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Rapid growth in population and economic development in Iran and its neighboring countries has resulted in a dramatic increase in electricity demand over the past few years. A substantial amount of electricity must be produced to meet this growing demand in this region. By installing conventional fossil power plants, using renewable energy, and interconnecting with neighboring countries, this growing demand can be accomplished. The main aim of this research is to identify prospects and challenges in the electrical sector around Iran. To this end, this paper evaluates the existing and future state of the electrical sector in Iran and its neighboring countries. Despite the fact that there is still a long way to go in terms of renewable energy in this region, there are some promising targets for the future that will allow fossil fuels to be replaced effectively. Notwithstanding this, we should point out that a number of cross-border interconnection projects are being pursued by Iran and its neighbors in order to integrate their networks and supply this growing demand. Finally, this study presents an overview of the future prospects and challenges of electricity capacity expansion, cross-border interconnections, and electricity transmission corridors in this region. The review results provide comprehensive background knowledge to all the researchers in order to investigate further into the field. This paper assists energy policy makers regarding the development of sustainable energy planning. • •In addition to providing a general overview of the geographical location, population growth, and economic indicators of Iran and its neighboring countries, this paper presents the current state of the Iranian electricity sector and its neighboring countries in light of the trends in electricity production, energy mix, price, and exports and imports. • •This paper explores the existing and future states of electricity capacity expansion in the region, specifically focusing on renewable energy sources. • •The existing and future states of cross-border electricity interconnections are examined to present a comprehensive overview of the cross-border interconnections in this region. • •This region's potential electricity transmission corridors are proposed to create the opportunity to transmit electricity across countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite a substantial potential of renewable energy sources, the current energy supply system in Iran relies almost entirely on fossil fuel resources. It has imposed significant financial burden on the country and has led to considerable GHG emissions. Moreover, the country is confronting several challenges for harnessing alternative clean energy sources and promoting rational energy policies over the recent decades. To probe the root cause of these problems, this paper first provides an overview on the previous energy planning attempts in Iran. It shows that adequate commitment to a long-term energy planning could have meaningfully prevented these serious challenges. However, the previous studies have had some limitations in terms of employing appropriate planning tools, comprehensive evaluations, and scenarios definition and ranking. This paper thus proposes a power planning framework to assess the sustainability of future electricity scenarios for the period 2015–2050. MESSAGE, a systems engineering optimization model, is employed to evaluate the potential impacts of transitioning to a low-carbon electricity supply system. Using a combined AHP-TOPSIS method, the scenarios are then ranked based on 18 different techno-economic, environmental, and social dimensions of sustainability. The results indicate that scenario Cl_32, in which the share of non-hydro clean energy for electricity generation reaches 32%, is ranked best. • Iran's energy planning studies are reviewed. • A suitable link between energy planning and policy making is necessary for Iran. • A framework for sustainable development of the power sector is proposed. • MCDM is used to assess the sustainability of different scenarios. • The share of non-hydro clean energy technologies should increase up to 32% by 2050. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Iran's energy system is extremely dependent on fossil fuels which, in turn, have led to problems such as fossil fuels depletion, social, economic and environmental damage and territorial imbalance. The country should therefore design a sustainable energy system based on clean energy a s well as renewable energy. Accordingly, and given that Iran's rural areas suffer from the unsustainable energy system, it is necessary to integrate renewable energy into comprehensive development programs in general, and into rural development programs, specifically. This review paper answers the following questions: Why is renewable energy important for Iran at national and rural levels? How is renewable energy related to sustainable rural development? and What are the challenges in the promotion of renewable energy technologies in Iran? The paper concludes that although renewable energy has potential for development in Iran's rural areas due to environmental, social and economic advantages, it could face some infrastructural, managerial, socio-cultural and economic challenges. Accordingly, aggressive and innovative policy making is required to meet these challenges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Energy subsidies can incentivise the overconsumption of energy resources and contribute to other economic or social distortions. In this paper, an ex-post analysis is presented that explores the extent to which electricity subsidy reform could have reduced Iran's energy demand during the period 1984–2017. It also quantifies the techno-economic and environmental benefits that could have been achieved through such reforms. A time-varying econometric model is linked to an energy systems optimisation model. The former estimates electricity demand under different subsidy removal scenarios, and the latter identifies the cost-optimal generation mix to meet the demand. The results of cost-optimal transition pathways under subsidy removal scenarios are compared with the real-world energy system development during the study horizon. The comparison reveals that the subsidy reform could have reduced the total cumulative electricity consumption by 22%. Renewable share in power generation could have increased from 5% to 15%. Moreover, the reform combined with a cost-optimal generation pathway would have saved $69 billion and avoided 944 million tons of CO 2 emissions. The analysis also shows that every five-year delay in subsidy removal causes about 100 million tons of additional CO 2 emissions. Finally, the paper presents lessons learnt for future energy modelling. • An ex-post analysis quantifies the benefits of energy subsidy reform in the power sector. • The total cumulative electricity consumption could have been reduced by 22%. • Renewable share in power generation could have tripled. • Subsidy reforms combined with cost-optimal generation could have saved $69 billion. • The paper presents lessons learnt for future energy modelling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Energy subsidies can incentivise the overconsumption of energy resources and contribute to other economic or social distortions. In this paper, an ex-post analysis is presented that explores the extent to which electricity subsidy reform could have reduced Iran's energy demand during the period 1984–2017. It also quantifies the techno-economic and environmental benefits that could have been achieved through such reforms. A time-varying econometric model is linked to an energy systems optimisation model. The former estimates electricity demand under different subsidy removal scenarios, and the latter identifies the cost-optimal generation mix to meet the demand. The results of cost-optimal transition pathways under subsidy removal scenarios are compared with the real-world energy system development during the study horizon. The comparison reveals that the subsidy reform could have reduced the total cumulative electricity consumption by 22%. Renewable share in power generation could have increased from 5% to 15%. Moreover, the reform combined with