Solar power is seeing increasing amounts of development these days. According to EETimes, the solar industry has seen revenues rise from $10 billion in 2006 to $13 billion in 2007. Cell efficiencies for the experimental varieties are getting to the point that they may be able to compete with fossil fuel generation. It may not be far off in the future when we are free of fossil fuel producers and their control over the international market.
The current market leaders in solar cell production are Japan and Germany. But China is rapidly increasing its output capacity, and it will very quickly overtake Japan, the current lead.
Increasingly, semi-conductor manufacturers are spending R&D budgets on this new, rapidly expanding market. According to John Boyd at EETimes:
We can be sure that almost every large semiconductor manufacturer has a PV program of some sort and is assessing strategies to leverage its manufacturing experience and depreciating assets.
While this is very good news for the environment, it is also good news for power generation. Sufficiently mass-produced and well-researched, this option may be cheap enough for low-income economies like our own.
So what does the future of solar power hold for Pakistan, with our gift of eternal sun. Recently some encouraging actions have been taken by our government.
According to the Business Recorder dated 10th February, 2008:
The government has decided to use solar energy-based lights on all important buildings … “With appropriate energy conservation policy, a minimum saving up to 25 percent in various segments of the energy sector can bring saving of $2 billion per annum.”
And on uniquepakistan.com, dated 24th February, 2008:
City District Government Karachi has decided to use solar energy system as alternate source for electricity at public places in Karach … City Government has invited Expression of Interest (EOI) from Foreign/Local Firms … for providing solar energy system for parks, street lights, on bridges, lamp poles, spotlights, wall mounted lights, landscape lights etc. in Karachi.
In light of the current power situation in Pakistan, and especially Karachi, this is welcome news. It remains to be seen how this plan is actually carried out, since the change in government might just put this on the backburner. I do believe however, that Pakistan is very ripe for solar power, perhaps even to a surplus production capacity. Lets all wait and see.