Mubashir Aalam Wani
Srinagar, Nov 21: Demand for solar panels and inverters has soared in Kashmir, which is currently reeling with a lack of adequate electricity supply.
Kashmir, for more than a month, is witnessing a severe power crisis, which has hit both domestic as well as commercial consumers.
As such the demand for alternative sources, which include solar panel-driven inverters, has shot up by more than 40 percent.
Imtiyaz Ahmad Khan, a dealer of inverters and solar panel brand, that the demand for these alternative power sources has gone up for the last two months.
“This year power crisis has escalated, which has forced people to buy and use alternative sources of electricity. We have witnessed a good demand for the last two months and on an average daily we sell more than 60 solar panel-driven invertors” he said.
Khan said that various types of solar panels are available in the market, which help people to get a smooth flow of electricity during peak hours.
“There are monocrystalline solar panels available in the market, which use solar energy even during cloudy or foggy weather. The demand for this particular solar panel is very much,” he said.
Another deal Basharat Ahmad Sofi said other solar energy-driven equipment including solar water heaters and cookers are in good demand in Kashmir.
“Solar lanterns, heaters and cookers also sell in good numbers. Winter in Kashmir is extreme and solar energy-driven equipment is best suited when there are no or fewer hours of electricity,” he said.
Earlier this year, the government announced 65 percent government subsidy on rooftop solar panels and 80 percent subsidy on solar-powered pumps.
Officials at the Jammu and Kashmir Energy Development Agency said they have installed 8.5 MW rooftop solar power plants so far.
“A solar rooftop generates 25-30 units of energy daily. So, we have been promoting the installation and use of solar rooftop in Jammu and Kashmir because we have an immense potential to tap this source of energy,” said Muzaffar Ahmad Malik Deputy Chief Executive Office JAKEDA.
