Lebanon issues new provisions for solar up to 1.5 MW

Lebanon’s Ministry of Interior and Municipalities, Ministry of Public Works and Transport, and Ministry of Energy and Water have issued new rules for the deployment of PV systems with capacities of up to 1.5 MW.

The government said the interim provisions will remain in force until the country’s regulator introduces final rules, which are currently under development.

Under the new framework, PV systems below 1.5 MW do not require approval from the Ministry of Energy and Water. However, installations must follow a defined municipal administrative and safety procedure.

Municipalities are responsible for verifying compliance with administrative, planning, structural and safety requirements. Structural and electrical or electromechanical engineers must sign off on projects and supervise installation. Upon completion, the engineers must confirm that the systems comply with applicable safety requirements.

Approvals are generally valid for one year, during which installation must be completed.

The government said the new rules are intended to formalize the permitting process for distributed solar installations while strengthening public safety requirements. They also assign responsibilities to engineers involved in PV projects, including oversight of structural and electrical aspects and verification of compliance upon completion.

Lebanon’s cumulative solar capacity reached 1,505 MW at the end of 2025, according to figures published by the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), up from 1,081 MW a year earlier.