Germany's aleo solar has teamed up with fellow German energy provider GreenIndusTree to supply decentralized solar power to homes and companies in Pakistan.
The PV company is initially supplying GreenIndusTree with 278 solar modules for the start of the project, which will produce clean electricity for 18 homes in Lahore, the second largest city in Pakistan.
Cologne-based GreenIndusTree is an energy provider for innovative, decentralized energy supply systems that specializes in high-growth markets where there is no reliable electricity supply. GreenIndusTree is currently focusing on Pakistan, where regulator power outages are the norm and where prices for conventional electricity and diesel are comparatively high.
Residents in Lahore usually have to use diesel generators during power cuts, which can last for up to 14 hours every day. Regular use of diesel generators results in high fuel costs and carbon dioxide emissions, however.
"Power cuts are a daily occurrence in Pakistan, even in major cities and both industry and private homes are suffering as a result," said GreenIndusTree Managing Director Kaiser Chaudhary.
With a population of around 200 million, Pakistan is an emerging market in Asia, but the country cannot meet its energy demand, according to Chaudhary. "The energy requirements currently total 27 GW, while only 15 GW of electricity are actually produced. The situation has been getting worse for many years."
GreenIndusTree is therefore seeking to provide homes and businesses with solar storage systems as a quick and independent power supply, Chaudhary said. "We have selected high-quality German brand products for this task."
The group said its systems can withstand the extreme weather conditions in Pakistan, where temperatures soar as high as 45 degrees Celsius.
"We chose aleo as our exclusive solar module supplier and partner due to the high-quality, high-performance modules supplied by the company. The high quality of the components, together with the service from GreenIndusTree, ensure that the systems continue to deliver optimal performance for years to come," Chaudhary added.
GreenIndusTree will begin installing the solar power systems, which have a combined output of 100 kWp, in April using aleo modules type S18 and aleo high-performance modules S19, which achieve an efficiency of around 18%. The group builds the systems complete with battery storage to help homes achieve independence from power cuts and the availability of diesel. The solar storage systems have a capacity of 5 to 10 kilowatt hours.
"GreenIndusTree is a remarkable company that truly wants to help find a sustainable solution to the energy hunger in Pakistan," said aleo solar Managing Director Günter Schulze. "The current solar projects are just the beginning. Together, we are aiming to provide many more people with environmentally friendly energy in the area."
Pakistan's energy consumption is increasing dramatically and predicted to reach 35 GW by 2018, Schulze added. "The many of hours of sunshine and the favorable irradiation angle make Pakistan perfect for using solar power."
NEPRA, the electricity regulatory authority in Pakistan, has recently begun promoting the feed-in of solar power from large-scale plants. In the north of the country, feed-in tariffs (FiTs) are set at PKR 22.00 ($0.21) per kilowatt hour for a 10-year period, after which, system operators will receive PKR 9.00 ($0.09) for 15 years. In the south, FiTs will be PKR 21 ($0.20) followed by PKR 8.70 ($0.085) per kilowatt hour.
NEPRA has also approved a FiT for private homes is expected to announce details in the next few weeks.
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