Energy saving campaign

Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) administration has decided to launch a pilot project in the rural areas of Islamabad and approved Local Government and Rural Development Department’s six water supply schemes, which would be run by the solar energy.

Under the project, in the second phase all water supply projects will be switched over from electricity to solar energy.

According to the sources, the conversion of six schemes to solar energy will not only save Rs 14.4 million per year being paid as electricity bill of the district administration, but it will also contribute to energy saving campaign.

Islamabad Deputy Commissioner Amer Ali Ahmed told a meeting that the ICT Local Government and Rural Development Department had prepared a pilot project under which it has been decided to initially run six water supply schemes by the solar energy.

The motor turbines of these schemes will be run by the solar energy and the project would save Rs 200,000 per month, being incurred on each water supply scheme.

The total saving of expenditures through the six water supply schemes will stand at Rs 1200,000 per month, he added. Ahmed said the administration would seek the services and technical expertise of Alternate Energy Development Board for monitoring and execution of the pilot scheme. He said the pilot project was likely to be run successfully and the administration would switch over the remaining 65 water supply schemes from electricity to solar energy system. He said it was estimated that the union councils would be able to save Rs 6500,000 to Rs 7000,000 per month being incurred on the electricity bills of these schemes.

He said presently several water supply schemes were non-functional due to non-payment of electricity bills by the local water users committees. He said introducing of solar energy system would make these water supply schemes functional and efficient, as no electricity bills would be involved.