Munday’s meetings with senior AJK officials took place as severe energy shortages across Pakistan threaten to cripple the country’s economic development. Increasing diesel costs and recurring power outages are forcing people across the region to turn to sustainable technologies.

Whilst in Pakistan, Munday also met informally with the owners of Azad Textile Mills, the largest private sector employer in Kashmir, who were seeking advice regarding a 5MW solar PV installation.

Munday believes the case for solar energy in AJK is compelling. “Ongoing development in the technology has brought the cost of solar PV modules right down,” he said, “Once a niche concept; they’re now the obvious choice. Unlike diesel generators, so ubiquitous in AJK, they don’t require endless supplies of expensive fuel, nor do they create pollution. They’re also quiet, which diesel generators definitely aren’t. With solar energy, people across AJK and the wider region wouldn’t have to limit themselves to consuming energy purely for the essentials. Solar PV offers a genuine improvement in their quality of life.”