Pakistan's People-Powered Solar Surge: A Grassroots Energy Revolution

Across both bustling urban rooftops and quiet rural homes, deep-blue solar panels now define Pakistan’s rapidly changing energy landscape. As a nation of over 240 million people, Pakistan is undergoing a stunning solar transformation, with residential and small-scale installations spreading at an unprecedented pace. This movement is especially striking given the country’s ongoing struggles with poverty and economic uncertainty.

In 2024 alone, Pakistan imported a staggering 17 gigawatts of solar panels—more than twice the volume of the previous year—making it the world’s third-largest solar panel importer. Much of this surge can be attributed to the influx of low-cost panels from China. According to climate think tank Ember, this surge marks Pakistan as one of the most dynamic and fastest-growing solar markets in the world.

Unlike other countries that have embraced solar through large-scale solar farms and government programs, Pakistan's solar revolution is a bottom-up phenomenon. Mustafa Amjad of Renewables First describes it as a “people-led and market-driven” transformation. Citizens, not the state, are fueling this momentum, opting for solar because it is both practical and economical in the face of unreliable and expensive electricity.

This grassroots energy shift challenges prevailing assumptions about renewable energy in developing nations. “Pakistanis are embracing solar not because of subsidies but because it makes financial sense,” says Harjeet Singh, a climate advocate. With temperatures soaring to nearly 122°F in April, solar power also offers the critical promise of powering cooling systems that are becoming essential for survival.

Experts attribute this solar surge to a “perfect storm” of economic and environmental factors. Waqas Moosa of the Pakistan Solar Association cites the collapse in solar panel prices and the spike in electricity costs as major drivers. Pakistan’s energy crisis has roots in costly power agreements from the 1990s and a declining local currency, which have made conventional electricity increasingly unaffordable.

In just three years, electricity prices have soared by 155%, and blackouts lasting several hours remain common. As reliance on the national grid becomes both financially and practically unsustainable, more and more Pakistanis are turning to solar energy to meet their everyday needs. Though this shift brings its own set of challenges, it also offers a compelling example of how clean energy can take hold—without waiting for government intervention.