Have you ever gone for a stroll in a park nearby at night? Now imagine getting there and all of a sudden the power goes out. You’re plunged in total darkness with no idea what or who’s around you.
Not a fun feeling is it? Thankfully one of these parks won’t face these problems any more.
Islamabad’s biggest park, called the F-9 park, (also known as the Fatima Jinnah park) has gone solar.
About The Solar Panels
The new solar panels numbering 3,400 were installed in December. The solar panels cover a total area of 2.5 hectares in the park which has a total area of 750 acres. About $4.8 million was spent on these solar panels.
They will provide un-interrupted power to one of the city’s biggest recreational parks, ridding it of constant power failures that plagued it.
Fatima Jinnah park’s solar panels will produce 870 kilowatts of power. This is enough power for about 450 homes and will be used for the lights and the sprinklers and water pumps around the park.
Funded By China
This initiative was funded with a grant from China. Batteries will be used to store power to ensure that the park doesn’t run out of juice 24 hours a day.
Some of the power will be used by the Capital Development Authority (CDA) and Islamabad Metropolitan Corporation (IMC), both of which have offices in the park.
Restoring The Park’s Life
Officials at the park claim that the visitors that had previously stopped visiting the park due to electricity problems are now returning. IMC chairman Anser Aziz Sheikh said,
We are seeing more and more visitors coming back to the park for recreational and physical fitness activities,
adding that solar power has had the effect of bringing life back to the park. Children will no longer need to get off their favorite ride just because the power went out.
Workers Had To Work Over Time Without Getting Paid
Solar power made life easier for the workers at the park as well. Karam Ali, a gardener at the Fatima Jinnah park says that solar power has made his job easier now that the sprinklers and the pumps are no longer shut down due to power outtages.
Earlier the workers and gardeners were forced to work over time due to power outtages to get the work done, without getting paid. That problem is now solved.
One Third of Pakistan Still Doesn’t Have Access to Electricity
The rest of the country’s parks could also do with something similar to bring them back to life. According to the World Bank, around 66% of the Pakistan’s total population has access to electricity with the remaining 34% shrouded in darkness.
To expand access to electricity and to keep up with the economic growth in the country, Pakistan will need to invest between 3.7% and 5.5% of its GDP every year just for electricity generation.
3.34 Million MW of Power Can Be Produced Through Renewable Resources
Pakistan has the potential to produce 2.9 Million MW of electricity from solar energy. Similarly we have the potential to produce, 340,000 MW from wind and 100,000 MW from hydroelectric power plants, provided we have the funds to do so. Pakistan’s Alternative Energy Development Board and the World Bank’s studies back these claims.
Via Dawn
Public Part? What might that be?
Public Part or Public Park.
Spell checker anyone?
Seriously, is there absolutely no reviewing done before publishing content on this website? ProPakistani should fire all their editors, since they obviously aren’t doing their job.
It is the Property of Public due to Public Ka Paisa & then called Public Park.
HAAMIZ AHMED (Editor) Ka Paisa Ghar Pe Rehta Hoga !
Be A Pakistani ! Without Ghalti Kam Ho Jaye Not Possible !
Pakistani have a habit to not appreciate the work but to find a little point to criticize.
We should appreciate the writer for writing the article but here people always check spelling mistakes instead of getting the point.
Eh, sorry but I cannot appreciate someone who does not even put the effort to review their own content before publishing. The rest of the article becomes meaningless if you can’t even get the effing heading right.
Around $ 5500.00 per kW; current prices including batteries at maximum $ 1500.00 per kW. Someone is inflating the aid amount quite a bit. Nonetheless the park will be well lit, never mind lots of Pakistanis not having any power at all and some official making lots of cash.
Such aids are given after “Engineering estimates” and not on demand. Lets promise to have some positive thinking from today :D
Implying engineers can’t be bought.
Source: am engineer
Let’s promise to stop being ignorant and ask real questions.
Most of the lights and sprinkles in park are not working, only few lights work in night.
Why you want all lights to work :p
Wana spoil party time of those who prefer to go in the dark ? … jealous :D
:-)
@ali_salman:disqus Don’t try to go in dark, police will chase you in minutes and then blackmail you.
Because our politicians are so poor that they take some of our money to run their homes which is why we need outside help in the shape of funds… gotta help our brothers first