a cost-optimal generation pathway would have saved $69 billion and avoided 944 million tons of CO 2 emissions. The analysis also shows that every five-year delay in subsidy removal causes about 100 million tons of additional CO 2 emissions. Finally, the paper presents lessons learnt for future energy modelling. • An ex-post analysis quantifies the benefits of energy subsidy reform in the power sector. • The total cumulative electricity consumption could have been reduced by 22%. • Renewable share in power generation could have tripled. • Subsidy reforms combined with cost-optimal generation could have saved $69 billion. • The paper presents lessons learnt for future energy modelling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: As global energy demand rises, natural gas (NG) plays a pivotal role in energy supply. Natural gas is the cleanest fossil fuel and it has high energy conversion efficiencies for power generation. Natural gas has been extensively investigated for use in spark-ignition (SI) and compression-ignition (CI) engines. This paper consists of two sections: the first section gives an overview of natural gas fuel in the world and highlights the share of natural gas in Iran energy market and then expounds the role of natural gas vehicles (NGVs) in the context of Iran environmental pollution and its sustainable development. It is concluded that natural gas is the promising alternative fuel for vehicles in Iran. In the second part, the paper reviews the research works on natural gas fueled engines by Iranian researchers, and reports the most achievements obtained by them in the field of the natural gas fueled engines which involve natural gas-fueled SI engines, dual fuel (natural gas/diesel) engines, and Homogenous Charge Combustion Ignition (HCCI) engines. It is found that Iranian researchers started investigations on NGVs along with world researchers and developed research in line with their needs and priorities. Recently they further focused on this topic and their contribution to this field is significant especially regarding dual fuel engines. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Iran, as a developing country, will be confronted with a significant increase in electricity demand in future years. Being a petroleum producing country has resulted in extreme subsidies for energy production from fossilized resources such as oil and gas. This issue is one of the most important factors regarding underdevelopment of renewable energies in Iran. Expansive use of fossil resources in providing the necessary energy has resulted in Iran being among the 20 countries that have a share in the 75% spread of greenhouse gases. This issue has resulted in greater attention on behalf of the energy sectors policy makers regarding renewable energies, especially wind. Awareness regarding the current condition of each system is the first step for optimum policy making. On this basis, analyzing Iran''s wind conditions and assessing its technological capabilities is considered a pre-requisite for the wind sectors policy making. This paper aims at studying Iran''s wind energy status in the form of available capacities, power production, wind power plant characteristics, principal agents and existing protective laws. Also, the main focus of this paper is on evaluating Iran''s potential and effective technological capabilities for producing the main parts of wind turbines in different sizes. In order to fulfill this task, sector-level technological capabilities are defined. Then by analyzing active organizations in this field, Iran''s capability level will be determined and by comparing it with the ideal conditions, Iran''s technological gaps will be identified. The reasons for the creation of such shortcomings will also be introduced from different aspects in the form of the Atlas model. Finally, Iran''s potential capabilities in resolving technological shortcomings will be identified. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Biodiesel can be considered as the optimum alternative fuel for diesel fuel in Iran. Biodiesel is an environmentally friendly fuel and has the potential to provide comparable engine performance results. The biodiesel production potential from oil seeds such as canola, soybean, cotton, seasem, olive, sunflower, safflower, almond, corn, coconut, walnut and hazelnut in Iran is investigated in this paper. In Iran, oil seeds are not commonly used for energy application. This is because; more than 90% of the edible oil for human consumption is being imported. To contribute to the fuel supply, renewable energies such as oil seeds to be an attractive resource for biodiesel production, this paper aims to cover several perspectives on the size of the biodiesel oil seeds resource in Iran. Oil seeds are harvested every year in Iran. Around 1 million ha of land from 20 states are estimated to be potential land for growing of oil seeds. There are approximately 3.67MT (million ton) of oil seeds crops in Iran that can potentially produce 721ML (million liter) of biodiesel every year. Canola, cotton and soybean are the most favorable biodiesel production source. Based on the results, it can be concluded that production of biodiesel from the seed oils can ideally replace about 2% of total diesel fuel consumption in Iran. By managing this, an B2 (2% biodiesel and 98% diesel) can be an optimum alternative fuel for compressed ignition engine since there is no major engine modification required to use biodiesel. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The electricity demand in Iran has increased steadily in recent years. This is mainly due to the rapid growth in the number of high-rise air-conditioned buildings and the rapid use of electrical appliances in residential and commercial sectors. This paper investigates the annual energy required for cooling per unit area and the total energy cost per unit area for each type of air conditioning systems in different climates in Iran. The paper also investigates the effects of changing the coefficient of performance (COP) of absorption chillers on cost saving. This study found that using absorption chillers for cooling will increase the amount of energy usage per unit area; however the energy cost per unit area will decrease. In addition this research indicates that for each 0.1 increment in COP of absorption chillers, there is at least 50USD/m2 saved cost. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This paper reviews the present energy status in Islamic Republic of Iran with an emphasis on utilization of environmentally friendly energy resources. The paper reveals the huge energy losses due to technological gaps and absence of relevant art of know-how in conventional energy industries. It also includes some critical issues effecting the efficient operation of Renewable Energy Converting Systems (RECS) having specific site and climate dependency. The environmentally friendly scaled energy balance presented in this paper is self explaining for energy policy makers to achieve a suitable scenario based on various positions of scale pointer which may alter depending on implementation level of advanced technologies and relevant art of know-how. The paper, besides being informative in achieving optimal energy prospects in Iran, also provides useful quid lines to energy planners not only at home but also in other Asian/Middle Eastern countries having similar alternative energy scenarios. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

