Naquoura Lebanon on August 01, 2019: two solar unit were installed on the top of roof for supplying hot water to kitchen and bathroom (c) Jose_Matheus - shutterstock
20 March 2025
Executive Summary
Lebanon faces an enduring energy crisis, characterized by persistent electricity shortages and an overreliance on polluting self-generation methods, particularly in urban areas like Beirut. Despite the lack of proper policy support, solar electricity has increased significantly since 2020. This rise is driven primarily by widespread distrust in the public utility and government, reduced costs, and growing public awareness of pollution and health concerns. This policy brief proposes reducing import red tape measures and exempting solar panels and related accessories from customs and VAT taxes. This initiative aims to encourage the adoption of renewable energy solutions, reduce pollution, and alleviate the electricity supply crisis, thereby contributing to a more sustainable and resilient energy future for Lebanon. Additionally, the brief addresses issues of equity and the just transition to renewables, ensuring that the benefits of solar energy are accessible to all segments of society, particularly vulnerable populations. By implementing these measures, Lebanon can promote an inclusive and fair energy transition, enhancing the quality of life for its citizens and mitigating the environmental impact of its energy consumption.
The Energy Crisis in Lebanon
Lebanon’s electricity crisis is a long-standing issue stemming from a severe shortage of supply, which has left the country reliant on outdated and inefficient infrastructure. The 2019 financial collapse exacerbated the electricity crisis, which the World Bank Group described in their 2021 report as being among the top ten, and possibly top three, worst crises globally since 1850. As a result, the public utility Électricité du Liban has struggled to provide even one to two hours of electricity per day to households, forcing many to rely on costly and polluting private diesel generators. This reliance on self-generation not only worsens environmental degradation but also deepens social inequalities by imposing a disproportionate financial burden on low-income households. The lack of affordable and reliable electricity exacerbates energy poverty, leaving vulnerable populations with few alternatives.
Moreover, the health costs associated with Lebanon’s reliance on diesel generators are increasingly unbearable. Researchers at the American University of Beirut have reported a dramatic increase in pollution from diesel generators in Lebanon, with toxic emissions soaring by over 300% since the onset of the economic crisis in 2019 (“Researchers estimate 300% increase”, 2021). More specifically, the daily average concentrations range between 20µg/m³ and 60µg/m³, significantly exceeding the World Health Organization guidelines of 15µg/m³ (Baaklini, 2024). This surge is largely due to the country’s heavy reliance on diesel generators as a primary source of electricity, given the inadequate supply from the national grid. The consequences of this spike in emissions are profound: it is estimated that the heightened pollution could lead to an additional 550 cancer cases annually, along with around 3,000 new cases of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and approximately 500 extra hospital admissions for cardiovascular conditions (Yuan, 2022). This is leading to major public health issues that are expected to increase annual public health costs by an estimated $8 million (Rose and Rida, 2021). Moreover, the risk of developing cancer in Lebanon has risen by 50% due to the doubling of carcinogenic pollutants from diesel generators in Beirut’s air since 2017 (Atallah, 2024). This underscores how the country’s energy crisis has exacerbated the public health crisis. In response to these alarming outcomes, local authorities have issued a decree requiring all diesel generator owners to install filters to reduce harmful emissions (Khalil, 2024). However, compliance with these regulations has been slow, casting doubt on their effectiveness.
The country’s current energy model heavily relies on heavy fuel oil plants and diesel generators, with 97% of energy being imported (Karam et al., 2020). Nearly half of Lebanon’s national debt is attributed to the electricity sector, largely due to unsustainable subsidies and widespread electricity theft (Ayoub et al., 2021). These factors have created a vicious cycle of fiscal strain and unreliable power, further crippling the nation’s economy and the daily lives of its citizens. A recent Human Rights Watch report (2023, p. 2) concludes: “electricity in Lebanon has effectively become a service only the wealthiest can afford, reinforcing the country’s inequality and further pushing people into poverty during one of the worst economic crises in modern history.” Similarly, a study by Dagher et al. (2023) revealed that over 78% of Lebanese households are unable to heat their homes, an abrupt contrast to just 7.1% in the Euro area (Eurostat, 2022). Additionally, Lebanese households spend on average 69% of their income on energy, compared to only 19.5% in Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development countries (OECD, 2021). These findings assert the severity of energy poverty in Lebanon, where skyrocketing energy costs leave many households unable to afford adequate heating, further exacerbating financial hardships during an ongoing economic crisis.
To address these injustices, a just transition to renewable energy, particularly solar power, is essential to ensure that all segments of society, especially the most disadvantaged, can access clean, affordable, and sustainable energy solutions. Achieving this requires a coordinated, multi-stakeholder approach that includes the government, municipalities, international organizations, NGOs, development agencies, and the private sector.
