TEHRAN – In a major step toward expanding renewable energy infrastructure, Iran has officially begun a nationwide project to install solar power systems in 12,000 schools. The initiative, with a total capacity of 60 megawatts, aims to reduce pressure on the national grid, promote clean energy, and enhance energy security in the education sector.

The head of the Small‑Scale Power Plants Development and Monitoring Group at the Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Organization of Iran (SATBA), Robabeh Abdollahi, announced that each of the 12,000 schools will receive a 5‑kilowatt solar system, including solar panels, inverters and mounting structures. SATBA will supply the main equipment, which will then be delivered to the Organization for Development, Renovation and Equipping of Schools of Iran.

According to Abdollahi, implementation coordination at the provincial level will be carried out in cooperation with the Ministry of Education, provincial governor’s offices and regional electricity distribution companies. Once target schools are selected, the required equipment will be transported to the respective provinces.

Mohsen Tarztalab, Deputy Minister of Energy and head of SATBA, reiterated that developing rooftop solar power plants is a key priority for the ministry. “Efforts are being made to facilitate the construction process of these power plants by providing financial facilities to applicants,” he said. He also noted that plans for domestic production of necessary equipment are on the agenda to accelerate the development of the sector.

Record‑breaking rooftop solar plant inaugurated in Khorasan Razavi

In a related development, Iran inaugurated its largest rooftop solar power plant last September in the Chenaran industrial town of Khorasan Razavi Province. The 4.5‑megawatt facility, built by Alis Company, covers 90,000 square meters and was completed in just six months.

Speaking at the inauguration ceremony, Javad Khodaei, senior adviser to the provincial governor and deputy head of the renewable energy task force, said the project underscores the province’s leading role in Iran’s solar sector. “This project marks a new record in the scale and capacity of rooftop solar power plants in the country,” he stated, adding that Khorasan Razavi had previously hosted record‑setting rooftop facilities with capacities exceeding two megawatts.

Officials say solar energy, particularly in sunny provinces like Khorasan Razavi, is central to Iran’s strategy to diversify its power mix and reduce reliance on fossil fuels.

Tehran province schools lead the way

Meanwhile, in early November 2025, Majid Parsa, head of the Tehran Education Department, announced that 1,200 schools across Tehran province were set to be equipped with rooftop solar panel systems by the end of the past Iranian calendar year (20 March 2026). The initiative followed an agreement with the Tehran Governor’s Office to install five‑kilowatt systems on each participating school.

Parsa noted that the project would initially be implemented on a trial basis to assess performance, maintenance and grid integration. “The Education Department has already equipped five schools with pilot solar systems, which have shown promising results,” he said at the time. He added that solar‑powered schools could play a vital role in energy conservation, providing clean electricity for their own use and potentially supplying surplus power to the national grid.

Akbar Hasan Beklou, managing director of Tehran Province Electricity Distribution Company, earlier stated that the project aims to generate about six megawatts of solar power through these school installations, with the first phase expected to connect to the grid within three months.

First solar school opens in central Tehran with international support

The first school equipped with solar panels was inaugurated in Tehran’s District 12 in mid‑November 2025. During the opening ceremony, it was announced that any school wishing to install solar panels would receive 50 percent support from the district municipality.

The ceremony was attended by Abdolreza Golpayegani, Deputy Minister of Transport and Urban Development, South Korea’s Ambassador to Iran Kim Junpyo, Sadegh Pouraghdam (Advisor to the Minister of Transport and Urban Development and Secretary of the National Habitat Committee), and Mohammad Ayini, Mayor of District 12.

The solar school project was launched on the initiative of the Iran Urban Regeneration Company, with support from the National Habitat Committee of the Islamic Republic of Iran and in cooperation with the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN‑Habitat) office, at the Rahian‑e Qods Technical School in the Sirous neighborhood.

At the ceremony, Golpayegani stated that the project is part of the implementation of the “National Urban Policy Document”. “The main objective of this project is to model and promote the use of renewable energy in worn‑out urban fabrics,” he said. “The implementation of this project puts Tehran on the path toward more sustainable and resilient cities.”

He explained that the Urban Regeneration Company operates to improve and renovate worn‑out urban areas in social, economic, cultural and educational fields, and that advancing this mission requires public participation and the cooperation of all relevant institutions.

Government targets 30,000 megawatts of solar capacity

Beyond school‑based projects, Iran is pursuing a much larger national goal. Energy Minister Abbas Aliabadi has announced that the 14th government aims to realise 30,000 megawatts of solar power plants across the country.

Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the inauguration of the 130‑megawatt Methanol Kaveh solar power plant in Saveh County, Aliabadi said: “The 14th government is pursuing this promise to be fulfilled by the end of its term, and we will see significant progress in the establishment of solar power plants.”

He noted that Iran already has a diverse range of power plants, including wind, geothermal, small hydro, large hydro, and solar. The country’s total power plant capacity currently exceeds 100,000 megawatts. “In the 14th government, we are witnessing significant development in connecting power plants to the national grid, and we are in a good position,” Aliabadi added.

The minister stated that by next June (the Iranian month of Khordad), 1,000 megawatts of new power plants will be connected to the national grid. He highlighted that one of the key features of solar power plants is that they can be constructed and commissioned in the shortest possible time, and the Ministry of Energy will provide full support.

Aliabadi emphasised the importance of cooperation from public savings and private sector investment in developing solar power plants. He also acknowledged damage inflicted by the enemy during the imposed war on the country’s electricity network, which took 4,200 megawatts of power plants offline and damaged some transmission lines. “That damage is being repaired,” he said, “and we expect the public’s cooperation in saving electricity.”

The minister added that the target for electricity generation in the country this year is set at 9,000 megawatts. “If the public reduces consumption, we will reach a better point. We want to shift consumption from a negative balance to a positive one in order to provide better services to the nation.”

With school‑based solar projects gaining momentum and ambitious national targets in place, Iran is positioning itself to become a regional leader in renewable energy, turning sunlight into a pillar of its future power supply.