# CCP: old feeders and weak grid are capping Pakistan's solar and net metering

Source: Searchable (https://searchable.pk/news/business/ccp-old-feeders-and-weak-grid-are-capping-pakistans-solar-and-net-metering)
Type: News article
Author: Searchable Editorial
Published: 17 Sept 2026
Updated: 17 Sept 2026
Retrieved: 18 Sept 2026

> The Competition Commission says distribution networks cannot handle two-way power flows, which is limiting net metering even as panel prices sit near Rs 29 per watt.

The Competition Commission of Pakistan has published a study on the solar sector, and its conclusion is that the panels are not the problem. The grid is.

## The finding

Outdated feeders and substations are not built to handle two-way power flow. When a household or factory exports surplus solar back into the network, the result is voltage fluctuation on lines designed to send power one way only. That is the technical ceiling on how far net metering can expand in its current form.

## Why this matters to a household thinking about solar

Solar panel prices in Pakistan have been sitting around **Rs 29 per watt**, which is what has driven the rooftop boom. At that price a 10 kW system's panels alone cost roughly Rs 290,000, before inverter, structure, wiring and labour.

The economics of that system depend heavily on whether you can net meter. If you can export surplus units and net them against your bill, payback is fast. If your feeder cannot take the export, or your DISCO's queue for a net metering connection is long, you are looking at a self-consumption system with batteries, which is a different and more expensive calculation.

Before you sign with an installer, ask two things about your specific address: whether the local feeder has capacity for net metering connections, and what the current waiting time is at your DISCO for a net metering approval. An installer who cannot answer either question with a document is guessing.

Our [solar payback calculator](/tools/solar/solar-payback-calculator) lets you run both scenarios, and the [solar panel price page](/data/solar-panel-price) tracks the per-watt rate.

## What the CCP recommends

- Urgent upgrades to distribution networks, with SCADA and distribution management systems deployed
- A national rollout of advanced metering infrastructure (smart meters)
- Fast-tracking the Competitive Trading Bilateral Contract Market, with pilot renewable schemes in industrial zones in the interim
- Accredited testing labs and mandatory compliance with international equipment standards
- Off-grid solutions and targeted financing to extend solar to rural areas
- Incentives for battery storage and for domestic panel manufacturing through production-linked incentive schemes
- A National Solar Registry for transparency and planning

## The quality point is the one buyers should read

The recommendation on accredited testing labs and mandatory standards compliance is aimed at a real problem. Pakistan's rooftop market has grown faster than any certification regime, and there is no straightforward way for a household buyer to verify that a panel delivers its rated output or that an inverter meets the standard it claims.

Until that changes, the practical protections are the boring ones: buy from a vendor with a registered business and a physical address, get the panel and inverter warranties in writing with serial numbers recorded, and keep the invoice. A warranty from a company that does not exist in two years is not a warranty.

## Context

Electricity tariffs are set by NEPRA and reviewed regularly, and the case for solar in Pakistan rests on the gap between the grid tariff and the cost of a self-generated unit. Our [electricity bill calculator](/tools/utilities/electricity-bill-calculator) shows what your current slab costs, which is the number solar has to beat.

## Frequently asked questions

**Why is net metering hard to get in Pakistan?**

The Competition Commission of Pakistan says distribution feeders and substations were built for one-way power flow and cannot handle export from rooftop solar without voltage fluctuation, which limits how many net metering connections a feeder can take.

**What is the solar panel price in Pakistan?**

Panels have been trading around Rs 29 per watt. A 10 kW system's panels alone come to roughly Rs 290,000 at that rate, before inverter, mounting structure, wiring and installation.

## Sources

- Weak grid holding back solar boom in Pakistan: report (Business Recorder): https://www.brecorder.com/news/40415021/weak-grid-holding-back-solar-boom-in-pakistan-report

How to cite: "CCP: old feeders and weak grid are capping Pakistan's solar and net metering", Searchable, 17 Sept 2026, https://searchable.pk/news/business/ccp-old-feeders-and-weak-grid-are-capping-pakistans-solar-and-net-metering