National Renewable Energy Targets and Untapped Potential
Despite its abundant water and sun resources, Lebanon’s renewable energy potential remains largely untapped (Heinrich Boll Stiftung, 2019). Transitioning to renewable energy offers a sustainable solution by providing clean, domestically sourced power and heat, while assisting in reducing the impacts of climate change. However, Lebanon has made limited progress in advancing renewable energy policies and lags behind global standards. The country remains heavily dependent on fossil fuels, resulting in high greenhouse gas emissions and worsening the effects of climate change. In 2010, the Ministry of Energy and Water set a goal of achieving 12% renewable energy in electricity and thermal supply by 2020, but with no clear path toward the aimed percentage (Repmann et al., 2017; UN Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia, 2018). This goal was further detailed in the National Renewable Energy Action Plan, which provided a roadmap to reach the 12% goal by 2020 (UN Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia, 2018). Even though this target was not met, in 2018 the government declared more ambitious renewable energy targets in response to its energy challenges and the pressing need to mitigate climate change, though it has yet to start serious implementation. The country aims to cover at least 30% of its energy consumption from renewables by 2030 (International Renewable Energy Agency, 2020). This shift to renewable energy is crucial, given Lebanon’s heavy reliance on imported fuel oil, which is economically burdensome and environmentally unsustainable.
Solar energy has been identified as a key renewable source that Lebanon can leverage to diversify its energy mix. By the end of 2019, total investments in the solar photovoltaic (PV) sector amounted to US$125.83 million, with 54% of installed solar PV systems funded through the National Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Action (NEEREA) financing mechanism, and the remaining 46% from non-NEEREA investments (Jabbour, 2021). Investments continued to grow, reaching US$135.19 million by the end of 2020 (Abou Moussa, 2022).
Policy Landscape and Limited Incentives
Lebanon has faced several challenges in advancing renewable energy projects, including the need for an easily implementable comprehensive legal framework to support large-scale initiatives (Kinab and Elkhoury, 2012; UN Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia, 2018). The current policy landscape lacks integration and is fragmented (International Renewable Energy Agency, 2020), and issues with the intermittency and performance of some decentralized solar installations have persisted (Taha and Akel, 2024). Moreover, Lebanon’s electricity sector struggles with “unreliable power supply, a distortive subsidy system, and a weak financial stability” of the state-owned utility Électricité du Liban (Ersoy et al., 2021), making it difficult to attract investment in renewable energy. Olleik et al. (2021) outline several challenges in the renewable energy sector, including the absence of a robust regulatory framework that would promote good governance. The study highlights significant political, legal, and commercial risks that restrict access to credit and financing. Additionally, the study identifies challenges in obtaining long-term power purchase agreements due to the structure of the electricity market and its associated tariffs. Lastly, they find that the development of local expertise necessary for fostering a sustainable renewable energy sector faces various barriers.
To address some of these problems, the Lebanese Parliament ratified the Decentralized Renewable Energy Production Law (No. 318/2023) in December 2023, allowing consumers to produce and exchange electricity with Électricité du Liban and enabling private renewable energy generators to connect to the grid with a maximum capacity of 10MW (Taha and Akel, 2024; Haytayan and El Khoury, 2024). Unfortunately, since passing the law no significant steps have been taken toward implementation.
Previously, the central bank of Lebanon, Banque du Liban (BdL), had introduced various financial initiatives to promote renewable energy adoption. In 2010, BdL launched the NEEREA financing mechanism, providing subsidized loans for renewable energy projects implemented by Lebanese commercial banks under BdL’s management (Climate Change Coordination Unit, 2014). The loans were capped at US$10 million, and were available at an interest rate of approximately 1%, with a repayment period extending up to 14 years, including a grace period of six months to four years (Lebanese Center for Energy Conservation, n.d.; Hamdan, 2017). NEEREA facilitated over 200 projects totaling over US$250 million, with 60% allocated to solar PV (Arayssi, 2023). However, due to the economic crisis, BdL discontinued these subsidized loans (Azhari, 2022). In response, a few commercial banks, including Banque de l’Habitat, have introduced solar loans for households. Working with the Lebanese Center for Energy Conservation, Banque de l’Habitat provides loans to Lebanese households to purchase and install solar PV systems (Tsagas, 2022). Starting 20 June 2022, loans ranging from 75 million to 200 million Lebanese pounds (about US$825 to US$2,200) became available to households with a repayment period of five years at an interest rate of 4.99% (Lebanese Center for Energy Conservation, n.d.).
In the National Budget Law of 2022, Lebanon temporarily exempted all renewable energy-related machinery and equipment from VAT (11%) and customs duties, including the 3% minimum customs duty, to encourage clean energy adoption. This exemption was effective from 15 November 2022 to 31 December 2023 (Lebanese Customs Administration, n.d.). However, in practice, the exemption was only implemented for three months in 2023. The VAT and customs duty exemptions, aimed at reducing import costs for solar equipment, primarily benefited importers, renewable energy companies, and suppliers.
Although these cost reductions were intended to lower prices for consumers and boost clean energy adoption, the brief implementation likely limited its impact on the affordability and adoption of renewable technologies.
