Iran: mandatory PV for government buildings

BASENGREEN has learned that in recent years Iran has been facing increasingly severe power supply problems, especially during the summer peak season, when the power shortfall could be as high as 26,000 MW. To meet this challenge, the Iranian government has recently announced a major energy transition program – government agencies across the country will be phased out of the national grid and completely switch to off-grid photovoltaic (PV) power. Comprehensively switch to off-grid photovoltaic power supply.

Government agencies take the lead in switching to photovoltaics

According to the plan of Iran’s Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Organization (SATBA), photovoltaic (PV) power generation systems will be gradually installed in all government office buildings for self-generation and self-consumption of electricity. In the next phase, eligible schools, universities and sports stadiums will also be equipped with photovoltaics to further expand the application of renewable energy.

25-fold increase in renewable energy generation capacity in three years

Renewable energy sources currently account for only 1.8% of the country’s 94.5GW of total power generation, according to recently released data from the National Electricity Company of Iran. Iranian Energy Minister Abbas Aliabadi (Abbas Aliabadi) said at the conference that the Iranian government will accomplish an ambitious energy strategy goal: to add about 11.5GW of new installed solar power capacity by March 2026, and to increase renewable energy capacity to 25 times its current level in the next three years. In order to accelerate the development of PV in Iran, the country has approved applications from domestic and foreign investors to build 35GW of renewable energy power plant projects.

Tehran, the capital of Iran, has an average of 2,800 to 3,200 hours of sunshine per year, with an average of about 8 hours per day, and an intensity of solar radiation of 4.5 to 5.5 kWh/m2, which is one of the richest solar resources in the world. This natural advantage provides a solid foundation for large-scale solar power generation.

Financial support

In order to guarantee the smooth progress of renewable energy projects, the Iranian government announced that it will provide up to $5 billion in preferential loans through the country’s sovereign wealth fund for the construction of photovoltaic power plants in the next four years.

Iran’s plan for this large-scale shift to photovoltaics to ease the current power crisis is also a key step in the transformation of the energy structure. Through government-led, international cooperation and financial support, Iran is accelerating towards the era of renewable energy.