Overcoming barriers to solar energy adoption in Pakistan: Current status, policy gaps, and institutional reforms

• Supportive policies for renewable energy can mitigate Pakistan’s power shortage. • Awareness and subsidies drive household adoption of solar systems. • Agricultural solar use cuts costs and enhances irrigation sustainability. • Private-sector partnerships accelerate infrastructure and tech transfer. • Regulatory delays hinder projects; urgent streamlined approvals needed. Pakistan, a country of 235 million people, faces severe energy security challenges and environmental threats. Transitioning to clean and sustainable energy, particularly solar power, is essential to mitigate these issues and ensure a prosperous future. This study investigates the current status of solar energy adoption in Pakistan, identifying the primary obstacles hindering its widespread implementation. Reviewing reports on policy analysis and the national energy grid, it examines the technical, financial, and regulatory barriers to renewable energy adoption. Despite tremendous solar potential equivalent to 100,000 MW of electricity and an annual boost (2.5 billion PKR) in the allocated budget to promote solar energy in Pakistan, the findings show that major issues include high initial costs, disadvantageous agreements between distribution companies and Independent Power Producers (IPPs), demand-supply deficits, shortfalls of electricity, reliance on imported fuels, and outdated electrical network infrastructure. In the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA)’s 2020 Health, Safety, and Environment (HSE) compliance assessment, only 4 out of 157 solar power projects in Pakistan met the required performance criteria, and 3 of them improved their position to the outstanding category. The study proposes 33 policy guidelines for stakeholders to accelerate solar energy adoption, offering actionable tasks toward a cleaner, more energy-secure Pakistan.