Pakistan’s rapid growth in solar energy will require greater investment in battery storage, flexible grid infrastructure and energy market reforms if the country is to sustain its transition toward renewable power, experts said at the Solar, Storage, and Flexibility 2026 Conference in Islamabad. The event was organised by Renewables First, the Global Solar Council and the Pakistan Solar Association and was attended by Federal Minister for Energy (Power Division) Awais Leghari, Senator Sherry Rehman, Global Solar Council Chief Executive Officer Sonia Dunlop and other local and international energy experts. Discussions focused on the need to align Pakistan expanding solar capacity with storage systems, grid modernisation and policies that can support a more distributed electricity system. Experts said the rapid increase in solar installations has created a need for supporting infrastructure capable of managing electricity generation and consumption more efficiently.
Awais Leghari said solar generation and energy storage should be treated as complementary assets within Pakistan energy system. He noted that around 50 percent of the country energy mix is already clean, with the government targeting a 90 percent clean energy mix by 2035. According to the minister, this transition is being planned across generation, transmission and storage flexibility. He also highlighted the importance of developing battery storage manufacturing within Pakistan to reduce dependence on imported systems. The government is also prepared to introduce a daytime Time-of-Use tariff, although implementation is currently constrained by the International Monetary Fund programme. A policy framework for battery storage was identified as another important requirement, with experts calling for government approval to provide greater certainty for investment and adoption. They also stressed that local production of battery storage systems could help reduce dependence on imports while creating opportunities for technology development within the country.
Senator Sherry Rehman said the next phase of Pakistan’s energy transition would depend on whether the electricity grid can adapt to a more distributed energy system. She called for investment in grid modernisation, battery storage and smart grids, particularly through international climate finance. The discussion also highlighted the growing role of households, businesses and other consumers in Pakistan solar expansion. Rehman said one in every five households now has a solar energy system, while millions of people continue to face challenges in accessing affordable and reliable electricity. She noted that Pakistan has significant installed generation capacity but electricity demand remains below available capacity, making planning and efficient energy management important issues for the power sector. This means that expanding generation alone may not address the country’s energy requirements, particularly as more consumers generate electricity through distributed solar systems.
Pakistan has already installed an estimated 38 gigawatts of distributed solar capacity, driven largely by investments from households, farms, businesses and industries. At the same time, the market for battery storage is beginning to expand, with lithium-ion Battery Energy Storage Systems imports increasing by 220 percent in 2025 after years of limited demand. Experts said this emerging battery market needs appropriate policies and regulations to develop alongside solar deployment. Investment in storage could allow surplus solar electricity to be retained and used when generation falls, while flexible grids and smart technologies can help manage electricity flows across a system increasingly shaped by distributed generation. The conference discussions therefore placed battery storage, grid flexibility, local manufacturing, financing and energy market reforms at the centre of Pakistan renewable energy planning. The focus on these areas reflects the growing need to develop supporting infrastructure alongside solar capacity so that the country can manage its changing electricity system more effectively.
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