WHAT IS SOLAR ENERGY

Solar energy is the radiant light and heat from the Sun that has been harnessed by humans
sine anient times using a range of e!er"e!ol!ing tehnologies# Solar radiation along
$ith seondary solar resoures suh as $ind and $a!e
%o$er& hydroeletriity andbiomass aount for most of the a!ailable rene$able
energy on Earth# Only a minusule fration of the a!ailable solar energy is used#
Solar %o$er %ro!ides eletrial generation by means of heat enginesor %hoto!oltais#
One on!erted& its uses are limited only by human ingenuity# A %artial list of solar
a%%liations inludes s%ae heating and ooling through solar arhiteture& %otable
$ater !ia distillationand disinfetion& daylighting& hot $ater& thermal energy for oo'ing&
and high tem%erature %roess heat for industrial %ur%oses#
Solar tehnologies are broadly harateri(ed as either %assi!e solar or ati!e
solarde%ending on the $ay they a%ture& on!ert and distribute sunlight# Ati!e solar
tehni)ues inlude the use of %hoto!oltai %anels and solar thermal olletors *$ith
eletrial or mehanial e)ui%ment+ to on!ert sunlight into useful out%uts# ,assi!e solar
tehni)ues inlude orienting a building to the Sun& seleting materials $ith
fa!orablethermal mass or light dis%ersing %ro%erties& and designing s%aes that naturally
irulate air#
The Earth reei!es -./ %eta$atts *,W+ of inoming solar radiation *insolation+ at the
u%%er atmos%here#0-1 A%%ro2imately 345 is refleted ba' to s%ae $hile the rest is
absorbed by louds& oeans and land masses# The s%etrum of solar light at the Earth6s
surfae is mostly s%read aross the !isible and near"infrared ranges $ith a small %art in
the near"ultra!iolet#071
Earth6s land surfae& oeans and atmos%here absorb solar radiation& and this raises their
tem%erature# Warm air ontaining e!a%orated $ater from the oeans rises&
ausing atmos%heri irulation oron!etion# When the air reahes a high altitude& $here
the tem%erature is lo$& $ater !a%or ondenses into louds& $hih rain onto the Earth6s
surfae& om%leting the $ater yle# The latent heat of $ater ondensation am%lifies
on!etion& %roduing atmos%heri %henomena suh as $ind& ylones and anti"ylones#
031 Sunlight absorbed by the oeans and land masses 'ee%s the surfae at an a!erage
tem%erature of -/ 89#0/1 :y %hotosynthesis green %lants on!ert solar energy
into hemial energy& $hih %rodues food& $ood and the biomass from $hih fossil
fuels are deri!ed#0;1
Yearly Solar flu2es < Human Energy 9onsum%tion
Solar 3&=;4&444 E> 0?1
Wind 7&7;4 E>0.1
:iomass 3&444 E>0=1
,rimary energy use *744;+ /=. E>0@1
Eletriity *744;+ ;?#. E>0-41
The total solar energy absorbed by Earth6s atmos%here& oeans and land masses is
a%%ro2imately 3&=;4&444 e2aAoules *E>+ %er year#0--1 In 7447& this $as more energy in
one hour than the $orld used in one year#0-71 0-31,hotosynthesis a%tures a%%ro2imately
3&444 E> %er year in biomass#0-/1 The amount of solar energy reahing the surfae of the
%lanet is so !ast that in one year it is about t$ie as muh as $ill e!er be obtained from
all of the Earth6s non"rene$able resoures of oal& oil& natural gas& and mined uranium
ombined#0-;1
Brom the table of resoures it $ould a%%ear that solar& $ind or biomass $ould be
suffiient to su%%ly all of our energy needs& ho$e!er& the inreased use of biomass has
had a negati!e effet on global $arming and dramatially inreased food %ries by
di!erting forests and ro%s into biofuel %rodution#0-?1 Asintermittent resoures& solar
and $ind raise other issues#
A%%liations of solar tehnology
A!erage insolation sho$ing land area *small bla' dots+ re)uired to re%lae the $orld
%rimary energy su%%ly $ith solar eletriity# -= TW is ;?= E2aAoule *E>+ %er year#
Insolation for most %eo%le is from -;4 to 344 WCmD or 3#; to .#4 'WhCmDCday#
Solar energy refers %rimarily to the use of solar radiation for %ratial ends# Ho$e!er& all
rene$able energies& other than geothermal andtidal& deri!e their energy from the sun#
Solar tehnologies are broadly harateri(ed as either %assi!e or ati!e de%ending on the
$ay they a%ture& on!ert and distribute sunlight# Ati!e solar tehni)ues use
%hoto!oltai %anels& %um%s& and fans to on!ert sunlight into useful out%uts# ,assi!e solar
tehni)ues inlude seleting materials $ith fa!orable thermal %ro%erties& designing
s%aes that naturally irulate air& and referening the %osition of a building to the Sun#
Ati!e solar tehnologies inrease the su%%ly of energy and are onsideredsu%%ly
side tehnologies& $hile %assi!e solar tehnologies redue the need for alternate resoures
and are generally onsidered demand side tehnologies#0-.1
Agriulture and hortiulture
Greenhouses li'e these in the Westland munii%ality of theNetherlands gro$ !egetables&
fruits and flo$ers#
Agriulture see's to o%timi(e the a%ture of solar energy in order to o%timi(e the
%roduti!ity of %lants# Tehni)ues suh as timed %lanting yles& tailored ro$ orientation&
staggered heights bet$een ro$s and the mi2ing of %lant !arieties an im%ro!e ro%
yields#0731 07/1While sunlight is generally onsidered a %lentiful resoure& the e2e%tions
highlight the im%ortane of solar energy to agriulture# Euring the short gro$ing seasons
of the Little Ie Age& Brenh andEnglish farmers em%loyed fruit $alls to ma2imi(e the
olletion of solar energy# These $alls ated as thermal masses and aelerated ri%ening
by 'ee%ing %lants $arm# Early fruit $alls $ere built %er%endiular to the ground and
faing south& but o!er time& slo%ing $alls $ere de!elo%ed to ma'e better use of sunlight#
In -?@@& Niolas Batio de Euillier e!en suggested using atra'ing mehanism $hih
ould %i!ot to follo$ the Sun#07;1 A%%liations of solar energy in agriulture aside from
gro$ing ro%s inlude %um%ing $ater& drying ro%s& brooding hi's and drying hi'en
manure#07?1 07.1 Fore reently the tehnology has been embraed by !inters& $ho use the
energy generated by solar %anels to %o$er gra%e %resses#07=1
Greenhouses on!ert solar light to heat& enabling year"round %rodution and the gro$th
*in enlosed en!ironments+ of s%eialty ro%s and other %lants not naturally suited to the
loal limate# ,rimiti!e greenhouses $ere first used during Roman times to
%rodue uumbers year"round for the Roman em%eror Tiberius#07@1 The first modern
greenhouses $ere built in Euro%e in the -?th entury to 'ee% e2oti %lants brought ba'
from e2%lorations abroad#0341 Greenhouses remain an im%ortant %art of hortiulture
today& and %lasti trans%arent materials ha!e also been used to similar effet
in %olytunnelsand ro$ o!ers#
Solar lighting
Eaylighting features suh as thisoulus at the to% of the ,antheon& inRome& Italy ha!e
been in use sine anti)uity#
The history of lighting is dominated by the use of natural light# The Romans reogni(ed
a right to light as early as the ?th entury and English la$ ehoed these Audgments $ith
the ,resri%tion At of -=37#03-1 0371 In the 74th entury artifiial lighting beame the
main soure of interior illumination but daylighting tehni)ues and hybrid solar lighting
solutions are $ays to redue energy onsum%tion#
Eaylighting systems ollet and distribute sunlight to %ro!ide interior illumination# This
%assi!e tehnology diretly offsets energy use by re%laing artifiial lighting& and
indiretly offsets non"solar energy use by reduing the need for air"onditioning#
0331 Although diffiult to )uantify& the use of natural lighting also offers %hysiologial
and %syhologial benefits om%ared to artifiial lighting#0331 Eaylighting design im%lies
areful seletion of $indo$ ty%es& si(es and orientationG e2terior shading de!ies may be
onsidered as $ell# Indi!idual features inlude sa$tooth roofs& lerestory $indo$s& light
shel!es&s'ylights and light tubes# They may be inor%orated into e2isting strutures& but
are most effeti!e $hen integrated into a solar design %a'age that aounts for fators
suh as glare& heat flu2 and time"of"use# When daylighting features are %ro%erly
im%lemented they an redue lighting"related energy re)uirements by 7;5#03/1
Hybrid solar lighting is an ati!e solar method of %ro!iding interior illumination# HSL
systems ollet sunlight using fousing mirrors that tra' the Sun and use o%tial fibers to
transmit it inside the building to su%%lement on!entional lighting# In single"story
a%%liations these systems are able to transmit ;45 of the diret sunlight reei!ed#03;1
Solar lights that harge during the day and light u% at dus' are a ommon sight along
$al'$ays#0itation needed1
Although daylight sa!ing time is %romoted as a $ay to use sunlight to sa!e energy& reent
researh has been limited and re%orts ontraditory resultsH se!eral studies re%ort sa!ings&
but Aust as many suggest no effet or e!en a net loss& %artiularly
$hen gasoline onsum%tion is ta'en into aount# Eletriity use is greatly affeted by
geogra%hy& limate and eonomis& ma'ing it hard to generali(e from single studies#03?1
Solar thermal
Solar thermal tehnologies an be used for $ater heating& s%ae heating& s%ae ooling
and %roess heat generation#03.1
Water heating
Solar $ater heaters faing the Sun to ma2imi(e gain#
Solar hot $ater systems use sunlight to heat $ater# In lo$ geogra%hial latitudes *belo$
/4 degrees+ from ?4 to .45 of the domesti hot $ater use $ith tem%eratures u% to ?4 89
an be %ro!ided by solar heating systems#03=1 The most ommon ty%es of solar $ater
heaters are e!auated tube olletors *//5+ and gla(ed flat %late olletors *3/5+
generally used for domesti hot $aterG and ungla(ed %lasti olletors *7-5+ used mainly
to heat s$imming %ools#03@1
As of 744.& the total installed a%aity of solar hot $ater systems is a%%ro2imately
-;/ GW#0/41 9hina is the $orld leader in their de%loyment $ith .4 GW installed as of
744? and a long term goal of 7-4 GW by 7474#0/-1 Israel and 9y%rus are the %er a%ita
leaders in the use of solar hot $ater systems $ith o!er @45 of homes using them#0/71 In
the Inited States& 9anada and Australia heating s$imming %ools is the dominant
a%%liation of solar hot $ater $ith an installed a%aity of -= GW as of 744;#0-.1
Heating& ooling and !entilation
Solar House J- ofFassahusetts Institute of Tehnology in the Inited States& built in
-@3@& used seasonal thermal storage for year"round heating#
In the Inited States& heating& !entilation and air onditioning *HKA9+ systems aount
for 345 */#?; E>+ of the energy used in ommerial buildings and nearly ;45 *-4#- E>+
of the energy used in residential buildings#03/1 0/31 Solar heating& ooling and !entilation
tehnologies an be used to offset a %ortion of this energy#
Thermal mass is any material that an be used to store heatLheat from the Sun in the
ase of solar energy# 9ommon thermal mass materials inlude stone& ement and $ater#
Historially they ha!e been used in arid limates or $arm tem%erate regions to 'ee%
buildings ool by absorbing solar energy during the day and radiating stored heat to the
ooler atmos%here at night# Ho$e!er they an be used in old tem%erate areas to maintain
$armth as $ell# The si(e and %laement of thermal mass de%end on se!eral fators suh
as limate& daylighting and shading onditions# When %ro%erly inor%orated& thermal
mass maintains s%ae tem%eratures in a omfortable range and redues the need for
au2iliary heating and ooling e)ui%ment#0//1
