LAHORE: The Punjab Higher Education Department (HED) and the Department of Energy on Saturday signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for transition of 355 public colleges of the province to solar energy.

Under the project, solar systems with a total capacity of 18,825 kilowatts will be installed across these 355 government colleges. The project, costing Rs2,940 million, will be completed in three phases by 2028.

Through this initiative, 24.47 million units of electricity will be generated annually, leading to expected annual savings of Rs1.34 billion.

According to the MoU, 135 electric vehicle charging centres will also be established in the colleges. The Department of Energy will also assist in solarisation of buildings under six departments of Punjab, which will collectively be shifted to a capacity of 2,770 kilowatts.

Punjab Minister for Higher and School Education Rana Sikandar Hayat said this project would promote efficient energy use, reduce costs, and encourage environmentally friendly policies.

He said that once the project was completed, overall energy costs would decrease significantly, with up to 42 per cent savings in electricity consumption. He said this initiative would foster a green energy culture in Punjab.

Published in Dawn, October 12th, 2025