Rooftop Solar’s Boom Is a Grid Pricing Problem in Disguise

The Pakistan Economic Survey 2023-24 gives the last official snapshot of net metering before the policy fight began in earnest. As of March 2024 there were 117,807 net-metered solar installations with a combined capacity of 1,822 MW, and more than 400 certified installers. By our division the average system is about 15.5 kW (1,822 MW over 117,807 sites). That is much larger than a typical household roof, which suggests the early boom is led by large houses, shops and factories with high sanctioned loads.

The same chapter lists the government's own solar plans: around 6,000 MW of utility-scale solar to displace imported fuels, about 2,000 MW of small plants on 11 kV feeders, and 1,000 MW on public buildings. Rooftop net metering is growing alongside all of this without any procurement at all. The survey also notes that an online net-metering portal was redesigned and reactivated in IESCO and LESCO to process applications. Under the 2015 net-metering regulations, exported units are credited against imported ones.

The officials pushing to replace net metering with net billing have a point. We think the case for reform is strong and the timing argument is being misused on both sides.