Pakistan’s geographical location and sunny climate make it a country that is blessed with immense solar power potential. However, this potential is untapped and we remain a country that is highly dependent on expensive fossil fuels to meet our ever-growing electricity demands.
According to a World Bank study, Pakistan’s solar resource potential is so massive (1,600,000 MW according to some estimates) that utilising just 0.071% of the country’s area for solar energy projects could meet the current electricity demand.
However, despite increasing population and heavy import bills, Pakistan continues to stick to its dependence on imported fossil fuels. Of all the sources of energy in Pakistan – a large portion of which comes from oil, gas, and coal – renewable energy only accounts for a negligible 3%.
A developing country like Pakistan cannot afford gaps in the demand and supply of electricity to keep the wheels of its already struggling economy spinning.
Despite a complex energy mix and heavy fossil fuel imports, the country still faces a 3,000 MW deficit out of its 25,000 MW power demand.
Not only is the current source of power generation in this country expensive and scarce, but burning these fossil fuels have a huge impact on climate change, which is another major problem that Pakistan needs to address on an urgent basis.
The lethality of such modes of power generation for Pakistanis is shown in a 2020 CREA (Center for Research on Energy and Clean Air) study which estimates 29,000 deaths from the Thar coal power plants alone.
At the moment, there are at least nine coal power plants that are currently operational in Pakistan, with at least 10 more being either under development or proposed; one can only imagine the impact on health and the extent of environmental damage being caused.
In a growing economy like Pakistan, all major sectors i.e. agricultural, transportation, industrial, and domestic need a continuous supply of energy. Failure to do so not only halts growth, but also depletes resources that are scarce to begin with.
“The electricity problem of Pakistan runs deeper than it seems,” shares Sohail Feroze, Director at Feroze Power, an emerging solar power solutions company committed to the environment and creating a sustainable economy in Pakistan.
“At least 5 million people in Pakistan, mostly in rural areas, still lack access to power. This is both unfortunate and surprising given the immense potential of solar power in the country,” Sohail adds.
Feroze Power offers residential, commercial, and industrial solar energy solutions for all electricity needs. “Our other solutions like Net Metering, Smart Intelligent Lighting, Solar Benches, Solar Pumps, etc give our customers all the more reason to choose us to get their residential or commercial power needs met,” informs Sohail.
It is worth noting that the urban centers of Pakistan face the challenge of frequent interruption and high costs of power as much as the rural, far-flung areas do. “Our solar solutions are built on robust market insights and offer a perfect solution for the residential and commercial power needs in dense urban hubs of Pakistan,” shares Raza Feroze, one of the company directors.
“Seamless supply of power can mean the difference between life and death for businesses, especially the small and medium-sized ones, for whom the cost of electricity also matters a lot. For them, there’s no better solution than solar power which is highly reliable given the country’s sunny climate, and affordable as you produce your own power,” adds Raza.
Feroze Power applies its industry knowledge and engineering capacity to bring the potential of solar power to Pakistan. It has the experience and capacity to support solar projects starting from inception, throughout the development and construction stages, and for the complete lifetime of the plant.
“Some people find solar power a costlier option to adopt, but at a one-time installation cost the savings you gain in the long run are massive. Plus, we have different financing options for those who want to go solar but don’t have the starting budget,” Raza adds.
“Our goal at Feroze Power is to promote and democratise solar power so the economy can grow and people can move on to a future where problems like power shortages are a thing of the past and don’t stand in the way of a better and more prosperous life. Our on-grid, off-grid, and hybrid solar solutions with one-year free service deliver just that,” Raza adds.
Therefore, not only is solar energy beneficial for the environment and the country, it is also highly economical in the long-run especially because of the constant hike in electricity prices and the inconveniences of load-shedding.
This content is a paid advertisement by Feroze Power and is not associated with or necessarily reflective of the views of Dawn.com or its editorial staff.
