Pakistani households are increasingly storing solar-generated electricity in batteries rather than selling it back to the national grid, a shift triggered by the implementation of net metering regulations that has created a new challenge for the government.
According to a report on the Pakistan Battery Import Market, the country has imported batteries with a cumulative capacity of 6.004 GW since January 2024.
April 2026 recorded the highest monthly import volume, with battery capacity reaching 652.2 MW. During that month alone, Pakistani citizens invested Rs126 billion in battery purchases.
Pakistan total power generation capacity, excluding solar, stands at 39,000 MW. Transmission and distribution losses account for up to 18 percent of this total generation capacity.
In response to the rising volume of battery imports, the government has begun drafting a National Battery Framework. Officials note that the growth in solar and battery adoption in Pakistan is outpacing the trend seen in other countries across the region.
Globally, energy storage capacity is projected to reach 1.5 million MW by 2030. Industry estimates suggest global investment in battery storage will total $1.2 trillion between 2024 and 2035.
A sharp decline in the price of Lithium Iron Phosphate batteries has made storage more affordable. The average cost of a battery pack fell from $151 per kWh in 2022 to $70 per kWh in 2025.
