Environmental considerations, sustainability opportunities and Iraqi government's energy policies: a comparative study

The steady increase in demand for energy in Iraq requires the inclusion of the renewable energy in any future plan. This work assesses the feasibility of electric generation from renewable energy and its impact on the environment compared to its utilization by Iraqi government. Long-range Energy Alternatives Planning System (LEAP) and Photovoltaic Systems (PVsyst) were utilized for this purpose. LEAP was configured based on the current scenario compared with other available scenarios. PVsyst was supplemented by NASA data to assess the energy potentials from solar energy. The results showed that Iraq has sufficient renewable energy potential due to its topological factors. Solar energy potential for 14 different areas in Iraq was estimated, and it was in range of (2200-3300 kWh). The wind speed at 10 m above ground level for many regions in Iraq is also suitable for electricity generation. The environmental impacts of the energy production based on the current scenario were compared with renewable and natural gas. Results showed that the renewable energy scenario mitigates the CO and CO(2 )missions, while the natural gas scenario increases the emission of CO. It is concluded that renewable energies could enhance the electricity production and reduce greenhouse gases with proper policies for future energy plans by the Iraqi government.