Solar thermal electrical power plants for Iran

The production of electricity by solar thermal techniques is evaluated for Iran. While the siting potential is very favourable a simple economic analysis shows that due to the low domestic fuel cost and the present high installation cost of solar thermal power plants most of the existing methods of producing electricity are more economical and will remain so even by 1985 when nuclear power generation becomes significant. However, solar thermal techniques become economically attractive for peak and intermediate loads in Iran provided that the domestic fuel cost increases by at least a factor of four and the installed cost of the solar plant is about 2000 $/kW.