As Iran is rich in oil and gas resources, renewable energy was known as a luxurious source of electric power generation for a long time. New policies and targeted subsidy reform plan for fossil fuel products have changed the view of decision-makers and energy sector investors toward renewable energy resources. According to the climatological studies, two-thirds of Iran's land has three hundred sunny days which indicates great potentials for providing solar energy. This paper deals with small-scale solar energy potentials in different cities of Iran. The considered solar systems are based on the combination of photovoltaic panels in order to obtain the nominal values of 1, 5 and 10 kW for 15 selected cities of Iran. Design of the photovoltaic (PV) systems is carried out based on optimum fixed tilt angles of the panels and efficiency variation due to the temperature changes of different locations. The final decision on financial assessment of the mentioned solar PV projects is based on different concepts of engineering economy such as rate of return (ROR), present worth of benefit and cost (PWB, PWC), extra investment analysis, levelized cost of energy (LCOE). The amount of calculated income and the expected benefit are also investigated under certainty and uncertainty of guaranteed solar electricity purchase tariff in a 30-year project lifetime. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The paper provides for an evaluation of the potential level and nature of sustainable development of the Sabalan geothermal power plant in NW Iran, to be operational in 2011. The paper achieves this by applying a mathematical model of sustainable development developed by the author (re: Phillips ), in respect to the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) conducted by Yousefi et al. using the Rapid Impact Assessment Matrix (RIAM) methodology (re: Pastakia ; Pastakia and Jensen ). Using a model application methodology developed for the RIAM, the results indicated that the nature of sustainable development for Sabalan was considered to be very weak (S =0.063). This was due to the imbalance between negative environmental impacts and positive socio-economic impacts deriving from the project. Further, when placed into context with a similar set of results obtained from the EIA of the Tuzla geothermal power plant by Baba also using the RIAM methodology, then the similarities between the results obtained raises some legimate questions as to the sustainable development credentials of geothermal power production. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This paper analyses the wind speed of some major cities in province of Yazd which is located in central part of Iran. Also, the feasibility study of implementing wind turbines to take advantage of wind power is reviewed and then the subject of wind speed and wind potential at different stations is considered. This paper utilized wind speed data over a period of almost 13 years between 1992 and 2005 from 11 stations, to assess the wind power potential at these sites. In this paper, the hourly measured wind speed data at 10m, 20m and 40m height for Yazd province have been statically analyzed to determine the potential of wind power generation. Extrapolation of the 10m data, using the Power Law, has been used to determine the wind data at heights of 20m and 40m. The results showed that most of the stations have annual average wind speed of less than 4.5m/s which is considered as unacceptable for installation of the wind turbines. City of Herat has higher wind energy potential with annual wind speed average of 5.05m/s and 6.86m/s, respectively, at height of 10m and 40m above ground level (AGL). This site is a good candidate for remote area wind energy applications. But some more information is required, because the collected data for Herat is only for 2004. Cities of Aghda with 3.96m/s, Gariz with 3.95m/s, and Maybod with 3.83m/s annual wind speed average at height of 10m above ground level are also able to harness wind by installing small wind turbines. The Tabas and Bafgh sites wind speed data indicated that the two sites have lower annual wind speed averages between 1.56m/s and 2.22m/s at 10m height. The monthly and annual wind speeds at different heights have been studied to ensure optimum selection of wind turbine installation for different stations in Yazd. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This paper analyses the renewable energy issues and electricity production in Middle East compared with Iran. Nevertheless, the use of renewable energy has started to be an interesting issue for people and also governments in Middle East, especially in Iran where all different types of renewable energy sources (RES) are available and also possible to implement for gaining required energy. There are many different kinds of renewable energy sources like geothermal, bio fuel, tidal and so on, but wind and solar energies are more available and accessible than other types in Middle Eastern countries. Nowadays, the rapidly increasing demand for electrical energy and the high restriction on pollution levels have led to an increasing interest in large-scale utilization of renewable energies across many countries in Middle East. This paper analyzes the electricity production in Middle East and also reviews different aspects of renewable energy issues in Iran. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The production of bioethanol from agricultural residues such as wheat, barley, sugar cane, corn and rice in Iran is investigated in this paper. In Iran, agricultural residues are not commonly used for energy application. This paper aims to cover several perspectives on the size of the bioethanol feedstock resource in Iran. Crop residues and sugar cane bagasse are included in feedstock for production of bioethanol. There are approximately 17.86MT of wasted crops in Iran that can potentially produce 4.91GL of bioethanol per year. Wheat, sugar cane bagasse, rice, barely and corn are the most favourable bioethanol production source in Iran. Agricultural waste materials can be used for production of bioethanol fuel. Bioethanol can be considered as the optimum alternative fuel for gasoline. Bioethanol is an environmentally friendly fuel and has the potential to provide comparable engine performance results. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

There are abundant renewable energy sources in Iran such as wind, solar, geothermal, biomass. However, Iran is fully dependent on fossil fuels for industrial, residential and transportation sectors. It results in the country to be in top 10 producers of greenhouse gases (GHGs) into the atmosphere. GHGs can be controlled by incorporating renewable sources to produce energy. Therefore, renewable energy resources are becoming more attractive to develop sustainable energy development in Iran. However, the transformation from traditional fossil fuel infrastructures to advanced renewable technologies needs many considerations, such as strategic and core planning. In this regard, this paper covers the current state of Iran's energy market focusing on both fossil fuels and renewable energy resources. A general review is offered over the renewable energy production status in Iran and the production potentials. Finally, in conclusion, a comparisons are made over the current state, plans and also potential opportunities of Iran over each sort of energy production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Solar energy plays a crucial and high-priority role in protecting and maintaining our future environment. One of the most important and outstanding factor in building a power plant is how to choose the appropriate and suitable site for solar power plants. The purpose of this research is to investigate the most felicitous locations in order to establish the photovoltaic power stations in Iran.it is highly recommended to closely consider the economical and geographical conditions. The required data were mostly obtained from satellite images and ground measurements. The principle in this paper forms some effective factors made up of in site selection and developed some guidelines about how to divide them into four categories including the value of solar radiation on earth's surface, the economic features, the technical factors and geographical considerations. It is extremely necessary to recognize the need to closely examine an important issue that these factors were analyzed and weighted by Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) and then the potential map was extracted. An understanding and appreciation of results represent appropriate locations namely Fars and Sistan and Baluchistan provinces which have higher potential to build Photovoltaic power plants. Ultimately, through research, it has been developed a model and map with maximum efficiency for gaining a deeper understanding of the most suitable location for the fixed panel power plant which was obtained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ever increasing rate of energy consumption, limited fossil fuels and pollution have made the expansion of renewable