Tehran Times - Iran�s Planning and Budget Organization (PBO) inked a memorandum of understanding with Imam Khomeini Relief Foundation and the Organization for Mobilization of the Oppressed for construction of 20,000 photovoltaic power stations (known as PV systems) across the country.

As reported by IRNA, the MOU was signed on Saturday in a ceremony attended by PBO Head Mohammad-Baqer Nobakht, Head of Imam Khomeini Relief Foundation Morteza Bakhtiari, and Brigadier General Gholamreza Soleimani, the head of Organization for Mobilization of the Oppressed.

Based on the MOU, about 350 million rials (about $8,300) of facilities will be paid to underprivileged households for construction of the mentioned PV systems and the Energy Ministry will also purchase the generated electricity.

According to the Deputy Head of PBO, Hamid Pour-Mohammad, the project is part of a bigger program in which at the first phase 20,000 PV systems will be constructed for rural and nomadic households and in the next phases the number will be raised to 100,000 stations.

According to the official the mentioned stations are planned to be constructed by domestic manufacturers like Mapna Group.

�In addition to boosting [the country�s] electricity production, these power stations improve the livelihoods of the mentioned families,� Pour-Mohammadi said.

In late October, Iran�s Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Organization (SATBA) announced that 2500 new rooftop photovoltaic power stations (PV systems) were being constructed to be installed for rural households across Iran.

According to the portal of Iranian Energy Ministry (known as PAVEN), there are currently about 3500 PV systems operational across the country.

According to the Energy Ministry�s data, renewables account for nearly seven percent of the country�s total electricity generation capacity.

Of the country�s total renewable capacity, 44 percent is the share of solar power plants while the share of wind farms stands at 40 percent and small-scalded hydropower plants generate 13 percent of the total renewable capacity.

Overall, in the next five years, Iran is aiming for a 5,000 MW increase in renewable capacity to meet growing domestic demand and expand its presence in the regional electricity market.