Commentary

Book & Author
Prof Dr Salahuddin Qazi: Standalone Photovoltaic (PV) Systems for Disaster Relief and Remote Areas

By Dr Ahmed S. Khan

“ We cannot stop natural disasters, but we can arm ourselves with knowledge: so many lives wouldn't have to be lost if there was enough disaster preparedness. ” - Petra Nemcova

While 21st-century technological advances have made real-time global information sharing virtually universal, the world remains divided when it comes to pooling resources to relieve human suffering. The immense devastation caused by natural disasters exposes both the limits of our technical knowledge and a distinct lack of international cooperation in deploying sophisticated tools for crisis relief.

Global power infrastructure is complex and varied, making it particularly vulnerable to extreme events such as cyclones, earthquakes, floods, heatwaves, droughts, volcanic eruptions, tsunamis, and wildfires. Following a disaster, restoring electricity quickly is a primary challenge, yet transporting heavy electrical distribution equipment requires substantial time and resources.

Although humanity relied on the Sun long before the Industrial Era, solar power remains an abundant reservoir capable of meeting present and future energy needs. At the top of Earth's atmosphere, solar irradiance averages roughly 1,368 W/m², yielding an energy density of approximately 1,000 W/m² at the surface. Because time is the most critical factor in emergency response, standalone photovoltaic (PV) systems offer a fast, reliable, and viable energy solution for disaster relief.

Measuring solar energy's impact depends on the metric used. On the electric grid, solar accounts for 7–9% of US power generation and 6–7% globally, driving most new capacity additions. However, when measured against Total Primary Energy—which includes transportation fuel, building heat, and heavy industry—solar drops to 3–4% in the US and 2.5–3.5% worldwide. This gap exists because major non-electric sectors still rely on direct fossil fuel combustion, though electrification will narrow it over time.

In developing nations, solar adoption is surging through off-grid mini-grids and rooftop systems that bypass traditional power infrastructure. Middle-income giants like China, India, and Brazil lead expansion, while distributed solar powers homes and businesses across Sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia, and Latin America.

Yet, severe barriers persist. High perceived investment risks drive borrowing costs up to three times higher in lower-income economies than in developed ones. Additionally, aging grid infrastructure struggles to integrate variable power without costly upgrades and storage. Consequently, lower-income nations receive a fraction of global clean energy financing, leaving tremendous solar potential untapped in the regions that need it most.

Standalone Photovoltaic (PV) Systems for Disaster Relief and Remote Areas by Dr Salahuddin Qazi (d. February 25, 2024) makes a vital contribution to disaster management and renewable energy literature. The book demonstrates how solar PV systems can deliver rapid relief power during emergencies while supplying reliable electricity to off-grid communities worldwide.

Dr Qazi was inspired by a striking reality: the sunlight striking Earth in just one hour delivers more energy than humanity consumes in an entire year. Yet many of the world's sunniest nations harness only a fraction of this potential, relying instead on unstable power grids plagued by frequent blackouts ("load shedding") that heighten vulnerability during natural disasters. Having grown up in Pakistan, Dr Qazi brought direct, personal experience to solving these challenges.

Dr Qazi drew on more than four decades of global teaching and research across the UK, the Middle East, and the United States. A Senior Life Member of IEEE and Professor Emeritus at the State University of New York Polytechnic Institute (SUNY Poly)—where he previously chaired the Department of Electrical Engineering Technology—he held a PhD in Electrical Engineering from Loughborough University (UK). His distinguished career included serving as a Principal Investigator for National Science Foundation (NSF) projects, co-organizing US–Pakistan optical networking conferences, and serving on academic advisory boards. Beyond his technical achievements, Dr Qazi was an active philanthropist dedicated to providing educational books to underprivileged students across the developing world.

Discussing the magnitude of human and economic cost of natural disasters, in the preface of the book Dr Qazi observes: “In 2013 the United Nations reported that in the past year approximately 4.4 billion people have been affected by natural disasters that claimed 1.3 million lives and cost the world $2 trillion in economic loss. In the aftermath of these disasters, the PV systems can bring natural, reliable power to places recently devastated. PV systems in standalone mode can provide electricity for more than 1.3 billion people worldwide who do not have access to grid electricity. For increasing the affordability and cutting the cost of rather expensive PV systems, some countries in the developing world are giving incentives through micro-financing institutions and solar companies that couple their solar products with financing plans, based on customer income. In the United States, new partnerships are emerging between citizens, electrical utilities, and governments to deliver electricity for low-income households at a deduced cost. In 2015, the White House announced that 68 cities, States and businesses have signed up for an initiative to promote community solar with an emphasis on low- to moderate-income households.”

