DER Task Force

Pakistan's distributed solar boom with Jenny Chase

Sep 30, 2024

Jenny Chase, a renowned global solar analyst at Bloomberg New Energy Finance, shares her deep insights into Pakistan's solar surge. She highlights the nation's rise as the third-largest importer of Chinese solar panels while revealing an unsettling disconnect with the national utility. The conversation touches on the impacts of decentralized energy on traditional utilities, concerns over potential utility death spirals, and the challenges faced by homeowners amid regulatory hurdles. Jenny emphasizes the need for innovation in energy storage and the transformative potential of solar energy in the country.

01:10:00

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Jenny Chase

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Quick takeaways

Jenny Chase highlights Pakistan's rapid increase in solar module imports, raising concerns about actual deployment and regulatory oversight.

The podcast discusses the potential 'utility death spiral' in Pakistan's power sector due to rising solar adoption among affluent customers.

Jenny speculates that advancements in battery technology will significantly enhance solar energy's contribution to global consumption by 2050.

Deep dives

Jenny Chase's Career and Insights

Jenny Chase discusses her extensive career in the solar power industry, which spans nearly 20 years. She focuses on providing critical data about solar installations, their costs, and market dynamics that inform investment decisions. Jenny emphasizes that while solar power has significant potential, there are instances when investing in this sector can be unwise, particularly concerning manufacturing. Her shift away from management has allowed her to explore specific markets, including an intriguing project on solar energy in Pakistan.

Solar Finds Its Way Amid High Prices

01:18

Intro

3min

Defining Distributed Energy

3min

Rooftop Solar: Benefits and Challenges

4min

Solar Surge in Pakistan

18min

Navigating Pakistan's Energy Transition

25min

The Solar Evolution: From Skepticism to Sustainability

6min

Challenges and Innovations in Energy Storage

9min

A truly wild story is unfolding in Pakistan. Over the past few years the country has become the globe’s third largest importer of Chinese solar panels, and yet none of the resulting projects are operated by, or even visible to, the national utility.

Simultaneously, demand from the grid has dropped 9.1% over the past 12 months, which has many scared of a potential utility death spiral.

Here’s a recent story in the Financial Times on what’s been going on that’s good background.

To unpack this, we sat down with Jenny Chase of Bloomberg New Energy Finance. She has been chasing down this story since 2021, when she was the first to report on it.

Jenny is also the OG solar analyst and knows more about this space than pretty much anyone. We highly suggesting scrolling through her annual “Opinions About Solar” megathread on twitter.

On an unrelated note, DERVOS tickets are selling fast. There’s less than 15 left at the discounted price, so snag yours quickly. Final speakers, sessions, demo-day participants, and more to come out shortly.

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DER Task Force

Pakistan's distributed solar boom with Jenny Chase

Episode guests

Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

Deep dives

Jenny Chase's Career and Insights

Defining Distributed Energy Resources (DER)

The Surprising Surge of Solar in Pakistan

The Challenges of Utility Operations in Pakistan

Future of Solar Energy and Storage Technologies

Solar Finds Its Way Amid High Prices

Remember Everything You Learn from Podcasts