TEHRAN – The Second National Renewable Energy Award will be held online on December 16, concurrent with the Fifth Renewable Energy International Conference.

With the support of the Vice Presidency for Science and Technology, the event will be held to explore the challenges ahead in the development of renewable energy and provide solutions to improve the businesses amid coronavirus and U.S. sanctions.

The National Renewable Energy Award will be granted to the technology companies that succeed in presenting top projects or offering innovative engineering services in the field of renewable energy.

Technology providers, creative industries, knowledge-based companies, startups, academia, and all those interested in renewable energy are among the participants in this event. Operating organizations such as power companies and municipalities will also attend the annual event.

Prizes will also be awarded to the top young researcher under the age of 35 and the influential scientific figure selected at the event.

The first virtual exhibition of renewable energy will be held simultaneously with this conference.

Renewables cut greenhouse gases in Iran

According to the latest statistics released by the Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Organization, the use of renewable energy has reduced the emission of greenhouse gases by 3.6 million tons in the country during the Iranian calendar month of Mehr (September 23-October 22).

The amount of electricity generated from renewable energy sources reached 5.4 billion kWh during the aforesaid period.

The amount of savings in fossil fuel consumption reached 1.5 million tons, equivalent to one million cubic meters of natural gas.

Moreover, renewable energy use has saved 1,203 million liters of water.

The capacity of Iran's renewable power plants and electricity efficiency reached 838.19 MW over the aforementioned month, of which solar energy with 405.56 MW holds a share of 48 percent of the total.

Iran has in place legislation obliging the Ministry of Energy to increase the share of renewables and clean power plants to at least 5 percent of the country's capacity until the end of 2021, according to the International Energy Agency.

FB/MG