Pakistan government mulls new discouraging regulations on solar panels

Pakistan government mulls new discouraging regulations on solar panels

The adoption of solar panels in homes across the nation has had a profoundimpact on the landscape of electricity supply and billing. However, thiswidespread shift in energy sources has given rise to fresh concerns thatripple through both residential users and the solar panel industry as awhole.

Individuals who have embraced solar panels not only face the prospect ofhigher electricity bills but also find themselves in a precarious situationwhere the future of solar panel sales across the country hangs in thebalance.

Initially, the government had set an ambitious goal of transitioning 30% ofthe country’s electricity generation to renewable sources by 2030. Thisendeavor hinged significantly on encouraging consumers to install solarpanels in their homes. The pivotal moment arrived in 2015 when the NationalElectric Power Regulatory Authority introduced the net metering policy,which expedited the adoption of solar panels throughout the nation.

However, as countless households embraced solar panels, the government isnow contemplating a policy shift that could potentially render thesubstantial investments made in solar panel installations obsolete. Thisimpending change not only threatens homeowners but also has the potentialto disrupt businesses involved in solar panel manufacturing.

One of the key elements of the net metering policy had allowed users tosell excess electricity back to the government. Unfortunately, thiswell-intentioned provision inadvertently resulted in complications for thegovernment, such as the inflation of per-unit electricity costs provided byIndependent Power Producers (IPPs)