resources essential. Due to the suitable solar potential available in Iran, the use of solar energy has been developed more than other renewable resources. In this paper, photovoltaic (PV) panels are hybridized with battery banks and the power grid to provide electricity for 100 residential units and by performing a techno-economic-environmental analysis on the use of different solar tracking systems PV power generation is maximized. The final aim of this paper is to find the optimum scenario for reaching the highest efficiency along with emissions that are within the standard range. Also, the effect of grid sell back on the results is estimated and a sensitivity analysis is performed to generalize the results for other economic and climate conditions. Results show that the use of the solar tracking system significantly reduces the number of needed panels, but this size reduction is not always cost-effective due to the high cost of tracking units. The vertical tracking system indicated the best cost-efficiency with 0.241 $/kWh cost of energy and an average of 23% improvement on the output power. Although the dual-axis tracker improved power production by 32%, it was less cost-efficient. Sensitivity analysis indicated that with 33% renewable fraction and slightly different initial costs, the optimum cost of energy will vary from 0.227 to 0.255 $/kWh. • A grid-connected photovoltaic-battery system is optimized in different climates. • Techno-enviro-economic comparison of different solar tracking systems is done. • Residential demand at a standard level of CO 2 production is provided. • Vertical tracker is the most cost-effective system with 0.241 $/kWh cost of energy. • Power production is improved by 23%, compared to the without tracking scenario. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The wind farm development is very slow in the developing countries particularly in the Middle East. This is attributed to many factors including economy of these countries which is mainly rely on fossil fuels and hence yields to low cost of energy, political and technological barriers, lack of wind potential studies or lack of high wind regions and more. This paper attempts to address these issues and foresees opportunities for developing household or small communities wind farms which can be rely on individual or small communities’ funds as well as creating job opportunities for them. As the case study, the province of Sistan-Baluchestan in Iran is considered to study how the economy of local communities or households can be strengthen by exploring small wind turbine developments for them. An economic and statistical analysis is conducted based on wind data for cities of Chabahar, Dehak, and Dalgan in the province. Wind energy characteristics and patterns are extensively explored for these cities from 473,040 wind data samples. This is resulted in the average annual wind power density of 181 W / m 2 , 158 W / m 2 , and 146 W / m 2 , for Chabahar, Dalgan, and Dehak, respectively at the height of 40 m. By considering five different commercial wind turbines, from 1.6 to 30 kW capacities, the total annual electrical power production, profits and payback time for each wind turbine is presented. It is concluded that nearly 90,000 households can benefit from profit of annual energy production of 225 GWh. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biomass as one of the renewable-energy sources is both sustainable and eco- friendly. Considering the approximately 30% of wastes for agricultural products in Iran as well as the importance of processing industry in reducing wastes, biomass such as pistachio is extremely noteworthy. According to the published statistics, the area under cultivation of pistachio in Iran is currently more than 300,000 ha. Kerman Province with an area of 200,000 ha provides 67% of total Iranian pistachio so that it is the most important area of pistachio cultivation around the world. On average, there are approximately 520,400 tons of pistachio wastes per year in Iran, which is mostly related to peeling of product. Studies indicate that the fermentation and pyrolysis processes of pistachio waste produce valuable fuel. In addition, the biological digestion process can be performed on freshly harvested pistachio wastes. This paper shows that there is a considerable potential for the use of agricultural residues, especially pistachio as fuel in Iran. It was found that the production of biogas from pistachio's soft shell, and pyrolysis of pistachio's hard shell are the most effective ways to dispose of wastes, fuel production, and optimum use of them. It can produce about 256,410, 121,255, and 123,898 tons of bio-oil, char, and gas fuel from pistachio wastes by pyrolysis, respectively. Furthermore, the amount of 103.5 million cubic meters of biogas can be achieved using anaerobic fermentation. The potential of 47.6 million liters ethanol production from total pistachio waste can be predicted. The use of pistachio wastes in addition to economic benefits for investors, will have positive environmental effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The diversification and optimization of the fuel portfolio for the transportation sector in Iran are subject to evaluation of a variety of alternative fuels. Currently, fossil fuels, especially gasoline, have the greatest share in supplying the light-duty vehicles' fuel demand in Iran; this has led to numerous environmentally and strategically unfavorable consequences. Through a multi-criteria approach, this paper evaluates various alternative fuels for light-duty vehicles in Iran, considering a midterm horizon. For this purpose, eight different alternative fuels with both fossil and renewable bases were evaluated: compressed natural gas, liquid petroleum gas, petroleum diesel, biodiesel, biogas, two mixtures of ethanol and methanol with gasoline called E85 and M85, and hydrogen. A comprehensive literature review was performed and the key metrics of cost-, technical-, social- and policy-related aspects were identified. Each alternative was scored against the aforementioned criteria in six alternative scenarios, including one base scenario and five scenarios with different weight settings of criteria. The results showed that compressed natural gas and liquid petroleum gas are the most suitable alternative fuels for light-duty vehicles in Iran, and that biogas has the highest priority, as compared with other alternative renewable fuels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sustainable development that conceptually can be divided into the following parts: environmental, social and economic, is a pattern of resource use, which aims to meet human needs while preserving the environment so that these needs can be met not only in the present, but also for generations to come in future. This paper is a comparative study on the socio-environmental sustainability in traditional courtyard houses in Iran and China, as two of the ancient civilizations in the world. The aim is to investigate the potential of traditional courtyard houses in responding to environmental challenges alongside social norms over a long period of time. To achieve this purpose, social and environmental dimensions of the sustainability as well as the main elements of traditional courtyard houses in Iran and China are identified. Then, the way these elements have contributed to the social and environmental sustainability of heritage settlements are described, analyzed, and compared through library and field survey studies. Results of this research show that Iranian and Chinese traditional courtyard houses were designed based on a careful attention to climatic requirements in their socio-cultural context, in order to provide both physical and mental comforts for residents. As conclusion, some socio-environmental design principles are extracted, as lessons learned from the past, which can be considered in designing of contemporary sustainable residential buildings in Iran and China. These design patterns, can be generalized to all cases with similar climatic conditions, in order to save more energy as well as enhancing social values in mentioned areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, the challenges of environmental issues, sustainable alternatives to fossil fuels, increasing