15,000 govt schools in Punjab to shift to solar power

       According to Punjab Energy Minister Dr. Akhtar Malik, the provincial government plans to install solar energy systems in over 15.000 schools. On Tuesday, he shared his thoughts at a seminar on net metering, which allows excess energy generated to be fed into the national grid and vice versa.

　　The Punjab Energy Efficiency and Conservation Agency (PEECA) and the Multan Electric Power Company organized the seminar (MEPCO).

　　Initially, the government focused on schools that were without electricity, according to the minister, who added that net metering was an urgent need. Sunlight, which is available all year in the country, is a huge source of energy. "By implementing net metering systems, we can overcome our energy crisis," he said.

　　The minister also chastised the previous administration for ignoring natural resources. He claimed that development projects that could have been launched with local resources were carried out with foreign imports for the sake of kickbacks. The coal for the Sahiwal energy project was imported from abroad, but the plant could have run on local coal with minor technical changes, according to Malik.

　　Furthermore, the Jhang power plant was launched without prior approval, resulting in a Rs140 billion annual loss to the national exchequer. Similarly, he stated that the government will have to provide a subsidy to operate the Orange Line Metro Train in Lahore.

　　He claimed that the Punjab government has implemented energy-saving measures. A lab has been set up to test the efficiency of fans and lights. Furthermore, over the last month and a half, the ministry has envisioned an energy policy, which he believes will be a watershed moment in addressing the energy crisis.

　　If 5 million housing units can be converted to solar energy, the country as a whole will be set a good example. He stated that the government was working with two private banks to cover 75% of the costs of the net metering system. He added that the remaining 25% will be paid by the consumer.

　　He went on to say that Germany generates approximately 80.000 kW through net metering systems. He went on to say that the government was also constructing an eight-story building in Lahore that would run entirely on solar energy. Khwaja Baddar Munir, Vice President of the Multan Chamber of Commerce, and others were also present.