THIS refers to the editorial ‘Selling energy’ (July 23), which emphasised the importance of adopting rooftop solar panels to cut individual’s electricity costs while supplying excess energy to the national grid. However, thinking on national scale, we have to invest in larger solar power plants to reduce dependence on imported fossil fuel-powered plants at high speed in the country.

Already, we have wasted a lot of precious time by ignoring this seriously inexpensive source of abundant renewable energy, which at the moment only contributes 1.6 per cent to the total energy mix.

By merely relying on rooftop solar panels, we cannot increase the share of renewables to 30pc by 2030, as advised by the World Bank. We should have moved quickly towards solarisation on a bulk scale, particularly when recently its prices have come down internationally. Many other countries seized this opportunity and their solar energy penetration in the total energy mix stands between 10pc and 40pc. We should do the same. Why shouldn’t we?

Riaz Bhutta
Islamabad

Published in Dawn, August 11th, 2022