A solar himney *or thermal himney& in this onte2t+ is a %assi!e solar !entilation system
om%osed of a !ertial shaft onneting the interior and e2terior of a building# As the
himney $arms& the air inside is heated ausing an u%draft that %ulls air through the
building# ,erformane an be im%ro!ed by using gla(ing and thermal mass materials in a
$ay that mimis greenhouses#0itation needed1
Eeiduous trees and %lants ha!e been %romoted as a means of ontrolling solar heating
and ooling# When %lanted on the southern side of a building& their lea!es %ro!ide shade
during the summer& $hile the bare limbs allo$ light to %ass during the $inter#0/;1 Sine
bare& leafless trees shade -C3 to -C7 of inident solar radiation& there is a balane bet$een
the benefits of summer shading and the orres%onding loss of $inter heating#0/?1 In
limates $ith signifiant heating loads& deiduous trees should not be %lanted on the
southern side of a building beause they $ill interfere $ith $inter solar a!ailability# They
an& ho$e!er& be used on the east and $est sides to %ro!ide a degree of summer shading
$ithout a%%reiably affeting $inter solar gain#0/.1
Water treatment
A%%liation of SOEIS tehnology in Indonesia to $ater disinfetion#
Small sale solar %o$ered se$erage treatment %lant#
Solar distillation an be used to ma'e saline or bra'ish $ater%otable# The first reorded
instane of this $as by -?th entury Arab alhemists#0/=1 A large"sale solar distillation
%roAet $as first onstruted in -=.7 in the 9hilean mining to$n of Las Salinas#0/@1The
%lant& $hih had solar olletion area of /&.44 mD& ould %rodue u% to 77&.44 L %er day
and o%erated for /4 years#0/@1 Indi!idual stilldesigns inlude single"slo%e& double"slo%e
*or greenhouse ty%e+& !ertial& onial& in!erted absorber& multi"$i'& and multi%le effet#
0/=1These stills an o%erate in %assi!e& ati!e& or hybrid modes# Eouble"slo%e stills are
the most eonomial for deentrali(ed domesti %ur%oses& $hile ati!e multi%le effet
units are more suitable for large"sale a%%liations#0/=1
Solar $ater disinfetion *SOEIS+ in!ol!es e2%osing $ater"filled %lasti%olyethylene
tere%hthalate *,ET+ bottles to sunlight for se!eral hours#0;41 E2%osure times !ary
de%ending on $eather and limate from a minimum of si2 hours to t$o days during fully
o!erast onditions#0;-1 SOEIS is reommended by the World Health Organi(ation as a
!iable method for household $ater treatment and safe storage#0;71 O!er t$o million
%eo%le in de!elo%ing ountries use SOEIS for their daily drin'ing $ater#0;-1
Solar energy may be used in a $ater stabilisation %ond to treat$aste $ater $ithout
hemials or eletriity# A further en!ironmental ad!antage is that algae gro$ in suh
%onds and onsume arbon dio2ide in %hotosynthesis#0;31 0;/1
9oo'ing
The Solar :o$l in Auro!ille& India& onentrates sunlight on a mo!able reei!er to
%rodue steam for oo'ing#
Solar oo'ers use sunlight for oo'ing& drying and %asteuri(ation# They an be grou%ed
into three broad ategoriesH bo2 oo'ers& %anel oo'ers and refletor oo'ers#0;;1 The
sim%lest solar oo'erLthe bo2 oo'er first built by Horae de Saussure in -.?.#0;?1 A
basi bo2 oo'er onsists of an insulated ontainer $ith a trans%arent lid# It an be used
effeti!ely $ith %artially o!erast s'ies and $ill ty%ially reah tem%eratures of @4M
-;4 89#0;.1 ,anel oo'ers use a refleti!e %anel to diret sunlight onto an insulated
ontainer and reah tem%eratures om%arable to bo2 oo'ers# Refletor oo'ers use
!arious onentrating geometries *dish& trough& Bresnel mirrors+ to fous light on a
oo'ing ontainer# These oo'ers reah tem%eratures of 3-; 89 and abo!e but re)uire
diret light to funtion %ro%erly and must be re%ositioned to tra' the Sun#0;=1
The solar bo$l is a onentrating tehnology em%loyed by the Solar Nithen
in Auro!ille& ,ondiherry&India& $here a stationary s%herial refletor fouses light along
a line %er%endiular to the s%here6s interior surfae& and a om%uter ontrol system mo!es
the reei!er to interset this line# Steam is %rodued in the reei!er at tem%eratures
reahing -;4 89 and then used for %roess heat in the 'ithen#0;@1
A refletor de!elo%ed by Wolfgang Sheffler in -@=? is used in many solar 'ithens#
Sheffler refletors are fle2ible %araboli dishes that ombine as%ets of trough and
%o$er to$er onentrators# ,olar tra'ing is used to follo$ the Sun6s daily ourse and the
ur!ature of the refletor is adAusted for seasonal !ariations in the inident angle of
sunlight# These refletors an reah tem%eratures of /;4M?;4 89 and ha!e a fi2ed foal
%oint& $hih sim%lifies oo'ing#0?41 The $orld6s largest Sheffler refletor system in Abu
Road& RaAasthan& India is a%able of oo'ing u% to 3;&444 meals a day#0?-1 As of 744=&
o!er 7&444 large Sheffler oo'ers had been built $orld$ide#0?71
,roess heat
STE, %araboli dishes used for steam %rodution and eletrial generation#
Solar onentrating tehnologies suh as %araboli dish& trough and Sheffler refletors
an %ro!ide %roess heat for ommerial and industrial a%%liations# The first ommerial
system $as the Solar Total Energy ,roAet *STE,+ in Shenandoah& Georgia& ISA $here a
field of --/ %araboli dishes %ro!ided ;45 of the %roess heating& air onditioning and
eletrial re)uirements for a lothing fatory# This grid"onneted ogeneration system
%ro!ided /44 'W of eletriity %lus thermal energy in the form of /4- 'W steam and
/?= 'W hilled $ater& and had a one hour %ea' load thermal storage#0?31
E!a%oration %onds are shallo$ %ools that onentrate dissol!ed solids
through e!a%oration# The use of e!a%oration %onds to obtain salt from sea $ater is one of
the oldest a%%liations of solar energy# Fodern uses inlude onentrating brine solutions
used in leah mining and remo!ing dissol!ed solids from $aste streams#0?/1
9lothes lines& lotheshorses& and lothes ra's dry lothes through e!a%oration by $ind
and sunlight $ithout onsuming eletriity or gas# In some states of the Inited States
legislation %rotets the Oright to dryO lothes#0?;1
Ingla(ed trans%ired olletors *IT9+ are %erforated sun"faing $alls used for %reheating
!entilation air# IT9s an raise the inoming air tem%erature u% to 77 89 and deli!er
outlet tem%eratures of /;M?4 89#0??1The short %ayba' %eriod of trans%ired olletors *3
to -7 years+ ma'es them a more ost"effeti!e alternati!e than gla(ed olletion systems#
0??1 As of 7443& o!er =4 systems $ith a ombined olletor area of 3;&444 mD had been
installed $orld$ide& inluding an =?4 mD olletor in 9osta Ria used for drying offee
beans and a -&344 mD olletor in 9oimbatore& India used for drying marigolds#07.1
Eletrial generation
Sunlight an be on!erted into eletriity using %hoto!oltais *,K+& onentrating solar
%o$er *9S,+& and !arious e2%erimental tehnologies# ,K has mainly been used to %o$er
small and medium"si(ed a%%liations& from the alulator %o$ered by a single solar ell
to off"grid homes %o$ered by a%hoto!oltai array# Bor large"sale generation& 9S, %lants
li'e SEGS ha!e been the norm but reently multi"mega$att ,K %lants are beoming
ommon# 9om%leted in 744.& the -/ FW %o$er station in 9lar' 9ounty& Ne!ada& Inited
States and the 74 FW site in :enei2ama& S%ain are harateristi of the trend to$ard
larger %hoto!oltai %o$er stations in the Inited States and Euro%e#0?.1 As an intermittent
%o$er soure& solar %o$er re)uires a ba'u% su%%ly& $hih an %artially be
om%lemented $ith $ind %o$er# Loal ba'u% usually is done $ith batteries& $hile
utilities normally use %um%ed"hydro storage# The Institute for Solar Energy Su%%ly
Tehnology of the Ini!ersity of Nassel in Germany %ilot"tested aombined %o$er
%lant lin'ing solar& $ind& biogas and hydrostorage to %ro!ide load"follo$ing %o$er
around the lo'& entirely from rene$able soures#0?=1
E2%erimental solar %o$er
Solar E!a%oration ,onds in theAtaama Eesert& South Ameria
A solar %ond is a %ool of salt $ater *usually -M7 m dee%+ that ollets and stores solar
energy# Solar %onds $ere first %ro%osed by Er# Rudol%h :loh in -@/= after he ame
aross re%orts of a la'e inHungary in $hih the tem%erature inreased $ith de%th# This
effet $as due to salts in the la'e6s $ater& $hih reated a Odensity gradientO that
%re!ented on!etion urrents# A %rototy%e $as onstruted in -@;= on the shores of the
Eead Sea near>erusalem#0?@1 The %ond onsisted of layers of $ater that suessi!ely
inreased from a $ea' salt solution at the to% to a high salt solution at the bottom# This
solar %ond $as a%able of %roduing tem%eratures of @4 89 in its bottom layer and had an
estimated solar"to"eletri effiieny of t$o %erent#
Thermoeletri& or Othermo!oltaiO de!ies on!ert a tem%erature differene bet$een
dissimilar materials into an eletri urrent# Birst %ro%osed as a method to store solar
energy by solar %ioneer Fouhout in the -=44s&0.41 thermoeletris reemerged in the
So!iet Inion during the -@34s# Inder the diretion of So!iet sientist Abram Ioffe a
onentrating system $as used to thermoeletrially generate %o$er for a - h% engine#
0.-1 Thermogenerators $ere later used in the IS s%ae %rogram as an energy on!ersion
tehnology for %o$ering dee% s%ae missions suh as 9assini& Galileo and Ki'ing#
Researh in this area is foused on raising the effiieny of these de!ies from .M=5 to
-;M745#0.71
Solar hemial
Solar hemial %roesses use solar energy to dri!e hemial reations# These %roesses
offset energy that $ould other$ise ome from an alternate soure and an on!ert solar
energy into storable and trans%ortable fuels# Solar indued hemial reations an be
di!ided into thermohemial or%hotohemial#0.31
Hydrogen %rodution tehnologies been a signifiant area of solar hemial researh
sine the -@.4s# Aside from eletrolysis dri!en by %hoto!oltai or %hotohemial ells&
se!eral thermohemial %roesses ha!e also been e2%lored# One suh route uses
onentrators to s%lit $ater into o2ygen and hydrogen at high tem%eratures *7344"
7?44 89+#0./1 Another a%%roah uses the heat from solar onentrators to dri!e the steam
reformation of natural gas thereby inreasing the o!erall hydrogen yield om%ared to
on!entional reforming methods#0.;1 Thermohemial yles harateri(ed by the
deom%osition and regeneration of reatants %resent another a!enue for hydrogen
%rodution# The Sol(in %roess under de!elo%ment at the Wei(mann Institute uses a
- FW solar furnae to deom%ose (in o2ide *PnO+ at tem%eratures abo!e -744 89# This
initial reation %rodues %ure (in& $hih an subse)uently be reated $ith $ater to
%rodue hydrogen#0.?1
Sandia6s Sunshine to ,etrol *S7,+ tehnology uses the high tem%eratures generated by
onentrating sunlight along $ith a (ironiaCferrite atalyst to brea' do$n atmos%heri
arbon dio2ide into o2ygen andarbon mono2ide *9O+# The arbon mono2ide an then be
used to synthesi(e on!entional fuels suh as methanol& gasoline and Aet fuel#0..1
A %hotogal!ani de!ie is a ty%e of battery in $hih the ell solution *or e)ui!alent+
forms energy"rih hemial intermediates $hen illuminated# These energy"rih
intermediates an %otentially be stored and subse)uently reated at the eletrodes to
%rodue an eletri %otential# The ferri"thionine hemial ell is an e2am%le of this
tehnology#0.=1
,hotoeletrohemial ells or ,E9s onsist of a semiondutor& ty%ially titanium
dio2ide or related titanates& immersed in an eletrolyte# When the semiondutor is
illuminated an eletrial %otential de!elo%s# There are t$o ty%es of %hotoeletrohemial
