ISLAMABAD: Solar net metering has emerged as a critical buffer against daytime power outages in Pakistan, helping the country navigate one of its most severe energy crises driven by fuel shortages and reduced hydropower generation.
Despite a widening electricity shortfall, authorities have managed to avoid daytime loadshedding largely due to the growing contribution of distributed solar systems. With an estimated 8,000MW of installed net-metered capacity, solar users are injecting over 2,000MW into the grid during daylight hours—effectively saving the country from nearly four additional hours of loadshedding.
Federal Minister for Energy, Sardar Awais Ahmed Khan Leghari, attributed the ongoing crisis to disruptions in liquefied natural gas (LNG) supplies and reduced hydropower output בעקבות regional instability linked to the Iran–US conflict. The closure of key supply routes, including the Strait of Hormuz, has severely constrained fuel availability.
“As a rule of thumb, every 500 to 600 megawatts of shortfall results in about one hour of load management,” the minister said, noting that the current deficit of around 3,400MW has forced utilities to implement 6–7 hours of loadshedding, primarily during evening peak hours.
While daytime demand remains manageable due to solar generation, the burden has shifted to nighttime when solar output drops. Peak demand has surged to nearly 20,000MW after sunset, intensifying outages across residential, rural, and industrial sectors.
To cope with the crisis, the government has ramped up expensive furnace oil-based generation and deferred maintenance of nuclear plants to sustain supply. However, LNG-based generation has plunged dramatically—from around 3,000MW last year to nearly 500MW currently—due to supply disruptions, including reported impacts on LNG facilities in Qatar.
Hydropower output has also declined sharply, falling from approximately 3,200MW in April last year to nearly 1,600–1,700MW this year due to reduced water releases from key reservoirs like Tarbela Dam and Mangla Dam.
Leghari maintained that no loadshedding is being carried out during off-peak daytime hours and assured that outages are being distributed equitably across urban and rural areas. He also extended an apology to consumers facing prolonged disruptions, stating that the situation is largely beyond the government’s control.
Experts, however, note that while solar net metering has provided significant relief, policy uncertainties surrounding its future could undermine its potential. They argue that the shift in peak demand to nighttime, coupled with ongoing capacity payments to underutilized power plants, highlights deeper structural inefficiencies in the power sector.
As Pakistan grapples with fluctuating demand—ranging between 9,000MW and 20,000MW in April—the role of renewable energy, particularly solar, is becoming increasingly vital in stabilizing the grid and reducing reliance on costly imported fuels.
Story by Zafar Bhutta
