Solar scale-up in Pakistan hits roadblock after payments cut

[niaz]

100 MW plant should produce 100 x 24 = 2,400 MWH or 2.4 GWH per day or 876 GWH per year. Bahawalpur farm is actually producing 150 GWH annually. In other words on annualized basis, physical production is only 17.12 MW. This is below the average efficiency of PVC panels which should be in the region of 25%. The low figure is probably due to the transmission losses.

West German experiment has proved that without gov’t subsidy large scale Solar Power farms cannot compete with fossil fuel power. Best use of solar panels is for the household installations where a 3 KW capacity PVC panel should provide about 20 KWH per day at 30% efficiency with zero transmission losses. This is normally sufficient for an average European household. In Pakistan a 2 KW PVC installation should suffice for most families power needs.

 

[Shah01]

Best use of solar panels is for the household installations where a 3 KW capacity PVC panel should provide about 20 KWH per day at 30% efficiency with zero transmission losses. This is normally sufficient for an average European household. In Pakistan a 2 KW PVC installation should suffice for most families power needs.

I couldn't agree more and it would be the best use of solar power. Every household with/without Government subsidy could install these panels. This will also save upgrading the grid in the short to medium term.