ISLAMABAD: In a remarkable clean energy shift, Pakistan has emerged as one of the world’s leading solar panel importers, bringing in a staggering 17 gigawatts of solar capacity in 2024 alone — doubling its imports from the previous year — according to the Global Electricity Review 2025 by UK-based energy think tank Ember.
What makes this surge even more extraordinary is that it occurred without sweeping legislation, large-scale global investments, or top-level government campaigns. Instead, the boom is being fueled by individual households, small businesses, and commercial users installing rooftop solar to escape soaring energy costs and chronic power outages.
“This is not a centrally planned revolution — it’s a grassroots survival response,” said Muhammad Mustafa Amjad, Programme Director at Renewables First. “People and businesses are being priced out of the national grid, and rooftop solar is now the most viable and affordable alternative.”
Ember’s report notes that Pakistan’s solar imports in FY2024 alone represent nearly half of the country’s peak electricity demand. The trend signals a fundamental transformation in how energy is sourced and consumed in Pakistan.
With no national solar programme leading the charge, Pakistan’s quiet rise to solar prominence underscores a major energy transition driven by necessity — and one that may reshape its power landscape for years to come.
