Pakistan's Energy Revolution: How Solar Power is Transforming the Country

Solar Power Takes Pakistan by Storm

“It's come to that point now that, for daytime electricity, it is a no-brainer for people in Pakistan to go out there...”

Pakistan is experiencing a solar revolution, with a rapid shift to renewable energy transforming the country's power landscape. Discover how solar power is changing lives and energizing Pakistan's future.

Pakistan is experiencing a remarkable solar surge, with experts hailing it as one of the fastest solar revolutions globally. This unprecedented growth is largely driven by the influx of affordable Chinese solar technology.

The country is poised to make a significant leap in its solar power capacity, with an estimated 17 GW expected to be added in 2024. This impressive expansion accounts for over a third of Pakistan's total generating capacity, marking a substantial shift towards renewable energy.

According to Dave Jones, an energy analyst at UK-based think tank Ember, Pakistan's solar growth is “probably the most extreme” case globally, in terms of speed and scale. Jones' team tracks the global energy transition, providing valuable insights into the rapid evolution of the energy landscape.

Pakistan's remarkable solar growth has propelled the country into the league of top solar panel installers globally for 2024. The company it keeps is impressive, with Pakistan featuring alongside economic powerhouses like China, the US, and Germany, according to Jones' research.

Across Pakistan, a surge in demand for solar power is underway, driven by consumers, businesses, and industries seeking a reliable and affordable alternative to the country's erratic and expensive state-provided energy.

In 2024, Pakistan emerged as one of the world's top solar importers, joining the ranks of countries like the US and Germany. This rapid growth underscores the country's eagerness to harness renewable energy and reduce its dependence on fossil fuels.

Pakistan's power grid is plagued by unreliability, under-supply, and inadequate infrastructure, leaving millions of people in a state of constant uncertainty. The situation is exacerbated by soaring energy prices, which have crippled many households across the country.

The root causes of Pakistan's energy crisis are multifaceted. Soaring oil and gas prices, triggered by Putin's invasion of Ukraine, have contributed to the problem. Additionally, the government's over-investment in thermal power plants and cuts to subsidies to meet International Monetary Fund loan conditions have further inflated energy costs.

“It's come to that point now that, for daytime electricity, it is a no-brainer for people in Pakistan to go out there and to be doing this on the scale that they're doing it,” Jones said.

The exact amount of imported solar capacity that will be installed in 2024 remains uncertain, as government records struggle to keep pace with the rapid, consumer-driven transition to solar energy.

For countless households across Pakistan, the shift to solar power is already yielding tangible benefits. A recent example illustrates the life-changing impact of this transition.

Shafqat Hussain's decision to adopt solar power was deeply personal. During a devastating heatwave, his mother nearly lost her life due to a 28-hour power outage at their family home. This harrowing experience prompted Hussain to harness the power of the sun, the very thing that had almost claimed his mother's life.

For Hussain, who resides in central Islamabad with his family, the switch to solar energy was not just a practical choice, but an essential one. “There is no alternative in this country,” he emphasized, highlighting the imperative of embracing solar power in Pakistan's energy landscape.

The traumatic experience of his mother's heatstroke, which landed her in the hospital for two days, served as a wake-up call for Shafqat Hussain. The scorching summer day, devoid of electricity, prompted him to take action and install solar panels on his rooftop.

A colleague's recommendation led Hussain to purchase solar panels from a local company that imported them from China. This decision was driven by the harsh reality of life without electricity. As Hussain described, “When the power is out, you're not just without air conditioning – your fans, refrigerators, and even access to cold water are all gone.”

The benefits of solar power have been transformative for Hussain's family. Their energy bill has plummeted by approximately 80%, and they have not experienced a single power outage since the installation. This newfound reliability has brought a sense of security and peace of mind, as Hussain aptly put it: “We now have a sense of safety.”

Power outages during heatwaves pose a significant threat to residents in Pakistan, who are left without access to essential amenities like fans, cold water, and air conditioning.

Pakistan's solar boom has put the country on track to achieve its ambitious goal of generating 60% of its energy from renewable sources by 2030. However, this rapid growth has also introduced new challenges.

The mass adoption of solar power has created an unexpected issue for Pakistan's national electricity grid. As more people generate their own energy during the day, the sudden drop in demand is causing grid instability, posing a challenge for grid operators to manage.

The existing power plants in Pakistan were designed to operate for a minimum number of hours, according to Dave Jones. However, with the rise of solar power, these plants are no longer meeting those minimum hours, resulting in significantly higher costs for the remaining consumers. “The way those power plants were planned and funded was to run a minimum amount of hours,” Jones explained. This shift is also causing problems for balancing the grid, as operators struggle to predict energy demand. “It's also causing problems for balancing the grid more generally,” Jones added.

If the government perceives the consumer-led solar boom as too disruptive, it could potentially cut the surge short, Jones warned. This could have severe consequences for Pakistan's energy landscape. “What really risks happening in Pakistan now is that you have a blanket ban on any more solar coming in,” Jones cautioned.

Pakistan's solar revolution is largely driven by the drastic reduction in the cost of solar PV modules, which have plummeted by 90% over the last 15 years. This decrease in cost has made solar power a viable option for many consumers. Most affordable solar panels are manufactured by China, the world's leading producer of solar PV modules.

The transformation of solar power from an expensive and inaccessible energy source to one of the most affordable options globally has been remarkable. Over the past four decades, the cost of solar power has decreased dramatically, making it a competitive choice for energy generation in most parts of the world.

The dramatic decline in the cost of solar panels over recent years has made them more accessible than ever. As a result, a growing number of people are embracing solar energy as a cost-effective and environmentally friendly alternative.

Pakistan is not alone in harnessing the benefits of affordable solar power. According to data from Ember, numerous countries, including Saudi Arabia, the Philippines, the United Arab Emirates, Thailand, South Africa, and Oman, have been significant importers of Chinese solar exports throughout 2024.

The plummeting cost of solar technology has been hailed as a transformative development. Azeem Azhar, author, tech entrepreneur, and founder of research group Exponential View, likens the exponential drop in solar costs to the PC revolution of the 1980s. “It is transformative and it's affordable,” Azhar emphasized.

Azhar drew parallels between the democratization of computing in the 1980s and the current solar revolution. “What we saw then was an expansion of computing across our economies and the democratization of that particular technology,” he explained, highlighting the potential for solar energy to have a similar impact.

According to Azeem Azhar, the next major milestone in Pakistan's energy evolution will be the integration of battery storage technology. By enabling households to store excess solar energy generated during the day for use at night, batteries will play a crucial role in unlocking the full potential of solar power.

“We haven't yet got the price of batteries down far enough to rely on battery backup. But that will happen in the next few years. Batteries are really, really coming down in price,” said Azhar.