Solar energy for household consumption: Its financial feasibility – The Himalayan Times – Nepal’s No.1 English Daily Newspaper

KATHMANDU, JANUARY 16

Photo voltaic power can be a number one renewable supply for electrical energy technology sooner or later. The electrical energy generated via solar energy crops is clear, environment-friendly and dependable. Rooftop photo voltaic power, which provides a one-time funding, can also be cheaper than grid electrical energy or thermal energy.

Monetary viability is the flexibility of a undertaking to realize enough earnings, credit score and money circulation to maintain the undertaking financially in the long run and meet all debt obligations. Nepal is endowed with good renewable power potential. The primary sources of renewable power are mini and micro hydropower, photo voltaic power, totally different types of biomass power, biogas and wind power. Regardless of the large potential of renewable power, nonetheless about 85 % of all power consumption in Nepal is met via conventional biomass power, whereas about 28 % of households in Nepal nonetheless shouldn’t have entry to electrical energy.

It’s unimaginable to considerably enhance the residing situations of low-income populations residing in rural areas if their demand for renewable power will not be met. The enlargement of the nationwide grid in these areas is not going to be potential for a few years to come back as a result of tough terrain, excessive prices and the present power disaster within the nation. Due to this fact, clear and sustainable power, equivalent to Renewable Power Applied sciences (RETs), ought to be developed as quick and long-term options. Nonetheless, the financial hardship of individuals residing in rural areas and the excessive preliminary value of RETs justify the necessity for subsidy and concessional credit score amenities to extend entry to cleaner power.

The federal government has been selling RETs for the previous twenty years with help from growth companions, the personal sector and non-governmental organizations. These initiatives have resulted in important fruitful achievements within the growth of renewable power within the nation. To extensively develop the RET sector, encourage very poor households to make use of RETs, change the quantity of subsidy and credit score, and encourage the personal sector and monetary establishments to spend money on the sector whereas specializing in offering providers to very best quality in rural areas. , the present coverage will not be sufficient, and due to this fact, the necessity to revise and formulate a brand new coverage is met. The brand new coverage primarily focuses on step by step changing the subsidy with credit score in the long run to realize the Sustainable Improvement Objectives of Sustainable Power for All within the UN.

The federal government has a goal of reaching per capita electrical energy consumption of 1,500 kWh by 2026/27, double that of 2021-22, hoping to make it to the record of middle-income international locations by 2030. Want to extend in Nepal electrical energy consumption to ship a excessive financial progress fee of 8.5 %. As a consequence of lack of electrical energy provide and low earnings, most households that even have entry to electrical energy typically use it for lighting functions.

Regardless of the rise in energy output lately, Nepal’s energy sector can not meet demand, particularly in winter, leading to extended energy cuts. Integrating RETs on the family stage, for instance, by putting in a rooftop photo voltaic photovoltaic (SPV) system, can permit householders to fulfill their power wants independently.

It can additionally assist handle power flows within the nationwide grid whereas serving to to scale back carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. Nonetheless, monetary help, greater than subsidy, ought to be supplied for pilot tasks in response to the settlement between the federal government and growth companions.

As a renewable energy supply, photo voltaic power performs an vital function in lowering greenhouse fuel emissions and mitigating local weather change, which is crucial to guard individuals, wildlife and ecosystems. The common world photo voltaic radiation in Nepal varies from 3.6-6.2 kWh per sq. meter per day. The solar shines for about 300 days per 12 months, and the variety of hours of sunshine reaches virtually 2,100 hours per 12 months with a median of 6.8 hours of sunshine per day.

Photo voltaic power in Nepal is ample and low-cost. There may be greater than sufficient photo voltaic power for each Nepali to take pleasure in the identical power consumption as developed international locations, and with out burning any fossil fuels or damming any Himalayan rivers. . Nepal’s photo voltaic potential is 50,000 terawatt-hours per 12 months, which is 100 occasions larger than Nepal’s hydro useful resource and seven,000 occasions larger than Nepal’s present electrical energy consumption. Thus, photo voltaic power can simply meet all future power wants of Nepal and can also be cheaper than fossil fuels, nuclear and hydro.

Sooner or later, Nepali individuals can count on to realize a better lifestyle. When Nepal catches up with developed international locations, every particular person will use about 15 megawatt-hours per particular person per 12 months of electrical energy, which is 70 occasions larger than in the present day. Clear photo voltaic electrical energy can be used to gentle and warmth properties, cook dinner meals, energy electrical vehicles and drive business, identical to in developed international locations. Within the subsequent 50 years, Nepal wants to put in 200 watts of photo voltaic panels per particular person per 12 months (about one sq. meter of panels per particular person per 12 months).

The photo voltaic panel space required to match the power consumption per particular person in developed international locations is 40-50 sq. meters per particular person with a nominal energy capability of about 10 kilowatts.

A lot of the photo voltaic panel space may be discovered on roofs. Some could also be on the bottom. Some may be floated in lakes and hydroelectric reservoirs. Some photo voltaic programs may be situated in areas that develop meals (agrivoltaics) the place extensive photo voltaic panels shade 10 % of the crop however trigger little lack of manufacturing as a result of it reduces wind pace and charges to evaporate. Due to this fact, all components of Nepal are favorable for photo voltaic power. This may contribute to the usual of residing of particular person households and save electrical energy consumption for corporations and industries for the expansion and growth of the nation’s economic system.

Photo voltaic power in Nepal is ample and low-cost. There may be greater than sufficient photo voltaic power for each Nepali to take pleasure in the identical power consumption as developed international locations

A model of this text appeared in print on January 16, 2023, in The Himalayan Occasions.