ALMOST all energy specialists in Pakistan are having dreams regarding utilisation of the country`s unlimited renewable energy resources solar, wind, hydroelectric, etc.

for power generation to end the nuisance of loadshedding.

If these resources are exploited fully, there would be no need to import even a single drop of crude oil from abroad. We should utilise every available option to generate power. For example, there is no dearth of space in our country. All the provinceshavelarge stretches ofbarren land which can be utilised in setting-up solar parks.

But the real revolution would come if we utilise the rooftops of our houses to installsolar panels. The net-metering of the house will further encourage the home-owners to go for solar energy. Net metering is a billing mechanism that credits solar energy system owners for the surplus electricity they add to the grid.

For example, if a residential customer has an array ofsolarpanelsinstalled athis home`s rooftop, and the panels generate more electricity than the home owner actually needs, the surplus electricity will be fed to the grid and the home owner would be paid for this surplus energy.

As regards the use of wind energy, there is tremendous wind potential in Sindh and the coastal areas of Balochistan. The country`s shortfall of energy (around 5,000 MW) can be met by resorting to wind energy alone.

For this purpose, wind turbines will have to be installed. The energy generated through wind turbines would cost the country one million dollars per megawatt, which means we can generate 1,000 MW for one billion dollars. The Chinese turbines are the cheapest in the international market which should be acquired.

This way we would spend only $5 billion out of $55 billion committed by China for the CPEC. Had we adopted this strategy, loadshedding would have been eliminated much before the completion of the tenure of the incumbent government.

Air-Cdre (r) Azfar A Khan Karachi