IN what could be called a revolutionary and landmark step, Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar’s Government has started a project of converting public sector universities to solar energy. The start has been made with the pilot project at University of Engineering and Technology, Lahore.
Since this solarization project will be fully funded by the private sector, therefore, it will not put any burden on the provincial government’s kitty rather provide sustainable, clean and cheap electricity to the higher seats of learning. Annual savings have been estimated at one billion rupees. We will rather suggest the provincial government to extend the scope of this project to the school level. There are still hundreds of schools especially in South Punjab and far flung areas which have no electricity. Energy poverty greatly reduces teaching resources and classroom material. This off-grid solution in those areas will really remove hurdles in the way of education of children. Going a step further, the federal and provincial governments must also consider solarization of all public sector organizations as part of their reforms. Electricity bills constitute a big portion of the expenditure of these organizations and converting them to solar technology which is getting cheaper with the passage of time, will be the best cost effective solution. Solarization of the Parliament House carried out with the cooperation of China has proved to be a successful model and this should be replicated elsewhere. Additional electricity from such projects can also be added to the national grid. Our country, in fact, has a vast untapped potential for renewable energy and taking this course will really go a long way in not only addressing the issue of climate change but also provide inexpensive electricity to our domestic and industrial consumers. The private sector and investors should be encouraged and incentivized to support the country’s transition from expensive fossil fuels to affordable and environment friendly renewable energy resources. At present China is dominating the solar industry and with its cooperation we can also emerge as a big player in this field and reap its true benefits.
