Solar panels now carpet rooftops across Pakistan as the country undergoes one of the fastest grassroots energy shifts in the world. In 2024, it became the third-largest importer of solar panels, bringing in 17 gigawatts—double the previous year—largely without government incentives.
“This is essentially people-led and market driven,” said Mustafa Amjad of Islamabad-based think tank Renewables First. While nations like Vietnam and South Africa have seen solar growth, “none have had the speed and scale that Pakistan has had.”
The shift is driven by a “perfect storm” of collapsing Chinese panel prices and soaring electricity costs, which have jumped 155% in three years. Widespread blackouts and unaffordable utility bills are pushing citizens to install rooftop solar at unprecedented rates. “It makes financial sense,” said climate advocate Harjeet Singh, challenging the belief that clean energy only works with subsidies.
Yet this surge poses risks. Experts warn of a possible “death spiral” for the national grid as more people leave it, raising prices for those who remain. And while many benefit, others can’t afford the switch. “Everybody else is still stuck on the expensive, unreliable, dirty fossil fuel-based grid,” said Asha Amirali, a development researcher.
Despite challenges, Pakistan’s solar revolution offers global lessons. “It means people who have never had power before, having power,” said BloombergNEF analyst Jenny Chase. Still, experts urge better planning to avoid grid instability. As Amjad notes, “Pakistan must ensure its solar story becomes a fairy tale—not a cautionary tale.”
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