Is Iran a good place for solar energy?

With 300 sunny days per year and an average solar irradiance of 5.5 kWh/m2 per day, Iran has substantial potential for solar energy. This potential could play a crucial role in transitioning from fossil-based energy systems to achieve long-term energy security and sustainability.

Why does Iran have a low storage capacity?

In terms of storage, the low installed capacities can be explained by the fact that Iran has a high availability of RE sources, particularly wind energy, solar PV and hydropower, which can produce electricity all-year-round (Fig. 6). The total storage capacities soar from 9.7 TWh in the country-wide scenario to 110.9 TWh in the integrated scenario.

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.

Is solar energy a viable option in Iran?

The potential for PV is extremely high in Iran, mainly due to having about 300 clear sky sunny days per year on two-thirds of its land area and an average 2200 kWh solar radiation per square meter (Najafi et al. 2015).

What is the main energy resource in Iran?

Natural gas has been the main energy resource in Iran so far with a share of 60% of total primary energy consumption in 2013, following by oil with 38%, hydropower with 1–2%, and a marginal contribution of coal, biomass and waste, nuclear power and non-hydro renewables (BP Group 2014; EIA 2015).

What is the energy system based on re generation & energy storage technologies?

In the country-wide scenario, the energy system based on RE generation and energy storage technologies covers the country’s power sector electricity demand. The total annual cost and the total capex required to generate 377.7 TWh are 15 and 167 b€, respectively.