Demand for rechargeable fans spikes as power deficit, mercury go up

The consumers are on a search for rechargeable fans in the markets of Rawalpindi and Islamabad as electricity is becoming scarce in the hottest months of summer. The search is not only for traditional things like fans, electric coolers and air conditioners but this time people are also trying for something which can save them from long hours of load shedding.
Rechargeable battery fans, which are available in various sizes and shapes with different features, are gaining attention of people and demand for these is picking up.
The Chinese fans are multifunctional and are available with LED light, lamps and even a radio and the local manufacturers are also quick to produce and market their products.
Asim, a local trader said that it is a relatively new product and China is looking to grab Pakistan's market as here summers are long and people remain in search of Uninterrupted Power Supply (UPS), generators and rechargeable fans to save themselves from scorching heat during frequent power outages.
Fan is a daily use item and its utility becomes clear in the summer season. The fan industry in Pakistan is producing millions of fans every year successfully meeting local as well as export demand.
In Pakistan, fan industry is mainly confined to Gujranwala and Gujrat cities of the Punjab province. It is still considered a cottage industry and the reason for this is that majority of the units do not have full facilities of production under one roof.
Out of the total production, approximately 30 percent fans consist of pedestals, seven percent brackets and the remaining 63 per percent are ceiling fans.
The industry belongs to the light engineering industry category, and is one of the industries that existed at the time of independence.
In the early 1950s, it was declared as cottage industry and more than 50 percent of its units still fall in this category.
The increasing power deficit will give opportunity to the industry to take advantage of the situation and make its mark in the rechargeable fan market.
The importance of other items like solar fans cannot be overlooked as it can offer an opportunity to manufacturers and investors to gain profits in the peak summer season.
According to the energy experts, Pakistan has abundant sunshine which, if truly harnessed, can play an important role in addressing the issues of energy security; however, it has been slow in promoting alternative and renewable sources of energy.
The situation on the ground is becoming suitable for the growth of new forms of energy as gap in supply and demand of energy is widening with current power deficit of thousands of megawatts.