Solar now Pakistan’s third-largest power source

Solar power provided over 14 percent of Pakistan’s total electricity in 2024 — a sharp rise from just 4 per cent in 2021 — making it the country’s third-largest source of energy, ahead of coal. This was revealed at a seminar to mark Pakistan’s growing use of green energy.

Speakers said Pakistan had become the sixth-largest solar market in the world due to its fast shift towards renewable energy.

The growth had come despite energy and economic challenges, and showed Pakistan’s rising role in the global clean energy movement.

During the event, speakers also shared a report by IPR Daily that ranked Trinasolar number one in the world for patents related to perovskite solar cell technology.

The company has filed 481 international patents in this field, making it the industry leader in the next big phase of solar research.

Perovskite solar cells are considered the future of solar power. They have the potential to produce more energy at a lower cost than the current silicon-based panels.

These new cells could reach up to 43 per cent efficiency in lab conditions, though they are not yet ready for sale in markets. Still, Trinasolar’s work in this area is seen as a major step toward more efficient and cheaper solar power in the future.

Read more: Solar panel, battery prices drop in Pakistan

The company has also been a pioneer in TOPCon solar cell technology, another advanced method already in commercial use. Trinasolar is ranked second globally for patents in overall solar modules and TOPCon technology.

It works with well-known universities like Fudan University in China and holds exclusive licences from Oxford PV in the UK and Nanyang Technological University in Singapore.

Trinasolar Chairman Gao Jifan said the company would keep investing in research and help bring perovskite-silicon tandem technologies to the market faster.

“We will continue to support the global energy transition with better solar innovations,” he said.