ISLAMABAD — Muhammad Zia ur Rahman got the idea to install solar panels on his house after he saw some going up on a mosque in his neighborhood in Islamabad, Pakistan's capital city. The mosque had been struggling to afford rising electricity prices to keep fans going in the country's longer and more frequent heat waves, so community members pooled money to buy a rooftop solar system. It brought monthly bills down to almost zero.

When Zia saw the economic difference solar energy could make, installing panels at his own home felt like a no-brainer. So, in mid-2021, he covered his rooftop garden in shiny panels — hoping the strong Pakistani sun would enable him to earn back his initial investment and eventually provide some relief from rising electricity costs. "We made a conscious decision

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