Experts stress solar transition to mitigate economic hardships

IV Report

KARACHI: As electricity costs continue to soar, experts at a recent panel discussion emphasised solarisation as the key to economic relief, insisting that widespread adoption of solar energy is the only viable solution to mitigate the financial burden on Pakistanis.

Simultaneously, experts also stressed the need for regulating solar-product entrepreneurs to guarantee quality and benefits for end-users.

This call to action emerged during the 'Solar Technology Excellence Award' ceremony, held in Lahore on August 28. Co-organised by a Karachi-based periodical –Energy Update, the Ministry of Energy, Private Power Infrastructure Board (PPIB), and Pakistan Solar Association (PSA), the event featured Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Faisal Karim Kundi as chief guest.

The panel discussion on local solar energy utilisation highlighted the need to leverage Pakistan's solar potential. Energy experts called for a swift transition from fossil fuels to solar power, blaming the current energy mix for economic hardship and high tariffs.

The experts unanimously agreed that harnessing Pakistan's abundant solar power would ensure energy security. They also stressed the need for effective regulation of the renewable energy market to protect consumers from unregistered dealers selling substandard solar products.

A member of Prime Minister's Solarisation Committee, Faizan Ali, shared that the committee has prepared a proposal to induct 10 Giga Watt electricity through solarisation into the system in the next 10 years. “The proposal will be submitted to the Prime Minister in the next few days.”

PPIB Managing Director Shahjahan Mirza stated that government was committed to promoting solar power for clean energy production and reduced tariffs.

Muhammad Ahsan from Astro Energy and Usmaan Waheed from Sungrow, Waseem Qureshi CEO and CTO ENERCAP Holdings also contributed to the panel discussion, which was moderated by Waqas Moosa from PSA.

In addition, Engr Asad Nazir, from the Sustainable Development Policy Institute presented a research study on Pakistan's contribution to carbon emissions. The public-private partnership (PPP) in the energy sector is good, but it needs role redefinition for effective task execution, he asserted.

He shared that Pakistan committed to 60% clean energy by 2050 under Paris Agreement, but progress lags. “At current pace, we are nowhere near the path towards achieving this target,” he lamented.

Governor Faisal Karim Kundi distributed awards to 29 companies for excellence in solar power systems and emphasised the need for affordable electricity, particularly for lower-income households.

 

With an uninterrupted 23-year career in daily journalism (1991-2013), the author/editor of this blog currently serves as Editor of Social Track, a weekly newspaper focused on social sectors, based in Karachi. Holding a master's degree in Mass Communications from the University of Karachi (1990), his professional experience includes roles as senior reporter at Daily Dawn, Karachi (May 2001-August 2013) and Chief Reporter at The News International, Karachi (April 1991-May 2001). He has a strong background in development journalism, he has an extensive portfolio of news stories, analytical reports and features covering a wide range of sectors. He has had the privilege of covering numerous high-profile figures, including Pakistani presidents, prime ministers, army chiefs, foreign dignitaries, and VVIPs and attending conferences and workshops abroad. He began his journalism career in the early 1980s. Throughout his career, he has received several national awards from government and private organisations. He has contributed to various radio and TV/channel broadcasts and has also served as a trainer at workshops in Karachi, Lahore, and Islamabad, focused on training journalists.

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