's potentials for solar-based electricity generation At present, Iran is producing only 0.46% of its energy from renewable energy sources. In 2016, the country's renewable-based electricity generation sector was mainly comprised of 53.88 MW wind, 13.56 MW biomass, 0.51 MW solar and 0.44 MW hydropower .

Is solar energy a viable source of energy in Iran?

Particularly, Iran enjoys a high potential for solar radiation up to 5.5 kWh/m 2 /day where implementation of solar power plants is completely feasible and affordable , . Due to great access to solar energy, several studies have evaluated the potential of generating electricity from this abundant and clean source of energy.

What is Iran's energy plan?

During this plan, diversify the country's energy resources concerning environmental issues and increasing the renewable energy share were also considered , . Tavanir estimated that Iran's capacity for renewable energy can provide 10% of the country's energy demand for five years (2011–2016) .

How many MW of solar power does Iran have?

However, 27 MW of installed wind power capacity was added to the system in 2014 (Farfan and Breyer 2017). Solar power generation has seen high growth in recent years, mainly through photovoltaics (PV) and followed by concentrating solar thermal power (CSP) plants in Iran.

Why does Iran need solar energy?

The other reason is that under the “Paris Agreement” terms, Iran obliged to reduce its GHG emissions by at least 4% and at most 12% by 2030. Among RE resources, Iran has the remarkable potential for solar energy with the average annual rate of 4.5–5.5 kWh/m 2.

How much energy does Iran use per capita?

Iran is one of the most energy intensive countries of the world with per capita energy consumption of 35.2 MWh/capita (IEA 2016; Duro 2015; Tofigh and Abedian 2016). Energy use in Iran is inefficient mainly due to huge energy subsidies by the government.