Developed for the first time in 1954 in the Bell laboratories, Solar cells are revolutionary technology to har­ness the free energy provided by the sun. One hour of solar energy that falls on the earth in a day is capable of powering the world economy for that day. Solar energy also provides great scope for job creation.

 

Solar is being productively har­nessed by both India and China. Nar­endra Modi recently had the 75 MW solar plant in Uttar Pradesh com­missioned by the French President Emmanuel Macron and China has the world’s largest installed capacity for renewable energy.

 

Nepal has to spend more than 50 percent of its foreign currency to import petroleum products, two-thirds of which is used to power the hungry transport system. Diverting these resources to electrically-pow­ered zero emission vehicles can cre­ate job opportunities never before imagined. Solar, wind and hydro powered charging stations for elec­trical vehicles can be deployed even in the remotest corners of Nepal.

 

Kathmandu’s tourism opportu­nities are overshadowed by its ill repute as the world’s most polluted cities. Protecting its cultural heritage from pollution has been a challenge. Going green can expand and save the economy in more than one way.

 

The traditional pollution-based economy has created two classes of people: have and haves not. But dis­tributed renewable energy will gen­erate equal income for all involved stakeholders. These sources of energy can be people-owned, and as such the fruits of the economy will be widely shared.

 

Renewable sources of energy are easily deployed and scalable, espe­cially solar. Technological develop­ment over past four years in Solar PV systems goes beyond hydro and wind. With vocational training a college graduate can be the sole required skilled manpower. Solar PV system thus has been responsible for three million jobs around the globe. Bringing our brothers and sisters back home though creation of lucra­tive jobs is the need of the hour.

 

The renewable energy penetration for China and India are 15 and 25 percent respectively, as of 2015. With other renewable energy, the major challenge is to store for emergency use; hydro has the most feasible storage option.

 

With combined development of solar and hydro in Nepal, we can eas­ily be a renewable energy supplier to both these economies. There are tremendous growth opportunities in these energy markets. The long-term objective of creating a sustainable Nepali economy goes hand in hand with the interests of our neighbors and leading world economies.

 

Our economy can be a role model and develop concurrent to the 17 sustainable development goals of United Nations. The goals are broad and interrelated, with one common thread: renewable energy. So long as anybody can remember, the water has never stopped flowing, the wind has never stopped blowing and there is sunshine year round.

BY SOUGAT DHUNGEL