2015 SOLAR PV

STATUS REPORT
FOR LEBANON

Empowered lives.
Resilient nations.
2015 SOLAR PV
STATUS REPORT
FOR LEBANON

Empowered lives.
Resilient nations.
Data Collectors
Ms. Mira Jaber
Ms. Marie Joe Najm

Authors
Mr. Jil Amine
Mrs. Sandra Rizk

Main Reviewers
Mr. Eric El Obeid
Mr. Vahakn Kabakian
Mr. Hassan Harajli
Ms. Jihan Seoud

Contributing Reviewers
Mr. Pierre El Khoury
Ms. Melda Jabbour

Copyright © UNDP / DREG - 2016

Reproduction is authorized provided the source is acknowledged and provided the reproduction is not sold.

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is the UN’s principle provider of development, advice
advocacy, and grant support. With some 170 country offices, it has long enjoyed the trust and confidence of
government and NGOs in many parts of the developing as well as the developed world. It is typically regarded
as a partner rather than as an adversary, and its commitment to universal presence proved especially useful
in post-conflict situation and with states that have been otherwise isolated from international community.

For more information:

United Nations Development Programme, www.lb.undp.org
DREG, www.lb.undp.org/DREG
Note: The information contained within this document has been developed within a specific scope, and might
be updated in the future.
 /03

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) would like to thank both the Global Environment Facility
(GEF) and the Lebanese Ministry of Energy and Water (MoEW) for their generous donation that enabled the
Small Decentralized Renewable Energy Power Generation (DREG) Project to be realized. UNDP would also
like to thank all its partners including the Lebanese Center for Energy Conservation (LCEC), the EU-funded
UNDP CEDRO Project, Électricité du Liban (EDL), the UNDP Low Emission Capacity Building (LECB) Project at
the Ministry of Environment (MoE), Banque du Liban (BDL), the Council for Development and Reconstruction
(CDR), the Lebanese Solar PV companies which participated in the survey for this report, and all other
institutions that work closely with this project.
04 /
2015 SOLAR PV
STATUS REPORT
FOR LEBANON

FOREWORD
If one cannot measure something, one will definitely face difficulties
managing it. Stemming from this notion, I am proud to announce
Lebanon’s first Solar Photovoltaic Status Report which will detail the
status and the growth of the Solar PV market in Lebanon. Solar PV
electricity generation has been on the rise in Lebanon since the 2000s
but it only started seeing exponential growth in 2013 with the
introduction of the NEEREA mechanism. NEEREA is a successful and
ongoing financial mechanism initiated by the Central Bank of Lebanon
with the support of the Ministry of Energy and Water, the United Nations
Development Programme, and the Lebanese Center for Energy
ARTHUR Conservation.

NAZARIAN I encourage all the decision makers, stakeholders, and interested parties
in the renewable energy sector in general, and the Solar PV sector in
particular, to consult this report, get acquainted with its findings, and
draw the lessons needed from it to continue supporting and growing
this sector.

Arthur Nazarian
Minister of Energy and Water
 /05

ABSTRACT
The 2015 Solar Photovoltaic (PV) Status Report for Lebanon, developed and published for the first time in
2016, highlights the status and the growth of the Solar PV market by presenting and analyzing all its
available data.

Solar cells, also called photovoltaic (PV) cells, convert sunlight directly into electricity. PV gets its name from
the process of converting light (photons) to electricity (voltage), which is called the PV effect.

This report serves as a baseline for the market and is based on data collected from all participating Lebanese
Solar PV companies (44) with implemented projects all over Lebanon up until the end of 2015. The analyzed
data enables the understanding of the Solar PV market growth in Lebanon over time through various
indicators such as installed capacity, electrecity generation, number and type of projects, amount of
investments, monetary and environmental savings, and geographical location.

