LAHORE (APP) Nine solar tubewells will be installed at selected government farms for the first time in Punjab under a pilot project. Director General, (Water Management), Agriculture Department Punjab Chaudhary Muhammad Ashraf said in an exclusive interview with APP on Friday. Highlighting the distinctive features of the project, he said that solar energy is available for more than 300 days a year in Pakistan with 6-8 hours effective day light. We will thoroughly evaluate the overall performance of different types of solar energy arrays (fixed and moving) over extended periods of time under various agro-climatic conditions with reference to specifications given by manufacturers, which generally reflect peak output under ideal conditions and do not accurately indicate long term performance under less than ideal or poor conditions. He said that prior to the implementation of the project at large scale study will also be conducted simultaneously to assess the effects of solar radiation (insolation) on solar array outputs and subsequent variation in pumpage at various location around the province. The overall working of the solar tubewells with different high efficiency irrigation systems such as drip,trickle, gated pipes will be carried out besides its configuration in terms of efficiency,economic viability and reliability. He said that over one million tubewells in Pakistan including 7,50,000 diesel and 70,000 power operated in Punjab alone, that are consuming major chunk of fuel and energy.He said that government is also providing subsidy on tubewells in many areas of the country which he added is additional financial burden on national exchequer.