Families and businesses across Asia are turning to rooftop solar power in unprecedented numbers as soaring fuel costs from the Iran war place crushing financial burdens on households already struggling with energy affordability, revealing both the human cost of fossil fuel dependency and the potential for a clean energy transition that could reduce vulnerability to global price shocks.
In the Philippines, which is in a national energy emergency, a survey of 20 local solar companies found a 70% increase in weekly installations and a six-fold jump in customer inquiries since the conflict began. Oil and gas spikes during the first 60 days of the Iran war cost Filipino consumers, businesses and public institutions more than $600 million, the climate nonprofit 350.org estimates.
Households Bear the Burden
Jaime Quemado, who recently bought a rooftop solar system in Manila, said, "When we got our energy bill after the Iran war broke out, we were very shocked. It was wow. It was a significant increase," and said there were growing concerns about potential power outages, which led him to look for an alternative energy source like "solar, which is very abundant here in the Philippines."
The Philippines, which relies heavily on Middle Eastern crude oil and liquefied natural gas, is among the most impacted Southeast Asian nations by the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. Local airlines are weighing fuel rationing. Public transport workers are receiving cash handouts. Gas and diesel prices also have shot up.
To conserve energy, government offices have shifted to a four-day work week and been told to keep air conditioning no lower than 24 degrees Celsius, or 75 degrees Fahrenheit.
Demand Surges Across Region
Brenda Valerio of the nonprofit New Energy Nexus, which ran the survey, said, "This crisis is a driving force for solar," and, "People want solar and people want solar now." Customer interest in rooftop solar jumped from around 115 inquiries in February, before the start of the Iran war on Feb. 28, to more than 450 by mid-April, according to the New Energy Nexus survey.
On two blisteringly hot days in Manila, EcoSolutions installers sweated through the set up of an 18-kilowatt rooftop solar system, which included 28 panels from major Chinese manufacturer LONGi and four batteries from Suzhou-based battery group Dyness. Richmond Reyes, EcoSolutions president, said, "The war has helped the solar industry really get its footing."
Joel Remegio of the Association of Solar Installers of the Philippines said the energy crisis is a "game changer" for the nation's nascent solar industry.
Government Response and Regional Policies
Marissa Cerezo of the Department of Energy's Renewable Energy Management Bureau said clean technology, like rooftop solar, is quickly scalable because it is "accessible to all of us," and added, "This gives us the power to choose them."
Solar is being embraced across Southeast Asia. Indonesia set an ambitious target to install 100 gigawatts of rooftop solar by 2034, a leap from its current 1.3 gigawatts. Vietnam wants to install rooftop solar on at least 10% of public offices and homes nationwide by 2030. Thailand is considering new policies to give rooftop solar users a bigger bang for their buck by increasing the amount of surplus energy the national grid can buy.
Yu Sun Chin of the research group Zero Carbon Analytics said the energy crisis is incentivizing these decisions. She said, "It totally makes sense for policymakers to take another look at rooftop solar and see ways that they can save costs."
Global Transition Accelerates
Online marketplaces and utility companies in the U.S. and across Europe also have recorded jumps in solar sales and inquiries since the Iran war began. Jan Rosenow, a professor of energy and climate policy at Oxford University, said, "Solar is definitely one of the easiest things people can do" to cut monthly electricity bills. He said the availability and affordability of rooftop solar make it the easiest clean technology solution given the higher expense for buying an electric vehicle or installing a heat pump.
Ember noted China exported 68 gigawatts worth of clean technology products in March, equivalent to Spain's entire solar capacity and double its February output. Ember found the Iran war is accelerating the world's energy transition. Exports to Africa hit 10 gigawatts, a 176% jump from February, with rapid growth in Nigeria, Kenya and Ethiopia. Exports to other Asian nations doubled to 39 gigawatts, including major increases to India, Malaysia and Laos.
China's Market Dominance
China is poised to profit from demand caused by the war. Chinese clean technology equipment exports hit a record high in March, according to energy think tank Ember, and worldwide interest in solar is increasing. Li Shuo, director of the Asia Society Policy Institute's China Climate Hub, said, "China really is, by far, leading this race," and called the renewable industry "a one-man show."
Valerio said solar groups must "ride this wave and take advantage of this momentum." Ramnath Iyer of the U.S.-based Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis said the speed of the transition depends on whether world leaders "decide to go ahead with electrification and move away from fossil fuels."
Li said Chinese companies had an oversupply of solar panels and other equipment before the war, putting them in a prime position to capitalize on current demand. He said, "When it comes to the clean tech sector, China at this point in time is already so far ahead," and, "The current situation in Iran will help China cement its dominance."
Why This Matters:
The energy crisis demonstrates how fossil fuel dependency leaves working families vulnerable to global market shocks beyond their control, with hundreds of millions of dollars extracted from household budgets in just weeks. The surge in solar adoption reveals that accessible, affordable renewable energy can empower communities to take control of their energy needs and reduce inequality in energy access. Government policies that accelerate clean energy deployment and make solar technology more affordable become critical tools for protecting consumers from price volatility while addressing climate change. The transition's speed depends on public investment, regulatory frameworks that support distributed renewable energy, and ensuring that the benefits of clean technology reach all income levels rather than remaining accessible only to those who can afford upfront costs.