Iraq has been struggling with scorching heat for a long time, which the country’s national grid is not able to withstand. But recently Hiba al-Amiri’s family began seriously considering installing solar panels on the home to compensate for the annual summer blackouts.
“In the war, Iranian gas was cut off and we had no electricity for four days,” the Baghdad-based teacher told DW. Iran supplies up to 40% of the gas Iraq needs to keep its power stations running; in March, Iran completely stopped supplying gas to Iraq after Israel attacked Iraq’s gas fields.
“We were only using the generator,” al-Amiri added. “After that, many of our neighbors were also talking about [solar]. “Everyone is really starting to think seriously about it.”
Installing solar panels on a private home costs about 5 to 10 million Iraqi dinars (about $3,800-$7,600/€3,200-€6,500), experts told DW. Al-Amiri said he and his brother are now saving money toward that goal, and hope to have a unit by next year.
“The idea is that we will pay for this project [solar panels] In a year but after that we will not need to pay for generator power again,” he explained.
Even on its best days, the Iraqi national grid supplies electricity to private homes for only between eight and 12 hours a day. Ordinary Iraqis compensate for missing electricity by paying subscriptions to local generator operators. Households in a city like Baghdad may have to pay between $100 (€86) and $300 per month to keep the lights on.
Old system disappointing, expensive
It’s not that Iraqis didn’t know about solar energy, said Harry Estepanian, an energy expert and founder of the Iraq Climate Change Center, a Washington-based think tank. “But the generator system was familiar, flexible and did not require any large upfront investment,” he said. “In contrast, solar energy requires capital, reliable equipment, batteries, technical installation and after-sales support.”
Additionally, as the International Renewable Energy Agency notes A report of 2025Energy tariffs in Iraq are heavily subsidized, discouraging the private sector from investing in renewable energy.
But now, generator tariffs are rising and there is no longer enough state-subsidized diesel for generators. “As a result, the attractiveness of solar energy is increasing. Not because Iraqis have suddenly discovered it, but because the cost of relying on the old system has become higher,” Estepanian said.
Amani Ibrahim Altamimi, an environmental consultant and professor of renewable energy science working in Iraq, said Iraq receives some of the highest levels of solar radiation in the world, making it an ideal candidate for solar energy. And Iraq actually opened its first solar energy research center in the 1980s.
“But wars and sanctions slowed down work in the solar energy sector,” Altamimi said. “Yet, as researchers, we have been trying for years to educate the general public about renewable energy in all its forms, including solar.”
Altamimi reported that as early as 2025, the Central Bank of Iraq had made a plan for citizens and small businesses to apply for loans with favorable terms to install solar energy systems.
Earlier this year, the Iraqi government reduced import duties on components needed for solar power from 33% to 5% in an effort to reduce costs.
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“But I wouldn’t call it a full nationwide shift yet,” said Umud Shokri, an energy strategist and senior visiting fellow at George Mason University in the US. “But the change in attitude is becoming more visible.”
For years, there were few realistic options, but now, Shokri said, “Frequent shortages, rising generator costs, fuel pressure and uncertainty about Iranian gas and electricity imports have made solar power more practical. Falling solar power prices, more local installers and positive examples of early users have also helped.”
Data show that the trend toward solar energy in Iraq began in 2024 and is likely to accelerate. According to Arabic-language specialist media outlets, AttakaImports of Chinese solar panels to Iraq to more than quadruple between 2024 and 2025. They increased from 0.43 GW to 1.89 GW, making Iraq the fifth largest importer among Arab countries.
The United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Algeria import more Chinese solar panels than Iraq, but no other country’s imports increased as much as Iraq over that period.
The state bet on solar energy
It’s not just private Iraqi households. Over the past few years, the government has outlined ambitious plans for renewable energy.
So far this year, the country’s national grid has produced about 29 gigawatts of electricity. Iraq requires about 40 gigawatts for regular demand. The gap between supply and demand becomes even larger in summer. Observers estimate demand this summer will be between 54 and 62 gigawatts.
The Iran war is making the situation even worse as Iranian gas supplies have still not returned to normal and other solutions the government had planned are lagging behind – such as a project to import electricity from Gulf states – or have not yet started.
Additionally, because Iraq is not able to export as much oil due to the Strait of Hormuz being blocked, the government budget is also being affected.
In the past year, Iraq opened two industrial solar power plants. The one in Karbala began operating last September and should eventually add 300 megawatts to the national grid. Another in Basra began operating part of its system in March and should be able to deliver 1 gigawatt when fully operational in 2028.
The government has said it also plans to install solar panels on government buildings including schools, universities, banks and hospitals and wants to produce 12 gigawatts by the end of the decade.
Estepanian said Iraq needs a combination of both state-provided solar power and more private and commercial users to reduce pressure on the national grid at peak times. “Industrial solar parks like Karbala are important,” he explained, “but Iraq also needs rooftop solar standards, certified installers, consumer protection, subsidized loans, and clear rules for connecting solar systems to the grid. Solar power cannot be left entirely to the market, but it cannot wait for the government alone to do it either.”
And the experts DW spoke to all agreed: Solar power alone won’t save Iraq from summer blackouts.
“Iraq’s electricity crisis is structural,” Shokri said. “Solar must be considered a part of the solution, not a magic trick. Iraq still needs grid improvements, better gas utilization, transmission upgrades, stronger institutions, and serious investment in power generation.”
Edited by: Martin Kuebler