Starting in 2016, the Solar PV Status Report for Lebanon will become a yearly collaborative publication
reporting on the market’s growth for the previous year. This in turn will enable all the involved decision
makers and stakeholders to align their efforts in order to continue supporting the market and sustaining
its healthy growth.
*DUE TO A NUMBER OF COMPANIES WHO
CHOSE NOT TO PARTICIPATE IN THE DATA
COLLECTION SURVEY, A CONSERVATIVE
ESTIMATION WAS CONDUCTED TO QUANTIFY
THEIR COMBINED INSTALLED CAPACITY AND
IT LEAD TO AN ADDITIONAL 765 KWP. THIS
VALUE WAS NOT ADDED TO THIS REPORT IN
THE HOPES THAT THESE COMPANIES WILL
COLLABORATE IN THE COMING YEARS BY
PROVIDING THE DETAILED DATA REQUIRED.
08 /
2015 SOLAR PV
STATUS REPORT
FOR LEBANON

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Lebanon’s electricity generation capacity by EDL equaled 1,983 MW by the end of 2015.
Lebanon’s electricity generation by EDL reached 12.4 TWh in 2015.
In 2010, Lebanon's Solar PV electricity installed capacity equaled 320 kWp.
This number increased by:
> 41% to equal 450 kWp in 2011
> 73% to equal 780 kWp in 2012
> 124% to equal 1.75 MWp in 2013
> 117% to equal 3.80 MWp in 2014
> 149% to equal 9.45 MWp in 2015

Total investment in the Solar PV sector up to the end of 2015 reached $30.5M.
Solar PV electricity capacity in 2015 was 0.47% of EDL’s total electricity capacity and 0.11% of EDL’s total annual
electricity generation. With Solar PV added to Hydro, the renewables’ share of the total annual electricity
generation by EDL in 2015 is 4.1%.
From 2010 until the end of 2015, cumulative installed Solar PV electricity capacity has grown by an average rate
of 101% per year.
The number of new Solar PV projects increased from 18 in 2011 to 94 in 2013 and to 259 in 2015.
The year-over-year growth rate for the Solar PV electricity capacity increased from 41% in 2011 to 149% in 2015.
The year-over-year growth rate for the number of new Solar PV projects increased from 27% in 2011 to 72% in 2015.
This indicates that the average size of each project increased from 5 kWp in 2010 to 21 kWp in 2015.
 /09

The turnkey price for Solar PV has been falling steadily year after year from $7,178 per kWp in 2010 to $2,675 per
kWp in 2015.
This constitutes a price drop of 63% in a span of six years.
The turnkey price for numerous types of Solar PV systems has decreased by more than 30% and up to 66% of the
initial turnkey price since introduction in the Lebanese market.
The total investment in the Solar PV sector increased from $2.3M in 2010 to $30.52M in 2015.
The positive impact NEEREA has on the market is clearly seen with the exponential growth starting in 2012-2013
and carrying forward.
The Top 4 sectors leading the Solar PV market in Lebanon are the Commercial sector with 2 MWp at 22%, the
Residential sector with 1.7 MWp at 18%, the Agricultural sector with 1.7 MWp at 18%, and the Industrial sector
with 1.6 MWp at 17%.
The Top 3 project types prevailing in the Solar PV market in Lebanon are Hybrid/Multisource with 3.77 MWp at 40%,
On-grid with batteries/grid interactive with 1.59 MWp at 17%, and Solar PV Pumping with 1.58 MWp at 17%.
The Top 3 Governorates leading the Solar PV market in Lebanon are Mount Lebanon with 3 MWp at 32%, Beirut
with 2.4 MWp at 25%, and Bekaa with 1.8 MWp at 19%.
The estimated monetary savings from all the Solar PV projects in Lebanon grew from $191,000 per year in 2010
to $7,000,000 per year in 2015. These are the savings reaped by the operators of Solar PV systems in Lebanon by
deferring a portion of their electricity consumption from the grid and diesel gensets to Solar PV electricity generation.
The estimated emissions savings from all the Solar PV projects in Lebanon increased from 351 tCO2 per year in
2010 to 18,000 tCO2 per year in 2015.
10 /
2015 SOLAR PV
STATUS REPORT
FOR LEBANON