ellsH %hotoeletri ells that on!ert light into eletriity and %hotohemial ells that
use light to dri!e hemial reations suh as eletrolysis#0.@1
Solar !ehiles
Australia hosts the World Solar 9hallenge $here solar ars li'e the Nuna3 rae through a
3&47- 'm *-&=.. mi+ ourse from Ear$in to Adelaide#
Ee!elo%ment of a solar %o$ered ar has been an engineering goal sine the -@=4s#
The World Solar 9hallenge is a biannual solar"%o$ered ar rae& $here teams from
uni!ersities and enter%rises om%ete o!er 3&47- 'ilometres *-&=.. mi+ aross entral
Australia from Ear$in to Adelaide# In -@=.& $hen it $as founded& the $inner6s a!erage
s%eed $as ?. 'ilometres %er hour */7 m%h+ and by 744. the $inner6s a!erage s%eed had
im%ro!ed to @4#=. 'ilometres %er hour *;?#/? m%h+#0=41 The North Amerian Solar
9hallenge and the %lanned South Afrian Solar 9hallenge are om%arable om%etitions
that reflet an international interest in the engineering and de!elo%ment of solar %o$ered
!ehiles#0=-1 0=71
Some !ehiles use solar %anels for au2iliary %o$er& suh as for air onditioning& to 'ee%
the interior ool& thus reduing fuel onsum%tion#0=31 0=/1
In -@.;& the first %ratial solar boat $as onstruted in England#0=;1 :y -@@;& %assenger
boats inor%orating ,K %anels began a%%earing and are no$ used e2tensi!ely#0=?1 In
-@@?& Nenihi Horie made the first solar %o$ered rossing of the ,aifi Oean& and
the sun7- atamaran made the first solar %o$ered rossing of the Atlanti Oean in the
$inter of 744?M744.#0=.1 There are %lans to irumna!igate the globe in 74-4#0==1
Helios IAK in solar %o$ered flight#
In -@./& the unmanned AstroBlight Sunrise %lane made the first solar flight# On 7@ A%ril
-@.@& the Solar Riser made the first flight in a solar %o$ered& fully ontrolled& man
arrying flying mahine& reahing an altitude of /4 feet *-7 m+# In -@=4& the Gossamer
,enguin made the first %iloted flights %o$ered solely by %hoto!oltais# This $as )ui'ly
follo$ed by the Solar 9hallenger $hih rossed the English 9hannel in >uly -@=-# In
-@@4 Eri Raymond in 7- ho%s fle$ from 9alifornia to North 9arolina using solar %o$er#
0=@1 Ee!elo%ments then turned ba' to unmanned aerial !ehiles *IAK+ $ith
the ,athfinder *-@@.+ and subse)uent designs& ulminating in the Helios $hih set the
altitude reord for a non"ro'et"%ro%elled airraft at 7@&;7/ metres *@?&=?4 ft+ in 744-#
0@41 The Pe%hyr& de!elo%ed by :AE Systems& is the latest in a line of reord"brea'ing
solar airraft& ma'ing a ;/"hour flight in 744.& and month"long flights are en!isioned by
74-4#0@-1
A solar balloon is a bla' balloon that is filled $ith ordinary air# As sunlight shines on the
balloon& the air inside is heated and e2%ands ausing an u%$ard buoyany fore& muh
li'e an artifiially heated hot air balloon# Some solar balloons are large enough for human
flight& but usage is generally limited to the toy mar'et as the surfae"area to %ayload"
$eight ratio is relati!ely high#0@71
Solar sails are a %ro%osed form of s%aeraft %ro%ulsion using large membrane mirrors to
e2%loit radiation %ressure from the Sun# Inli'e ro'ets& solar sails re)uire no fuel#
Although the thrust is small om%ared to ro'ets& it ontinues as long as the Sun shines
onto the de%loyed sail and in the !auum of s%ae signifiant s%eeds an e!entually be
ahie!ed#0@31
The High"altitude airshi% *HAA+ is an unmanned& long"duration& lighter"than"air !ehile
using helium gas for lift& and thin"film solar ells for %o$er# The Inited States
Ee%artment of Eefense Fissile Eefense Ageny has ontrated Lo'heed Fartin to
onstrut it to enhane the :allisti Fissile Eefense System*:FES+#0@/1 Airshi%s ha!e
some ad!antages for solar"%o$ered flightH they do not re)uire %o$er to remain aloft& and
an airshi%6s en!elo%e %resents a large area to the Sun#
Energy storage methods
Solar T$o6s thermal storage system generated eletriity during loudy $eather and at
night#
Solar energy is not a!ailable at night& and energy storage is an im%ortant issue beause
modern energy systems usually assume ontinuous a!ailability of energy#0@;1
Thermal mass systems an store solar energy in the form of heat at domestially useful
tem%eratures for daily or seasonal durations# Thermal storage systems generally use
readily a!ailable materials $ith high s%eifi heat a%aities suh as $ater& earth and
stone# Well"designed systems an lo$er %ea' demand& shift time"of"use tooff"%ea' hours
and redue o!erall heating and ooling re)uirements#0@?1 0@.1
,hase hange materials suh as %araffin $a2 and Glauber6s salt are another thermal
storage media# These materials are ine2%ensi!e& readily a!ailable& and an deli!er
domestially useful tem%eratures *a%%ro2imately ?/ 89+# The OEo!er HouseO *in Eo!er&
Fassahusetts+ $as the first to use a Glauber6s salt heating system& in -@/=#0@=1
Solar energy an be stored at high tem%eratures using molten salts# Salts are an effeti!e
storage medium beause they are lo$"ost& ha!e a high s%eifi heat a%aity and an
deli!er heat at tem%eratures om%atible $ith on!entional %o$er systems# The Solar
T$o used this method of energy storage& allo$ing it to store -#// T> in its ?= mQ storage
tan' $ith an annual storage effiieny of about @@5#0@@1
Off"grid ,K systems ha!e traditionally used rehargeable batteries to store e2ess
eletriity# With grid"tied systems& e2ess eletriity an be sent to the
transmission grid# Net metering %rograms gi!e these systems a redit for the eletriity
they deli!er to the grid# This redit offsets eletriity %ro!ided from the grid $hen the
system annot meet demand& effeti!ely using the grid as a storage mehanism#0-441
,um%ed"storage hydroeletriity stores energy in the form of $ater %um%ed $hen energy
is a!ailable from a lo$er ele!ation reser!oir to a higher ele!ation one# The energy is
reo!ered $hen demand is high by releasing the $ater to run through a hydroeletri
%o$er generator#0-4-1
Ee!elo%ment& de%loyment and eonomis
Nellis Solar ,o$er ,lant in the Inited States& the largest%hoto!oltai %o$er %lant
in North Ameria#
:eginning $ith the surge in oal use $hih aom%anied theIndustrial Re!olution&
energy onsum%tion has steadily transitioned from $ood and biomass to fossil fuels# The
early de!elo%ment of solar tehnologies starting in the -=?4s $as dri!en by an
e2%etation that oal $ould soon beome sare# Ho$e!er de!elo%ment of solar
tehnologies stagnated in the early 74th entury in the fae of the inreasing a!ailability&
eonomy& and utility of oal and %etroleum#0-471
The -@.3 oil embargo and -@.@ energy risis aused a reorgani(ation of energy %oliies
around the $orld and brought rene$ed attention to de!elo%ing solar tehnologies#0-431
0-4/1Ee%loyment strategies foused on inenti!e %rograms suh as the Bederal
,hoto!oltai Itili(ation ,rogram in the IS and the Sunshine ,rogram in >a%an# Other
efforts inluded the formation of researh failities in the IS *SERI& no$ NREL+& >a%an
*NEEO+& and Germany*Braunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE+#0-4;1
9ommerial solar $ater heaters began a%%earing in the Inited States in the -=@4s#
0-4?1 These systems sa$ inreasing use until the -@74s but $ere gradually re%laed by
hea%er and more reliable heating fuels#0-4.1 As $ith %hoto!oltais& solar $ater heating
attrated rene$ed attention as a result of the oil rises in the -@.4s but interest subsided
in the -@=4s due to falling %etroleum %ries# Ee!elo%ment in the solar $ater heating
setor %rogressed steadily throughout the -@@4s and gro$th rates ha!e a!eraged 745 %er
year sine -@@@#0/41 Although generally underestimated& solar $ater heating is by far the
most $idely de%loyed solar tehnology $ith an estimated a%aity of -;/ GW as of 744.#
0/41
SOLAR ENERGY IN ,ANISTAN
Solar energy ma'es muh sense for ,a'istan for se!eral reasonsH firstly& .45 of the
%o%ulation li!es in ;4&444 !illages that are !ery far a$ay from the national grid&
aording to a re%ort by theSolar Energy Researh 9enter *SER9+# :esides& the ountry6s
rea'y and outdated eletriity infrastruture loses o!er 34 %erent of generated %o$er in
transit& more than se!en times the losses of a $ell"run system& aording to the Asian
Ee!elo%ment :an' and the World :an'G and a la' of s%are high"!oltage grid a%aity
limits the transmission of %o$er from hydroeletri %lants in the north to ma'e u% for
shortfalls in the south#9onneting these !illages to the national grid $ould be !ery ostly&
thus gi!ing eah house a solar %anel $ould be ost effiient and $ould em%o$er %eo%le
both eonomially and soially#
,a'istani blog ,a'istaniat has re%orted %ratial e2am%les of the use of solar energy as
seen in some !illages of ,a'istan $here eah house has been %ro!ided $ith a solar %anel
thatRs suffiient to run an eletri fan and t$o energy sa!ing bulbs# ,rior to this
arrangement& the $hole !illage used to be %lunged in dar'ness at night# In Narian
Nhorian& a !illage about ;4 'ilometers from Islamabad& -44 solar %anels ha!e been
installed by a loal firm& free of ost& to %romote the use of solar energy# With these
%anels& the residents of -44 households are enAoying light and fan failities# This $ould
not ha!e ha%%ened for deades as the su%%ly of eletriity from the national grid $ould
be diffiult and ostly due to the mountainous terrain#
In addition to rene$able energy from the sun& ,a'istan is also fortunate to ha!e
something many other ountries do not& $hih are high $ind s%eeds near maAor enters#
Near Islamabad& the $ind s%eed is any$here from ?#7 to .#/ meters %er seond *bet$een
-3#= and -?#; miles %er hour+# Near Narahi& the range is bet$een ?#7 and ?#@ *bet$een
-3#= and -;#/ miles %er hour+# ,a'istan is also fortunate that in neighboring India& the
om%anySu(lon manufatures $ind turbines& thus dereasing trans%ortation osts#
Wor'ing $ith Su(lon& ,a'istan an begin to build its o$n $ind"turbine industry and
reate thousands of ne$ Aobs $hile sol!ing its energy %roblems# Su(lon turbines start to
turn at a s%eed of 3 meters %er seond# Kestas& $hih is one of the $orld6s largest $ind
turbine manufaturers& has $ind turbines that start turning at a s%eed of / meters %er
seond# In addition to Narahi and Islamabad& there are other areas in ,a'istan that
reei!e a signifiant amount of $ind#
In only the :alohistan and Sindh %ro!ines& suffiient $ind e2ists to %o$er e!ery
oastal !illage in the ountry# There also e2ists a orridor bet$een Gharo and Neti :andar
that alone ould %rodue bet$een /4&444 and ;4&444 mega$atts of eletriity& about
t$ie the urrent installed a%aity in ,a'istan& says Fs# Firiam Nat($ho has studied
and $ritten about alternati!e energy %otential in South Asia# Gi!en this sur%lus %otential&
,a'istan has muh to offer Asia $ith regards to $ind energy# In reent years& the
go!ernment has om%leted se!eral %roAets to demonstrate that $ind energy is !iable in
the ountry# In Fir%ur Sa'ro& =; miro turbines ha!e been installed to %o$er 3;? homes#
In Nund Falir& /4 turbines ha!e been installed& $hih %o$er --- homes# The Alternati!e
Energy Ee!elo%ment :oard *AEE:+ has also a)uired -=&444 ares for the installation of
more $ind turbines#
The !illage of Ghulam Fuhammad Goth& north of Narahi $ith %o%ulation of =44& about
-4 'm from the national %o$er grid& no$ reei!es %o$er from a small $indfarm
