Solar boom leaves low-income households behind amid Sindh’s energy, climate challenges: experts

Experts at the Sindh Energy & Climate Conference in Karachi last week said Pakistan’s fast-growing solar adoption is not reaching many low-income households. Business Recorder reported that high installation costs and limited maintenance support are barriers, while a World Bank-supported programme found just 33% of distributed systems still working after ten years. A survey cited at the event found 86% of respondents in low-income Karachi neighbourhoods faced 13 to 20 hours of load-shedding.

Conference participants proposed linking a Sindh solar programme to BISP, with a pilot system costing about Rs150,000 per beneficiary, alongside mini-grids for rural areas. They also called for grid upgrades, electricity-sharing arrangements, equipment quality controls and recycling, while stressing that the national grid remains necessary. Discussions extended to heat risks for workers, water access, climate finance and electric mobility, including 84 operational electric buses and further vehicles planned or proposed.