Rs8.13 Export Rate: How to Size Your 2026 Solar System to Self-Consume, Not Oversize

• By Best Solar Company PK
• 18 Sep, 2026
• Buying Guide
• 8 min read

If you are buying rooftop solar in 2026, the single most important number has changed—and it changes how big your system should be. Under NEPRA's new **net billing** rules, DISCOs now pay new installations only about **Rs8.13 per unit** for surplus electricity you export to the grid. Meanwhile, every unit you *import* still costs Rs45–60+. That gap is the whole game. To size a solar system correctly for self-consumption now, you must stop building for the grid and start building for your own daytime load.

This guide explains how to right-size your system under net billing, run the numbers in PKR, and decide the one question that trips up most buyers: when a battery actually beats exporting.

What Actually Changed Under Net Billing 2026

On 9 February 2026, NEPRA notified the **Prosumer Regulations 2026**, formally retiring the old Net Metering Regulations that had governed rooftop solar since 2015. Two things are different, and both hurt oversized systems.

• **Units are no longer swapped 1:1.** Previously, a unit you exported cancelled a unit you imported. Now money is the unit of account: exports are *sold* at the buyback rate, and imports are *bought* at your full retail tariff.
• **The buyback rate collapsed** from roughly Rs25–27/unit to about **Rs8.13/unit** for new prosumers, settled as a separate credit on a quarterly basis rather than netted instantly against your bill.

Two clarifications matter. First, **existing net-metering consumers are grandfathered** at their old rate until their contract expires—but if you expand or modify that system, you generally lose the protected rate. Second, the reference buyback figure floats around the national average energy purchase price (roughly Rs8–11/unit depending on the notification), so treat Rs8.13 as your planning number, not a guaranteed lifetime rate. Always confirm the current figure with your DISCO before signing.

The New Math: Self-Consumed Units Are Worth 5–6× Exports

Here is the comparison that should drive your entire buying decision.

| Where your solar unit goes | What it is worth (2026) | |---|---| | Self-consumed (replaces a grid unit) | Rs45–60+ saved | | Exported to DISCO (net billing) | ~Rs8.13 earned | | Ratio | Roughly 5–6× in favour of self-use |

An oversized 12–15kW system that dumps half its output to the grid at Rs8.13 is now a poor investment. A right-sized system whose production closely tracks your daytime usage captures the Rs45–60 value on nearly every unit. **Self-consumption ratio—not system size—is now the metric that decides your payback.**

How to Size a 2026 System for Self-Consumption

Follow this sequence rather than asking a vendor "how many kilowatts should I buy?"

1. **Pull 12 months of bills** and find your average daily units (kWh) and, more importantly, your *daytime* usage—roughly 9am to 5pm, when panels produce. 2. **Estimate daytime load.** For a typical Pakistani home this is fans, ACs, fridge, water pump and lights running in daylight hours. A household using 40 units/day might consume only 15–20 of them during solar hours. 3. **Match array size to daytime consumption, not total consumption.** A rough rule: 1kW of panels yields about 4 units/day annualised in most of Pakistan. So 15 daytime units ≈ a 4kW array that you will almost fully self-consume. 4. **Add a modest buffer, not a mountain.** Size perhaps 10–20% above daytime load to cover cloudy periods and future appliances—not 200%. 5. **Confirm the inverter and sanctioned load** match your DISCO connection limits.

The goal is a **self-consumption ratio above ~70%**. If your design exports more than 30% of production at Rs8.13, you are subsidising the grid, not yourself.

When a Battery Beats Exporting

This is where 2026 buyers get stuck. A battery lets you store cheap solar for evening use instead of exporting it for pennies. But storage is not free, so run the arbitrage.

• **The value of a stored unit** = your evening tariff avoided (Rs45–60) *minus* what you'd have earned exporting it (Rs8.13). Call it roughly **Rs35–50 of value per unit shifted**.
• **The cost of a stored unit** = battery price ÷ (usable capacity × cycles × round-trip efficiency).

Current LiFePO4 lithium storage runs about **Rs45,000–65,000 per kWh** in 2026 (Pylontech ~Rs40,000–45,000/kWh; a 10kWh bank ~Rs526,000). Over ~6,000 cycles at ~90% efficiency, a 10kWh pack cycled daily delivers roughly 54,000 usable units across its life. That's a **lifetime storage cost of roughly Rs10–12 per unit**—comfortably below the Rs35–50 you save by not exporting.

**A battery beats exporting when:**

• You have significant **evening/night load** (ACs after sunset, an EV, a shop that runs late).
• You face **long load-shedding** and value backup regardless.
• Your daytime production genuinely exceeds daytime use, so the surplus would otherwise leave at Rs8.13.

**Skip or downsize the battery when** your load is mostly daytime (offices, daytime factories, homes empty until evening) or your budget is tight—here a lean grid-tied array with high self-consumption still pays back fastest.

Indicative 2026 Costs (PKR)

| Component / system | Typical 2026 price | |---|---| | Solar panels | Rs35–85 per watt | | 10kW on-grid (no battery) | Rs950,000–1,200,000 | | 10kW hybrid + lithium backup | Rs1,400,000–1,700,000 | | Lithium battery (per kWh) | Rs45,000–65,000 | | 10kWh battery bank | ~Rs526,000 |

A practical 2026 sweet spot for many homes is a **hybrid inverter + a right-sized array + a small 5–10kWh battery**—enough to shift the evening peak, not enough to gold-plate the roof. For a deeper cost breakdown see our 10kW solar system price guide, and for eligibility steps read the NEPRA net billing application guide.

A Practical Original Tip

Before finalising size, ask your installer to model your design's **self-consumption ratio and export percentage** using your actual bill data—most quality vendors can. If the model shows more than 30% going to export at Rs8.13, cut the array slightly or add a small battery instead of accepting the loss. One afternoon of load analysis routinely saves buyers Rs200,000–400,000 in avoided oversizing.

Frequently Asked Questions

**Is solar still worth it in Pakistan after the Rs8.13 export rate?** Yes—because the savings come from *self-consumption*, not exports. Every unit you use directly still saves Rs45–60. A right-sized system typically pays back in about 4–7 years; only oversized, export-heavy designs see the longer 10–12 year paybacks now being quoted.

**Will I lose my old net-metering rate if I already have solar?** Existing consumers keep their previous arrangement until their contract expires. However, expanding or modifying the system generally pushes you onto the new net billing terms, so weigh upgrades carefully and confirm with your DISCO first.

**How big a system should I buy under net billing?** Size to your **daytime** consumption plus a 10–20% buffer, aiming for a self-consumption ratio above 70%. Don't build for the grid—exports at Rs8.13 barely move your payback.

**Is a battery worth it in 2026?** If you have meaningful evening load or long load-shedding, yes: shifting a unit from Rs8.13 export to Rs45–60 self-use is worth about Rs35–50, while lifetime lithium storage costs only ~Rs10–12/unit. For daytime-only loads, a battery is often optional.

Conclusion

Net billing rewrote the rules: the grid is no longer your battery, and Rs8.13 exports won't finance an oversized roof. Build a 2026 system that matches your own daytime demand, add storage only where the evening arithmetic works, and you'll still get one of the best returns in the country. **Ready to size it properly? Contact Best Solar Company PK for a self-consumption-based design and a transparent PKR quote.**

Sources: Profit by Pakistan Today · Samaa TV — Net billing 2026 · SolarCitizen battery prices

Best Solar Company PK designs and installs reliable solar systems in Rawalpindi, Islamabad, Lahore, Multan, Taunsa Sharif and Karachi. Contact us for a free survey and the best advice for your home or business.