First on-grid solar system installed at PEC Building

ISLAMABAD: Under the Clean Energy Initiative, an on-grid solar power generation systems of 178 KW each is being installed under Grant-Aid from the Government of Japan at Pakistan Engineering Council (PEC) and another at Planning Commission.

PEC Spokesperson, Mahmood Rehmani told APP the project has gone into the implementation and civil work is in progress while the panels have been erected. The tentative commissioning of the project is in February 2012, he added.

He said this project is first of its kind in the country, as the excess electricity will be delivered to the national grid under Feed-In-Tariff regime.

This project would set precedence as a role model for defining procedures and strategy at the national level for on-grid solar power generation.

It will prove an effective measure to overcome the energy shortage, emphasizing on solar power, for which there is big scope with relatively less investment, he said.

Spokesperson PEC said " We took many initiatives in terms of energy efficiency within PEC".

Energy audit of the main building was conducted and retrofitting was undertaken by replacing heavy lighting fixtures with energy savers, using maximum day light by putting clear glass partitions and windows.

He said during the last financial year, PEC undertaken lighting transformation. LEDs and energy efficient lights were installed to achieve lighting efficiency. The lighting load was reduced from 46KW to only 5 KW through this initiative which saved electricity enough to light 50 houses.

Mahmood Rahmani said the ENERCON and PEC constituted a Task Force for implementation of Building Energy Code of Pakistan (BECP) taking relevant stakeholder organizations on board.

The main scope of the Task Force was to finalize the BECP in consideration of experts' review, devising framework for implementation, developing user and compliance manuals, strengthening of testing facilities, capacity building of the users anddesigners.

The Code has been finalized and is in process of SRO notification for mandatory implementation.

He said the government under Prime Ministers' Initiative for Solar Power (PMISP) has extended a grant of Rs. 75 million to PEC.

Under the project, PEC is installing 500 Watt to 5 Kilo-Watt stand alone solar power systems at various engineering universities, commercial areas and religious places.

The aim of the project is to spread awareness and popularize renewable sources of energy in Pakistan. For the purpose, an exhibition and awareness campaign will also be launched throughout the country during the implementation phase, he said.

Copyright APP (Associated Press of Pakistan), 2012