onsisting of -= $ind turbines eah a%able of generating ;44 $atts of eletriity#
Installed by the state"run ,a'istan 9ounil for Rene$able Energy and Tehnologies
*,9RET+& the farm %rodues enough to %o$er for eah home to ha!e t$o lo$"energy
bulbs& a fan and& most im%ortantly& a tele!ision set#
In addition to high $ind s%eeds near maAor enters as $ell as the Gharo and Neti :andar
orridor& ,a'istan is also !ery fortunate to ha!e many ri!ers and la'es# Wind turbines that
are situated in or near $ater enAoy an uninterru%ted flo$ of $ind& $hih !irtually
guarantees that %o$er $ill be a!ailable all the time# Within to$ns and ities& $ind s%eeds
an often hange )ui'ly due to the %resene of buildings and other strutures& $hih an
damage $ind turbines# In addition& many %eo%le do not $ish for turbines to be sited near
ities beause of noise& though these %roblems are often e2aggerated# Wind turbines ma'e
less noise than an offie and %eo%le omfortably arry on on!ersations $hile standing
near them#
Binally this year& ,a'istan a$arded a ontrat to a Tur'ish om%any to set u% a $ind farm
near Hyderabad# ,resident of Porlu EnerAi *,!t+ Ltd#& Furat Sungar :ursa& $ho signed
the agreement $ith HES9O *Hyderabad Eletri Su%%ly 9om%any+ in ,a'istan& said that
the estimated ost of ;4 FW %roAet $as -74 million dollars# He added the om%any $as
also onsidering to further e2%and the %roAet u% to 7;4FW# He said inenti!es offered
by ,a'istanRs rene$able energy %oliy $as a maAor fator in the om%anyRs deision to
in!est here# He said that a%aity of the $ind farm $ill be enhaned u%on suessful
om%letion of ;4 FW %hase# Porlu EnerAi has beome the first om%any to establish
$ind farm for %o$er generation in ,a'istan after signing Energy ,urhase Agreement
$ith Hyderabad Eletri Su%%ly 9or%oration for %urhase of si2 FW eletriity
generated at the om%anyRs faility in >him%ir# NE,RA *,a'istan6s %o$er regulator+ has
a$arded tariff of IS ents -7#-4;. ,er NWH& $hih is hea%er than the eletriity
generated from thermal soures# The %o$er generated from the first %hase $ould be
routed to the >him%ir gird station by HES9O and $ould be suffiient to eletrify ?&@44
homes in Hyderabad region# Harnessing the strong $inds oming from South West& the
$ind farm is first maAor ommerial $ind %o$er %roAet of the ountry& om%rising fi!e
to$ers in the first %hase $ith an installed a%aity of -#7FW $ind turbine generator %er
to$er#
The slo$do$n in the rene$able energy setor is li'ely to be tem%orary# ,resident Obama
is e2%eted to get the IS 9ongress to a%%ro!e S-;4b to su%%ort the IS rene$able energy
setor $ith large go!ernment inenti!es# The IS %oliy $ill li'ely boost the global
rene$able energy mar'et as $ell#
As ,a'istan gra%%les $ith its ri%%ling energy risis& it is im%ortant for the ountry to
ta'e ad!antage of its %reious natural resoures suh as the high $inds and the bright
sunshine& andbiofuels as by%roduts of its si(able sugar"ma'ing industry# Suh a strategy
$ill lead to lo$er osts of generation by reduing the need to im%ort oil# It6ll also hel%
redue arbon emissions& a maAor en!ironmental onern#
ISE OB SOLAR ENERGY BOR ,RESERKATION OB AGRI9ILTIRAL
,ROEI9TS

Solar energy has been used for time immemorial by man for his energy needs# The
intensity of use of solar energy also inreased as human rae %rogressed through the
initial ages $hen sun $as %ut to use not only for $armth& but also for %roduti!e
a%%liations#
Erying $as %erha%s the most im%ortant of suh %roduti!e a%%liations# Erying of food
grains& fruit and meat for storage& drying of timber and fire$ood& drying of earthen
utensils& et# $ere some suh %roduti!e a%%liations $here sunRs energy $as %ut to
effeti!e use#
We an say that food drying is a !ery sim%le anient s'ill# It re)uires a safe %lae to
s%read the food $here dry air in large )uantities an %ass o!er and beside thin %iees# Sun
is often used to %ro!ide the hot dry air# Ery& lean air inluding dry old air from any
soure $ill dehydrate food# Era%ing food o!er branhes or s%reading it on $ide shallo$
bas'ets on the roof is an old $ides%read tradition still in use around the $orld# Fany
other arrangements ha!e been used to su%%ort a thin s%read of food %iees# Some o%tions
that ha!e been used are to thread the %iees on a ord or a sti' and hang it o!er a fire&
$ood sto!e or from the rafter# Or one an bundle herbs or stra$flo$ers and sus%end them
from bushes or a door 'nob or nails in rooms $ith good !entilation#
:ut traditional sun drying methods often yield %oor )uality& sine the %rodut is not
%roteted against dust& rain and $ind& or e!en against insets& birds& rodents and domesti
animals $hile drying# Soiling& ontamination $ith miroorganism& of myoto2ins& and
infetion $ith disease"ausing germs are the result# They assert that the drying e)ui%ment
used in industriali(ed ountries o!eromes all of these %roblems& but unfortunately is not
!ery $ell suited for use in de!elo%ing ountries beause it re)uires substantial
in!estments and a $ell"de!elo%ed infrastruture# They further maintain that solar drying
failities ombine the ad!antages of traditional and industrial methods& namely lo$
in!estment osts and high %roduts )uality#
Eried foods are tasty& nutritious& light$eight& easy Mto"%re%are& and easy Mto"store and
use# The energy in%ut is less than $hat is needed is needed to free(e or an& and the
storage s%ae is minimal om%ared $ith that needed for anning Aars an free(er
ontainers#
The nutritional !alue of food is only minimally affeted by drying# Kitamin TAR is retained
during drying& ho$e!er& beause !itamin TAR is light sensiti!e& food ontaining it should
be stored in dar' %laes# Yello$ and dar' green !egetables& suh as %e%%ers& arrots
$inter s)uash& and s$eet %otatoes ha!e high !itamin TAR ontent# Kitamin T9R is destroyed
by e2%osure to heat& although retreating foods $ith lemon& orange& or %inea%%le Auie
inrease !itamin T9R ontat# Eried foods are high in fibre and arbohydrates and lo$ in
fat& ma'ing them healthy food hoies# Eried foods that are not om%letely dried are
suse%tible to mould# Firoorganism are effeti!ely 'illed $hen the internal tem%erature
of food reahes -/; degrees Bahrenheit *B+#
Eehydration of !egetables and other food ro%s by traditional methods of o%en"air sun
drying is not satisfatory& beause the %roduts deteriorate ra%idly# Burthermore&
traditional methods do not %rotet the %roduts from ontamination by dirt& debris&
insets& or germs# A study demonstrates that food items dried in a solar dryer $ere
su%erior to those $hih $ere sun dried $hen e!aluated in terms of taste& olour& and
mould ounts# It asserts that solar drying system must be de!elo%ed to utili(e this energy
resoure to im%ro!e food %reser!ation#
Erying is basially a heat and mass transfer %roess $here li)uid $ater from the surfae
and form inside the grains is !a%ori(ed& mi2ed $ith drying air and !a%our mi2ture
remo!ed# The drying air %ro!ides the heat# When drying foods& the 'ey is to remo!e
moisture as )ui'ly as %ossible at a tem%erature that does not seriously affet the fla!our&
te2ture and olour of the food# If the tem%erature is too lo$ in the beginning&
miroorganisms may gro$ before the food is ade)uately dried# The food may harden on
the surfae# If the tem%erature is too high and the humidity is too lo$& it ma'es it more
diffiult for moisture to esa%e and the food does not dry %ro%erly# Although drying is a
relati!ely sim%le method of food %reser!ation& the %roedure is not e2at#
:In industries& dryers are used for drying of %o$ders& seeds& loth& %a%er& yarn and a large
number of other %roduts# The basi obAeti!e of drying o%erations in industries is to
remo!e the moisture $hih has ome into %rodut during the %roess of manufature#
This is neessary to ma'e the %rodut suitable for mar'eting and also for inreasing the
shelf life# A maAority of industrial dryers use steamCeletriity for hearting o%eration
re)uired for remo!al of moisture#
Some dryers also use fuels li'e 'erosene and diesel for hearting the air $hih is to
remo!e the moisture# Fost of these dryers $or' at tem%eratures ranging bet$een ?4 and
.4 9# Fany dryers tem%erature limits are s%eified at e!en lo$er !alue so that %roduts
$hih are heat sensiti!e are not s%oiled beause of o!er heating# It is also 'no$n that
most of these dryers $or' at effiienies bet$een 34 and ? %er ent in om%arison to
e!en lo$ effiieny of o%en sun drying# This sho$s the enormous& %otential a!ailable for
sa!ing of on!entional fuels be on!ersion& $here!er %ossible& to solar energy based
drying o%erations#
Ise of solar energy for drying in industries an also offer ad!antages li'e better )uality of
the %rodut& less %ollution and freedom from unreliable su%%ly of oil& eletriity and oal#
In fat in many small sale industries it has been seen that )ui' drying is the bottle"ne'
o%eration in inreasing the %roduti!ity# These industries ha!e then to resort to o%en sun
drying of their %rodut $hih not only re)uires s%ae but also inreases drying time and
redues the %roduti!ity#
Erying %reser!es foods by remo!ing enough moisture from food to %re!ent deay and
s%oilage# Water ontent of %ro%erly dried food !aries from ; to 7; %erent de%ending on
the food# Suessful drying de%ends onH
*i+ Enough heat to dra$ out moisture& $ithout oo'ing the foodG
*ii+ Ery air to absorb the released moistureG and
*iii+ Ade)uate air irulation to arry off the moisture#
No$ $e loo' in agriulture in our ountry $here a substantial )uantity of our ountryRs
grain and fruit %rodution is $asted beause of inade)uate and im%ro%er storage
failities# Gro$th of insets and fungus $hih are the t$o main reasons for s%oilage of
these materials an be %re!ented to a large e2tent by ensuring redution of moisture
ontents to safe limits before storage# E2tensi!e researh has been arried out on the
moisture re)uirements of !arious ty%es of food material before they an be stored for
long term# Table sho$s the reommended !alues of final moisture ontent of !arious food
materials for long term and safe storage# *See Table"-+
The drying of food material is %rimarily a lo$ tem%erature o%eration as higher
tem%eratures are li'ely to result in destrution of nutrients and fla!our of the food#
Reommended !alues of drying tem%eratures for !arious food materials are gi!en in the
table# A study of these tem%eratures re!eals the reason $hy solar energy is being
onsidered as a%%ro%riate soures of energy for drying#
It is $ell 'no$n that solar energy olletion is most effiient at tem%erature u% to .4 9#
While use of on!entional fuels at lo$ tem%erature ranges is a most ineffiient $ay of
using these high grade energy soures# Karious ty%es of dryers ha!e been de!elo%ed at a
number of institutes for use& es%eially for agriultural %roduts# These dryers ha!e been
used for drying of seeds& %addy& !arious ty%es of fruits& hillies and a !ariety of other
!egetable %roduts# The a%aities of these dryers range from a fe$ 'gCday to a fe$
tonesCday# *See Table"7+
Karious agriultural %roduts re)uire redution in their moisture ontents for storage
%ur%oses# Foisture ontents of ,addy are oil seeds& orn et# are redued for safe storage#
