As Pakistan’s power bills soared, rooftop solar helped save the country $12 billion in fuel imports

The global solar capacity is growing rapidly, so much so that by 2030, approximately 100 million households will rely on rooftop solar, according to the International Energy Agency. According to research by the World Economic Forum, covering only about 50% of the world's existing rooftops with solar panels could meet total global electricity demand. One such country that has taken a massive step in this direction is Pakistan.Over the past few years, Pakistan has adopted solar power at rates that have saved it billions during an ongoing global energy crisis. It has even cushioned the country from the effects of the war going on in Iran, which has impacted much stronger economies massively.Pakistan gets almost all of its oil and gas from the Middle East, where US and Israeli bombing of Iran has caused crude prices to jump past $150 a barrel and tankers to be stuck in the Strait of Hormuz for months. While it might still be spending on fuel imports, the country has saved much in electricity due to a recent yet rapid shift to solar power.It was at the beginning of the Ukraine War that the country began its solar boom, when it couldn't afford to buy liquefied natural gas, leading to pow...