Solar dilemma

Many countries strive to tran­sition a significant portion of their energy consumption to solar power. China leads the pack with 131 gigawatts, followed by the UK with 51, Japan with 49, Germany with 42, Italy with 19, and India with 18 gigawatts of solar capacity. Every dollar is precious in Pakistan at this time. The annual import bill for oil and gas has reached 27 bil­lion dollars, and the revolving debt stands at 2,500 billion rupees.

With billions of rupees being spent annually and the mounting debt, the country’s development and prosperity remain uncertain. Last year, the Pakistani government encouraged the public to shift to­wards solar energy production by reducing duties on its equipment. However, as demand for solar pan­els increases with changing weath­er patterns, market prices have soared from 75 thousand to 3 lakh rupees. Market sources attribute this to shifts in government policy.

It would not be amiss to suggest that if individuals were to meet half of their electricity demand with solar power, the govern­ment’s reliance on costly sourc­es like oil and gas would diminish, thereby reducing the import bill. Much of the expensive electrici­ty in the country is consumed by the affluent class and lost through transmission, placing the entire burden on the common man. The daily rise in electricity prices ex­acerbates inflation, compounding the challenges citizens face.

Under the current circumstanc­es, inexpensive solar-generated electricity could alleviate many of these issues for people. To achieve this, it will be necessary to exempt solar panels from taxes and re­duce their prices to make them ac­cessible to the common man.

JALASHK BALACH

DASHT