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).

Does Iran need a natural gas system?

As Iran’s energy system is currently dominated by domestic natural gas usage, SNG can logically play a significant role in addressing future energy demand. The system total annual cost and capex increased from 15 to 119 b€ and from 167 to 1150 b€, respectively.

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.

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).