Solar vs the Generator
Could rooftop solar beat your generator bill? Work out the rough size, cost, yearly saving and payback — plain arithmetic, no sales pitch.
Power from the private generator (the moteur) is one of the biggest bills in Beirut, and rooftop solar is now common. This works out, in plain arithmetic, whether solar could beat your generator bill — the rough size, cost, yearly saving and how long until it pays for itself. No sales pitch, nothing to sign, and nobody calls you.
Roughly, in US dollars — the private generator (moteur) bill, not the state EDL bill.
Pre-filled with the rate around 2026-03-01. It changes every month — enter your own for a closer answer.
A 1.5 kWp system (about US$2,320–US$3,860 to install) could cover roughly 85% of your generator bill — about US$1,020 a year — and pay for itself in around 3.8–2.3 years.
This is plain arithmetic, not a quote. Real prices, your roof and how much sun it gets all vary — treat the numbers as a starting point and get a written quote before deciding.
Only the power you use yourself counts
The battery is the part that wears out
Do you have the roof?
Worth knowing
Rough size to fit
Beirut gets about 1,650 units (kWh) of power a year for every kilowatt of panels — a realistic rooftop figure. The Global Solar Atlas puts an ideal, perfectly-angled roof at 1,691; a dusty, shaded or badly-angled roof makes less, so this uses the lower, honest number.
Generator rate (per kWh)
The generator rate is the legal monthly ceiling the Ministry of Energy and Water sets, and it moves with diesel prices — in early 2026 it ran from about $0.32 to $0.45 a unit (kWh). $0.40 is a middle figure; enter what your own operator charges for a closer answer.
The state grid (EDL) is the cheap part — but it's barely on
EDL charges about $0.10 for the first 100 units a month and $0.27 above that, in fresh dollars since the 2023 reform. But it runs only a few hours a day, so most of your electricity — and most of what solar would replace — is the far dearer generator power.
What people actually pay the generator
A 2023 survey found 72% of Beirut homes paying over $100 a month for the generator, with day-and-night service reaching about $320. That high price is exactly why solar pays back quickly here.
Prices have fallen a long way
The national energy centre (LCEC) put a turnkey solar system at about $1,000 per kilowatt in 2023, down from roughly $7,000 in 2011. A small home system with panels and a battery commonly runs $4,000–$5,000. LCEC.
Where to read more
- LCEC — Lebanese Center for Energy ConservationLebanon's national energy-efficiency and renewable-energy centre — guidance on rooftop solar and lists of accredited installers.
- Global Solar Atlas — BeirutThe World Bank-backed source for how much sun a Beirut roof gets in a year.