03 Acknowledgments
04 Foreword
05 Abstract
06 Note
TABLE OF 08
11
Executive Summary
Table of Acronyms

CONTENTS 13 Introduction

14 1. Lebanon Electricity Background Information

16 Lebanon’s 2015 Electricity Generation Capacity (MW | %)
17 Lebanon’s 2015 Electricity Generation (TWh | %)

18 2. Solar PV Electricity in Lebanon

20 Solar PV Capacity and Annual Additions
21 Solar PV Electricity Capacity and Generation
22 Solar PV Annual New Projects Count
23 Solar PV Electricity Capacity and Number of Projects Year-over-Year Growth Rate (%)
24 Yearly Average Solar PV Turnkey Price ($ / kWp)
25 Yearly Average Solar PV Turnkey Price by Project Type ($ / kWp)
26 Solar PV Investment ($M)
27 Solar PV Capacity by Sector (MWp | %)
28 Solar PV Capacity by Project Type (MWp | %)
29 Solar PV Capacity by Governorate (MWp | %)
30 Solar PV Estimated Monetary Savings ($)
31 Solar PV Estimated Emissions Savings (tCO2)

32 List of Participating Lebanese Solar PV Companies

 /11

TABLE OF
ACRONYMS

BDL Banque du Liban

CDR Council for Development and Reconstruction
EDL Electricité du Liban
GEF Global Environment Facility
kWp Kilo-watt-peak
kWh Kilo-watt-hour
LECB Low Emission Capacity Building Project
MoE Ministry of Environment
MoEW Ministry of Energy and Water
MW Mega-watt
MWh Mega-watt-hour
MWp Mega-watt-peak
NEEREA National Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Action
PV Photovoltaic
tCO2 Tonnes of CO2
TWh Terra-watt-hour
INTRODUCTION
 /13

T
he Small Decentralized Renewable Energy Power Generation
Project, also known as DREG, is funded by the Global
Environment Facility (GEF) and implemented by the United
Nations Development Programme (UNDP). The project is nationally
executed by the Ministry of Energy and Water (MoEW) in coordination
with the Lebanese Center for Energy Conservation (LCEC).

The project’s objective is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by the

removal of barriers to widespread application of decentralized
renewable energy power generation.

This report serves as a baseline for the market and is based on data
collected from all participating Lebanese Solar PV companies (44)
with a total of 621 implemented projects all over Lebanon by the end
of 2015. The analyzed data enables the understanding of the Solar
PV market growth in Lebanon over time through various indicators
such as installed capacity, electrecity generation, number and type
of projects, amount of investments, monetary and environmental
savings, and geographical location.

Starting in 2016, the Solar PV Status Report for Lebanon will become
a yearly publication reporting on the market’s growth for the previous
year. This in turn will enable all the involved decision makers and
stakeholders to align their efforts in order to continue supporting the
market and hence, sustaining its healthy growth.
LEBANON
ELECTRICITY
BACKGROUND
INFORMATION
16 /
2015 SOLAR PV
STATUS REPORT
FOR LEBANON

Lebanon’s 2015 Electricity Generation Capacity (MW | %)

Hydro Solar PV
40 | 2.01% 9.45 | 0.47%

Barges (Fuel Oil)

367 | 18.42%

Combined Cycle
(Diesel Oil)
1,051 | 52.75%
Thermal (Fuel Oil)
525 | 26.35%

EDL’s share of the total electricity generation capacity equaled 1,983 MW

while the Solar PV’s share equaled 9.45 MWp.
 /17
LEBANON ELECTRICITY
BACKGROUND
INFORMATION

Lebanon’s 2015 Electricity Generation (TWh | %)

Hydro Import Solar PV

0.48 | 4% 0.26 | 2% 0.014 | 0.11%

Thermal (Fuel Oil)

2.57 | 21%

Combined Cycle
(Diesel Oil)
6.41 | 51%
Barges (Fuel Oil)
2.69 | 22%

EDL’s share of the total electricity generation equaled 12.41 TWh while the Solar PV’s share equaled 0.014 TWh
or 0.11% of the total electricity generation.
With Solar PV added to Hydro, the renewables’ share of the total annual electricity generation by EDL in 2015 is 4.1%.
SOLAR PV
ELECTRICITY
IN LEBANON
20 /
2015 SOLAR PV
STATUS REPORT
FOR LEBANON

