Solar Works Pakistan

Guides · Faisalabad, Lahore, Punjab

Solar for Factories in Lahore's Industrial Estates

Short answer

Solar for factories in Lahore pays best when the plant is sized to the factory's daytime load and fits its LESCO connection, its sanctioned load and the rules of the estate it sits in. A unit in Sundar Industrial Estate, a workshop in Kot Lakhpat and a mill on Multan Road all fall under NEPRA's national net billing rules, but supply arrangements, roof types and space differ a lot. Check how your factory is metered before you compare quotations.

Solar Works Pakistan has a branch in Lahore and its head office in Faisalabad. This guide covers Lahore's main industrial locations, LESCO points for factory owners, and how we design an industrial plant. For the full industrial EPC picture, see our industrial and commercial solar page.

Lahore's industrial estates and belts at a glance

Lahore has about 9,000 industrial units by one count, spread across planned estates and older industrial areas along the main roads.

LocationWhat it isSolar points to check
Sundar Industrial EstatePlanned estate of roughly 1,760-1,800 acres on Sundar-Raiwind Road, developed by PIEDMC (Punjab Industrial Estates Development and Management Company)Newer sheds with large roofs; who supplies and bills power inside the estate
Quaid-e-Azam Industrial EstateLong-established estate in the Kot Lakhpat / Township areaOlder, tightly packed units; limited roof space; aged sheds
Kot LakhpatMixed industrial and residential area in south LahoreSmall and mid-size workshops; shading from neighbouring buildings
Multan Road beltIndustrial units along Lahore-Multan Road, which business groups have pushed to have declared an industrial corridorLarger plots, sometimes with spare land for ground mounting

Industry also clusters along Sheikhupura Road and Ferozepur Road and in older city areas. The design method is the same wherever your factory sits.

Sundar Industrial Estate: check the supply arrangement first

Sundar is the estate where the supply question matters most. In a 2011 filing to NEPRA, PIEDMC said it was buying power from LESCO in bulk under the B4 tariff and distributing it to the units inside Sundar. In 2022 it applied to NEPRA for distribution and supply licences for the estate. Separately, the federal Power Division has directed DISCOs to agree single-point supply and billing arrangements with SEZs and industrial estates.

What this means for you: the net billing route for a Sundar factory may run through the estate company, not only LESCO. If export is not available or not worth it, a self-use plant with export limited still cuts the units you buy; see the zero export device guide.

Older estates and road belts: roofs and space

Quaid-e-Azam Industrial Estate and Kot Lakhpat hold many of Lahore's older units. Typical issues we look for:

On the Multan Road belt, plots are often larger and some have spare land, which can carry a ground-mounted array.

Diagram

Factories in Lahore's industrial estates

Estate

Sundar and other estates

Supply

LESCO or estate supply route

Roof

Large sheds suit solar

Check your estate's supply route before net billing.

Smog and Lahore factories

Lahore's winter smog reduces the sunlight reaching the panels and leaves a grimy film on the glass. November to January is the weakest period for generation. A factory plant should be sized on yearly output, and the cleaning plan should allow more frequent washing in smog weeks. Our guide to solar in fog and smog explains what to expect.

LESCO notes for factory owners

LESCO is the distribution company for Lahore, Kasur, Okara and Sheikhupura. In mid-2026 it had the most net metering capacity of any DISCO. The points that matter for a factory:

Full rules are in our net metering and net billing guide.

Industrial tariff categories

LESCO factories are billed under the national industrial (B) categories: in the published DISCO tariff, B1 up to 25 kW, B2 above 25 kW up to 500 kW at 400 V, B3 at 11 kV and 33 kV, and B4 at 66 kV and above. Larger categories are on time-of-use rates, with the peak period in the evening after solar has stopped. The 2026 net billing rules refer to three-phase 400 V and 11 kV consumers.

Two consequences for design:

  1. Solar cuts daytime units, not peak-hour units. A battery can carry midday solar into the evening peak. Whether that pays is the question our BESS for factories guide works through.
  2. Solar alone may not lower MDI, because demand peaks often happen when solar output is low. See MDI on your electricity bill.

Solar Works Pakistan prepares the technical documents and handles the LESCO net billing application for your factory.

Designing a plant for a Lahore factory

We start from your data: 12 months of bills with MDI and the peak/off-peak split, tariff category, supply voltage, sanctioned load, whether supply comes from LESCO directly or through an estate, shifts and holidays, large motors and furnaces, and roof, shading and spare land.

If you run a generator, a proper controller lets solar share load with it without reverse power or underloading; see solar and generator hybrid systems. We do not sell generators, but we integrate existing sets.

Our in-house engineers then produce the layout, structure design and a detailed BOQ with brand, model, quantity and warranty for each item. Use our guide to comparing solar quotations to check any offer, ours included.

If you also run a unit in Faisalabad, our guide to solar for Faisalabad's industrial estates covers FESCO and the FIEDMC estates.

How Solar Works Pakistan delivers Lahore factory projects

Solar Works Pakistan is a solar EPC, engineering and trading company founded in 2021, headquartered in Faisalabad with a branch in Lahore. We have served 300+ customers, including 50+ industrial clients, and our power-generation heritage goes back to the 1980s through our founder, Akram Ullah Khan.

Factory projects follow a project-specific schedule. See our Lahore solar company page for the branch.

Get today's price or a free site survey

Send 12 months of bills with MDI, your tariff category, your estate (if any) and a machine list. Our engineers will check how your factory is supplied and what size of plant makes sense.

Site surveys are normally free.

Frequently asked questions

Can a factory in Sundar Industrial Estate install solar?

Yes, subject to sanctioned load, roof condition and the estate's rules. Because power inside Sundar has been distributed by the estate company, the net billing route may differ from a normal LESCO connection, so we confirm it before design. A self-use plant is usually simpler.

Is net billing available for factories in Lahore?

Yes, for eligible three-phase connections, up to the sanctioned load and an overall 1 MW cap. Exports earn much less than imports cost, so we design factory plants for self-use first.

Does LESCO require anything special for factory solar?

LESCO records the inverter make and serial number at application and checks them at meter installation, and it fits AMI smart meters on new solar connections. Above 25 kW, NEPRA concurrence and a fee also apply.

Will solar work in my Kot Lakhpat unit with a small roof?

Often yes. A small roof limits the plant size, but every unit is used on site, which is the most valuable use under net billing. Shade from neighbouring buildings is checked during the survey.

How much does smog affect a factory plant in Lahore?

Smog reduces output in winter weeks and leaves grime on the glass. We size on yearly output and plan extra cleaning for the smog season. Output recovers when the air clears.

Do you have an office in Lahore?

Yes, Solar Works Pakistan has a branch in Lahore, and our head office is in Faisalabad. Call or WhatsApp 0336 666 4321 before visiting so the right engineer is available.

Can solar reduce my peak-hour charges?

Not on its own, because peak hours are in the evening. A battery can store midday solar for the peak period, where the data shows it pays.

Sources

LESCO and net billing facts are reused from our net metering and net billing guide and Lahore page, which list the full sources.