Who commercial solar is for
Any business burning more than PKR 100,000 a month on electricity should be on solar yesterday. Sectors where the numbers are most dramatic:
- Retail and warehouses — daytime cooling and lighting load aligns perfectly with solar generation curve.
- Offices and IT companies — predictable Mon–Sat 9–6 load pattern.
- Schools, colleges, universities — large rooftops, daytime use, plus net-metering credit for summer holidays.
- Marriage halls and event venues — large flat or tin-shed roofs that are otherwise unused.
- Hospitals and clinics — 24/7 load makes hybrid + battery especially attractive.
- Hotels and guest houses — large hot-water and AC load that solar offsets directly.
- Small factories and workshops — see our industrial EPC page for systems above 200kW.
What a commercial solar system looks like
A typical 50kW commercial install for a Lahore office:
- ~85 panels at 590W each (Longi Hi-MO 7 N-type or equivalent).
- 50kW string inverter — Sungrow SG50CX, Huawei SUN2000-50KTL, or Goodwe GW50K-MT.
- Galvanised mounting structure — RCC anchors, tin-shed brackets, or ground-mount based on roof type.
- 3-phase AC distribution with surge protection, isolators, and a bidirectional meter from the DISCO.
- SCADA / Wi-Fi monitoring for real-time generation and per-string fault alerts.
- Hybrid option — pair with a 30–50kWh lithium bank if the business needs loadshedding backup.
Roof-load analysis is mandatory before quoting. We refuse jobs where the roof can't safely take 25 kg/m² of additional dead load — a non-negotiable safety standard.
What a commercial system costs in 2026
| System | Indicative price (PKR) | Per-watt cost |
|---|---|---|
| 25 kW | 2.4M – 3.0M | ~96–120/W |
| 50 kW | 4.4M – 5.2M | ~88–104/W |
| 100 kW | 9.0M – 12M | ~90–120/W |
| 200 kW | 17M – 24M | ~85–120/W |
| 500 kW | 42M – 60M | ~84–120/W |
Per-watt cost drops with scale because BoS, labour, and paperwork are fixed costs. Hybrid + battery additions roughly add PKR 35,000–45,000 per kWh of usable battery capacity.
Net billing and what it means for businesses
Commercial users are typically less affected by the February 2026 net-billing change than residential users — most businesses have a daytime-heavy load profile that consumes solar directly, so very little gets exported anyway.
Where net billing does bite is in operations that finish at 5 PM with significant overproduction in the late afternoon. For those we recommend either:
- Right-sizing the system to match daytime consumption (no overcapacity).
- Adding a moderate battery bank to capture the late-afternoon surplus.
- Shifting flexible loads (water pumping, EV charging, batch processes) into solar hours.
We model your hourly consumption against expected solar generation in the engineered quote so you can see exactly what gets self-consumed vs exported.
Process and timeline
- Week 1 — site survey + structural assessment. Roof load test, shading study, 12-month bill review.
- Week 1–2 — engineered design. Single-line diagram, panel layout, structural calculations, financial model with payback and IRR.
- Week 2–4 — procurement. Panels, inverter, structure, BoS items secured at locked prices.
- Week 4–8 — installation. 50kW typically takes 7–10 working days; 100kW around 14 days; 200kW+ around 21–30 days.
- Week 8–12 — commissioning + DISCO concurrence. Energisation, AMI smart meter, net-metering or net-billing agreement signed.
Frequently asked questions
What is the payback period for commercial solar in Pakistan?
For a business on the B-3 commercial tariff (~PKR 50–60/unit) with a daytime-heavy load, payback is typically 3 to 5 years on a 50–200 kW system. After payback the system continues producing essentially free electricity for another 15+ years.
Can my tin-shed roof support a commercial solar array?
Most tin sheds can take a properly engineered solar load — we add a galvanised purlin structure that distributes weight to the existing trusses. We always do a roof-load analysis first and refuse jobs where the structure isn't safe.
Do you handle the entire DISCO process?
Yes. We file the application with LESCO, IESCO, MEPCO, GEPCO, FESCO, HESCO, SEPCO, PESCO, or QESCO; pay the concurrence fee; coordinate the AMI smart meter; and follow up until the bidirectional meter is energised. You sign the documents, we do the rest.
Is commercial solar tax-deductible in Pakistan?
Solar systems for businesses fall under accelerated depreciation rules and are exempt from sales tax on equipment under successive Finance Acts. Discuss specifics with your tax consultant — we provide a tax-friendly invoice with all equipment line items.
How does net billing affect a business?
Less than residential, in most cases. Commercial users typically consume their solar directly during business hours, so the lower export rate matters only if the system is significantly oversized. We model your hourly consumption against solar generation in the quote to show exactly what is self-consumed vs exported.
Do you do hybrid commercial systems with battery backup?
Yes. For hospitals, hotels, hospitality, and IT operations that can't tolerate any downtime, we pair the solar with a 30–100 kWh lithium battery bank and a hybrid inverter. The system runs critical loads through grid outages without a generator.
Can I scale the system later?
Yes — we use string inverters with spare DC inputs and design AC distribution with future expansion in mind. Adding more panels in a phase 2 install is straightforward as long as you reserve roof or ground space for it.