Rooftop solar panels by domestic power consumers have picked up pace in recent years for reasons like the rising cost of grid electricity. And it’s a known fact that solar is best operated at distributed levels as the losses are less. However, the rise in micro-level solar panel installation in the country in the last 4-5 years has primarily been driven by NEPRA, allowing a net metering program in 2015 at lucrative rates.

However, the regulation side has not been very incentivizing for net metering of the solar connections at home. The government’s focus has been the facilitation of macro projects in solar power generation, so the growth has not been massive in the domestic sector. A recent survey by Gallup highlights the problems faced by solar panel users during the process from pre-installation to post-installation and use. The study conducted between Jan to Mar 2023 showed that most of the solar panel installations by the respondents took place between 2019 and 2021. However, it started in 2017 after NEPRA approved a net-metering program in 2015.

The survey shows that 83 percent of the respondents were satisfied with how much solar panels have cut their electricity bills. Additionally, 66 percent were more conscious of their electricity usage post-solar panel system installation. Starting with the installation process, 80 percent of the respondents feel satisfied with the timeliness and installation. Despite the high percentage of satisfaction in installation and operation, some reasons why respondents were dissatisfied with the were the delay they faced with the installation even after full payment; the quality or service being suboptimal, or delays in meter installation. On average, it took 14 weeks to get a net-metering connection after applying for it. Thirty-three percent of the respondents also had to pay bribe money to the government department during the net-metering process. Satisfaction with the aftersales service was also found to be lower than satisfaction with the installation process (65%).

The survey generally shows that those who installed solar net metering systems are mostly satisfied but face regulatory accountability and transparency slippages that must be addressed. Another fascinating insight from the survey is that while electricity cost is one major factor for the shifting to solar net metering, 42 percent of the respondents also mentioned that ”Living Green” was a reason for the switch to solar technology.