Solar panels line rooftops in the Kulak Solar Village following its inauguration near Erbil. (Photo: The Rwanga Foundation)
Kulak Solar Village
Rwanga Foundation opens fully solar-powered village in Erbil
ERBIL — The Rwanga Foundation on Tuesday inaugurated the Kulak Solar Village, the Kurdistan Region’s first fully off-grid, solar-powered community.
Located southeast of Erbil, the village consists of 32 homes designed to house nearly 200 residents. Construction began in mid-April and forms part of the foundation’s broader “Green Kurdistan” campaign, which includes climate adaptation strategies, renewable energy infrastructure, and agricultural innovation.
“This project proves that we can protect our environment,” said Idris Nechirvan Barzani, founder and president of the foundation. “Our vision is to see this model grow across Iraq—one village at a time—until sustainability becomes the standard, not the exception.”
The village operates entirely on solar power, providing 24-hour electricity without reliance on Iraq’s national grid. Future phases of the project will introduce solar-based irrigation systems and training in regenerative agriculture.
The Rwanga Foundation plans to replicate the Kulak model throughout Kurdistan and central Iraq by 2030, in coordination with local authorities and international partners.
The initiative addresses urgent environmental threats in Iraq, including extreme heat, advancing desertification, and chronic water shortages. The United Nations ranks Iraq among the five countries most vulnerable to climate change.
Since 2020, Rwanga has planted more than 200,000 trees under its Green Kurdistan campaign, including 20,000 olive trees in the Kasnazane area east of Erbil.
Founded in 2013 and headquartered in Erbil, the foundation operates across four main sectors: education, youth development, environmental protection, and services for vulnerable populations.
