Pakistan accumulated 5.3 GW of net-metering capacity by the end of April 2025, according to figures from the Islamabad-based think tank Renewables First.
The total represents continued growth in Pakistan’s net-metering installed capacity, which surpassed 4 GW in 2024. According to Renewables First’s Pakistan Electricity Review 2025, it hit 4.9 GW by the end of March 2025.
Image: Renewables First
Rabia Babar, manager data (energy and climate) at Renewables First, told pv magazine that the figure surpassed the 5 GW threshold last month.
“There are a lot of applications that are pending at the utilities level for the connections to be noted with the consumers,” Babar said. “So as these connections are coming online the number is increasing day by day.”
Around 95% of Pakistan’s net-metered connections have a distributed generation capacity below 25 kW, concentrated in load centers, the think tank report said.
Babar said the government plans to review its net-metering policy to lower the buyback rate, which could slow solar growth but encourage storage adoption for peak-time use.
Muhammad Mustafa Amjad, director of programs at Renewables First, said government efforts to curb net-metering have recently driven a surge in installations.
“It’s currently a seven-year net-metering contract so people were rushing to lock in those contracts before the government changes the regulation,” Amjad told pv magazine.
He added that if the government implemented a massive buyback reduction, people with batteries installed would benefit from moving away from the grid altogether. This would likely pose a problem for Pakistan, which has seen a gradual decline in electricity sales over the last two years.
Amjad said Renewables First is advocating for a revision of net-metering that “incentivizes people to still consume from the grid while also benefiting the masses in terms of lower prices of electricity … The rate still has to be something that can compete with battery plus solar but it shouldn't be as low as that.”
Pakistan’s solar market is also witnessing a significant surge in solar panel imports. A total 16 GW of panels were imported in Pakistan’s fiscal 2024, a 227% jump from 4.9 GW the prior fiscal year.
According to Renewables First’s report, Pakistan has now imported 36 GW of Chinese solar panels in total, equivalent to 78% of its entire power generation capacity. The report adds that these imports have brought about substantial growth in both on-grid and off-grid solar installations in Pakistan, with rooftop solar deployments in particular expected to rise across the country.
Image: Renewables First
Amjad said this trend continued into the current year. “For this fiscal year, with two months to go, we’ve already imported another 15 GW, so we’re definitely going to overtake last year,” he added.
Increases in electricity tariffs, as well as short payback periods of between three to five years for all consumer classes, are other key drivers in Pakistan’s solar uptake.
“Most of the installations have been happening off the grid, behind the metre, providing people with alternatives to create electricity, or provide electricity for longer periods of time than the grid can guarantee,” explained Amjad.
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