Eehydration of !egetables and fruits is a hea% method of storing these %roduts for off"
season method use# SimilarlyG tea lea!es& tobao lea!es and offee also re)uire drying#
Traditionally solar energy has been used to dry agriultural %roduts by s%reading them
on the ground in o%en sun# This method of o%en sun drying is !ery time onsuming# Also
the %rodut gets ontaminated by dirt and insets# The use of solar dryers o!eromes
these %roblems to large e2tent#
Solar dryers ma'e use of solar heated air for drying agriultural %roduts# Solar dryers
de!elo%ed so far are of t$o ty%esG
*-+ Bored on!eti!e solar dryer
The solar dryer onsists of solar air heater of flat %lat ty%e and a drying hamber# The air
heater forms the roof and drying hamber is %laed in an enlosure formed under the air
heater# The air heater is onneted to the drying hamber through an air blo$er# The
blo$er su's air through the air heater and blo$s it through the drying hamber# A
shemati of the system is sho$ing figure# The solar air heater *flat %late ty%e+ has air
flo$ de%th of 7#; m#
It onsists of four sheets in %arallel $ith total area of 7=m7# the drying hamber has been
designed for manual loading and unloading of %rodut to be dried# Ee%th of grains an be
u% to /4m#
*7+ Natural on!eti!e solar dryer
Natural on!eti!e solar dryer onsists on three different ty%es
U 9abinet dryer
U Fulti"ra' dryer
U Fini multi"ra' dryer
9abinet dryer
It is a singe ra' natural on!eti!e dryer# It is a $ooden hot bo2 $ith glass at the to%#
The %rodue to be dried is %laed on a %erforated tray# Holes are %ro!ided for natural
on!eti!e flo$ of air#
Fulti"ra' dryer
In the abinet dryer the dry air omes in ontat $ith the %rodut only one# This air has
still a%aity to remo!e more moisture if it ould be %assed through additional layers of
%rodut#
Fini Fulti"ra' dryer
A small si(ed multi"ra' dryer in $hih ; trays at ; different le!els in !ertial diretion
an be %laed& may be designed for houseMhold use#
These solar dryers are !ery lo$ ost e!en a middle lass farmer an also made them at a
lo$ ost fe$ hundred ru%ees and an use them for long years# Ise of solar dryers for
agriulture %ur%ose in de!elo%ing ountries li'e ,a'istan has a $ide so%e as $ater for
irrigation is a!ailable for us for a fe$ days on ounting system and $e ha!e a limited
time to sa!e our ro%s after har!esting and to so$ing ne2t ro%s# This time shortage
%roblem an be o!erome by using lo$ ost solar dryers beause they dried the ro%s&
$hih need . days for drying& in . hours#
Another fator is !ery im%ortant to remember *$hih is one of maAor reasons to use solar
dryers+ is our regional $eather& $hih is se!ere and not reliable and destroys a substantial
our food& !egetables and ro%s# If you $ant to beome a modern ulti!ator and $ant to
earn a reasonable a%ital by sa!ing y our time and ro%s& then these dryers are not out of
reah#
TA:LE"-H INITIAL F#9# < BINAL F#9# OB KARIOIS ,ROEI9TS
Har!esting ornCBruitsC!egetables et# Initial F#9# Binal F#9# after dehydration
*5+ *5+
9ereals < grains -?"34 -4"-7
,ulses 74"77 @"-4
Oilseeds -7"-/ ."@
Kegetables ?4"=4 -4"-7
Bruits ?4"@4 -4"-7
Tea lea!es ;4 =
9offee beans ;4 -7
NoteH F#9# stands for moisture ontents

TA:LE"7H O,TIFIF TEF,ERATIRE RANGE
BOR EEHYERATION OB BRIITS ANE KEGETA:LES
Kegetables O%timum Bruits O%timum
Tem%erature *o+ Tem%erature *9o+
:itter Gourd ?;".4 A%%les ?4"?;
:ringer ;4";; A%riot ;;"?4
9abbage ?4"?; :ananas ;4";;
9arrot ?;".4 Gra%es ?;"=;
9auliflo$er ?4"?; ,eahes ?4".4
Garli ;;"?4 ,ears ?4"?;
O'ra *lady finger+ ?;".4 :eers ?4"=4
Onion ?4"?; ,omegranates ;4"?4
,eas ?4"?; Bigs ;4"?4
,otatoes ?4"?; Eates ?4"=4
,um%'in ?;".4
S%inah ?;".4
Tomatoes ?4"?;
Turni% ;4";;
Groundnut /4"/; Seed %ur%ose M should not be more than /4o9#
9hillies /4"/; Blo$er %erfume /;o9
Tobao 34"3;
Tea 34"3;
,ROS,E9TS OB SOLAR ENERGY IN ,ANISTAN
The need of eletrifiation of entire ,a'istan has beome essential for our eonomi
re!i!al# ,a'istan still aounts for only 4#; %er ent of the $orldRs total energy
onsum%tion although energy onsum%tion in our ountry has nearly tri%led during the
last 74 years or so#
Ees%ite this three fold inrease in installed eletriity generation a%aity& less than half
of the house"holds are eletrified and %er a%ita eletriity su%%ly is only //3 '$h %er
year against -7&;44 '$h in the ISA and .&;44 '$h in >a%an#
There has been lot of tal's in the %ress reently about %o$er defiieny in ,a'istan and
on %oor %erformane of onerned authorities# ,a'istan has about -.&444 m$ of installed
eletri a%aity# Thermal %lants ma'e u% about ?= %er ent of a%aity& $ith
hydroeletriity ma'ing u% 34 %er ent and nulear %o$er 7 %er ent only#
Ees%ite abundane of surfae $ater& gas and oal in our ountry& the %otential for
harnessing these soures is limited at best and $e are o%ting for ostly im%orted oil for
%o$er generation $hih osts us Rs=4 billion annually#
Inder the senario& eletrial %o$er through rene$able soures of energy has been fast
%roAeted as an attrati!e o%tion for ,a'istan# This artile re!ie$s only %ros%ets of solar
energy in ,a'istan and failure or suess of other soures of rene$able energy are left for
some other time#
In a broadest sense& solar energy su%%orts all life on earth and is basis of almost e!ery
form of energy $hih $e use# Amount of solar energy that falls on earth is enormous# It
$ill be sur%rising to note that all energy stored in earthRs reser!es of oal& oil and natural
gas is Aust e)ui!alent to energy from only 74 days of sunshine# Yet solar energy aounts
for only - %er ent of global energy soures#
,ro%onents of solar energy are no$ on!ined that the de!elo%ment and ada%tation of
solar energy tehnology in ,a'istan an bring a re!olution in the life style and li!ing
standards of lo$ inome %eo%le li!ing in the remote areas# While %ro%agating this o%tion
they fail to understand that infrastruture& re)uired 'no$"ho$ and limited %rodution
le!els are the bottlene's in the mass sale ada%tation of solar energy# Bor years $e ha!e
been %ro!iding inenti!es and funds for %ratial demonstration of solar energy&
on!ining the %eo%le for their utilities& eduating the masses and de!elo%ing the %ilot
sale ati!ities for its %romotion but ould not ahie!e a brea'through as yet due to these
limitations#
The role of solar energy has been negligible in the total energy %iture of ,a'istan# Solar
energy tehnology has so far been used in our ountry only for demonstration %ur%oses#
The e2%eriments in the %ast in this area $ere not so suessful due to !ariety of reasons
inluding la' of understanding and handling of this tehnology#
The solar energy tehnologies ha!e not been e2%loited on a large sale for a number of
reasons suh as& high ost& la' of moti!ation and inade)uate demonstration of effeti!e
use of the tehnology# Reently there is a reali(ation among go!ernment irles& about the
neessity of using solar energy for the %ur%ose of sa!ing the en!ironment and soio"
eonomi u%lift of the %eo%les li!ing in the remote areas#
Traditional energy soures li'e fire$ood& animal dung& and bagasse *the $oody residue
left"o!er from rushed sugar"ane+ still ma'e u% more than half of all energy onsumed
in the rural areas# There is no denying the fat that solar"generated eletriity $ill
im%ro!e rural life& thereby reduing the urban migration that is ta2ing the ability of ities
to o%e $ith their o$n en!ironmental %roblems# Burther& by harnessing solar %o$er for
energy in rural areas reliane on fire$ood $ould be redued onsiderably but )uestion
arises that ho$ to bring the 'no$"ho$ for o%erating suh deliate systems in remote
areas of the ountryV
Thar in Sindh and entire :alohistan %ro!ine is onsidered ideal for utili(ation of solar
energy# In :alohistan& =4 %er ent of the %o%ulation li!es in the rural areas# The
%o%ulation density is !ery thin and !illages are se%arated by large distanes $ith
absolutely no a%%roah roads# About =; %er ent of the !illages are yet to be eletrified#
Light is the only re)uirement for these houses loated in remote areas of the %ro!ine and
the eletri re)uirement for eah house is -44 $att at ma2imum# E2tension of grid lines
for suh small %o$er re)uirements $ould ertainly be !ery uneonomial and loal
%o$er generation ould be the best solution# In ase& diesel generators are used&
trans%ortation of fuel to suh remote areas and maintenane is again ostly %ro%osition
therefore solar energy seems an attrati!e o%tion for these areas#
,a'istan is ideally loated in the sun belt to ta'e ad!antage of solar energy tehnologies#
This energy soure is $idely distributed and abundantly a!ailable in the ountry#
:alohistan %ro!ine is %artiularly rih in solar energy# It has the highest annual mean
sunshine duration in the $orld#
Im%ressed by ad!antages of solar %o$er li'e infinite and rene$able amount of energy&
en!ironment friendliness and fuel"less %o$er generation the go!ernment of ,a'istan
under the umbrella of Finistry of Siene and Tehnology some 74 years ago& aorded
to% %riority to solar %o$er generation and for that matter established some researh and
de!elo%ment institutes li'e the National Institute of Silion Tehnology *NIST+& the
,a'istan 9ounil of A%%ro%riate Tehnology *,9AT+ and the Solar Energy Researh
9entre *SER9+ and the ,a'istan 9ounil of Sientifi and Industrial Researh *,9SIR+#
In addition to it ertain de%artments in !arious national engineering uni!ersities $ere
in!ol!ed in solar thermal tehnologies#
No$ t$o deades after s%ending millions of ru%ees on the establishment& a%ital and
o%erational ost on these institutes $e ha!e been only able to de!elo% some solar thermal
a%%lianes suh as solar $ater heaters& solar oo'ers& solar dryers& solar desalination
%lants only for demonstration %ur%oses and these institutes ould not ahie!e a
brea'though in solar energy#
:eause of the la' of tehnial 'no$"ho$ and follo$"u%& these systems ha!e not gi!en
the re)uired benefits# The most unfortunate e%isode of this solar %o$er generation dri!e
in ,a'istan is that the NIST and the ,9AT ha!e been $ound u% and a ne$ organi(ation
namely the ,a'istan 9ounil for Rene$able Energy Tehnology *,9RET+ has been
established to further s%end a%ital resoures on failed and unom%leted %roAets of NIST
and ,A9T#
Burther& the diretorate of rene$able energy of the Finistry of ,etroleum and Natural
Resoures has been losed after the failure of the %roAet for solari(ation of some seleted
!illages of the ountry# The roll of ertain de%artments of the E<FE 9ollege of the
National Ini!ersity of Siene and Tehnology# Ra$al%indi& the NEE Ini!ersity&
Narahi& the GIN Institute of Siene and Tehnology& To%i& the Ini!ersity of
Engineering and Tehnology& Lahore& and the Fehran Ini!ersity of Engineering and
Tehnology& >amshoro& remained limited to aademi nature for om%leting the thesis
re)uirement of engineering graduates#
No$ the reason behind this institutional failure of harnessing solar %o$er in ,a'istan is
due to the fat that more than o%timist %ro%onents of the solar energy did not ta'e into
aount the tehnologial barrier of a de!elo%ing ountry li'e ours and disad!antages of
solar energy& $hih ertainly outnumber its ad!antages# In order to 'ee% a balaned
