Free Solar panel scheme: Govt starts accepting applications, check eligibility inside

KARACHI: The Sindh government had announced a scheme to distribute free solar systems among those families who consumed up to 100 units of electricity monthly in an effort aimed at lessening the burden of skyrocketing electricity bills and promoting environmentally friendly consumption of energy among poor families.

The Sindh Energy Department is continuing to take applications from deserving consumers till August 20. The deserving consumers, based on their electricity consumption, can apply for this scheme.

Selection Criteria

The Sindh government had planned to provide solar panels to 200,000 families. According to data from the provincial assembly, 77,000 families have already received solar panels, and another 123,000 families will be given panels in the second phase.

If the applications exceed the 123,000 available positions, then the recipients will be selected through a lottery system.

In the meantime, Sindh Energy Minister Syed Nasir Hussain Shah stated that the provincial government is making efforts to supply cheap and eco-friendly energy to the masses.

He made these observations while attending a ceremony held by a private firm at the Energy Department office on Monday, when solar home systems, solar inverters with lithium batteries, and solar panels were displayed.

Syed Nasir Hussain Shah stated that the Sindh government commissioned the province’s first power plant under a Public-Private Partnership, and the electricity generated by the plant continues to be cheaper.

“This power is being supplied to respective parties by the Sindh Transmission and Dispatch Company (STDC),” the minister further stated.

Syed Nasir Hussain Shah added that two solar parks in Sindh have just been completed, and power generated from these schemes would also be supplied at the lowest tariff.

The aim of these efforts, he explained, is to diversify away from fossil fuels and give consumers a break from costly electricity.

“We are keeping a close eye on the premise on which firms are coming up with electricity tariffs. Our stand is very clear: instead of costly electricity produced from fossil fuels, we should move to solar and hybrid means.