Deadly storms: New guidelines issued for solar panel installation

LAHORE: Authorities in Punjab have issued new guidelines for solar panel installation, after the province saw around 20 deaths in violent storms last month across the province.

The Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) shared these rules as 70 per cent of the 124 accidents in Punjab involved solar panels and related structures, a spokesperson told Arab News.

“During the thunderstorm on May 24, there were 124 small and large accidents in Punjab,” Mazhar Hussain said.

“When this was analysed, it was revealed that over 70 per cent of the accidents have been caused by solar panels or related structures,” he added.

Similarly, PDMA Director General Irfan Ali Kathia said new guidelines and a regulatory framework were prepared by stakeholders, including the province’s energy and local government departments.

“These instructions are aligned with the national framework provided by the Alternative Energy Development Board (AEDB), and include essential safety protocols, installation standards and the responsibilities of certified installers,” Kathia explained.

Meanwhile, the guidelines include hiring the services of AEDB-certified installers, using wind-rated mounting systems attached to mountings by stainless steel nut bolts, considering windstorm-safe anchors or extra brackets in the province’s regions prone to storms.

VIOLENT STORMS

Climate change has leaving its footprints around us everywhere. The weather-related phenomena are most visible among these. From rising temperatures and erratic rain patterns to intense downpour and frequent windstorms, the people in our part of the world are witnessing everything every year thanks to extreme weather events. Sometimes, it can happen during a single season, be it winter and summer.

The increase in frequency of violent storms can be attributed to several factors. One is the convergence of cooler winds due to the westerlies and the extremely hot air in the region amid regular heatwaves.

At the same time, the extreme heat over Pakistan and other parts of South Asia as well as hotter seawater means the currents from the Arabian Sea are carrying more moisture.

However, the same can be said about the western disturbances, which are bringing moisture now amid higher evaporation rate in the Mediterranean Sea as well as the Caspian Sea.  

But it isn’t just violent storms and intense rains. Rising temperature also mean that commercial buildings and residential should be constructed in a way that make less energy consumption possible.