Speakers call to introduce alternate means of energy

Speakers at a seminar while stressing the need to introduce alternate means of energy have said that currently Pakistan energy supply deficit ratio stands at 25 percent, and if proper measures were not adopted it would shoot up to 54 percent by 2020, which would be virtually an energy death for Pakistan.
Experts discussed 'climate change as a global phenomenon that is likely to impact almost every sector of Pakistan's economy, at a seminar on "Climate Change Adaptation through Promotion of Alternate and Energy Efficient Technologies in Pakistan" organised by Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI) here on Monday.
The speakers include Ahmed Nadeem Siddiqui, Director, National Institute of Electronics Project, Munawar Sheikh, Pakistan Council for Renewable Energy Technology, PCRET, Colonel Rashid Iqbal Ansari, Deputy Commandant, Electrical and Mechanical Engineering (E&ME), Dr Mahmood Khwaja, Senior Advisor, SDPI, Javeriya Hasan, Research Associate, SDPI, Babar Khan, National Integrated and Development Association (NIDA) Pakistan, Besham, Kohistan, Bakht Muhammad and Sahara Welfare Foundation (SWF), Malakand.
Abdul Rasheed Khan, Senior Advisor Ministry of Science and Technology chaired the seminar and conducted the proceedings. They highlighted the importance of alternate energy efficient technologies in climate change adaptation stressed the need to create awareness about changing climate scenarios, use of energy efficient devices, cut in fossil fuel consumption, reduction in green house emission, promote sustainable consumption and implement mitigation and adaptation strategies to cope with climate change and its negative impacts.
Colonel Rashid Iqbal Ansari, Deputy Commandant, EME Rawalpindi stressed the need for introducing alternate means of energy production to tackle the growing energy crisis. He lamented that renewable energy has only 2 percent of the installed capacity in Pakistan and with current progress it would only improve to 3 percent in year 2020. He also showed concerns over non-implementation of policy steps underlined for enhancements of renewable energy, mentioned in Power Generation Policy of 2002, like exemption of income tax and wavier from various duties.
Dr Khwaja said that 86% of the global energy is being produced through fossil fuel that translates into mass production of green house gases which are major cause of climate change. Munawar Sheikh introduced various renewable energy products produced by PCRET like Silicon wafer, Solar Cells, PV modules, solar light, lanterns, biogas and hydel energy interventions. He also announced future projects of PCRET to enhance wind and solar energies to 5 percent of installed resources in Pakistan by 2020. He also mentioned electrification of 70,000 households in far flung marginalized area's of Pakistan and replacing diesel with bio diesel products.
Ahmad Nadeem Siddiqui compared the energy efficiency of ordinary bulb, energy saver, LED composed efficient energy bulbs. He was of the view the Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs) has power efficiency of above 80 percent as compared to mercury bulb (which when broken emits hazardous and toxic mercury vapors) and ordinary energy saver. He was optimistic that LED bulb would replace energy savers in next 15 years.
Javeria Hassan cited current consumption patterns which are causing depletion of non-renewable sources of energy, pollution, waste, degradation of soil, water and forests. She urged the need to promote sustainable consumption by applying informative instruments like price incentives/ regulatory pressures (interventions), behaviour change, energy conservation, awareness raising and media involvement and frame policy framework on rational electricity tariff, promotion of energy efficient appliances, energy security and controlling the population growth rate.
Anusha Sherazi gave detailed presentation on Energy Efficient Cooking Stoves (EECS) that is a new climate change adaptation technology and a good replacement of traditional stoves which have energy efficiency of only 6.5 percent and have become a threat to forest degradation and increased firewood consumption.
Representing local CBOs, Bakht Muhammad described the efforts of Sahara Welfare Foundation to promote energy efficient devices and stoves to mitigate green house gases in underdeveloped rural districts of Malakand. Babar Khan highlighted the awareness raising workshops organised by NIDA Pakistan, another CBO, on climate change adaptation, protection of environmental health, introduction of environment smoke less stoves to improve livelihood and environmental condition of communities in Pallas, Besham, Kohistan.