August 02, 2008	Saturday	Rajab 29, 1429

LAHORE, Aug 1: Long heralded as the key to a clean-energy future, solar panels have for years been deemed too expensive and too inefficient for domestic use. Now though, with fuel prices soaring and loadshedding becoming intolerable, a new company with its showroom at Kalma Chowk is hoping to make a breakthrough.

Solar water heaters, LED lights, and large silver solar panels give the store a space-age feel upon entering, while a sleek ‘electric-bike’ in the guise of an ordinary scooter adds an atmospheric final touch.

Explains store manager Shakil Nasir: “At the moment most of our customers are from the commercial or industrial sector, while domestic consumers are kept away by the start-up which they find prohibitive.”

Providing seven hours of 500 Watt power backup to a home – enough to power three fans and seven or eight energy efficient light bulbs – would cost approximately Rs425,000, he said. The system can run the appliances during sunlight and up to seven hours of darkness – though the remainder can be powered through the main grid.

Though this may sound expensive, Mr Nasir points out that without maintenance or fuel costs, customers may find solar power a more economic solution than using a diesel or gas generator, or even an Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) unit in the long run. For those wishing to try a lower cost entry into the world of solar energy, a solar-powered domestic use water heater is available for Rs31,000.

Rafay Alam, an environment lawyer and member of the Lahore Conservation Society, who is currently looking into outfitting his own home with solar panels, said: “As far as solar energy for homes is concerned, we’re nearing the hump though we haven’t quite reached it.

“Before that happens, the price perception will have to change. If you sit down and do a cost-benefit analysis you might find you make up your installation costs within two years when zero bills are taken into account.”

He added that banks must be given an incentive to finance home-solar schemes before it takes off on a large scale, and this will only occur after a series of successful experiments. — ISSAM AHMED