File this one under ironic. The U.S. military is overseeing the installment of almost two dozen solar power projects in an attempt to mitigate Iraq’s energy crisis.

The country which was invaded by the U.S., which many people suggest was simply to get at oil there, is in an energy crisis and the U.S. is now helping them out of it via solar energy.

Among the problems plaguing Iraq a severe shortage of power is currently one of the most debilitating. The U.S. is providing assistance in the form of projects like the $165,000 solar panel installation at Baghdad’s Amariyah clinic. Previously the clinic would suffer power outages that would often interrupt treatment and surgery. Now the solar panels provide all the basic necessities of the clinic with a constant supply of solar energy.

The cost of fuel is currently quite high in Iraq. At current prices the value of the energy that the solar panels at the clinic provides amounts to $2 million USD over 25 years.

Like Masdar, this is just another example of how solar energy is being harnessed in a land known best for its oil.