%ers%eti!e of solar %o$er utili(ation it is %ertinent that disad!antages of solar energy
must also be mentioned for e!aluating the %ros%ets of solar energy use in ,a'istan#
A%art from general hurdles of ost effeti!eness& olletion& on!ersion and storage of
solar energy the other %otential bottle ne' in %romotion of solar %o$er is la' of trained
tehniians to design& install and maintain solar eletri system %artiularly in ountry"
$ide remote areas# ,ro%onents of solar eletriity systems for off"grid small !illages fail
to understand the 'ey fat of illiteray in our !illages# The !ital %oint to onsider is that
$hen tehnially )ualified staff of onerned authorities has failed to demonstrate and
ma'e %ilot sale solar generated system run effiiently& ho$ an $e e2%et that a non"
)ualified illiterate d$ellers of our remote areas $ill su%er!ise and o%erate a solar systemV
Burther lo$ effiieny of solar ells& non"a!ailability of household a%%lianes that run on
lo$ !oltages& re)uirement and maintenane of ba'u% energy soures li'e batteries for
ha!ing eletriity in night are other %otential reasons for $hih dream of solar
eletrifiation in remote areas of our ountry ould not turn into a reality#
To to% it all another signifiant barrier in %romotion of solar %o$er in ,a'istan $hih has
ne!er been onsidered by the %ro%onents of solar energy is our dusty atmos%here#
Whether it is a %hoto!oltai ty%e or thermal olletor ty%e solar eletriity generation
unit& the %erformane of the system diretly de%ends u%on obstale"free ontat of
sunlight to the system#
Any blo'age of the sunlight to the system $ould ertainly derease the effiieny of the
system# In all of our %otential areas of Thar and :alohistan $here solar %o$er is being
onsidered dust storms are a note$orthy atmos%heri harateristi# Therefore a thin
layer of dust %artiles $ill ertainly de%osit on %hoto!oltai de!ie or thermal olletor
glass thus reduing the sunlight intensity on the system Aust li'e louds and fog $hih
ultimately dereases the %erformane of the solar system#
Nee%ing in !ie$ these limitations of solar energy& e!aluating the %ast %oor %erformane
of onerned institutes and onsidering la' of )ualified man%o$er to design& install&
su%er!ise and o%erate the solar system it seems that solar %o$er eletriity generation in
,a'istan e!en on small household sale le!el in remote areas is not a good %ro%osition#
We need to ado%t a %o$er generating tehnology that is eonomially feasible and
en!ironmentally sound# We are not at the leading edge of tehnologial researh# This
situation gi!es us an o%%ortunity to learn from other %eo%leRs e2%erienes and mista'es
instead of %utting our meagre resoures in e2%eriments and trials#
Itili(ing Solar Energy in ,a'istan
In these days of esalating oil %ries& itRs beoming e2tremely diffiult for a ommon
iti(en to %ay off monthly eletriity bills# The bills 'ee% soaring day by day and there
seems to be no res%ite in foreseeable future# These bills an be redued by resorting to
other methods of generating eletriity& solar being one of them#
This artile d$ells on the disussion regarding %rodution of eletriity through solar
means and disusses a ost"effeti!e strategy to ahie!e this end#
The %hoto abo!e sho$s Solar ,anels being used for $ater e2tration in !illage Rar'ou in
Nagar%ar'ar& Sindh
The use of solar energy for the generation of eletriity is not something ne$# Fost of the
ountries are doing it suessfully for deades and their %o%ulation benefiting through the
use of this free resoure# :ut& to most of the %eo%le& it may still loo' li'e a mystery# These
days& this energy is being utili(ed to light our homes& run fans& %ro!ide %o$er to our
fridges and miro$a!e o!ens& assist in $arming our homes and s$imming %ools& %ro!ide
%o$er to our gardens and street lights& run our TKs and om%uters& and e2trat $ater
from the sub"soil for irrigation %ur%oses#
A %ratial e2am%le of the use of solar energy ould be seen in some !illages of ,a'istan
$here eah house has been %ro!ided $ith a solar %anel thatRs suffiient to run an eletri
fan and t$o energy sa!ing bulbs# ,rior to this arrangement& the $hole !illage used to be
%lunged in %ith dar' during night# One suh e2am%le is the !illage $ith the name
of Narian Nhorian& some ;4 'ilometers a$ay from Islamabad& $here -44 solar
%anels ha!e been installed by a loal firm& free of ost& to %romote the use of solar energy
among the masses# Through these %anels& the residents of -44 households are enAoying
light and fan failities# Had these %anels not been installed& the %eo%le li!ing in this area
$ouldnRt ha!e e!en dreamt of getting this faility for deades as the %ro!ision of
eletriity from the national grid $as a far ry due to the diffiult terrain and high
e2%enses in!ol!ed#
A layman $ould normally be interested in 'no$ing as to ho$ eletriity ould be
%rodued using energy from the sun# Sim%ly %ut& it an be said that the basi item
re)uired to generate this eletriity is a solar ell& a%%ro2imately 7 inhes 2 -C7 inh in
dimension# These ells may be a!ailable in other dimensions as $ell# Some =4 to -44 or
e!en more suh ells are %asted on a tam%ered glass sheet $hose dimensions are
generally -#; feet 2 / feet# The glass sheet $ith ells %asted on it and inter"onneted& is
alled a solar %anel# The light from the sun is used to generate eletriity through these
ells# It may be larified that itRs the sunRs light and not its heat that %rodues eletriity#
The solar ells are alled %hoto!oltais *,K+G the $ord ,hoto meaning light and !oltais
eletriity# The life of a solar %anel is a%%ro2imately 74 to 7; yearsW
To gi!e you an e2am%le of the use of solar energy& you must ha!e notied solar %anels
installed on %oles along $ith the tele%hone booths on your left hand side $hile
ommuting on the Fotor$ay# Eah of these tele%hones is being %o$ered by this %anel# A
battery is installed beneath eah solar %anel to store energy for 'ee%ing the tele%hone in
o%eration during night $hen thereRs no sun light# ItRs a stand"alone system& entirely
%o$ered by solar energy# Euring emergeny& the ommuters ma'e use of these tele%hones
and all for hel%#
To gi!e you another e2am%le& if you ha%%en to dri!e from Ra$al%indi *Bai(abad+ to$ards
Furree on the ne$ly onstruted Furree Road& you $ould see on your right hand side
blin'ing red ha(ard lights installed at the to% of eah WA,EA %ole# Eah of these lights is
being %o$ered by a stand"alone solar system i#e# a solar %anel and a battery# >ust imagine&
ho$ muh e2%ensi!e and full of hassle it $ould ha!e been if solar %anels $erenRt used
for this %ur%ose and these lights $ere %ro!ided normal eletri onnetionsW
In the %hoto abo!e& solar %anels are !isible to$ards left# These Solar %anels are being
used for %ro!iding eletriity to e2trat $ater and dri% irrigation system# Solar %anels are
%ro!ided by Thardee% Rural Ee!elo%ment ,rogramme *TRE,+ $here as Firo Eri% has
%ro!ided the dri% irrigation in a Nagar%ar'ar& Sindh !illage alled Wandhan Ao Wandio#
The region of Ne!arra& S%ain& is generating .4 %er ent of its eletriity through solar and
$ind energy# And& mind you& this region doesnRt ha!e any oal& gas or oil of its o$n# ItRs
really a lassi e2am%le of ma'ing the best use of rene$able energy in any ountry of the
$orldW :ut& the )uestion that automatially ro%s u% oneRs mind isH XIf it an be done in
S%ain& $hy anRt it be done in our ountryVY The ans$er is a big XYesY#
I $ill substantiate my statement by %resenting you a strategy $hih& if follo$ed& ould be
instrumental in generating this eletriity in the most ost"effeti!e manner# The ost of
the solar systems an be brought do$n if $e go for the manufature of solar %anels in
ountry# Solar %anels basially utili(e solar ells in their manufature# # In one %anel&
a%%ro2imately& =4 or more solar ells are used& de%ending u%on the %o$er re)uired and
the eletri gadgets you $ant to run utili(ing these %anels# Eah solar ell osts
a%%ro2imately Rs# -444 if im%orted from abroad# These ells $ould be re)uired in
millions or may be in billions if re)uirement of the $hole ountry is to be met#
We annot im%ort suh a huge )uantity of solar ells from other ountries due to finanial
onstraints# So& naturally& there $ould be no other o%tion but to resort to manufaturing
these ells in our o$n ountry# One it has been deided in %rini%le to manufature solar
ells in ,a'istan& then $e $ould loo' for three basi re)uirements i#e# ra$ material&
trained man%o$er and neessary infrastruture#
The basi ra$ material *)uart(+ is a!ailable in abundane in the northern areas of our
ountry# :ut& this ra$ material is useless for us as far as its %urifiation and de!elo%ment
to a stage $here this ra$ material ould be on!erted into solar ells is onerned# This
e)ui%ment $ill ha!e to be im%ortedG but it $ould be a one"time in!estment# One $ould
be sur%rised to 'no$ that this ra$ material is being utili(ed by the loal %o%ulation of
Northern areas for raising the $alls of their houses in %lae of bri's as the %oor
sim%letons donRt 'no$ its !alue# Some of them ta'e it for marble as $ellW
The other ra$ material re)uired to manufature solar ells is silia *sand+ $hihRs in
ine2haustible )uantity in Ri!er Sindh as $ater these days is other$ise in less )uantity in
our ri!ers# At least $e should ma'e use of silia in the manufature of solar ells# So& to
!enture into manufaturing of solar %anels& both the ra$ materials are a!ailable#
The other re)uirement is that of man%o$er# I ha!e no )ualms in ma'ing a statement here
that $e ha!e the finest and the most hard"$or'ing& s'illed man%o$er a!ailable in
ountry# Brom my %ersonal e2%eriene& I ould say $ith on!ition that the retired
%ersonnel of the defene ser!ies $ho ha!e been $or'ing on eletronis and
teleommuniation e)ui%ment during their ser!ie areers $ould be the best hoie for
de%loyment on the manufature of solar %anels and ells# These %eo%le are highly s'illed
and disi%lined and get retired at an early age# Shaheen Boundation& Islamabad maintains
an u%"to"date om%uteri(ed reord of suh %ersonnel $ho are Aust a tele%hone all a$ay#
The e2%ertise of suh $or'ers is not less than any $or'er de%loyed in the $estern
ountries for suh Aobs# The only differene is that a Euro%ean $or'er of suh alibre gets
IS S /; %er hour $hereas a ,a'istani $or'er& if he is %aid S; %er hour *or e!en less+ in
his o$n ountry $ould be the ha%%iest man around#
While starting manufaturing of solar ells& it $ould be ad!isable if $e do it in
ollaboration $ith a $orld"reno$ned om%any as India has done# It had a Aoint !enture
for the manufature of $ind turbines $ith a om%any that has 7?444 $ind turbines to its
reditW This om%any has a name in $ind industry and its $ind turbines are being used
the $orld o!erW This $ay& $e $ould lay our hands on the best and the latest tehnology in
the field of solar energy and our man%o$er $ould also be trained through short
orientation ourses as they already %ossess sound 'no$ledge and strong tehnial base#
:y ado%ting this strategy& the ost of the solar ells is bound to redue drastially $ith the
result that these X%rohibiti!ely ostlyY solar %anels $ould ome $ithin the reah of e!ery