energy demand, decreasing the profitability of fossil fuels extracted from readily available reservoirs, shale formations and tight sands, and unsteady and unpredictable energy prices have forced oil-producing countries to turn their attention to renewable energies. Most of these countries are located on the world's solar belt and have an excellent solar availability with an average of 300–320 days of bright sunshine throughout a year. There is, as a result, growing attention to solar energy and especially to the photovoltaics (PVs). Therefore, a tremendous progress is witnessed in technology as well as economy through the blooming of new markets in the past few decades. The considerable progress in the application of PVs in oil-producing countries is closely dependent upon the development of suitable policies and strategies due to the existence of high electricity subsidies and low tariffs of the governments. In this context, this paper aims to pursue the current progress in PVs in major oil-producing countries located around the Persian Gulf and to discuss the recent advances in the prospective policy of Iran, as a case study. The obtained results show that a minimum of 20% increase in annual electricity rate would guarantee benefit from investments in the PVs power plants under the current economic situation of Iran. Subsequently, this study investigates the optimal approaches for the development of the application of PVs in oil-producing countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hybrid renewable energy systems, combining various kinds of technologies, have shown relatively high capabilities to solve reliability problems and have reduced cost challenges. The use of hybrid electricity generation/storage technologies as off-grid stand-alone systems is reasonable to overcome related shortcomings. Solar and wind energy are two rapidly emerging renewable ones that have precedence in comparison to the other kinds. In this regard, the present paper studies four specific locations in Iran, which are candidates for research centers. Based on the solar radiation and average wind speed maps, techno-economically optimized systems are designed by simulating behavior of various combinations of renewable energy systems with different sizing, including wind turbine (WT), photovoltaic (PV), fuel cell (FC), and battery banks. According to the results obtained by a computer program, it is concluded that the hybrid systems including WT and PV with battery backup are less costly compared to the other systems. Moreover, we found that among non-hybrid systems, in most regions of Iran׳s territory PVs are more economical than WTs. Despite of its advantages, FC has not been applied in the optimal systems due to its high initial cost and its low replacement life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The cyber-security of several industrial plants has been compromised for last years by some worms and viruses, such as Stuxnet, which was able to take control of the Supervisory Control And Data Acquisition (SCADA) system of a nuclear plant in Iran. The research community and the international standardization committees raised their awareness about protecting information in Substation Automation Systems (SAS). IEC 61850-5 and IEC 62351-6 standards respectively describe communication models and the security mechanisms to be deployed in current substations, but they present some inconsistencies. On the one hand, this standard mandates that RSA cryptosystem must be used to provide source authenticity of GOOSE and SV messages. However, despite expensive processors with crypto accelerators were utilized, execution times would exceed the maximum transfer times stated in the standard for most time critical applications. On the other hand, the recommended synchronization solution is the Precision Time Protocol (PTP), as defined in IEEE 1588-2008, which introduced an optional security extension based on old keyed hash algorithms that has also been demonstrated to be suboptimal due to latency times and required resources. The aim of this paper is to explore current available security solutions and study their applicability to the substation environment. Furthermore, as part of the future security framework, a MACsec-based security approach that allows different communication services with diverse performance and security requirements to live together within the substation network is proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Osmotic power generation is one of the cleaner and sustainable methods for energy generation. This paper presents a study on the optimal size and design of pressure retarded osmosis (PRO) power plant as a viable source of renewable energy in the selected site in Bahmanshir river of Iran. The optimal sizing and design problem is formulated as a Non-Linear Programming (NLP) optimization problem and solved using the standard optimization software titled generalized algebraic modeling system (GAMS). The objective function is minimizing the total cost while considering the technical and economic constraints. Optimization results show that the optimal capacity of the PRO osmotic power plant is 77.8 MW. Economic analysis is performed for the obtained results and it was observed that construction of this type of power plants will not be attractive for private sector investors with the market energy prices (i.e. 8 cents/kW h).The effect of the future development in power density of membrane and membrane unit price in economic feasibility of the osmotic power plant is studied. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Population growth and technological advancement mean that human activities now consume increasingly higher levels of energy. This causes major problems such as depletion of fossil fuel resources and environmental pollution. Energy managers and planners are therefore trying to develop options to meet these increasing demands for energy while maintaining low environmental impact. Application of advanced energy saving techniques and renewable energy resources and technologies present a good solution to these problems. Bio-energy is a widely available resource so it presents an attractive type of renewable energy. Biomass is abundant and easily accessible, making it a low cost resource with great flexibility in terms of potential application. This paper reports on biogas production from livestock manure and considers evaluations made for the different provinces in Iran. Data for calculations were sourced from available databases relating to Iranian cattle farms. This study reports on calculations made using statistical data on number of cows, amount of manure produced and volume of created biogas per kilogram of animal waste. The total amount of biogas production from livestock waste was calculated for each province using theoretical and experimental methods. Outcomes showed that production of biogas from livestock waste could potentially supply a proportion of the country׳s natural gas demand. The outcomes were tabulated and a GIS database was generated. Volumes of produced biogas from livestock manure were compared with those of natural gas consumption and outcomes were plotted on a classified map showing data for natural gas consumption and biogas energy. Outcomes revealed that the provinces of Sistan-Baluchestan and Ilam had the highest priority in production of biogas from livestock waste with annual gas consumption levels of 33.3% and 9% respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper introduces the resource, status and prospect of solar energy in Iran briefly. Among renewable energy sources, Iran has a high solar energy potential. The widespread deployment of solar energy is promising due to recent advancements in solar energy technologies. Therefore, many investors inside and outside the country are interested to invest in solar energy development. Iran’s total area is around 1600,000 km 2 or 1.6×10 12 m 2 with about 300 clear sunny days in a year and an average 2200 kW-h solar radiation per square meter. Considering only 1% of the total area with 10% system efficiency for solar energy harness, about 9 million MW h of energy can be obtained in a day. The government’s goal on 2012 was to install 53,000 MW capacity plants for electricity generation. To reach this goal, it