Surge in Solar Electricity Adoption
The post-2019 surge in solar electricity adoption has been primarily driven by the dire need to counter massive power outages and a growing desire for independence from the unreliable public utility. While the national electricity grid fails to provide consistent power, both citizens and businesses have increasingly turned to solar energy as a practical solution to secure a stable electricity supply (World Energy Council, 2024). This shift toward solar energy has been largely organic and motivated by necessity rather than effective government policies. The lack of a comprehensive energy strategy from the state has led many individuals and businesses to take energy matters into their own hands, investing in solar systems to mitigate the impact of daily blackouts and reduce dependence on an unsustainable and financially burdened electricity sector. While the shift toward renewable energy, particularly solar power, is a positive development, it requires careful oversight and strategic planning through effective government policies to ensure long-term sustainability. Without a comprehensive regulatory framework, there is a risk of inconsistent quality in installations, potential environmental harm, and inequitable access to renewable energy resources particularly for disadvantaged communities.
In 2022, Lebanon imported 80,315 tons of solar panels, quadrupling the total imported in the previous decade, with over US$500 million invested by the private sector in decentralized solar applications (Boukather, 2023). By June 2023, decentralized solar installations had reached an estimated capacity of 1,000 MW (Taha and Akel, 2024) . Despite this, the absence of an inclusive national energy strategy raises questions about long-term sustainability. Effective policies are needed to integrate solar energy into a broader, stable energy mix while ensuring quality, safety, and equitable access for all residents, especially marginalized communities. If left unmanaged, Lebanon’s solar transition could create new challenges rather than provide a sustainable and inclusive energy solution.
Policy Recommendations
Several key policy options can be implemented to advance solar electricity in Lebanon while ensuring a fair transition to renewables without imposing additional financial strain on the country:
Financial Support from International Organizations: Given the absence of banks and the financial instability since the 2019 crisis, targeted financial support from international organizations is crucial for promoting solar energy adoption. This external assistance would be essential in alleviating energy poverty, particularly for low-income households and small businesses, ensuring that the benefits of solar energy are equitably distributed across society.
Net Metering: Urgently implement net metering policies as per the recently passed Decentralized Renewable Energy Production Law (No. 318/2023) that allows households to sell excess solar energy back to the grid. Special provisions should be made to ensure fair compensation for low-income families, encouraging decentralized energy production and reducing strain on the national grid.
Financial Incentives: The exemption of all renewable energy-related machinery and equipment from VAT (11%) and customs duties, including the 3% minimum customs duty, should be made permanent. In addition, reducing red tape in import procedures and removing bureaucratic barriers, would ensure broader participation in the renewable energy transition, making it easier for all segments of society to invest in solar power.
Community Solar Projects: Develop community solar initiatives where municipalities provide public lands free of charge for solar panel installations. These spaces could also serve as covered parking areas, offering dual benefits to the community. In urban areas, space constraints may limit large installations, while rural regions, with more available land, are ideal for solar farms. Consequently, such projects should prioritize low-income neighborhoods and rural areas, enabling shared access to solar energy for those who cannot afford individual systems. To expand these projects nationwide, the government should provide public land and simplify permitting processes. Additionally, financing models like collective ownership and pay-as-you-go systems would make solar energy more accessible to low-income communities. This approach fosters collective ownership and ensures the sustainability, inclusivity, and success of community solar initiatives.
Concluding Remarks
Making the VAT and customs duty exemptions for solar electricity-related equipment permanent and streamlining import procedures to eliminate bureaucratic barriers are crucial to reducing the overall cost of solar installations. It is essential to recognize the importance of making the exemption for renewable energy-related equipment permanent; it is far more effective than renewing it annually because it eliminates uncertainty and avoids gaps in implementation caused by delays in the budget law. An annual renewal process risks creating periods where the exemption is not in effect, disrupting the market and discouraging investment. Permanence provides businesses and consumers with the confidence to plan long-term investments in solar energy, knowing they can rely on consistent financial incentives. It also reduces bureaucratic hurdles and accelerates adoption, making renewable energy more accessible and affordable across all segments of society.
According to several suppliers, the global decrease in solar panels and the price of related accessories, along with the proposed cost reductions, can lead to a 50% reduction in the solar system cost compared to 2019. These savings have the potential of making clean energy more affordable, thus alleviating energy poverty and ensuring that solar power becomes accessible to all segments of society. This approach has proven successful in several Middle East and North Africa countries. For instance, Jordan has experienced significant growth in solar energy adoption, supported by government policies and declining solar costs. Renewables’ contribution to generating electricity increased from 0.7% in 2014 to over 13% in 2019, with solar energy being a key driver (International Renewable Energy Agency, 2021).
In summary, this policy approach will not only promote an inclusive transition to renewable energy but will also help in mitigating Lebanon’s electricity crisis by expanding access to sustainable and reliable power.
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The views represented in this paper are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Arab Reform Initiative, its staff, or its board.