A few years ago, I used to sell industrial batteries and solar panels. Quite often, we combined the two into off-grid solar power systems. The concept was simple: a grid of solar panels generated electricity during the day, any surplus charged a bank of batteries, and in the evening – when the sun disappeared – power was drawn from storage.
It was green. It was clean. And, once installed, it produced what felt like ‘free’ electricity.
The problem? The upfront cost.
Back then, electricity in Bahrain was heavily subsidised – between 85 per cent and 90pc. The numbers simply didn’t stack up. I would sit across from homeowners explaining payback periods that stretched years into the future, only for them to glance at their modest monthly electricity bill and politely decline.
It wasn’t that solar didn’t work; it just wasn’t financially viable.
Fast forward to today.
Subsidies have been reduced dramatically and, in many cases, removed entirely. Where a July electricity bill might once have been around BD45, today that same month can easily reach BD200-300. The economics have shifted. Solar no longer feels like a lifestyle choice – it feels like a practical hedge against rising costs.
And, we are starting to see the change. Solar panels now shade car parks at industrial sites. They sit atop water towers. Even the new cathedral car park has embraced them. The number of companies offering solar installation and battery storage systems has grown rapidly.
Which brings me to my current predicament.
My day job is managing facilities at a 27-storey tower block. One of my biggest recurring headaches is the electricity bill – well over BD100,000 a year.
In a building of that scale, energy consumption is relentless. The chillers run hard through the summer months, and while reducing output might cut costs, it would also produce a building full of unhappy occupants ... and potentially a facilities manager in need of new employment.
So, when I was informed that the granite cladding panels on our car park were failing and would need replacement, I saw an opportunity.
Why not replace granite with solar panels?
Instead of decorative cladding, we could generate power. A necessary expense could become an investment.
I contacted several solar companies with enthusiasm.
Imagine my disappointment. Of the four companies I found online, two made initial contact, promised site visits, and then vanished. Ghosted, as the modern term goes.
A third visited, took measurements, and then followed the same path into silence.
The fourth did provide a quotation – but at a price so high that the payback period stretched nearly the full 30-year panel warranty.
This is puzzling.
The sun in Bahrain is not a scarce resource. It is abundant. It pours down on us relentlessly for most of the year. Commercial buildings face soaring electricity costs. The financial case, on paper, has never been stronger.
So where is the commercially realistic solar installer prepared to engage seriously with mid-sized building operators? If such a company exists, I would genuinely welcome the conversation, my email address is below.
And if it doesn’t, then perhaps this is the signal of a market gap – an opportunity for an energetic, solutions-driven entrepreneur to step forward.
The economics have changed. The demand is real. The sun is doing its part.
Now it is time for the market to catch up.
Jackie@JBeedie.com
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