The author has comprehensively covered various facets of PV system in seven Chapters: Photovoltaics for disaster relief and remote areas, Fundamentals of standalone photovoltaic systems, Mobile photovoltaic systems disaster relief and remote areas, Portable standalone PV systems, PV system affordability and community solar microgrids, and Solar thermal electricity and solar insolation. The book also has comprehensive appendices on Building dye-sensitized solar cells, assembling one’s own PV module, Results of Solar insolation/radiation using different databases, and standards for PV systems.

As global energy demand continues to increase along with the need for new and cleaner energy sources, solar energy is fast becoming a vital source for meeting peak demand and is a solution for energy demand in disaster and remote areas and meeting energy security needs. The book also illustrates the differences and requirements for stand-alone, mobile, and portable PV systems, and presents plans for PV system deployment and transportation to remote areas.

The book provides a practical blueprint for assembling solar PV systems to meet critical immediate needs—such as heating, cooling, and lighting—in the immediate aftermath of a disaster. It also highlights how standalone PV systems can power essential everyday life in remote regions, from running water pumps and purification units to powering medical clinics, mobile base stations, and cellular networks.

A defining feature of the book is its accessible, non-mathematical, hands-on approach. Dr Qazi enriches the text with practical case studies, software tools, databases, and curated digital resources. The result is an invaluable reference and an essential read for both technical and non-technical stakeholders—including system designers and installers, educators, students, policymakers, non-governmental organizations, and disaster recovery professionals.

Author’s Interview

Q: What are the key challenges for using PV systems to provide fast and temporary power to remote devastated areas caused by natural disasters?

A: The difficulty in transporting large solar systems, inconsistent availability of PV systems and unpredictability of natural disasters are some of the challenges to provide power to remote devastated areas. Work is being done to design Rapid Roll panels which roll up like a carpet allowing them to be easily transported to the remote areas.

Q: Why are global NGOs and charity organizations slow in adopting PV systems for natural disaster relief?

A: Since global NGO’s and charity organizations do not store PV systems, they are not ready to transport the system to the affected areas when a natural disaster happens. In many cases, these NGO’s rely on other private corporations to make donations and provide necessary resources. The lack of knowledge and resources throughout the disaster cycle of preparation, response and recovery takes away valuable time to help disaster survivors.

Q: Where did you receive your higher school and university education?

My education was completed at Panjab University, Pakistan, Wales University and University of Technology, Loughborough, United Kingdom.

Q: What is your take on the current state and status of higher education in Pakistan?

A: The status of higher education in Pakistan is changing. Many educational institutions of higher education, both government and private, have lately sprung up to address the educational needs of the country’s growing economy with nearly two-thirds of the population who are 24 years old or under. The shortage of qualified senior faculty and insufficient resources, however, are affecting the quality of educational systems which are ranked weak by the international ranking standards. Higher Education Commission (HEC) of Pakistan, the Government agency which facilitates the development of higher education, is trying hard to improve the quality of higher educational systems by establishing accreditation councils, offering scholarships to pursue PhDs, and accrediting the higher education institutions among other obligations.

Q: What service was rendered to the education sector by your family?

A: My ancestors were responsible for establishing Islamia Schools in the early 1900s during the British rule in the Indian subcontinent which ended in August 1947. Many of these schools have been converted to institutions of higher education in Pakistan.

Q: What are the key challenges and obstacles for the development of the solar energy sector in Pakistan?

A: The lack of financial resources and inability of the Government to accelerate the implementation of subsidies, Feed in Tariff (FIT) and net metering have been key challenges and obstacles for the development of solar energy in Pakistan. Shortages of qualified personnel, accredited solar testing labs, and lack of bank financing for solar energy are other challenges.

Q: What recommendation would you make for the promotion of PV systems in Pakistan and in developed and developing countries?

A: The Government of Pakistan should make its population fully aware of the benefits and availability of FIT, net metering and subsidies which have been introduced in the previous decade. The use of subsidies should enable solar energy to be affordable in major portions of the population to set up PV systems. The Governments in the developing countries should redirect resources from large-scale investments into new energy producing technologies. Developing countries should make full use of the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) program that was introduced at the Kyoto Protocol which entered into force on 16 February 2005. This CDM program allows for industrialized nations to invest in projects that reduce emissions in developing countries.

(Dr Ahmed S. Khan --- dr.a.s.khan@ieee.org --- is a Fulbright Specialist Scholar)