iti(en and the day $ouldnRt be far $hen $eRd see these %anels mounted on eah and
e!ery roof in eah ity of the ountry inluding the rural areas# The energy risis $ould
thus be a history for our iti(ens#
,resently& thereRs one and the only one fatory manufaturing solar %anels in ,a'istan
$hihRs loated at Hattar Industrial Area near Ta2ila& -"-C7 hours dri!e from Islamabad#
:ut& due to !arious om%ulsions& itRs im%orting these ostly ells from abroad at an
e2orbitant %rie#
In a solar system& a%art from solar %anels *$hih inlude solar ells+& tam%ered glass
sheets& batteries and in!erters *to on!ert E9 eletriity into A9+ are also used# We ha!e
innumerable fatories %roduing good batteries in our ountryG so thereRs no %roblem in
their manufatureW Rather& $e an go for maintenane"free batteriesW >ust augmentation of
the manufaturing failities of the e2isting fatories is re)uired#
Regarding tam%ered glass& $e ha!e many glass manufaturing fatories in ,a'istan# In
this ase as $ell& $eRll ha!e to augment their e2isting failities to %rodue tam%ered glass
of re)uired s%eifiations# Again& I may mention here that itRs a tam%ered glass sheet on
$hih solar ells are %astedG this glass sheet $ith solar ells %asted on it is alled a solar
%anel# Tam%ered glass is after all glass and nothing else# Re)uired mahinery ould be
im%orted and installed in our e2isting glass manufaturing fatories# ThereRs no need to
set u% se%arate& dediated fatories for eah item# LetRs ma'e best use of our e2isting
failities $ith a bit of augmentation# This a%%roah $ould be highly ost"effeti!eW
As far as on!erter is onerned& $eRre already manufaturing thousands of them for our
I,SRs $hih are installed in eah and e!ery house no$& than's to load sheddingW
ItRs generally %erei!ed and is true also that the ost of using solar energy is %rohibiti!ely
high# :ut then somebody should ans$er my )uestion tooH If the ost is really that high&
then ho$ Ne!arra is o%ing u% $ith this high ostV The authorities in Ne!arra must ha!e
ta'en some tangible measures to bring the ost do$n& out of $hih& one ould be the
manufature of solar %anels inluding solar ells indigenously# If the use of solar energy
$as that ostly& then Ne!arra $ould ha!e abandoned this initiati!e long ago# I $ould also
li'e to as' suh %eo%leH If the ost is that high then $hy the entire Euro%e is still ma'ing
use of this form of energy $hile the sunshine is !ery sare in the Euro%ean ountries#
We ha!e to ado%t measures to bring this ost do$n so that an ordinary ,a'istani ould
%urhase this system# And to do that& all the %oints are in our fa!our#
In!esting in a solar eletri system has many benefits# It allo$s you to %rodue your o$n
eletriity $ith no noise& no air %ollution& and no mo!ing %arts# Foreo!er& this system
$ould ne!er run out of fuel *sun light+& and it $ill hel% redue the amount of greenhouse
gasses emitted by oal and natural gas"fired %o$er %lants# Eue to these uni)ue
harateristis& solar eletri tehnology has been alled Xthe ultimate energy soure for
the 7-st enturyY#
There are ountries $here %eo%le using solar energy ha!e o!ered the entire roof to%s of
their houses $ith solar %anels# TheyRre generating eletriity $hih is meeting& if not full&
at least a %art of their eletriity re)uirements# As the ost of eletriity %ro!ided by
utility om%anies rises& they $ould be om%elled to resort to solar energy in a big $ay#
In some ountries& solar systems ha!e beome so %o%ular that senior iti(ens are
in!esting their %ension money in solar %ar's# The solar %anels in these %ar's are
onneted to tra'ing de!ies that generate u% to /45 more energy than fi2ed systems#
One solar %ar' is o$ned by as many as .44 to =44 indi!idual in!estors& eah of $hom
o$ns one or t$o large solar %anels in that %ar'# The inome reei!ed from these %anels
adds to their %ension amount and is guaranteed to be %aid by the utility om%anies for 7;
years# The ost of suh %anels is substantially redued $ith a ta2 onession from the
go!ernment# As the annual inome is guaranteed& there is a long $aiting list of $illing
in!estors#
Another use of solar energy ould be in the form of solar oo'ers# A solar oo'er is
nothing but a ona!e mirror fi2ed on a metalli stand# The mirror on!erges sunRs rays
at a foal %oint through refletion $here a utensil is %laed that gets heated# I ha!e myself
ta'en tea %re%ared on a solar oo'erW >ust imagineW Si2 thousand refugee families in
Sudan are ma'ing use of these oo'ers suessfully# Earlier& the $omen fol' used to go
out and bring thorny bushes as fuel for oo'ing %ur%oses# With the arri!al of the solar
oo'ers& this %ratie has eased and the forests are also sa!ed# The %eo%le li!ing in our
hilly areas an emulate their e2am%le and use these oo'ers $hih might not be osting
more than Rs# -444 eahW I may mention here that a solar oo'er doesnRt utili(e solar
ells# It utili(es Aust the refletion of sunRs rays& and the sunRs rays are freeW
To onlude& it an be said that solar energy is one of the most !iable o%tions for
,a'istan# E!en ountries $ith less sun light are ma'ing the best use of this free resoure
*sun light+# We& in ,a'istan& arenRt short of sun light as sun shines on the entire length and
breadth of the ountry throughout the year# We an ma'e use of this ine2haustible
resoure and ontribute to$ards meeting the shortfall of eletriity# If $e donRt do it no$&
then it $ould be Aust a matter of time $hen oil $ould be touhing S 744 a barrel and the
World :an' $ould be %ressing us hard to inrease the eletriity %rie by -44 5# Then&
$e $ould be left $ith no o%tion but to grab e!ery o%%ortunity to generate eletriity from
any a!ailable soure& $hat"so"e!erW We should o%t for the manufature of solar %anels
inluding solar ells in"ountry# Bor this %ur%ose& $e should establish not one but se!eral
fatories for the manufature of solar %anels and ells in ,a'istan# We ha!e unimaginable
)uantities of ra$ material at our dis%osal and our man%o$er is seond to none# With the
a!ailability of abundant ra$ material at thro$"a$ay %rie and the hea%est yet highly
s'illed tehnial man%o$er& the %rofits that $ould be arued is mind bogglingW& ItRs said
that if enough solar %anels using indigenous solar ell are installed and energy
effiienies are ensured& the home o$ners an reei!e a (ero %o$er billW
HOW SOLAR ENERGY 9AN :ENBIT ANE ,OSSI:LY ,ROBIT ,ANISTAN
A siene teaher e2%alined to me the ons of solar %o$er %anels# They interfier $ith the
natural distribution of sunlight to %lants# So if you ha!e a garden of !arious %lants $ith
solar %anels the %lants aren6t getting the natural amount of sunlight needed beause the
%anels are onsantly obsorbing sunlight oming through#
:ut in some areas of ,a'istan $e an still benifit form the use solar %anels# :eause of
global $arming areas in balohistan are getting hotter and more sun radiation $ill harm
%eo%le and %lants so in those areas solar %anels an be !ery useful they6ll %rodue so
muh eletriity and redue the heat and radiation s%reading on the landmass so in
:alohistan and Sindh it an be benifiial#
:ut in northern areas there6s alot of forests and %lants so %eo%le there should use
$indmills or use $ater turbines instead of solar %anels#
And beause the southern %ro!ines reie!e suh hea!y heat throught the year& solar
energy an be sa!ed and e2%orted to ountries that reie!e little of it in the $inters li'e
sandina!ian ountries or %arts of 9anada#
These ountries $ould des%erately need energy in the $inters to 'ee% heating systems
going and other things that re)uire energy#
Additionally a good suggestion $ould be for ,a'istan6s %o%ulation to slo$ly s$ith to
eletri sto!es from gas sto!es# This de%endeny on gas has to sto% at some %oint or $e
ha!e no future as a ountry#
:ut $hat are %eo%les thoughts on thisV ,erha%s en!iorenmentalists in ,a'istan an
researh into this and %erha%s ,a'istanis an donate money into %roAets#
This $ill be benifiial for all#
SOLAR ,OWER BOR ,ANISTAN
Bai(an Ahmad s%ent the summer of 744. $or'ing to bring solar"%o$ered eletriity and
solar"%o$ered $ater %urifiation to !illagers in the Thar Eesert of ,a'istan# The 7-"year"
old Narahi nati!e is studying ,hysis and Fehanial Engineering at the Ini!ersity of
Eayton& and $or'ed in ,a'istan through Engineers in Tehnial Humanitarian
O%%ortunities of Ser!ie"
learning *ETHOS+& a %rogram
of the I# of Eayton Shool of
Engineering#
Bai(an had originally been
assigned an ETHOS internshi%
in Niaragua& but that %lan fell
through late in the %roess due
to !isa diffiulties#
When did your Niaragua %lans
fall throughV
I $as su%%osed to lea!e for
Niaragua on Fay ?# Then
sine $e still didnRt ha!e
learane& $e delayed it to Fay
-3# Binally& on Fay -4 $e faed the fat it Aust $asnRt going to ha%%en# I $as so
disouraged# I had s%ent the $hole semester %re%aring for the Niaragua internshi%# IRd
a%%lied for my !isa t$o months ahead of time# IRd ta'en a semester"long ourse to
%re%are for Niaragua& o!ering tehnial& ultural& and linguisti as%ets of the
internshi%# And I had no ,lan :#
Ho$ did the idea of going to ,a'istan ome aboutV
We $ere srambling to try to )ui'ly reate a similar internshi% some$here in the Inited
States# I $as ha!ing my usual $ee'end %hone on!ersation $ith my %arents in Narahi
and tal'ing about $hat $e $ere loo'ing to do# Fy father is an eletrial engineer& and he
mentioned offhand that o%%ortunities li'e this ould also e2ist in ,a'istan# Through some
of his ontats& $e got in touh $ith the Alternati!e Energy Ee!elo%ment :oard *AEE:+
in ,a'istan and $e )ui'ly set u% the internshi% and got it a%%ro!ed and funded by
ETHOS& $hih had ne!er before done $or' in Asia#
And e!en though ,a'istan is my home ountry& it turns out that I did not miss out on the
o%%ortunity for ultural e2hange# IRm from Narahi& one of the biggest ities in the
$orld& $ith -; million %eo%le# :ut my $or' $as in the Thar Eesert& $hat you might
'no$ as RaAasthan& about se!en hours from home& om%lete $ith amels and sand dunes
and -7;"degree heat# I li!ed in a small hut $ith no running $ater& and I $as among
%eo%le $ho s%o'e a different language than I did#
Ho$ did you ommuniate $ith the !illagersV
The national language of ,a'istan& Irdu& is my first language& and is the !illagersR third
language# Their first language is their !illage language& Ehat'i& and their seond language
is the %ro!inial language& Sindhi# :ut Sindhi shares a lot of !oabulary $ith Irdu& so $e
ould get by $ith those t$o languages# ,lus other %eo%le $or'ing on the %roAet $ho
s%o'e both Irdu and Sindhi ould hel%#
WhatRs your im%ression of the %eo%le of the Thar EesertV
I $as stru' by their self"suffiieny and their hos%itality# :oth of these $ere notable
beause of the tremendous la' of resoures in the desert# Bor e2am%le& the ty%ial
$oman s%ends most of eah day $al'ing as far as -4 'ilometers one"$ay& $ith an earthen
!essel on her head& to fill it u%
$ith $ater& and arry it ba' on
her head# Yet you ould not
!isit a house $ithout being
offered $ater or other
refreshments#
WhatRs a ty%ial house li'eV
The houses are mud huts $ith
stra$ roofs# The inside is )uite
bare# In front of e!ery house
$ill be a fe$ goats for mil' and
maybe a amel#
Why is alternati!e energy
es%eially im%ortant andCor
