Towards empowerment of the renewable energy sector in Pakistan for sustainable energy evolution: SWOT analysis

The present study performs an analysis of the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats (SWOT) as a reference point that diagnoses the feasibility of current status and future roadmap to nurture the renewable energy sector in Pakistan. The results identify the social, economic and environmental impacts on the sustainable development of the renewable energy sector through explicit and categorical investigation of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats in local perspective. Hence, strengths of the renewable sector in terms of available renewable energy potential, validated resource maps, environment friendliness, and the growing private investors are explored, whereas inefficient technologies, huge capital investment, immature institutional framework, and technology-related environmental hazards are found to be the internal weaknesses that need to be fixed. Main opportunities that are found mandatory to be capitalized for the sustainable development are: untapped potential, micro and mini-installations, off-grid energy systems and efficiency improvements, whereas associated threats to be defended for the sustainability of the renewable energy sector are: policy implications, lack of grid connection, and the competitive energy resources. Furthermore, to cope with the energy crisis under the current scenario, policy-based strategies are suggested to ensure the retainability of the renewable energy sector towards secure and sustainable Pakistan. (C) 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.