Not all sunshine

Solar energy is the fastest growing energy source all over the world, including Pakistan. This solar boom has also taken over our country like a storm. A bird’s-eye -view reveals that nearly all rooftops are being slowly covered with solar panels, irrespective of whether they are houses, factories, hospitals, government buildings or stadiums. This trend is not only confined to large cities, but the countryside is also adopting this energy source. Solar energy is the future and dependence on fuel and hydropower will slowly decrease, and grid power will only be required during the night and to run heavy industrial units, that is until commercial solar takes over this sector also.

It is the government that propagated the use of solar energy to confront the rising prices of grid electricity, which has already gone beyond the reach of most consumers. However, soon they will be confronted with another dilemma: when grid energy is reduced to a minimum but payments to IPPs are to be made as per contract. I hope that the government is already aware of this issue and ready to face the consequences.

Malik ul Quddoos

Karachi