by Ahmed Raza
ISLAMABAD, July 15 (Xinhua) -- On the rooftop of a small shop in the commercial lanes of Karachi, the capital of southern Sindh Province and Pakistan's largest city, sleek rows of solar panels glint beneath the blazing sun. Below them, Shoaib Gujjar, a local shopkeeper, proudly describes how Chinese solar technology has transformed his life.
"Just a few months ago, I faced hours of daily load shedding and unaffordable electricity bills," he said. "Now, after installation of solar panels, the power stays on, and my monthly expenses have been cut in half."
Gujjar's story is echoed across Pakistan, a South Asian nation of over 240 million people, where Chinese solar panels -- affordable, high-quality, and widely available -- are changing how energy is accessed, particularly for middle- and low-income users.
According to Renewables First, an Islamabad-based think tank focused on energy and the environment, Pakistan has imported more than 39 gigawatts of solar photovoltaic panels from China in the last five years. In fiscal year 2024 alone, 16 gigawatts of Chinese panels valued at 2.1 billion U.S. dollars were imported, a sharp rise from just 1.8 gigawatts in fiscal year 2021.
"This is one of the fastest-growing, people-led solar transitions in the world," said Muhammad Mustafa Amjad, CEO of Renewables First. "The combination of rising electricity tariffs and falling global panel prices, led by China, has made solar the most attractive option for households, farms, and small businesses."
Electricity tariffs in Pakistan have surged by 155 percent over the past three years, placing a heavy burden on consumers. At the same time, panel prices have dropped significantly, allowing Chinese manufacturers to offer Tier-1 modules at globally competitive rates.
Unlike several countries that impose import duties on solar products, Pakistan maintained a zero-duty policy through fiscal year 2025, giving local buyers direct access to affordable Chinese technology. As a result, Pakistan ranked second globally in the first quarter of fiscal year 2025 in Chinese solar photovoltaic imports, only behind the Netherlands.
In the rural districts of Sindh in southeastern Pakistan, solar energy is transforming agriculture.
In Thatta, a historic riverine town located in southern Sindh, about 100 kilometers east of Karachi near the Indus River delta, farmer Mohammad Murtaza has replaced diesel-powered irrigation pumps with solar-powered tube wells, reducing irrigation costs by up to 80 percent while increasing crop output.
In Badin, a district in southeastern Sindh near the Arabian Sea, farmer Yaqoob Brohi said the transition to solar has stabilized his water supply and helped him save significantly on fuel expenses.
A recent survey by the International Water Management Institute found that 95 percent of farmland around Lahore, the capital of Punjab in northeastern Pakistan, had transitioned to solar-powered pumping systems --- a remarkable adoption rate that reflects both necessity and opportunity.
Among those embracing the change is Tanveer Awan, a smallholder farmer from Chakwal district in northern Punjab, who received an interest-free loan from the National Rural Support Program to install a 2-kilowatt solar panel for his tube well.
"I own a small piece of land, and access to water and electricity is always a problem," he said. "With this solar system, I no longer worry about fuel costs or power outages." The system has provided consistent irrigation, allowing him to improve productivity and reduce operational expenses.
"This shift is not just about energy," said Amjad. "It's about food security, livelihoods, and long-term resilience for communities that have long struggled with unreliable power and rising input costs."
Dealers and installers across the country confirm that nearly all solar equipment, including panels, batteries, and inverters, is sourced from China.
Asif Ismail, a solar installer who operates in both Sindh and Punjab provinces, said demand has "skyrocketed" over the past three years. "Most of the tube wells in Sindh and Punjab are now running on solar," he said. "People want independence from the grid and from rising fuel costs. All our inventory comes from China."
In the northwest, even off-grid communities are finding creative ways to harness solar power. Asmatullah, a dairy farmer on the outskirts of Peshawar, the capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, shares a solar panel mounted on a tractor with two neighboring families. The system powers fans and basic electronics, improving living conditions without relying on diesel or grid electricity.
With electricity prices rising steeply and outages frequent in many regions, solar has become a one-time investment with long-term rewards. Payback periods for rooftop systems are now as short as one to two years, especially for middle-income households in urban and peri-urban areas.
Ashiq Rind, a shopkeeper from Hub in Balochistan province, installed a complete solar system himself using Tier-1 Chinese panels. "Now I run two air conditioners, a fridge, a washing machine, fans, and even a 1-horsepower motor without any fear of bills or outages," he said.
Net metering capacity in Pakistan has grown rapidly, reaching 4.9 gigawatts, up from just a few hundred megawatts five years ago. installers report increasing interest from schools, hospitals, hotels, and small factories that are keen to adopt solar energy for cost savings and reliability.
While a new 10 percent tax on solar imports introduced in 2025 may affect pricing, experts believe the impact will be limited. "The financial appeal of solar remains strong," said Amjad. "Even with taxes, solar energy is still cheaper and more reliable than grid electricity for most users."
He added that the rising demand for battery storage, particularly lithium-ion units, opens new possibilities for cooperation. "We need joint ventures, technology transfer, and investment in local manufacturing. What China and Pakistan have achieved together so far is just the beginning."
From the rooftops of Karachi to the wheat fields of southern Punjab, Chinese solar panels are not just providing clean energy. They are powering livelihoods, reducing costs, and building resilience in the face of rising global energy challenges. For many Pakistanis, solar is more than a solution. It is a symbol of independence and opportunity.
And for people like Shoaib Gujjar, the transformation is already real. "With solar, my life has changed. I have peace of mind," he said. ■
