🚜 Solar cells transform agriculture in Pakistan

🚜 Solar cells transform agriculture in Pakistan

Pakistani farmers reduce their energy costs by up to 80 percent by installing solar panels for irrigation. 95 percent of farmland in the Lahore area has switched to solar power.

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  • Pakistani farmers reduce their energy costs by up to 80 percent by installing solar panels for irrigation.
  • Pakistan's imports of solar panels in the first nine months exceed the entire 2023 import, equivalent to 17 gigawatts of capacity.
  • 95 percent of farmland in the Lahore area has switched to solar power.

Sharp reduction in energy costs for farmers

Mohammad Murtaza, a corn farmer in Pakistan, has reduced his energy costs by 80 percent by replacing diesel and grid power with solar panels for his irrigation pumps. The investment in solar panels pays for itself in less than a year. The reduced costs mean he can now grow three crops per year instead of two, reports Bloomberg.

Imports of solar energy products during the first nine months correspond to 17 gigawatts of capacity - more than a third of Pakistan's total energy capacity if everything is installed. Solar panels are now being advertised on billboards in major cities and during cricket matches.

Widespread use across the country

A satellite analysis by Norwegian Atlas showed around 400 solar power installations in Pakistan, mainly concentrated in industrial areas. According to solar panel distributors, the installations are evenly distributed between households, factories, and farms.

The solar panels provide financial relief for consumers and businesses who can afford to install them. For the country, it means reduced fuel costs for imports. Pakistan aims to double the share of renewable energy to 60 percent of the energy mix by the end of the decade.

Rapid development without subsidies

The development of solar energy in Pakistan stands out through its rapid growth without government subsidies, according to Jenny Chase, analyst at BloombergNEF. The price of solar panels has dropped so much that some farmers place them directly on the ground as the mounting frames now cost more than the panels themselves.

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