was assumed that the new gas-fired plants along with the hydroelectric and nuclear power generating plants could be financed by independent power producers including those of foreign investment. Based on the fifth 5 year Socio-economic and Cultural Development Plan, the private sector was expected to have a share of at least 270 MW in renewable energy development. The existing small capacity solar energy plants are in Shiraz, Semnan, Taleghan, Yazd, Tehran and Khorasan. Based on the specified available solar trough technology, solar area, average solar hours and average solar direct irradiation, the technical potential of solar electricity was estimated to be 14.7 TWe. Under the current energy policies, the combined solar, wind and geothermal power plants are economically viable. These huge RES’s potential can be realized assuming the availability of technology, investment capital, human expertise and the other resources along with a long-term driven renewable energy policy. Due to high growth rate of electricity demand in Iran, the nominal installed capacity has increased by 8.9% per annum during 2001–2007. In the reference scenario, the share of RES in total installed electricity capacity is expected to be about 2% in 2030. It is expected that the cumulative RES installed capacity will reach 2.8 GW in 2030. This requires more than 2800 million US dollar investment during 2010–2030. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Environmental and socioeconomic challenges facing many hydrocarbon-rich nations could help them evolve from hydrocarbon-based (black) into renewables-based (green) economies. In this paper, we present a case study for application of this Black Into Green (BIG) method for Iran. We show that with international cooperation Iran could indefinitely meet its energy and freshwater needs by leveraging large-scale renewable energy harvesting systems integrated with seawater pumped storage hydropower, reverse osmosis desalination, and enhanced distribution systems. This BIG transition could be facilitated by allocating a significant portion of Iran's potential hydrocarbon-based income to acquire, develop, and deploy renewable energy technology that utilizes Iran's immense solar and wind energy potential. Our analysis shows that developing just 1% of identified sites would provide over 30 TWh of annual renewable electricity generation and storage, and 221 million m 3 /day of renewably-powered desalination capacity to meet the freshwater needs of over 85% of its population. In addition to providing renewable energy design and manufacturing technology, the international community could also work with Iran to help evolve its nuclear power program toward small modular reactors for baseload power generation. Such an arrangement would contribute to regional and global security, and greatly reduce the Middle East's carbon emissions of which Iran is the largest emitter. Results from this holistic approach could then serve as a model for the world economy to work with other resource-rich nations to reduce their environmental impact while modernizing their economies and helping them achieve the socioeconomic goals outlined in the UN's Brundtland report. • Presents strategy for a sustainable economy to emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic. • Case study for Iran with oil (black) exchanged for renewables (green). • Wind and solar energy with coastal pumped storage hydro and reverse osmosis. • 1% of viable sites could supply Iran with 10% of power and 45% of freshwater needs. • Distributed economic and environmental benefits meet UN sustainable development goals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Biomass is the only renewable energy source which can deliver electricity, provide heating, cooling and fuel in form of solid, liquid and gas. Biomass supplies more than 11.5% of the world's primary energy and about 79.7% of the world's energy consumption. In 2012, about 194.8millionton of renewable energy was consumed in the world and about 0.1millionton was consumed in Iran. Biogas is produced by anaerobic fermentation. Global biogas capacity will reach 22,000MW by 2025. European biogas electricity production in 2006 was 17,272GWh per year, of which 7338GWh was by Germany alone. Biogas now represents 1.2% of the annual production of electricity and nearly 10% of renewable energy, with an installed power close to 1500MW. Global biogas installed capacity is expected to achieve moderate growth over the next 12 years, reaching 22.040MW by 2025 and making a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 7.2%, a recently published analysis by Global Information Inc (GII) showed. The world biogas market has grown considerably between 2001 and 2011, with installed capacity expanding to 8.377MW in 2011 from 2.388MW in 2001. This equals a CAGR of 13.4%. The potential of biomass sources in Iran is estimated to be 132millionton (oil equivalent) in the form of agricultural and forest wastes, livestock wastes, municipal wastes, sewage and industrial wastes. Taking into account the usual amount of biogas yield from agricultural wastes, animal wastes, municipal wastes and industrial and municipal wastewater and with good safety factor, biogas in Iran will generate about 16146.35millionm3 which is approximately 323petajoule (1015) of energy. This paper investigates the potential of biogas production from biomass sources in Iran and presents the energy carriers, examples of biogas production, applications and quantitative potential of different sources in Iran. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Almost all the villages consisting of more than 20 households in Iran have been grid-connected by 2010 according to the Forth Five-Year Economic Development Plan (2005–2010) of the Iranian government; however, there are many isolated communities with less than 20 households that are still in need of electrification. Currently, the sole technology that provides electric power to such communities is diesel generator, which does only cause environmental problems and human health concerns, but also rank high in maintenance and operational costs. Due to the recent increasing attention of Renewable Energy Organization in Iran (acronymed as SUNA based on its Persian name) to the application of renewable energies, this paper aims to analyze the techno-economic feasibility of stand-alone hybrid PV–diesel energy systems for electrification of remote rural areas in eastern part of Iran where 5kWh/m2 solar radiation per day is a common feature. Through simulations based on HOMER software, this study presents a comprehensive comparative analysis among potential configurations of a system best suited to meet the needs of isolated Iranian communities. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Contribution to satisfying the final energy demand, the necessities arises from waste minimization, and rural area's developments are the main incentives for biofuel usage in the Iranian energy supply system. This paper develops a model for the supply chain of bioethanol and bioETBE from the farms to the end users which integrates the temporal and spatial scales. It considers the techno-economical evaluations of first and second generation biofuels. The results provide practical insights for decision makers to introduce the biofuel into the Iranian energy systems. Here, the optimal designs of transition pathways of biofuel supply chain are available which successfully assesses the benefits and barriers to the decision maker. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Since the beginning of the last century, energy affairs have always been taken into global consideration due to their effects on economies, policies, security and the environment. Fossil fuels have been the first recourse for global energy supply needs (80% of total energy consumption); nonetheless, owing to the production of greenhouse gases, they are gradually being replaced with renewable energy resources. In addition, renewable energy resources are perpetual, unlike fossil fuels, which may be exhausted in less than one century. From 2005 to 2010 (coinciding with Iran's fourth development program), renewable energy resources enjoyed a double-digit global growth rate as a result of environmentally friendly perception and a reduction in equipment price. Some policies and strategies were globally adopted to support renewable energy resources (Feed-In-Tariff, subsidies, etc.). Iran began utilizing renewable resources from the early 1990s and set targets and policies for renewable energy resource utilization in the fourth development program. However, Iran's trend has not aligned with global trends, and it appears that its enormous fossil fuel reserves overshadow the growth of renewable energy resources in the country. In this paper, the status, achievements and policies of Iran during the fourth development program will be discussed and compared with global trends. