Solar boom needs battery storage, grid reforms to sustain momentum

Islamabad: Pakistan’s rapid expansion of solar energy has already generated billions of dollars in savings, but experts and policymakers on Tuesday warned that battery storage, grid modernization and supportive policies are now essential to sustain the country’s clean energy transition.

Speaking at the Solar, Storage and Flexibility 2026 Conference, Federal Minister for Power Awais Leghari said Pakistan’s energy mix is already 50% clean and is targeted to reach 90% by 2035.

He stressed that local manufacturing of battery storage systems and the introduction of a daytime Time-of-Use (ToU) tariff would be key to integrating growing solar generation into the national grid.

Addressing the conference, PPP Vice President Senator Sherry Rehman said solar energy has already saved Pakistan US$12 billion, with another US$6.3 billion in savings expected this year.

She said the country now faces an energy management challenge rather than a generation shortfall, calling for major investments in battery storage, smart grids and modern transmission infrastructure.

Rehman said one in every five Pakistani households now uses solar energy and urged international climate finance to prioritize distributed renewable energy, battery storage and affordable financing for households and small businesses instead of focusing mainly on large utility-scale projects.

She also opposed the proposed 18% GST on solar equipment, saying it would have slowed Pakistan’s clean energy transition, and called for targeted subsidies, microfinance and supportive regulations to expand access to renewable energy, particularly in underserved and off-grid communities.

Renewable energy experts noted that Pakistan has installed an estimated 38 gigawatts of distributed solar capacity, while imports of lithium-ion Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) surged 220% in 2025, signalling rapidly growing demand for energy storage.

Global renewable energy leaders, including Global Solar Council CEO Sonia Dunlop and Renewable Energy Council Asia Pacific representative John Grimes, described Pakistan’s consumer-led solar revolution as a model for other countries but stressed that a comprehensive battery storage policy and modern electricity grid are now critical to maintaining the momentum.