Pakistan’s rapid growth in rooftop solar power is creating an opportunity to build a sustainable solar and battery recycling industry before large volumes of equipment reach the end of their useful lives. Global Solar Council (GSC) Chief Executive Sonia Dunlop has urged Pakistan to establish recycling systems now to prepare for future demand and support a circular clean-energy economy.
Dunlop said solar panels installed today could provide valuable materials such as silver, polysilicon and aluminium for recycling in the future. She also highlighted battery recycling as an even more immediate priority because batteries generally have shorter lifespans than solar panels. Recovering materials from lithium-ion batteries could help Pakistan avoid replacing an energy pollution problem with an environmental waste challenge.
Pakistan has experienced a major increase in rooftop solar installations as households, businesses and industries seek alternatives to high electricity costs. While much of the solar equipment is imported from China, GSC officials said Pakistan could capture greater economic value by developing expertise in recycling, battery storage and specialised solar technologies rather than attempting to compete directly with China in mass production.
The next phase of Pakistan’s energy transition could focus on combining solar power with battery storage. Market reforms, time-of-use electricity pricing and policies that allow batteries to provide grid services could help integrate distributed solar into the national power system. Battery storage could also address the mismatch between strong daytime solar generation and higher electricity demand during evening hours.
Experts also stressed the need to make solar energy accessible to lower-income households through small-scale systems, community solar projects and microfinance. Concessional financing and modernisation of the electricity grid could further support the expansion of distributed solar and battery storage.
As Pakistan’s solar market continues to grow, the country faces a broader challenge beyond installing new capacity. Developing a domestic recycling industry, expanding battery storage, improving grid integration and ensuring affordable access to clean energy could help Pakistan build a more resilient and circular renewable-energy ecosystem.
