Highlighting the features of the project in an interview on Friday, Ashraf said that solar energy is available for more than 300 days a year in Pakistan with six to eight hours of day light.
“We will thoroughly evaluate the overall performance of different types of solar energy rays ie fixed and moving over extended periods of time under various agro-climatic conditions with reference to specifications given by manufacturers which generally reflect peak output under ideal conditions and do not accurately indicate long-term performance under less than ideal or poor conditions,” said Ashraf.
The overall working of solar tube wells with different high-efficiency irrigation systems such as drip, trickle and gated pipes will be evaluated besides its configuration in terms of efficiency and economic viability.
He said that over one million tube wells run in Pakistan including 750,000 diesel-based and 70,000 electricity-based in Punjab alone. He said that the government is also providing subsidy on tube wells in many areas which is an additional financial burden on the national exchequer.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 29th, 2011.
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