feasible in ,a'istanV
Well& the $orld is already in an
energy risis& and ,a'istan is no
different# Narahi is a huge industriali(ed ity& and e!ery summer Narahi e2%erienes
load"shedding& $hereby& if there is not enough eletriity to meet demand& the ity shuts
off the eletriity to onser!e it# So $e often donRt ha!e eletriity for hours at a time in
suh a maAor ity $here summertime tem%eratures are often in the @4s# The de!elo%ment
of alternati!e energy soures is e2tremely im%ortant there as it is e!ery$here#
And ,a'istan is highly suitable for the use of solar %o$er& beause it has an e2tremely
high solar insolation rate#
You mean ,a'istan gets a lot of sunlight#
Yes& e2atly# *laughs+ Sorry& IRm an engineer& you 'no$# So ,a'istan is !ery $ell"mathed
for the use of solar energy#
You $or'ed on fi2ing and maintaining %hoto!oltai *solar %o$er+ systems in the !illage
of ,in,ario# Ho$ $ere these ,"K systems %ro!ided to ,in,arioV
Through AEE:# The goal is to eletrify a lot of remote !illages using ,"K tehnology&
and the $ay theyRre going to do
that is to install one solar %anel
%er household# The go!ernment
$ill assume all a%ital osts for
that#
Ho$ muh $ould one solar
%anel ostV
About S-&444& inluding the battery and installation# They hose a fe$ !illages& inluding
,in,ario& in $hih to %ilot this %roAet#
What ty%es of %roblems did you enounter $ith the ,"K systemsV
Fany of the %roblems $ere rooted in la' of ommuniation $ith the !illagers about ho$
to %ro%erly use and maintain the systems# Bor e2am%le& many !illagers had disonneted
the harge ontrollers and onneted the batteries diretly to the %anels# While this
arrangement is funtional in the short term& it has an e2tremely ad!erse effet on the life
of the battery and auses a host of %roblems assoiated $ith unregulated !oltages and
urrents running through the system#
Sim%ly ommuniating $ith the !illagers about these %roblems $as an im%ortant as%et
of the $or'& in addition to atually fi2ing the %roblems# I definitely learned that in any
a%%ro%riate tehnology underta'ing& ommuniation is of the utmost im%ortane#
You also $or'ed on re%air and maintenane of solar stills *solar"%o$ered $ater
%urifiation de!ies+ in the !illage of :harmal#
9lean $ater is a muh more immediate need for these !illagers than eletriity#
Eletriity is a lu2ury# :ut lean drin'ing $ater is a need# This is the middle of the desert&
and $ater is sare# The underground $ater table is 7;4 feet belo$ the surfae& so itRs
!ery diffiult to get to& and e!en that $ater is e2tremely saline and not e!en lose to
suitable for onsum%tion by most %eo%le# These !illagers ha!e de!elo%ed some
immunity& and they manage to drin' it& but they still ha!e a lot of assoiated health
%roblems#
Ho$ does a solar still $or'V
A basi solar still onsists of a flat $ater"basin& $hose lid is made of glass and sha%ed
li'e an obtuse u%side"do$n K# The solar radiation is transmitted through the glass o!er
and is absorbed by the basin& $hih is bla'# The bla' floor of the basin is in ontat
$ith the $ater& so the $ater is heated and gi!es off $ater !a%or# The !a%or ondenses on
the underside of the glass o!er and runs do$n the t$o slo%ing hal!es of the o!er and
falls into troughs on either side of the basin& and is then fed into a storage ontainer#
Ha!ing been on!erted to !a%or and then ba' to li)uid $ater& the $ater is no longer
saline& and the remo!ed salt and many other im%urities remain on the floor of the basin#
Ho$ effeti!e is suh a still in remo!ing saltV
Kery effeti!e# AEE: studied these desalination systems and found that sodium $as
redued from --;44 mgCl to -7/ mgCl# This is an elimination of o!er @= %erent of the
sodium and results in a sodium le!el belo$ the World Health Organi(ationRs highest
desirable le!el of 744 mgCl#
What ty%es of %roblems e2isted $ith the solar stills in :harmalV
HereRs another e2am%le of a %roblem that ould be a!oided by better ommuniation# Bor
ma2imum effiieny& the stills should be aligned so that the inlined glass reei!es the
ma2imum amount of sunlight# Therefore the stills should be %laed suh that the longer
side of the basin is aligned in a north"south diretion# This enables the e2%osed glass to
reei!e ma2imum sunlight& as the sun ma'es its east"$est Aourney during the day#
The !illagers $ere instruted to ma'e flat ele!ated %latforms for the stills themsel!es& out
of bri'# :ut they $ere not ad!ised about the o%timal alignment# So many of them built
%latforms in a diretion $hih $as less than o%timal& resulting in redued effiieny#
Of ourse& this is a %ilot %rogram& so %roblems are a normal %art of the %roess# :ut
%roblems suh as this %oint again to ho$ im%ortant ommuniation is in any a%%ro%riate
tehnology %roAet#
I do $ant to %oint out that AEE: deser!es a lot of redit for being sensiti!e to the needs
of the !illagers in Thar and $or'ing hard to %ro!ide solutions to their %roblems# ,roblem
sol!ing is of ourse another im%ortant %art of any %ilot %rogram in!ol!ing a%%ro%riate
tehnology#
WhatRs your o!erall assessment of these initiati!esV
These %roAets sho$ great %romise for im%ro!ing the standards of li!ing of the %oorest
,a'istanis li!ing in remote areas# Also& the inreased em%hasis on the de!elo%ment of
alternati!e energy soures $ill ser!e to derease the great de%endene on on!entional
energy soures# Ho$e!er& $hile rene$able energies offer great %romise of %rogress
to$ards ahie!ing the goal of the a!ailability and aessibility of energy to all ,a'istanis&
the ountry has many hallenges to o!erome before it an reah its %roAeted goal of
rene$able energies ontributing a minimum of ; %erent of the ountryRs energy mi2 by
7434# 9onsistent go!ernmental %oliies $ith regards to rene$able energies as $ell as
am%le funding are re)uired for the suess of ,a'istanRs rene$able energy de!elo%ment
%oliies in the long run#
Eo you ha!e any ad!ie for
others $ho are onsidering
doing a short"term ser!ie
%roAet o!erseasV
EonRt o%erate under the
one%tion that you are going
there to benefit a lot of other
%eo%le and that you are doing
something !ery noble# These
'inds of immersion tri%s
%rimarily benefit the %erson
ma'ing the tri%#
Try to immerse yourself among
the %eo%le and ha!e as fe$
barriers as %ossible bet$een
them and you# Really try to get
to 'no$ them and their
%roblems# See things from their %ers%eti!e# EonRt be %resri%ti!e& telling them $hat they
should ha!e and $hat they should do# Bind out from them $hat they $ant and $hat they
need# If you an hel% them to aom%lish $hat they $ant to aom%lish and not $hat you
thin' they should aom%lish& then youR!e done something $orth$hile#
What $as the $orst thing about being in the desertV
Well& I $as in a house in a !illage in the desertLa house in $hih $ater $as more
%reious than gold# Eis%laying the utmost hos%itality& the old man $ho o$ned the house
got some Xs$eet $aterY for me to drin'& $hih ob!iously $as a !ery %reious ommodity
for him# :ut due to health onsiderations& I had to refuse his %ersuasi!e offer# And
moments later& $hen the heat finally got to me& I ouldnRt hel% but $hi% out my flas' of
mineral $ater and drin' the old s$eet"tasting $ater I $as lu'y enough to afford# And
from then on I tried to a!oid meeting the old manRs eyes#
What $as the best thingV
IR!e heard that the most beautiful sight in the desert is the multitude of stars in the night
s'y# I disagree# I donRt thin' anything an math dri!ing in the desert at night surrounded
by eerie dar'ness& and then suddenly athing a glim%se of a single light& then t$o lights&
three lights ### and then ha!ing a om%letely illuminated !illage s%in into your !ie$&
teeming $ith life#
SOLAR ENERGY TO ILLIFINE /44 KILLAGES IN ,ANISTAN
FITHIH The ountryRs /44 !illages& 344 of them in :alohistan and -44 in Sindh& $ould
be eletrified through solar energy& :rigadier Er Naseem A Nhan& Seretary& Alternati!e
Energy Ee!elo%ment :oard and Fember *Tehnial+& go!ernment of ,a'istan said on
Saturday##
XThe ,9"- for eletrifiation through solar energy has been a%%ro!ed and an amount of
Rs /;4 million alloated for the %roAet&Y he said#
He said the Ad!iser to the ,rime Finister& Er Fohammad Ali& held a meeting $ith the
distrit Na(im Arbab An$er reently and tenders for illuminating ,a'istani !illages
through solar energy $ere being e!aluated#
He said the Asian Ee!elo%ment :an' has defended the %roAet on solar energy in the
,lanning 9ommission of ,a'istan but the funding is being done by the go!ernment of
,a'istan# XWe ho%e to in!ol!e the %ri!ate setor in a big $ay&Y he added#
The Alternati!e Energy Ee!elo%ment :oard in ollaboration $ith the Thardee% Rural
Ee!elo%ment ,rogramme *TRE,+& a non"%rofit& non"go!ernmental organisation of
Thar%ar'ar& has illuminated -4@ houses of !illage :harmal in Thar%ar'ar though solar
energy# The !illage has a %o%ulation of .=4 %eo%le#
XE!ery house in the !illage has been eletrified through solar energy&Y Fohammad
Yaseen& an engineer $or'ing for the Alternate Energy Ee!elo%ment :oard told The Ne$s
in !illage :harmal# XE!ery house an no$ enAoy the faility of four bulbs& one fan
besides a solar oo'er&Y he said# XThe solar oo'er $or's only during the day& diretly
through the radiation of the sun&Y he added#
X9hildren of the !illage an no$ study during the night and $omen an do their
embroidery $or'&Y he said# XThe !illage $as short of fuel $ood due to drought and $as
s%ending Rs ?44"=44 %er month on oil for a home&Y he added# He said after the !illage
has been %ro!ided solar energy& e!ery family $as ontributing Rs -44 %er month for the
maintenane of the %roAet#
XThe riteria to hoose a !illage for eletrifiation through solar energy are that it should
be 74 'ilometres a$ay from the grid and $e are ollaborating $ith TRE, that %ro!ided
us a list of !illages in Thar $hih need solar energy&Y he said#
In the $a'e of high ost of oil& de!elo%ed as $ell as the de!elo%ing ountries are !ying to
meet their needs through solar and other soures of alternati!e energy# A reent artile in
SiEe!#Net& a %restigious sientifi Web %a%er& )uoted t$o German researh re%orts as
saying that deserts in the Fiddle East and North Afria ould generate !ast )uantities of
eletriity to sell to Euro%e#
XThe studies found that onentrated solar %o$er %lants& ou%ying less than 4#3 %er ent
of the desert area in the region& ould %ro!ide -; %er ent of Euro%eRs eletriity needs by
74;4&Y the artile said#
XThe high transmission losses of -4"-; %er ent %er -&444 'ilometres of able used $ould
be offset by the sheer !olume of eletriity %rodued& said the Trans"Fediterranean
Rene$able Energy 9or%oration *TRE9+& a net$or' that hel%ed ondut the studies&Y it
said#
XE!ery year& eah s)uare 'ilometre of desert reei!es solar energy e)ui!alent to -#;
million barrels of oil# Fulti%lying by the area of deserts $orld$ide& this is nearly a
thousand times the entire urrent energy onsum%tion of the $orld&Y said Bran( Trieb&
%roAet manager for the t$o re%orts at the German Aeros%ae 9entre#
Solar thermal %o$er %lants use mirrors to onentrate solar energy to reate steam and
generate eletriity& reating the hea%est eletriity a!ailable L osting less than S4#?4
%er 'ilo$att"hour#Z