Renewable energy in Iran: Challenges and opportunities for sustainable development

Abstract

Around the globe, developing countries have reported different cases of successfully implemented Renewable Energy (RE) program supported by bilateral or multilateral funding. In developing countries subsidy has played a big role in RE program marketing and whether this will lead to sustainable development is yet to be determined. The adoption of implementation strategies that will support sustainable development and overcoming barriers that hinder expansion of Renewable Energy Technologies (RETs) still remains as a big challenge to stakeholders involved in promotion of RE resources in developing countries. In this respect, developing countries need to reexamine their environmental policy for promotion of RETs in order to define its role in revitalization of their economies. This paper reviews the policy incentives for promotion of RETs in the Islamic Republic of Iran. Setting-up international collaborative business ventures between local industry in Iran and RE companies in developed countries is proposed as an implementation strategy that will appropriate diffusion of RETs in the country. An organizational framework that may help to attain this objective is discussed and a structural model for RE business partnership is presented. It is concluded that with appropriate policy formulations and strategies, RETs can bring about the required socioeconomic development in Iran.

Institutional scale operational symbiosis of photovoltaic and cogeneration energy systems

“…This paper, however, assumes that the CHP units are operated entirely by natural gas. Considering that Tehran's power plants are primarily supplied by natural gas (IMOE, 2005;Atabi, 2004) as well, it is desirable to provide electricity on site rather than at a power plant which will then have associated distribution losses of 26.7 %. Knowing that IMOE, 2005), the real efficiency of electricity generation in Iran is at 26.5%.…”

Iran’s energy scenarios on a 20-year vision

“…For instance, since Iran is located on the global geothermal belt, it can be considered among the prevalent countries having geothermal energy (Atabi 2004). Table 4 shows the geothermal potential regions in Iran and their areas (Yousefi et al 2007).…”

Pakistan-Iran Relationship in the Context of Regional and International Challenges (2001-2013)

“…There is large number of undocumented workers and other people involved in crime and terrorism which affect Iran and Pakistan. But it is considerable that both countries share a larger part of the boundary with Afghanistan (Atabi, 2004).…”

“…And millions of residents, who are Afghan, live in Iran and Pakistan and they have a huge impact on the policies of the two countries. Pakistan and Iran both have their common interests in Afghanistan (Atabi, 2004).…”