The sun beats down on Sulaymaniyah city in Iraq’s Kurdistan Region, withering anything unfortunate enough to be out and about in the intense summer heat.

Up on the roof of Paia Agency, however, this heat and light is absorbed and turned into electric power by a brand-new solar panel. 

Safeen Mohammed explains that the arts agency he co-founded was looking for a reliable and cheap source of electricity and decided that solar was the answer.

Installed a few weeks ago, the system now provides ample amperes for their studio space, helping to power lights, sewing machines, computers, kitchen appliances, and desperately needed cooling. 

“I know a lot of people from the villages use solar, and also a lot of companies, and people say they are happy with it,” Safeen told The New Arab. It is still early days, but he likes the results so far. 

Solar power is a growing trend in the Kurdistan Region, with new panels popping up on homes and businesses every day. Concerns about the reliability and cost of power amid economic turmoil drive its adoption, and are enabled by the decreasing cost of systems, most of which are manufactured in China. 

“Business is booming for solar,” said Halan Akoiy, who runs a solar panel installation business in Erbil. “I think that within one year or two years, everybody is going to install a solar system.” 

Safeen Mohammed walks next to a solar power system on the roof of Paia Agency in Sulaymaniyah, Iraq’s Kurdistan Region on 23 July 2025 [Winthrop Rodgers]

Safeen Mohammed examines a solar power system on the roof of Paia Agency in Sulaymaniyah, Iraq’s Kurdistan Region on 23 July 2025 [Winthrop Rodgers]

A reliable alternative 

Historically, electricity in the Kurdistan Region comes from two sources. The government supplies power on the national grid from centralised power plants, most of which are fuelled by natural gas from nearby fields like Khor Mor. There are also hydroelectric dams at Dukan and Darbanikhan. 

However, this only provided a few hours of electricity each day. Employees at Paia would arrive at the office in the morning to find no electricity. To fill these gaps, the agency bought power from an expensive and polluting neighbourhood generator that ran on diesel. 

Safeen explained that they spent about $100 per month on electricity from the national grid and the generator combined. 

The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) is trying to eliminate the generators with a new 24-hour electricity initiative called Runaki, which means “light” in Kurdish. While the population has largely welcomed this long-overdue reform, there are persistent concerns about whether consumers will be stuck with large bills. 

Installing a solar power system sidesteps all of that, and the Kurdistan Region’s unrelenting sun provides a reliable source of energy. 

Paia’s offices are located in a converted swimming pool in the Sarchinar neighbourhood. It provides studio space and workshops for artists to work and hosts community events. When The New Arab visits to talk about their solar system, local water activists are working on an educational display, and a young man cranks out graphic tote bags on a sewing machine. 

“As a non-profit, it’s really important to have that reliability and independence,” Safeen said, adding that the system and installation cost about $3,500. 

“In the beginning, you pay a lot of money,” he added. Considering the money they would otherwise spend on electric bills to the government or the generator, he expects to recoup his investment within two years. 

Halan explained that solar power systems for private homes that need less electricity are often cheaper, with a basic system requiring about $2,000. However, a high-end set-up with all the bells and whistles can run as much as $15,000. 

Once installed, the systems require little upkeep. Keep the panels working efficiently by cleaning them occasionally with a mop to remove dust. A lead-acid battery needs to be replaced about every three years, while lithium batteries can last twice as long. 

Paia Agency in Sulaymaniyah, Iraq’s Kurdistan Region uses a solar power system that was manufactured in China seen on 23 July 2025 [Winthrop Rodgers]

Local demands

Part of the reason that solar power is catching on now is that system costs have steadily declined. 

“In the past, it was expensive because the demand was not that high here. So, for the companies to be able to profit from the small number of products that they imported, the prices were higher,” said Halan.

Increased demand has allowed wholesalers and installation companies to lower their prices. 

Nearly all of the solar equipment sold in the Kurdistan Region comes from China, including the one on Paia Agency’s roof. A small fraction of systems comes from Europe, but they tend to be far more expensive. 

“If you look at the price and quality compared to the Chinese one, the Chinese one comes out better,” Halan said. This is another example of how Chinese influence is quietly growing in the Kurdistan Region. 

In some ways, the adoption of solar power systems creates its momentum and encourages more widespread use. Halan said that many of his new clients are convinced to get a system when they see its benefits for themselves. 

“Everybody is waiting for their brother, for their cousin, for their neighbour to install the system. And then once they see it’s working, they want it too,” he said. 

This growing interest in solar energy is reflected in official numbers. The Sulaymaniyah Electricity Directorate announced that as of August 4, 1,033 homes and businesses have officially registered as solar electricity producers in the governorate. This is a big jump from 510 in February. Collectively, they generate 23.37 megawatts (MW), the directorate said. This does not account for solar systems that are not connected to the grid.

The future of solar power 

While solar is starting to catch on at a decentralised level, it remains just a fraction of the overall energy mix in Iraq. 

According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), just 1.1% of electricity consumed in Iraq in 2021 came from modern renewables, and the vast majority of that came from hydroelectricity.  

However, the country is increasingly looking to the sun for its long-term energy needs. The IEA notes that Iraq plans to install 12 gigawatts (GW) of solar photovoltaic energy generation by 2030 and that projects worth 7.5 GW are already awarded. 

As part of a major gas and oil deal signed in 2023, French giant TotalEnergies agreed to build a 1 GW solar plant in the southern Basra governorate. In 2023, the KRG announced plans to build a 25 megawatt (MW) solar power facility near Erbil, but it remains unclear whether construction has commenced. 

For now, solar power remains a small-scale enterprise, but an increasingly successful one. 

“I hope that solar happens more in the future and that the system will be better for the world,” Safeen concluded. 

Winthrop Rodgers is a journalist and analyst based in Sulaymaniyah in Iraq’s Kurdistan Region. He focuses on politics, human rights, and political economy

Follow him on Twitter and Instagram: @wrodgers2