LAHORE: Punjab Minister for Environment Bao Muhammad Rizwan has said that solar energy will be instrumental in slowing down the process of global warming.
While addressing the audience at first station of “2021 GoodWe Technical Seminar Series” at a local hotel, the minister quoted a study that suggested, “If just 1 degree temperature increases due to global warming, it will melt all glaciers to make environment unlivable for mankind”. “We all have to breathe in this air; therefore, it is everyone’s responsibility to reduce carbon emissions to a minimum,” he said, adding that vehicular emissions contribute 43 percent among all factors to overall pollution, hence a major component of global warming.
He informed that Prime Minister Imran Khan had launched the policy of introducing electric cars and announced special incentives to the consumers with a view to reducing vehicular emissions to improve the environment. The Minister advocated conversion of household energy and industrial equipment to solar energy, adding that the experts must come forward to clear people’s concepts about green energy in a simple language rather than using complex terminologies.
Director Technical (Power), Punjab Energy Department, Muhammad Yasin said that Chief Minister Usman Buzdar had declared Punjab as solar province. In this regard, he said that 11,000 schools in Punjab have been converted to solar energy.
He further informed that net-metering was available for 3-Phase meters so far, adding that Punjab government is going to make agreement with National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) to allow distribution companies (DISCOs) to offer net-metering to consumers on single-phase meters as well.
Syed Salman Mohiuddin, Country Manager GoodWe, said that renewable energy was the future, adding that biggest source of renewable energy in Pakistan is solar energy. He informed that solar energy was a major component of reduction in greenhouse gases and carbon emissions. “The solar energy is most cost-effective, sustainable and environment friendly option available in Pakistan,” he said, adding that Pakistan government could also take credit of carbon control under Kyoto Protocol owing to increase in use of solar energy.
He informed that the solar system for utility range, commercial and industrial range and residential range was sustainable up to 25 years, while it guarantees cost return within 3 to 4 years. “We offer solar inverters from 0.7 KW to 250 KW in both on-grid and hybrid categories,” he said, adding that GoodWe will soon launch off-grid solar inverters as well.
He informed that energy demand was growing rapidly, saying that the dependence on traditional sources of gas and electricity would not be a viable option in near future. “The government of Pakistan has launched financing for solar energy as State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) has directed banks to offer soft loans for 5 to 10 years to encourage use of solar energy in the country,” he added.
Besides, a renewable energy expert Engineer Faiz Muhammad Bhutta and Manager Technical Services GoodWe Ahmad Rafay Asad also spoke on the occasion. Later, Punjab Environment Minister Bao Muhammad Rizwan and Director Technical (Power), Punjab Energy Department, Muhammad Yasin distributed mementos to the expert speakers and certificate of participation among the participants respectively.