Tapping alternative energy in Pakistan

Solar leads the way

Pakistan is a developed country. It can no longer be classified as a developing country. There are nuclear plants and other infrastructure that point to the fact. But there are still many crises that need to be addressed. Poverty, lack of enough clean water, shabby housing facilities for the poor, dearth of medical care and quality education are among the dark facets in the society. Barring the elite class and top government officials, others are constantly facing these hardships.

Insufficient energy is another grim problem facing the nation. This could have been eased long time ago if strategic dams were built; but because of political reasons such efforts were hampered. With sufficient hydro-electric power the country would have been well-lit.

In view of this, it is high time the authorities paid prompt attention to other sources of energy such as wind, coal and solar, and encouraged those enterprises which have started producing and delivering electricity to various factories and homes. Energy from sunlight could have been harnessed a long time ago. All the places in Pakistan have ample sunlight. At least in this respect Pakistan is very rich.

Now, it is heartening to know that with the cooperation of China, Quaid-e-Azam Solar Park, built by the government of Punjab for private solar power generation companies, will be operational soon. This facility is located in Bahawalpur and has more than 6,500 acres of land with full infrastructure for utility-scale solar power projects. According to press reports, ‘Two companies have come together to be the first investors in the Quaid-e-Azam Solar Park, and, according to their own reports, are already energised and feeding the grid.’ These two companies, as per the report, are QAS, the local partner and sponsor of the project, wholly owned by the government of Punjab and TBEA Xinjiang Sunoasis Ltd, the Chinese Engineering, Procurement and construction (EPC) Contractor and also the Operation and Management Partners.

It seems that al last the government has focused its attention on solar energy. On May, 29, 2012, the first ever solar power on-grid power plant was installed in Islamabad

It seems that al last the government has focused its attention on solar energy. On May, 29, 2012, the first ever solar power on-grid power plant was installed in Islamabad, a special grant aid project worth approximately Rs5.5m from Japan International Cooperation Agency under Cool Earth Partnership. If all goes well and the government is not lethargic it could generate about 356 KW of electricity that would light up several homes in remote villages. Solar power plants will soon be built in all provinces with the aid from China and also by the efforts of private sector energy companies. To encourage private companies, the government has also eliminated newly-imposed taxes to bring down the cost of installing solar plants.

Sindh government, it is reported, is conducting research to install water-filtering plants to make sea water palatable through solar energy. But the question is when will this project actually materialise? At present it seems the efforts are half-hearted, as is the case with other important needs.

A number of companies, like Nizam Energy, Shaheen Enterprise and Solar System Pakistan (Pvt) Ltd have started operations; some are just the sellers of solar equipment while others are actually producing solar energy.

Nauman Khan, a panel importer and CEO of Grace Solar Pakistan, is reported to have said that the elimination of taxes could triple his solar imports in 2015.

According to a report, The State Bank of Pakistan and the Alternative Energy Development Board have recently allowed banks to finance rooftop solar installation with home mortgage. Bank Alfalah, under the banner ‘Green Market’, would finance up to Rs5m for rooftop installation. It is predicted that in the next few years, about 7,000 villages will get electricity in Pakistan from solar energy.

In addition to the advantages of solar energy, it can cut down carbon emission to a great extent. All these promises can only be fulfilled if the government wakes up from it slumber and takes prompt actions in this regard.

Solar energy in the US

Presently, even the most developed countries including the United States are harnessing this energy, bringing electricity even to the most remote places, lighting the homes of thousands of people, and that too at a very low or negligible cost.

Besides, the first solar plant built in 1982 generated 1MW of electricity, two largest solar plants in the world – Desert Sunlight and Topaz Solar Farm, about 400 miles to the west in California – generate 550MW each. Together their impact on carbon emission is equivalent to taking 130,000 cars off the road while providing 340,000 homes with clean energy. 29 other solar projects have been approved for public lands, and eight are currently under construction in California and Nevada. These states get plenty of sunlight which is perfect for millions of photon-hungry solar panels.

Since the Obama administration advocated clean energy as it priority, millions of 2’x4’ panels have been put. These panels are each covered by a thin film of glass that absorbs sunlight and captures electrons, creating an electric current that flows into wires in the back of each module

Since the Obama administration advocated clean energy as it priority, millions of 2’x4’ panels have been put. These panels are each covered by a thin film of glass that absorbs sunlight and captures electrons, creating an electric current that flows into wires in the back of each module. The energy is converted from DC power into usable AC power by inverters and is sent to electric grid via a nearby substation. Each panel generates approximately 100 watts.

In the past, panels were made using silicon, which yielded more energy, but were very expensive and were difficult to mass produce. The First Solar, based in Tempe, Arizona, shied away from silicon, and instead produces thin film panels with cadmium telluride, which is cheaper than silicon.

Solar City, which designs and installs residential solar panels, has made it possible for individuals to drastically lower their electric bills through PV panels attached to their roofs and at the prices that are extremely low.

Solar is now a $15 billion business in the US, employing more people than coal mining, and its cost continues to decrease.

Poor man’s energy

Solar energy may be termed as poor man’s energy, because it provides electricity in their homes, which were previously in the dark. Imagine a home without electricity in a village without even a fan in hot summer; labourers sweating during the day at their jobs, coming home and finding no relief from the heat. This sad picture could be erased if more and more solar energy is harnessed to light up such homes and make life bearable for the masses. Given encouragement and financial support the private sector could build more solar plants in Pakistan.