By Ayesha Mudassar ISLAMABAD, Jan. 26 (INP-WealthPK): Pakistan has an enormous potential to generate solar and wind power. The transition of energy from conventional carbon-based sources to renewable cannot be overemphasised. Being a vulnerable country to climate change, Pakistan needs to prioritise drastic energy generation and consumption choices. In Pakistan, 60 percent of electricity is generated through high-priced imported fossil fuels and coal. Expanding the use of renewable energy can help Pakistan save $5 billion in the next 20 years. Also, solar and wind power can help in reducing carbon emissions and acquiring greater energy security. According to a World Bank study, using only 0.071 percent of Pakistan's area for solar photovoltaic (PV) would fulfil Pakistan's current demand for electricity. Solar irradiance in Pakistan is 5.3 kWh/m2/day. People in Pakistan have started installing solar panels on the rooftops of their industrial units, houses, and shops. The agriculture sector, which contributes 20 percent to gross domestic product (GDP) and employs 45 percent of the workforce, is also benefiting substantially from this technology to irrigate lands and for other linked activities. Environmentalists believe that the development of solar power needs political support. Hassan Abbas, an environmentalist, said that Pakistan could potentially generate more than 2,900 gigawatts of solar power. He also said that generating solar power would be cheaper as compared to hydroelectric power and estimated that investment of $10 billion in solar power could generate 50 to 60 of gigawatts power. This would represent 10 times more than what is being produced from the two large hydropower projects — Mangla and Tarbela dams. The Alternative Energy Development Board (AEDB) is pursuing 22 solar PV projects with a capacity of almost 890.80MW. The following six projects of 430MW capacity are functional.