Kathmandu, June 26: Science and Technology Minister Surendra Prasad Chaudhari today said that environment friendly solar power could be a suitable source of energy to develop the remote and inaccessible villages of the country.

“Besides, the solar energy can supplement the scarce electricity supply in the urban aras,” Chaudhari said addressing an interaction on Solar Energy Promotion here this morning.

Chaudhari said that the government was providing subsidy to people who installed Solar Home System (SHS), adding over-dependence of the consumers on the subsidy would hinder the development of solar energy. “The motive behind the subsidy is only to popularise the SHS, the point is to convince the people about the benefit of the solar power.”

“Subsidy supports the consumers but discourages innovation,” Centre for Renewable Energy’s Rajendra Bahadur Adhikari said and stressed on a dynamic policy. Adhikari however did not specify what would make the policy dynamic.

“Solar energy can play a crucial role to develop the remote villages as they have little chance of being linked to electricity supply system,” Science and Technology Secretary Poshan Nath Nepal said. Only about 15 per cent of the countrymen have an access to the electricity as of now.

Nepal said that Ministry of Science and Technology would launch research schemes to develop solar power in the new Fiscal Year beginning mid-July.

Nepal reportedly holds large potential in solar energy. At present, over 30 governmental, non-governmental, financial, SHS companies and donor agencies have been working in the promotion of Solar Photo Voltaic in Nepal.

The government has set a target of installing 38,000 SHS by 2002, but only about 5,000 plants have been installed by now in 60 different districts of the country. Presently, over a dozen SHS companies have been involved in SHS installation programme.

Organised by the Society of Environmental Journalists – Nepal, the interaction centred on the problems facing solar energy development and its solutions.