When news reports about Iran mention the word ‘energy’ it usually follows the word “nuclear”. But Iran is also pursuing the development of other less controversial and threatening forms of energy such as wind and solar power.
Iran President Mehmoud Ahmadinejad, Iranian Energy Minister Majid Namjou and India’s Union Minister of New and Renewable Energy Dr. Farooq Abdullah have met and agreed to unite the two countries in order to produce renewable energy.
Various reports have stated that Iran plans to develop 1,000 megawatts of renewable energy, with a special focus on solar power. According to Minister Namjou, Iran will be establishing 60,000-megawatt capacity in solar farms and 40,000-megawatt capacity in wind farms.
The clean electricity generated won’t be used just for domestic consumption, it will also be exported to India as an alternative to gas. This is more cost effective and India will be assisting Iran in developing its renewable energy industry.
Iran has extensive solar resources according to a study by researchers from the Department of Electrical & Computer Systems Engineering, Monash University and the Centre of Renewable Energy Research and Application in Tehran, Iran.
The nation’s average solar radiation is approximately 19.23 Mega joules per square meter. Solar radiation varies from 2.8 kWh/m2 in the south-east section of Iran to 5.4 kWh/m2 in its central region. The study says useful solar radiation hours in Iran exceeds 2800 hours per year – around 7.67 hours a day.
According to Wikipedia, 93% of electricity generated in Iran in 2006 was created through the burning of fossil fuel (75% gas, 18% from oil), with hydro accounting for around 7% of its electricity generation. More non-hydro renewables have been added since 2006, but those still remain a drop in Iran’s energy generation bucket.
Iran’s overall carbon dioxide emissions per capita are estimated at approximately 7.3 tonnes (2008) – far less than Australia’s figure of 18.9 tonnes in the same year.
by Australian Solar Quotes
