A new incentive plan has been suggested by the Power Division, where solar users with battery storage systems can generate additional income by delivering stored electricity to the national grid during evening peak hours.
And, under the proposed Time-of-Use (ToU) net metering/net billing method, solar owners with battery backups could get an additional Rs. 18-22 for every kWh of electricity exported between 5 PM and 10 PM, when the power consumption is at its peak.
The plan follows Pakistan’s nightly demand for energy crossing 26,000 MW, putting a lot of pressure on the grid and raising the cost of managing peak-hour supplies.
Meanwhile, the country’s battery-storage business has been expanding quickly. Between January 2024 and June 2026, Pakistan imported 6.004 GWh of Rs. 126 billion (US$ 454.7 million) worth of lithium-ion batteries.
Imports of batteries also saw a spike every month, jumping 1,640% from 42 MWh in January 2024 to a record high of 652.2 MWh in April 2026.
The move is a huge shift in Pakistan’s solar industry, with users rapidly migrating away from rooftop solar panels to battery-backed systems that store extra daytime electricity for use — or export — during busy evening hours.
The change is also accelerating among telecom firms, commercial enterprises and big energy projects, all of whom are pouring money into battery storage technologies.
But the country’s regulatory system has failed to keep pace with the rapid growth of battery storage. Critical elements such as safety standards, grid interconnection rules, battery registration and tariff systems for energy storage services remain in their infancy.
Experts warn that the increased use of solar might speed up the death of the national grid, meaning consumers who rely on the grid would pay a higher part of the country’s electricity expenses.
