The Sindh government has proposed solar panels and 100 units of free electricity to the impoverished residents of the province who are struggling with the electricity crisis.
Sindh CM Syed Murad Ali Shah has directed the energy minister to conduct a feasibility study on grid stations.
Two million households can be provided with a solar home system, including a 100-watt panel, three LED bulbs, a 35-watt DC fan, and a six-hour battery backup with mobile charging ports, CM Murad said.
In response to a question, Energy Minister Nasir Hussain Shah informed the chief minister that the cost per solar panel system would be approximately Rs5,500 if procured in large quantities.
He also proposed the idea of setting up six micro-grids, each with a capacity of 75 kilowatts, to cater to the needs of 100 households. Such micro-grids, established at the divisional level, would provide 100 kilowatt-hours of electricity every month.
The energy minister stated that each grid connection for the solar parks would cost approximately Rs30 million. Hussain added that the provincial government was planning to set up three solar parks with a combined capacity of 350 megawatts.
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“The people will soon receive good news regarding electricity, as the government is starting the process of providing 200,000 solar panels with the assistance of the World Bank,” Hussain said at a workshop on a solar-wind hybrid project in Karachi.
The provincial government has already launched a programme to provide 100 units of free electricity, he said and added that an energy policy has been formulated, and now the government is seeking suggestions from the public.