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Chahbahar area is located at the southern coasts of Iran in the Omman Sea. This paper examines possible examples of offshore wave power installations at Chahbahar area in the Omman Sea. The study aims at showing the physical possibilities of wave energy and electric power generation based upon point-absorbers and attenuator devices in the selected site. This site has been chosen to represent a range of offshore wave climates around Chahbahar area. Hindcasting data is used allowing estimations of wave energy generated and results show promising conditions in this area. Wave climate power density, or incident wave power per meter of WEC device reach a maximum value 24kW/m with monthly maximum of 9.70kW/m and annual average equals to 4.14kW/m. We study power recoverable possibility for three different wave energy devices, based on their published power matrices; 750kW Pelamis device, hypothetical modified 1500kW Pelamis device and hypothetical 750kW Single Point Absorber (SPA). Results show corresponding annual electric energy generation for this devices are 0.32GWh, 4.9GWh and 2GWh respectively. Finally, we determine appropriate WEC device for selected site. Also, we propose a solution for some environmental problem. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: In Iran and other developing countries, transmitting electricity power to remote and inaccessible areas is not cost effective and involves a lot of problems due to high transmission costs and insufficient supply. Therefore local water potential would seem a better alternative to supply electricity. This paper is an investigation into all the issues concerning finding suitable sites for micro hydropower plants in remote areas in Lorestan province in Iran. Therefore, the basins, river network, and rural electricity condition in the province were studied. Then, we came up with a list of locations which would lend themselves best to the installation of micro hydropower plants in accordance to the existing parameters. Finally, an estimation of optimum nominal capacity for each micro hydropower was studied and related economic concerns were discussed. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: In this study, the measured wind speed data for year 2007 at 10m, 30m and 40m heights for two provinces of Iran, North and South Khorasan, have been statistically analyzed to determine the potential of wind power generation. This paper presents the wind energy potential at four zones in these provinces, Bojnourd, Esfarayen of North Khorasan province and Nehbandan, and Fadashk of South Khorasan province. The objective is to evaluate the most important characteristic of wind energy in the studied sites. The statistical attitudes permit us to estimate the mean wind speed, the wind speed distribution function, the mean wind power density in the sites at the height of 10m, 30m and 40m. Also, three new types of wind rose diagrams were shown. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Climate change, global warming, and the recent worldwide economic crisis have emphasized the need for low carbon emissions while also ensuring economic feasibility. In this paper, the status and wind power potential of the city of Shahrbabak in Kerman province in Iran was investigated. The technical and economical feasibility of wind turbine installation is presented. The potential of wind power generation was statistically analyzed. The mean wind speed data of three-hour interval long term period from 1997 to 2005 was adopted and analyzed in order to determine the potential of wind power generation. The numerical values of the dimensionless Weibull shape parameter (k) and Weibull scale parameter (c) were determined. Annual values of “k” ranged from 1.725 to 1.930 with a mean value of 1.504, while annual values of “c” were in the range of 4.848–6.095 with a mean value of 5.314 (m/s). With the average wind power density of 100W/m2, it is found that the city is not an appropriate place for construction of large-scale wind power plants, but is suitable for employment of off-grid electrical and mechanical wind driven systems. An economic evaluation was done in order to show feasibility of installing small wind turbines. It was concluded that it costs 18 cents for 1kWh which is 5 cents more than the market price. Each turbine of 10kW can supply power for icebox, washer, water pump, TV, lighting, electrical fan, charger, and air conditioning units for small houses. In order to utilize wind energy in the region, it is recommended to install small size wind turbines for electricity supply of public and public buildings and private houses. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The objective of this paper is to briefly review the state-of-the-art in the harnessing of marine energy and study the positions and features of the boundary and domestic seas and lakes of Iran from energy point of view and the possibility of using these energy resources. Generally, the energy potentials in the seas and oceans are classified in five groups: wave energy, tidal energy, ocean thermal energy, ocean current energy, and salinity gradient energy. Due to the variety of Iran''s bodies of water, other than ocean current energy, it is possible to use the rest of these energy resources. Each body of water of Iran is suitable for a specific kind of marine energy. There are great sources of tidal energy in the Persian Gulf coasts. For thermal energy, the ideal sites are located in the Caspian Sea coasts, and wave energy can economically be extracted in the Gulf of Oman coasts as well as in remote islands which are off-grid. Finally, Urmia Lake is the best location for salinity gradient energy. This study shows that more investment is required in this area for research and small scale pilot plants in order to exploit such renewable resources. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Electricity consumption has grown eleven-times within the last 30 years in Iran, which has resulted in about 118Mtons in CO2 emission in 2009. Economic growth in Iran depends on electricity; therefore, the trend of electricity generation should keep going in the future to guarantee this growth. In view of this need, the country has to build many new power plants. If most of them are thermal types, the CO2 and other air pollutant emissions will increase and cause harmful environmental effects. In this paper, Iranian future power plant composition is investigated to predict the fuel consumption and emissions until 2025, which is the end of the country''s 20-year vision plan (2006–2025). Government is planning to change the structure of power industries to a more variety and fewer shares of fossil fuel bases. The results showed that in this new composition, consumption of natural gas will increase by 47% and diesel by 50% by 2025. Coal consumption in power plants will reach to 10,826ktons in the same time span. Whereas if the old composition continues in the future, fuel consumption will increase by 130%, 106% and 69% for natural gas, diesel and fuel oil respectively. It is also found that by 2025, CO2 emission will increase another 2.1 times for the old and 1.6 times for the new power plant composition which government is planning to do. