Pakistan's 90% Clean Energy by 2035: What Leghari's Storage Shift Means for Home Solar Buyers

• By Best Solar Company PK
• 18 Aug, 2026
• Solar Policy
• 8 min read

In August 2026, Federal Power Minister Awais Leghari unveiled a roadmap that reframes the entire national conversation: Pakistan's **90% clean energy by 2035** target no longer hinges on building more power plants. As Leghari put it, the power challenge has shifted "from generation to storage." For home solar buyers, that single sentence changes how you should plan your next system.

Pakistan now generates roughly 55% of its electricity from clean sources — hydropower, nuclear, wind and solar — and nearly **38,000 MW of rooftop solar** has been installed by ordinary consumers chasing lower bills. The problem is no longer making clean power. It's storing the flood of cheap midday solar so it can be used during the evening peak, when families actually switch on their fans, lights and ACs.

Why the Focus Moved From Generation to Storage

For years, the story was load-shedding and a shortage of megawatts. That story is over. During daylight hours, Pakistan often has *more* solar energy than the grid can absorb or move around. But the sun sets, and the national grid lacks the flexibility to shift that surplus into the 6–10 pm peak.

This mismatch — abundant daytime solar, strained evening supply — is exactly why battery storage has become the government's headline priority. The 90%-clean-by-2035 goal is only credible if that stored energy can be dispatched when demand is highest.

For a homeowner, the lesson is direct: a solar array that only offsets your daytime usage leaves the most expensive part of your bill untouched. Storage is where the real savings now live.

Leghari's Three-Pronged 2035 Strategy

The roadmap rests on three pillars, and each one touches you as a buyer:

• **Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS):** Expanding grid-scale storage nationally, coordinated by a new Federal Steering Committee on BESS.
• **Local battery manufacturing:** Promoting domestic battery assembly to cut import dependence and create jobs — reinforced by the "E-Cluster" for local clean-energy manufacturing launched in mid-August 2026.
• **Regulatory reform:** Giving investors long-term certainty and mandating that only **IEC-certified battery modules** are used, for safety and reliability.

That last point matters for households. As cheaper batteries flood the market, the government is signalling it will favour internationally certified cells — so buying a no-name battery today could mean owning something that fails to meet tomorrow's standards.

What This Means for Home Solar Buyers in 2026

Here's the honest, on-the-ground reality. Two big forces are pulling in different directions.

First, **NEPRA replaced net metering with net billing** in February 2026. Under the old system, a unit you exported was worth a unit you imported. Under net billing, exported solar is bought back at a far lower rate — reported figures have fallen from around **Rs 25.9 per unit to roughly Rs 8–11 per unit**, and the buyback contract dropped from 7 years to 5. If you had a valid net-metering agreement on or before 9 February 2026, you are grandfathered at the old rate (about **Rs 25.32/unit**) until your agreement expires.

Second, the government is separately pushing storage. Together, these send one clear message: **exporting surplus to the grid is no longer where the money is. Storing and self-consuming your own solar is.**

The table below shows how the economics have flipped.

| Factor | Old model (pre-Feb 2026) | New model (2026 onward) | | --- | --- | --- | | Mechanism | Net metering | Net billing | | Export value | ~Rs 25.9/unit | ~Rs 8–11/unit | | Contract term | 7 years | 5 years | | Best strategy | Export surplus | Store & self-consume | | Ideal system | On-grid | Hybrid + battery |

Real 2026 Prices: Solar Plus Storage in PKR

Storage adds cost, so plan with real numbers. Based on current market rates in Pakistan:

• **10kW on-grid system:** roughly **PKR 1,100,000** and up (some dealers quote **PKR 750,000–900,000** for basic setups).
• **10kW hybrid system with lithium backup:** around **PKR 1,000,000 to 1,800,000+**, depending on battery size and brand.
• **Lithium battery (5kWh / 51.2V 100Ah):** about **PKR 185,000 to 310,000**.
• **Cost per kWh of storage:** roughly **PKR 40,000–50,000** for tier-one brands like Pylontech and BYD.

A practical, first-hand tip from installations we've handled: don't oversize your battery on day one. Size it to cover your *evening* load — typically 5 to 10 kWh for a mid-sized home — and add a hybrid inverter that lets you expand later. This keeps upfront cost sane while positioning you for the storage-first era the government is building toward.

The IMF Wildcard

Leghari has also been candid that commitments to the **International Monetary Fund** are blocking a broad cut in electricity tariffs and time-of-use pricing that would reward evening usage differently. So don't wait for grid tariffs to rescue your bill. The reliable hedge remains under your own roof: generate your own power, store what you can, and lean less on an expensive grid.

For a deeper look at the export-rate changes, see our guide to the NEPRA net billing rules for 2026, and compare setups in our hybrid vs on-grid solar breakdown.

Frequently Asked Questions

**Does Pakistan's 90% clean energy by 2035 target mean solar will get cheaper?** Not directly. The target focuses on storage and grid flexibility, plus local battery manufacturing. Over time, domestic battery assembly could lower storage costs, but panel and system prices depend more on global supply and the rupee than on the 2035 goal itself.

**Should I still install rooftop solar under net billing?** Yes — but the strategy has changed. With export rates down to roughly Rs 8–11 per unit, the value is in self-consumption, not selling to the grid. A hybrid system with a battery that shifts your daytime solar into the evening peak now delivers the strongest return.

**Are existing net-metering users affected by the new rules?** No. Consumers with a valid net-metering agreement on or before 9 February 2026 are grandfathered at the older rate of about Rs 25.32 per unit until their agreement expires, per NEPRA's amendment.

**How big a battery do I need for a typical home?** For most mid-sized Pakistani households, 5–10 kWh of lithium storage covers essential evening loads — lights, fans, TV and one AC for a few hours. Choose IEC-certified cells, since the government is steering the market toward certified modules only.

The Bottom Line

Leghari's roadmap confirms what smart buyers already sense in their bills: the era of exporting cheap solar to the grid is closing, and the era of **storing your own power** has begun. Pakistan's **90% clean energy by 2035** target is, at heart, a storage story — and the households that pair solar with the right battery today will be the ones capturing the savings tomorrow.

Ready to build a storage-first system that fits the 2026 rules and your budget? Get a free solar-plus-storage consultation from Best Solar Company PK and future-proof your home before the next tariff shift.

*Sources: Arab News – Pakistan's power challenge shifts to storage · Profit by Pakistan Today – 90% clean energy by 2035 · NEPRA net-billing regulations, 2026*

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.