First of its kind in Pakistan, Ali Naqvi is the owner of this house that runs entirely with the help of solar power. This house is situated in Karachi Defense Phase VIII. When Ali Naqvi was deciding to build this house, no electricity connection was offered in this area.
He could have waited but instead of waiting, he decided to use solar power in his house. Ali Naqvi said that although at that time he was forced to install solar panels but now he is happy with his decision because he does not have to face load shedding and hefty electricity bills every month.
He further expressed that in order to run a house completely on solar energy, it is very important to be conscious about power consumption. He said that everything needs to be scheduled and devices like iron and water pump should not be switched at the same time.
The house of Ali Naqvi is spread over 1000 yards and has double-glazed window so that the internal environment can remain cool. The house is designed in such a way that the sunshine can make its way to every corner of the house and lights are switched on only at night time.
According to Ali Naqvi solar panels need to be washed once a week so that the dust on them should not affect their performance while it is also necessary to place the panels at the right angle to get optimum results. The batteries however need to be replaced every two years.
This house might be a beginning of the trend but at the moment only elite class can afford solar powered houses. For the middle and poor class, the day seems far for now when they will be able to use solar power in their houses. Some people in remote areas make use of the solar panels at small scale. They are able to run a fan or two and a couple of energy savers but running whole house on solar energy for now is just a dream for 99% of Pakistani population.
