In the desolate desert region of Thar is the small village of Oan. No paved highways lead to this rural community; there are no power lines or railroads for miles, and running water and gas lines are alien to its residents. Yet the village and its inhabitants are among the pioneering communities in terms of solar power usage in the country. In 2008, a group of social workers, donors and government employees placed a solar-powered light at the house of one of the villagers, along with an offer to deliver a similar unit to any household willing to pay a portion of its actual price. Within a few days the whole village was lit up. When cellular service finally reached the locale, residents of Oan already had their phones charged up.

Since that time, solar-powered solutions have spread through villages across Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and other parts of the country where the national grid is as mythical an entity as a unicorn. Domestic solar solutions providers, such as Abdul Mannan at the Renewable Energy Expert, point out that while technology usually spreads in large metropolitan areas before gaining acceptance in smaller towns and villages, solar-powered solutions have spread through the country’s far flung rural communities like jungle fire.

However, while the absence of conventional sources of electricity has driven these villages to alternative energy solutions, growing numbers of city dwellers are now realising the viability of the sun as a power source after years of frequent power outages and surging electricity tariffs. Although solar-powered solutions are pricey compared to electricity from the grid, the price differential is thinning as Wapda tariffs rise and solar technology becomes cheaper.

Another development to help urbanites is the emergence of dozens of private firms offering solar-powered solutions. The cheapest systems on offer are very similar to those being used in off-grid locations. They generally produce enough power to run two lights and a small fan for up to eight hours. The caveat here is that the lights and fan must all be DC powered devices that cannot be powered by the electricity received from the grid. “The price is about Rs20,000–24,000 and will ensure that you are never in complete darkness even if there is load shedding,” points out Mannan.

Of course, most citizens already have AC powered fixtures and appliances in their homes and would rather just power these with alternative sources. That necessitates a heftier power supply and the deployment of an inverter, pushing up the cost of a solar-powered solution.

“Don’t be fooled by companies advertising quick returns on your investment,” warns energy expert Javed Akbar. “Anyone considering the use of a solar-powered solution at home or elsewhere should foremost ascertain their own specific power needs.” Fortunately that’s easily doable. The websites of domestic firms like Solar System Pakistan (SSP) provide calculators, but the best source is the official Pepco website, which will easily help you figure out just how many units of electricity you may need in a month. While prices of systems vary depending on requirements, the following example may help gain an understanding of the cost entailed: assume that a home requires the use of four energy savers (15 Watts) and two fans (125 Watts) for 12 hours each day. Also assume that eight hours of daylight are available. “Based on these assumptions, a solution should cost about Rs160,000,” states Salman Qazi, who owns and operates SSP.

If a fan isn’t enough to help you keep cool, Ali Rafiq at Solar Power Pakistan can hook you up with a solar-powered DC split air conditioner for Rs600,000. Rafiq contends that the split air conditioner will run 12 hours a day, thus paying for itself in about six years. However, others within the industry assert this unit is only powerful enough to cool a room the size of a luxury car’s interior.

Other domestic solar-solutions providers, such as Lahore based Solar Generation Pakistan, are cutting down costs of solar-powered solutions by assembling inverters, batteries and other key components locally. The company’s founder urges prospective solar energy embracers to think long term: “People should take a five-year view and also go for incremental steps while gauging their energy needs instead of splurging on a one-time fix.”

In recent times, various international companies operating in this industry have expressed interest in launching large-scale solar parks in the country. Initiatives like the 50 megawatt project under development in Cholistan or a planned 100 megawatt solar project for Bahawalpur will be the real game changers in terms of adding electricity to the grid at a lower cost. But in the here and now, everyone on nerves’ end due to rising electricity rates and never-ending load shedding can learn a lesson from the villagers of Oan.