Pakistan May Pay More for Evening Solar Battery Power Under New Proposal

Pakistan could soon introduce a new electricity pricing system that rewards households and businesses for supplying stored solar power to the national grid during peak evening hours, as battery imports continue to surge nationwide.

Power Division Advisor Syed Faizan Ali has proposed introducing Time-of-Use (ToU) net metering and net billing, under which consumers with battery storage systems would receive Rs 18 to Rs 22 per unit (kWh) for electricity discharged into the grid between 5:00 pm and 10:00 pm.

The proposal aims to reduce pressure on Pakistan’s electricity system during the evening, when demand is at its highest and solar panels are no longer generating power. According to the report, Pakistan’s evening electricity demand now exceeds 26,000 megawatts every year.

The recommendation comes as Pakistan’s battery storage market experiences rapid growth. A market intelligence report based on customs data from January 2024 to June 2026 shows that the country imported 6.004 gigawatt-hours (GWh) of lithium-ion batteries worth Rs 126 billion (around $455 million) over the 30 months.

Monthly battery imports increased from 42 megawatt-hours (MWh) in January 2024 to a record 652 MWh in April 2026, making Pakistan one of the fastest-growing emerging battery energy storage markets.

The report says the market has shifted from traditional rooftop solar systems focused on exporting electricity to the grid toward self-consumption, where users store excess solar energy in batteries and use it later. This trend accelerated after revisions to Pakistan’s net metering framework earlier this year.

Under the proposed ToU system, consumers would have a financial incentive to charge their batteries during the day using solar energy and then sell part of that stored electricity back to the grid during expensive evening peak hours. The move could reduce the need for costly electricity generation while improving grid stability.

The report also highlights growing commercial demand for battery storage. Telecom operator CMPAK emerged as one of the largest buyers of lithium battery backup systems, while utility-scale battery storage projects and commercial battery installations have also expanded significantly.

Despite the rapid growth, the report warns that Pakistan still lacks comprehensive regulations for battery energy storage systems. It recommends introducing product safety standards, grid connection rules, a national battery registry and financial support for large-scale battery projects.

The advisor also called for policies to promote local battery manufacturing and recycling, warning that falling battery prices and increasing rooftop solar adoption could eventually encourage some consumers to rely less on the national grid. Instead, he argued, battery storage should become an active part of Pakistan’s electricity system by helping supply power during peak demand.

If implemented, the proposed Time-of-Use net metering system could transform thousands of privately owned batteries into a nationwide energy resource, helping lower electricity procurement costs while making better use of Pakistan’s rapidly expanding solar capacity.

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