Why Solar ? The Importance of Solar Energy in Nepal

Solar Energy is very important in Nepal because about 80% of the total land surface of the country does not have electricity from the grid. Solar Energy has been highly effective in bridging the country's energy deficit.

 

The good news for Nepal is that since 2001, the Alternative Energy Promotion Center has been providing subsidies in Solar Home Systems to 45000 end users in the first phase. DANIDA, the European Union and UN officials are major donors to the program. Swogun Energy's NGO division also has its own subsidy program and is playing an important role in subsidising solar home systems through international volunteers and individual donors.

 

The environmental benefits of solar energy

The environmental benefits of PV solar energy are overwhelming. PV solar generates practically zero greenhouse gases – this is important to keep the planet's environment clean for future generations. There are greenhouse gases emitted during the production and transport of PV cells, but these are insignificant compared to the CO2 emissions that we save during the 21-25 year lifespan of today’s solar panels. Today’s latest generation solar cells are producing breakthroughs in efficiency. Electricity produced through solar panels is also efficient because it is produced at the point of consumption and thus doesn’t suffer from the wastage associated with sending power through Nepal's old and tired power grid.