Pakistan has unexpectedly become one of the world’s largest importers of solar panels importing 17 Gigawatts’ worth in 2024 alone-more than doubling its intake from the previous year, according to Global Electricity Review 2025 by UK-based Think Tank Ember.
This growth has occurred without sweeping government mandates or international green funding. Instead, it is run by a bottom-up wave in roof terrace in solar energy across households, small businesses and commercial users seeking relief from rising energy costs and chronic power outages, according to the report published in The independent.
“It marks a structural shift in how energy is perceived in Pakistan,” Muhammad Mustafa Amjad, program director at Renewables First, told the business. He described the solar boom as a “survival response” in a country that was increasingly priced out of its unreliable grid.
Air satellite images of Pakistani cities show that the roofs quickly turn blue when solar panels spread. Ubaid Ullah, an energy expert based in Karachi, said, “If you look at satellite images of a Pakistani city, all the roofs will appear blue.”
Unlike most energy transitions shaped by national policies or foreign investment, Pakistan’s shifts are largely powered by market logic and individual necessity. According to Ember, the majority of new installations are off-grid or the back meter, incorporating inclusion into official statistics and leaving the national grid that plays catching up.
“The role of the grid must massively adapt to remain relevant,” Amjad added. “Rooftop Solar is quickly becoming the preferred energy provider.”
Without large solar auctions or major public investment programs or major public investment programs, the infrastructure and regulatory systems have struggled to keep up. Experts warn that this decentralized energy revolution can lead to instability unless planning and supervision improves.
The so-called “Utility Death Spiral” where users turn away from the public network, where it is an economic base-expolder already in urban centers, which worsens challenges during the peak time.
Pakistan’s example still provides important lessons for other global southern countries. As Harjeet Singh, adviser for Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Tracty Initiative, explained: “This is not just about decarbonization anymore; it is basically about ensuring energy access, operating financial stability and strengthening energy security from scratch.”
Battery storage is expected to follow a similar grassroots course, which further accelerates the shift towards distributed, clean energy.
