Solar power usage doubles in Sulaymaniyah over six-month span

SULAYMANIYAH — The number of solar-powered electricity systems installed in Sulaymaniyah governorate has doubled in the past six months, according to the General Directorate of Electricity.

As of Aug. 4, 1,033 households and businesses had installed solar systems, up from 510 on Feb. 19. The combined output from these systems has reached 23.37 megawatts.

“Day after day, more people are adopting solar electricity systems,” said Sirwan Mohammed, spokesperson for the electricity directorate. “In the last six months alone, there has been a 100% increase.”

Official data shows that residential properties account for the largest share, with 884 units producing 13.584 megawatts. The commercial sector follows with 116 systems generating 5.723 megawatts. The remainder are distributed across the industrial, agricultural, and public sectors.

The Kurdistan Regional Government has introduced a net-metering policy allowing users to feed excess electricity back into the public grid in exchange for credits on their bills. The program aims to reduce reliance on conventional energy sources and support growth in decentralized, renewable power.

Modernization efforts under the Runaki project have expanded access to 24-hour electricity for more than 2 million people across the region, including in Sulaymaniyah.