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).

Will solar PV self-consumption prosumers increase electricity demand by 2030?

The electricity demand projection growth by the year 2030 is estimated based on the IEA (2015) assumptions. Solar PV self-consumption prosumers have a modest impact on the residual load demand in the energy system as illustrated in Fig. 4 (right).

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.

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.

Is LCOE a competitive cost for 100% re energy systems in Iran?

From Table 11, it can be seen that the total LCOE for both analyzed scenarios are low. However, the integrated scenario shows a much more competitive cost for 100% RE energy systems for Iran in the year 2030. An 11% decrease in total LCOE can be observed in the integrated scenario due to a reduction of all estimated levelized costs (Fig. 5).

How does the Integrated Scenario affect the cost of electricity?

In the integrated scenario, the renewable energy generated was able to fulfil both the electricity demand of the power sector and the substantial electricity demand for water desalination and synthesis of industrial gas. By adding sector integration, the total levelized cost of electricity decreased from 45.3 to 40.3 €/MWh.