Solar and hydro: A match made by nature

Solar power can complement hydropower to help fulfil seasonal or daily electricity requirements.

The sun powers the hydrologic cycle which provides water to the earth. The power of the sun and water are synchronous, and the electricity we harvest from the sun (solar power) and water (hydropower) complement each other. However, in Nepal, there is much resistance from policymakers and policy implementors against solar power and other non-hydro forms of energy for fear of disrupting the current regime. While companies are struggling to interconnect large-scale solar plants and industrial rooftop solar, the Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) is reverting to importing power from India generated from dirty resources, i.e., coal and oil. The secretive nature of the price per kWh at which NEA imports dirty electricity is a reason to be wary of its intentions. Given its current and future power generation capacity, Nepal will import electricity from India, especially during the dry months.