Is solar PV a viable long-term solution to Pakistan's energy needs?

The country has been facing a significant energy de-ficit for the past decade, with power shortfalls stan-ding at 5 GW8 and load shedding across the country varying between 5 to 12 hours a day, with rural areas bearing the brunt of load shedding. Solar PV could be a viable and cost-efective long-term solution to meet Pakistan’s energy needs.

Why is classification of PV equipment not possible in Pakistan?

Classification of equipment into ‘tiers’ is currently not possible due to the lack of quality standards in Pakistan. The availability of high-quality products and services is limited to a handful of companies working in the country’s PV market.

Which PV market segment is most price-sensitive in Pakistan?

Amongst the diferent PV customer segments in the Pakistan market, the residential sector remains the most price-sensitive, although a niche market does exist for high-quality products, particularly bateries and inverters. The industrial sector claims to prefer European products, since they are bankable and more reliable.

Are PV panels imported into Pakistan?

Apart from minor accessories such as wiring and panel mounting structures, 80 percent of PV compo-nents are currently being imported into the country. Currently, five companies in Pakistan are conducting the local ‘assembly’ of panels. However, imported panels are preferred. The PV panel landscape in the country is provided in Figure 9 below.

Which inverter imports the most in Pakistan?

Chinese inverters have the highest share of imports in Pakistan, which has increased between 2014 and 2016, as can be seen in Figure 13 below.

What percentage of PV panels are imported from China?

Currently the PV market is dominated by Chinese products: 95.6 percent (975.3 MW) of PV panels, 71.5 percent (1328.8 MW) of inverters and 85.1 percent (24,970 tons) of deep cycle bateries have been imported from China into Pakistan between October 2015 and September 2016.