Pakistan's solar boom shields citizens from Middle East energy crisis

Millions of families across Pakistan have been protected against the fallouts of the disruptions to energy supplies triggered by the US-Israel conflict with Iran, largely due to the country’s rapidly expanding adoption of solar power.

A recent study by Renewables First and the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air highlights this shift. Since 2018, Pakistan’s rooftop solar boom has helped save more than $12 billion in fuel imports, as cited by Al Jazeera. At current market prices, the savings could reach around $6.3 billion this year alone.

Rather than being driven by a single national policy, the transition has been fuelled by millions of individual decisions—from farmers moving away from diesel to businesses and households seeking more reliable electricity sources.

The share of solar energy in the country’s power mix has surged from 2.9% in 2020 to 32.3% in 2025, according to Ember.

Rabia Babar, an energy data manager at Renewables First, noted that the shift has significantly reduced reliance on oil imports. “Pakistan’s solar revolution wasn’t planned in Islamabad – it was built on rooftops,” she said. “As tensions around the Strait of Hormuz remain high, those panels are proving to be one of the country’s most effective energy security strategies.”

According to a 2023 survey by Gallup Pakistan, around 15%—or roughly 4 million—households in the country were already using solar panels in some form.

By 2025, adoption had increased further. A household survey by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics found that 25% of households now rely on solar energy to some extent.

Government data also shows that more than 280,000 households are now connected to net-metering systems, a number that continues to grow rapidly. This system allows households generating excess solar power to feed it back into the grid in exchange for credits, which can later be used when solar generation is insufficient.

However, access to solar technology remains uneven. High upfront installation costs mean that its benefits are still largely limited to upper-middle- and higher-income households.

The expansion of solar power is particularly significant given Pakistan’s heavy dependence on global energy supply routes, especially the Strait of Hormuz. Around 80% of the country’s oil imports pass through this strategic chokepoint between Iran and Oman, while 99% of its liquefied natural gas is sourced from Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.

The article cites expert opinions, which warn that Pakistan could face severe energy strain if the Strait of Hormuz remains closed for an extended period. With limited storage capacity, disruptions to gas supplies for power plants and energy-intensive industries could quickly lead to widespread outages, factory shutdowns, and disruptions to public services, transport, and households.

By Nazrin Sadigova