KABEER YOUSUF
@kabeeryousef
The Sultanate is one of the few countries in the Middle East to have round-the-year sunlight while a majority of the energy is either untapped or wasted.
Tapping sunlight before it is wasted would mean a great addition to its national revenues where the cost on electricity from the grid can be substantially reduced and environment pollution kept at a bay to a greater extent.
Solar power generation holds great possibility in the Sultanate and the country has been paying substantial attention to alternative energy also known as green energy.
WHAT IS HOLDING US BACK?
According to solar panel installers and operators in the country, it is the ignorance of the people about solar energy and its advantages of the same that is keeping them away.
“Not only that, the initial lackadaisical attitude of many people has pulled them back from installing solar panels on their roofs which is slowly changing’’, according to Manu S Nair, who undertakes many industrial alternative energy needs of the country.
COST VS BENEFITS:
On an average, a normal household tends to spend around RO 30 to RO 100 on electricity per month and this can go up to RO 50 to 200 if they have many additional electrical gadgets in operation. Many villas which are equipped with swimming pools, tennis court and various other amenities where the HVAC system is on 24x7 mode are paying even more than the prescribed rates owing to their consumption.
At the outset, although initial investment on solar project is slightly high, the user can derive the Return-On-Investment in the next three years after the installation.
However, just like any electric or electronic gadget that needs to be maintained, a fixed amount of money needs to be paid for maintenance costs.
“A normal solar panel, say Chinese panel, which is widely in use, has a life span of 25 years and the initial cost would be equivalent to some two or three years’ electricity bills. Nonetheless, it’s worth in the long run and pays to be in use as the surplus power can be shared with the grid operator’’, adds another supplier.
“Simply put, solar energy which is a truly renewable energy source can also reduce one’s electricity bills and provides one with a plethora of applications. Their maintenance costs is less and comes with inexpensive storage. Additionally, solar system could immediately save up to 40 per cent of their monthly bills and they can take back the capital in less than 5 years’’, says a representative of Technical Project Sales & Design team of a leading business conglomerate’s Renewable Energy division.
Houses, buildings and villas wishing to adopt and implement this programme will be able to contract with the authorities and solar panel suppliers who will install, operate and maintain the solar panels for a specified period of time upon an investment which one will be able to retrieve in three years time.
REDUCING CARBON EMISSION:
One of the best advantages often coined with the reduced electricity bill is that ‘clean energy’ or ‘natural energy’ is highly environment-friendly and leaves no residues on earth.
Carbon emission can also be reduced by covering abundant sunlight into reusable energy contributing to a cleaner and much better world, according to solar technologists.
In the Sultanate, reports indicate that many residential people have started registering for solar under the ‘Sahim’ scheme and some have approached the solar panel installation companies for their households as well as industries.
GO SOLAR
Summarising the main advantages that renewable energy like solar power can fetch for both households and industries, a host of benefits us await for those who turn themselves into this unstoppable power reservoir.
#Solar power is pollution-free and environment-friendly
#Available round-the-year
#More employment opportunities
#Less or no maintenance as solar panels last over 30 years
#Safer than traditional electric current
#Possible to sell back the excess power to the power company
#Less dependence on oil and fossil fuels
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