Iran is planning to spend US$60 million on solar projects this year, up from US$12 million last year, according to reports.
The government is looking particularly at supporting projects in rural areas served only by diesel-powered generators, an Associated Press report said.
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Quoting one senior official at Iran’s Energy Ministry, AP said the country had recently passed laws encouraging domestic and foreign investment in renewable energy projects in Iran.
These include a feed-in tariff launched at the start of 2014, which will be paid for through surcharges on electricity bills.
Another Iranian official told AP the government installed solar panels at some 1,000 locations across Iran, including the rooftops of mosques, schools and government buildings.
During an Iranian trade delegation to Germany earlier this year, Iranian officials unveiled plans to build 5GW of renewable energy in the country by 2018. Although the majority of this is expected to come from wind, a significant chunk of PV is anticipated, reports said.
