PSA criticises lack of consultation on net metering regulation

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LAHORE: The Pakistan Solar Association (PSA) has warned that introducing new net measurements will significantly affect the solar industry, especially in Pakistan, residential and small medium -sized enterprise (SME) sectors.

On Monday, the chairman of PSA Waqas Musa said that the new tariff for solar net measurement is expected from the government to change the dynamics of renewable energy, which will change on grid installations towards hybrid, battery -powered systems.

The purpose of the proposed amendments to pure measurement rules is to extend the payment period for the grid system to about three years, compared to the current average 1.5 years. On the contrary, the hybrid systems that connect solar and battery technology-especially those who use an advanced battery of lithium-ion-offer a period of payment period under three years. With the continuous growth in battery technology, this period is likely to be shortened.

“As a result, we expect a significant increase in the number of users choosing solar and battery solutions in the near future,” Mosa added.

However, he warned that this change could have long -term negative consequences for the financial health of the country’s power sector. There is a significant difference between saving Rs 50-60 from storing additional solar energy in the export rate of 10 per unit and personal use, more consumers will be encouraged to invest in battery storage. The PSA warned that since self -storage gains popularity, the increasing number of consumers can be chosen to remain off for expansion periods, which can reduce the demand for distribution companies. This transition can cause the increase in electricity prices for the rest of the consumers, as fixed costs will spread to the shrinking number of units connected to the grid.

“This scenario will put more burden on low -income consumers, claiming to protect the proposed changes.” He said the supply of goods could not be adjusted overnight, which could result in a sudden demand shifts due to the increase in hybrid systems and battery stock prices. “Such volatility is never beneficial to any industry, and eventually, consumers bear the cost of artificially inspired,” he said.

Mosa emphasized that similar regulatory changes in other countries are announced with at least six months of advance notice to allow the market to be adopted. He emphasized, “Pakistan should follow the same approach to ensure smooth transitions instead of imposing rigorous amendments without proper preparation.”

He also condemned the government’s marketing campaign, in which purely measuring consumers have been presented in negative light and blamed them for the challenges of the power sector. “This is the best misleading and deliberately wrong direction in real structural flaws in the power sector,” he said. He added that the campaign failed to recognize the key benefits of pure metering consumers, which included hidden savings for disco, environmental benefits, reduced dependence on foam fuel, and increased business competitiveness due to low energy costs.

In addition, Musa highlighted that the solar investment in the roof is completely private, which is contrary to the free electricity generators (IPPS) without any official assurance, whose sovereign -backed profits put a permanent financial burden on the economy, eventually paying through the people.

The PSA called on the Ministry of Energy (Power Division) to immediately withdraw the misleading campaign, which blames users who are unfairly purely measuring power sector problems.

The Association called on the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) to adopt a balanced approach to determining the export unit rates under the revised net metering rules and to include stakeholders, including industry representatives and consumers, before implementing changes to any major policy.

PSA is a non -profit, non -governmental commercial organization registered with the Directorate General of Trade Organizations, the Government of Pakistan. With more than 500 members of different classes of the solar industry, including installers, EPC companies, importers, and traders, it is the largest representative of the solar sector in the country.