Solar PV Electricity Capacity and Annual Additions

MWp
9.45
10 +5.65
Annual Additions
9
8 Capacity
7
6
5 3.80
4 +2.05

3 1.75
2 0.78 +0.98
0.45
1 +0.33
0.32 +0.13
0
< 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015

The Solar PV electricity installed capacity was 320 kWp in 2010 and reached 9.45 MWp* by 2015.
The 9.45 MWp installed capacity include the Beirut River Solar Snake (BRSS) Project (1.08 MWp) whereas the
remainder comes from decentralized systems (8.37 MWp).
 /21
SOLAR PV
ELECTRICITY
IN LEBANON

Solar PV Electricity Capacity and Generation

MWp MWh
10 16,000
9 Generation
13,907 14,000
8 Capacity 12,000
7
6 10,000
5 8,000
4 6,000
5,520
3
4,000
2 2,704
1 1,231 2,000
515 719
0 0
< 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015

Around 14,000 MWh of Solar PV electricity was generated in 2015 which constitutes 0.11% of the total annual
electricity generation by EDL.
22 /
2015 SOLAR PV
STATUS REPORT
FOR LEBANON

Solar PV Annual New Projects Count

300
259
250

200

150 141

94
100
67
50 42
18
0
< 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015

The number of new Solar PV projects increased from 18 in 2011 to 94 in 2013 and to 259 in 2015.
 /23
SOLAR PV
ELECTRICITY
IN LEBANON

Solar PV Electricity Capacity and Number of Projects Year-over-Year Growth Rate (%)

%
160 149
Capacity Growth Rate
140
124 117
120
100
80 73 74
64 72
60
41
40 49
Number of Projects Growth Rate
20 27
0
2011 2012 2013 2014 2015
The year-over-year growth rate for the Solar PV electricity capacity increased from 41% in 2011 to 149% in 2015.
The year-over-year growth rate for the number of new Solar PV projects increased from 27% in 2011 to 72% in 2015.
This indicates that the average size of each project increased from 4.78 kWp in 2010 to 21.28 kWp in 2015.
 24 /
2015 SOLAR PV
STATUS REPORT
FOR LEBANON

Yearly Average Solar PV Turnkey Price ($ / kWp)

$ / kWp
8,000
7,178
7,000 7,037

6,000 5,647
5,000
4,466
4,000
3,000 2,930
2,675
2,000
1,000
0
< 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015

The turnkey price for Solar PV has been falling steadily year after year from $7,178 per kWp in 2010 to $2,675 per kWp in 2015.
This constitutes a price drop of 63% in a span of six years.
 /25
SOLAR PV
ELECTRICITY
IN LEBANON

Yearly Average Solar PV Turnkey Price by Project Type ($ / kWp)

$ / kWp
12,000
On-grid with Batteries/Grid Interactive/Dual-mode

10,000 Off-grid with Generator Back-up

Hybrid/Multisource
8,000 Solar PV Pumping

6,000

4,000

2,000

0
< 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015

The turnkey price for numerous types of Solar PV systems has decreased by more 30% and up to 66% of the initial
turnkey price since introduction in the Lebanese market.
26 /
2015 SOLAR PV
STATUS REPORT
FOR LEBANON

Solar PV Investment ($M)

$M $M
9 35
Non-NEEREA 30.52
8 30
7 NEEREA
25
6 Total Investment ($M)
5 20
4 15.41
15
3 9.40
10
2 5.05
2.30 3.19 5
1
0 0
< 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015
The total investment in the Solar PV sector increased from $2.3M in 2010 to $30.52M in 2015.
The positive impact NEEREA has on the market is clearly seen with the exponential growth starting in 2012-2013 and
carrying forward.
 /27
SOLAR PV
ELECTRICITY
IN LEBANON

Solar PV Capacity by Sector (MWp | %)

Non-profit Medical
0.38 | 4% 0.13 | 1%
Educational
0.49| 5%

Commercial
2.03 | 22%
Public
1.44 | 15%

Residential
Industrial 1.70 | 18%
1.60 | 17%

Agricultural
1.69 | 18%

The Top 4 sectors leading the Solar PV market in Lebanon are the Commercial sector with 2 MWp at 22%, the
Residential sector with 1.7 MWp at 18%, the Agricultural sector with 1.7 MWp at 18%, and the Industrial sector
with 1.6 MWp at 17%.
28 /
2015 SOLAR PV
STATUS REPORT
FOR LEBANON

