Every evening, as temperatures soared and electricity disappeared for hours, 64-year-old Riazul Haq would watch his family struggle through another sweltering night in Nowshera district.
From darkness to sunshine: Solar power transforms lives in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa amid soaring temperature
By Fakhar-e-Alam
PESHAWAR, Jul 12 (APP): Every evening, as temperatures soared and electricity disappeared for hours, 64-year-old Riazul Haq would watch his family struggle through another sweltering night in Nowshera district.
The fans would stop, the air conditioners would fall silent, and the oppressive summer heat would turn their home into an oven.
Like hundreds of thousands of Pakistanis, he had grown accustomed to spending up to 18 hours a day without electricity.
But this summer, everything changed for former PST teacher. Unable to bear the hardship any longer, Riazul Haq took out a loan and installed a 10-kilowatt solar power system on the roof of his house.
“We were suffering from prolonged load shedding. I had no choice but to install solar panels to give my family relief during the intense heat,” he told APP.
Today, his rooftop tells a different story in his hometown Mohib Banda located on River Kabul’s south. The family now runs air conditioners, refrigerators and other household appliances without interruption. Even more remarkably, the excess electricity generated by the system is sold to neighbours, creating an additional source of income.
“My monthly electricity bill has dropped from nearly Rs40,000 to almost zero,” he said with a smile. “It’s peace of mind. I feel like we’ve finally taken control of our own power.”
His story reflected a quiet but powerful transformation unfolding across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and the rest of Pakistan, where thousands of households are turning to solar energy not only to escape crippling electricity bills but also to regain a sense of security and independence.
According to the Global Electricity Review 2025, Pakistan imported 17 gigawatts of solar panels in 2024 which is double the volume imported in 2023 making it the world’s largest importer of solar panels.
The rapid shift has been fuelled by rising electricity tariffs, unreliable grid supplies, falling prices of solar technology and increasing awareness of clean energy.
Prof. Dr. Zilakat Malik, former Chairman of the Economics Department at the University of Peshawar, said Pakistan’s growing electricity demand has made diversification of energy sources essential to cater electricity demands of agriculture and industrial sectors.
“Solar energy has become one of the most viable and cost-effective options for Pakistan,” he said, adding that lower electricity costs improve industrial productivity, strengthen small and medium enterprises and reduce dependence on imported fuels and volatile global energy prices.
Pakistan’s renewable energy journey began with the Renewable Energy Policy 2006, followed by the introduction of net-metering regulations in 2015, encouraging private investment in clean energy.
According to the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA), more than 302,409 net-metering connections have been established across the country, producing a combined capacity of 4,492 megawatts.
Under the National Electricity Policy 2021 and National Electricity Plan 2023-27, Pakistan aimed to generate 60 percent of its electricity from indigenous clean energy sources by 2030.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was playing a leading role in this transition. Former adviser to the Chief Minister on Energy Engr. Tariq Sadozai said two mega solarisation projects were under implementation. The initiatives included the solarisation of 13,000 public buildings and distribution of solar systems to 130,000 low-income households, with half of the beneficiaries receiving the systems free of cost.
The projects were being implemented through collaboration between the Bank of Khyber and the Pakhtunkhwa Energy Development Organization (PEDO). Hospitals, schools and police stations would also be shifted to solar energy to ensure uninterrupted electricity while reducing long-term operational costs.
Wajid Khan, former Minister said the federal government under Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif has created a favourable policy environment through incentives, tax relief and support for promoting solar energy. The net metering made solar investment more accessible for households and businesses.
The implementation of the Centralized Trading and Bilateral Contract Market (CTBCM) was also expected to encourage further investment by allowing direct electricity trading.
However, experts believed the country’s solar revolution must be matched with reforms in energy planning and execution.
A study titled, “the great solar rush in Pakistan by renewables first” noted that large-scale solar adoption has already reduced demand for grid electricity by more than 10 percent, highlighting the urgent need to modernise transmission infrastructure and improve demand forecasting.
Dr. Zilakat also pointed to the challenges posed by legacy Independent Power Producer (IPP) contracts, which require fixed payments regardless of electricity consumption.
“As more consumers switch to solar in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa amid rising temperature and prolonged power outages, these agreements become increasingly expensive and contribute to circular debt,” he said, stressing that restructuring such contracts would be essential for integrating renewable energy efficiently.
He further emphasised the importance of developing a skilled workforce through technical education, certified installers and specialised training programmes to sustain the rapid expansion of the solar sector.
Access to financing was also improving due to Govt favourable energy policy and reforms. Banks are now offering customised solar financing packages for households, farmers and small businesses. With declining interest rates, solar loans are becoming increasingly affordable, while approved vendors and technical inspections help ensure quality installations and after-sales service.
Former President of the Sarhad Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Dr Yousaf Sarwar, said the expanding solar industry was creating employment opportunities throughout the value chain such as from installation and maintenance to local manufacturing and technical services particularly in rural and peri-urban areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Industry experts estimated that solar power could contribute around 10 percent of Pakistan’s national energy mix by 2030, with installed capacity projected to rise from 1.41 GW in 2024 to 9.53 GW by 2029.
For families like Riazul Haq’s, however, the transformation is measured less in megawatts than in everyday comforts, the return of cool nights, uninterrupted meals, children’s studies without darkness and the reassurance that another power outage no longer dictates their lives.
Across Pakistan’s rooftops, thousands of solar panels are quietly doing more than generating electricity. They are restoring hope, easing financial burdens and illuminating a future powered increasingly by the scorching sun heat in KP.