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: In this study, the 3-h period measured wind speed data for years 2003–2007 at 10m, 30m and 40m heights for one of the provinces of Iran. Semnan have been statistically analyzed to determine the potential of wind power generation. This paper presents the wind energy potential at five towns in the province – Biarjmand, Damghan, Garmsar, Semnan, and Shahrood. Extrapolation of the 10m data, using the Power Law, has been used to determine the wind data at heights of 30m and 40m. From the primary evaluation and determining mean wind speed and also weibull distribution, it is found that Damghan has better potential for using wind energy in the province. Thus concentrated on Damghan town and its sites – Moalleman, Haddadeh and also Kahak of Garmsar (only had Meteorological stop) using a 10-min time step wind speed and wind direction data for three measured heights. Between these sites, Moalleman is selected for a more accurate and spacious analysis. The objective is to evaluate the most important characteristic of wind energy in the studied site. The statistical attitudes permit us to estimate the mean wind speed, the wind speed distribution function, the mean wind power density and the wind rose in the site at the height of 10m, 30m and 40m. Some local phenomena are also considered in the characterization of the site. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Renewable energies have potential for supplying of relatively clean and mostly local energy. Wind energy generation is expected to increase in the near future and has experienced dramatic growth over the past decade in many countries. Offshore winds are generally stronger and more constant than onshore winds in many areas. The economic feasibility for utilization of offshore wind energy depends on the favorable wind conditions in the area. The present paper analyses offshore wind speed in global scale and also studies feasibility of introducing this technology for harnessing wind in Persian Gulf, Caspian Sea, Urmia Lake and Gulf of Oman. Wind speed data were collected from different sources. The ocean surface winds at a 10m height from satellite passes as processed by NOAA/NESDIS, from near real-time data collected by NASA/JPL''s Sea Winds Scatterometer aboard the QuikSCAT. Development of renewable energy is one of priority research goals in Iran. There are many installed wind turbines in suitable regions like Manjil and Binalood, but there has not been any offshore wind installation yet in Iran. It is suggested that policy makers to invest and pay more attentions toward harnessing renewable energy sources like offshore wind in Persian Gulf and Gulf of Oman in southern parts of Iran. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Along with the increasing rate of using renewable energies, following the finite amount of fossil fuel resources, and the associated pollution of these non-renewable energies, photovoltaic systems have recently achieved widespread acceptance to harness solar energy in the last decades. Since photovoltaic systems have a limited lifespan and cannot be used after a while, it seems imperative to pay attention to recycling and sustainability in the supply chain network design of these systems. In this respect, this paper first reviews the photovoltaic systems literature systematically. Thereinafter, a multi-objective, mixed-integer non-linear optimization model is deployed to design a photovoltaic supply chain network addressing the system's associated costs, environmental impacts, and social values. The concerned model also considers a reverse flow in addition to the typical forward flow in the proposed supply chain for special environmental and social issues. Likewise, to optimize the presented multi-objective model, the augmented ε-constraint method is employed, being capable of warranting the Pareto optimal solutions. Eventually, the model's efficiency is illustrated by discussing a real-world case in Iran, through which prominent managerial results are acquired. • The photovoltaic systems literature is systematically reviewed. • A multi-objective, mixed-integer non-linear programming model is proposed to design a sustainable photovoltaic supply chain network. • The concerned model is able to consider a reverse flow in addition to the typical forward flow in the proposed supply chain. • To solve the proposed multi-objective model, the augmented ε-constraint method is deployed. • The efficiency of the model is illustrated by discussing a real-world case in Iran. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Manjil is located in north of Iran and is capable of harnessing wind energy for electricity purpose. There are about six different stations in that region which all of them have excellent record of wind speed in different months of the year. It is one of the best locations in the world for installing wind turbine and the utility department has invested a lot of money to establish wind farms in this region. Statistical analysis for six different installed stations show that it is one of the best locations in the world for establishing wind farms. In this paper, wind speed at different sites in Manjil has been analyzed and it shows that it has a great potential for harnessing wind energy. So far, there has been only 51 wind turbines installed in the area and there is a plan to increases that amount in the future. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

In this review article, a complete review on the generation of bioenergy from various anaerobic reactors was highlighted with respect to the slaughterhouse waste (SHW). The necessity of generation of the bioenergy and an overview of the treatment efficiency of various anaerobic reactor was discussed and also their performance efficiency was also addressed in detail. Ultimately this review facilitates that state-of-art knowledge in production of electrical energy from generated biogas from the slaughterhouse solid and liquid wastewater with respect to all kind of anaerobic reactors. Moreover, this review also highlights the factors which affects the biogas production in slaughterhouse industry. The biogas generation from the SHW is assessed as 16,026 million m3/year. Based on this study finding SHW have high potential to generate the bioelectricity production. This study finds that bioelectricity generation from SHW was around 62,808✕106 kWh/year, which contributing the 27% of the total electricity requirement of Iran. The generation of bioelectricity from SHW saves the greenhouse gas emission of about 4096✕103 tonnes of CO 2 -eq/year. Similarly, in 2016 USA slaughterhouse industries discharged 18.4 million metric tons of SHW, which has generated the 22.7✕109 kWh of bioelectricity. This review paper provides the valuable insights and data to the policy makers to frame the sustainable long-term energy policy by considering the SHW as a case study. Image 1 • Slaughterhouse industry solid and liquid waste generation at various stages explained. • Average biogas production of slaughterhouse industrial waste is 8654 million m3/year. • Average bioelectricity generation from slaughterhouse waste is 8✕109 kWh/year. • In USA 18.4 million tonnes of slaughterhouse waste was generated in 2016. • The net energy of 17,009–85,278 kWh/d is estimated from Anaerobic Digestion plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: In this work, biomass-derived energy has been highlighted and biomass has been divided into three main categories: agricultural residues, animal waste, and municipal solid waste. Energy is essential for the economic and social development and improved quality of life in Iran as in other countries. Much of the world''s energy requirement, however, is currently produced from fossil fuels that could not be sustained if technology were to remain stagnant and if overall quantities were to increase substantially. The process of controlling atmospheric emissions of greenhouse and other gases and substances should increasingly be based on efficiency in energy production, transmission, distribution and consumption in the country. The need for transition to sustainable energy resources has been recognized in Iran. To reduce and utilize the waste produced from these resources and be benefited from green fuels, an assessment was carried out to provide an overview on green energy potentials in Iran. The annual biomass potentials of Iran in terms of agricultural, animal and municipal wastes are 8.78×106, 7.7×106 and 3×106 tonnes, respectively. In addition, poplar planting and microalgae can play an important role in the future scenario of wood supply and energy recovery in Iran. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]