Solar PV Capacity by Project Type (MWp | %)

Off-grid with
generator back-up
Off-grid/Stand- 0.47 | 5%
alone/Autonomous
0.86 | 9%

On-grid/Grid-
tied/Online Hybrid/Multisource
1.17 | 12% 3.77 | 40%

Solar PV Pumping
1.58 | 17% On-grid with
batteries/grid
interactive/dual-
mode
1.59 | 17%

The Top 3 project types prevailing in the Solar PV market in Lebanon are Hybrid/Multisource with 3.77 MWp at 40%,
On-grid with batteries/grid interactive with 1.59 MWp at 17%, and Solar PV Pumping with 1.58 MWp at 17%.
 /29
SOLAR PV
ELECTRICITY
IN LEBANON

Solar PV Capacity by Governorate (MWp | %)

North
0.73 | 8%

Mount
Lebanon
3.00 | 32%
Beirut Bekaa
2.39 | 25% 1.80 | 19%

South
1.03 | 11%
Nabatieh The Top 3 Governorates leading the Solar
0.31 | 3% PV market in Lebanon are Mount Lebanon
with 3 MWp at 32%, Beirut with 2.4 MWp at
25%, and Bekaa with 1.8 MWp at 19%.
30 /
2015 SOLAR PV
STATUS REPORT
FOR LEBANON

Solar PV Estimated Monetary Savings ($)

$ $
2,500,000 8,000,000
7,390,050
Total Cumulative Savings
7,000,000
2,000,000 Annual Savings
6,000,000

1,500,000 5,000,000

3,608,590 4,000,000
1,000,000 3,000,000
1,823,096
2,000,000
500,000
851,332 1,000,000
191,079 459,557

- 0
< 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015

The estimated total cumulative monetary savings from all the Solar PV projects in Lebanon grew from $191,000 in
2010 to $7,400,000 in 2015. These are the savings reaped by the operators of Solar PV systems in Lebanon by
deferring a portion of their electricity consumption from the grid and diesel gensets to Solar PV electricity generation.
 /31
SOLAR PV
ELECTRICITY
IN LEBANON

Solar PV Estimated Emissions Savings (tCO2)

t CO 2 t CO 2
7,000 20,000
Total Cumulative Savings 17,855
18,000
6,000 Annual Savings
16,000
5,000 14,000

4,000 12,000
10,000
3,000 7,762 8,000
2,000 6,000
3,663
4,000
1,000 1,703
351 845 2,000
- 0
< 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015

The estimated total cumulative emissions savings from all the Solar PV projects in Lebanon increased from 351 tCO2
in 2010 to 18,000 tCO2 in 2015.
LIST OF PARTICIPATING LEBANESE
SOLAR PV COMPANIES
AEMS Green Alternative Power Sources
Al Diyar for Engineering & Contracting & Trade Green Arms
ALBINA Green Energy
Alternative Energy DPC Green Energy System
Alternative Energy Inc. GREEN-MENA
ASACO Hawa Akkar
Black Box Ienergy
Cenpro Energy Ijazi Investment Company
Consolidated Technology Industries Kypros
Contracom LIRASOLE
Control Panel ME Green
DAWTEC Phoenix Energy
Durable Construction & Energy Power & Green
Earth Technologies Renewable Med Energy
ECOSYS Salem International
Elements Sun & Wind Smart Age
Elie Abdlnour & Co. SOLARNET
Green Essence SOLAR WIND M.E
EMCA Solec Energy
Free UEC
Go Green Yazbek solar
GP Stellar Yellow eco energy
 Empowered lives.
Resilient nations.

Ministry of Energy and Water

Ground Floor, Corniche du Fleuve
Beirut, Lebanon
T: +961 – 1 – 565 090

www.lb.undp.org/DREG

UNDP is the UN’s global Development network advocating for change and connections countries
to knowledge , experience and resources to help people build a better life.